Bestselling mystery author Susan Dunlap, acclaimed winner of two Anthony Awards and a Macavity Award, brings us a powerful new novel featuring private detective-and former medical examiner-Kiernan O' Shaughnessy.

Betrayed and set up to take the blame for a death caused by a deadly and highly contagious case of Lassa fever, Kiernan gets more than she bargained for when she responds to a call from an old college friend. She knows that the death she's investigating could have dire consequences for the public if its cause is unleashed, inadvertently or otherwise. And the trail of clues she follows-from her base in San Diego to the Nevada desert-is agonizingly complex.

Not helping matters is her houseman, the usually affable Brad Tchernak. Tchernak may be a marvelous cook, companion, and dog feeder. But he's feeling overlooked as a detective, and that has created tension between him and his employer. While Kiernan pursues her case, Tchernak takes on one of his own, investigating a hotshot geologist who has just returned from a potentially multimillion-dollar oil find in Central America.

Of course, Tchernak's passion for this case may land him in mortal danger. And, as Kiernan investigates the suspicious and alarming death that could portend international disaster, she must grapple with her own demons.

Susan Dunlap is best known for her Jill Smith detective series, but she is a prolific and much loved writer of crime and mystery fiction, including award-winning short stories. She has won the Anthony and Macavity Awards, and been president of Sisters in Crime. She and her husband live near San Francisco.