Razor-sharp and relentlessly suspenseful…
A deadly conspiracy turns promising medical research into a terrifying threat in Cooper’s gripping medical thriller. When an undercover FBI agent disappears while investigating a suspected bioterrorism operation in Maine, Lieutenant Karen Richmond and biomedical researcher Brad Parker are drawn into a case that reaches far beyond the state’s scientific community. Their search leads to a secretive biotechnology company with questionable finances and seemingly legitimate medical ambitions. But identifying the people behind the operation proves far more difficult than finding the laboratory.
Cooper, himself a biomedical scientist, knows this territory well, and it shows. The investigation moves convincingly through research laboratories, funding arrangements, corporate records, and the complicated relationships among scientists. Particularly interesting is the work involving Joubert syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, which gives the story a human dimension and makes the possibility of scientific exploitation all the more disturbing.
Brad and Karen are agreeable company, with their affectionate sparring providing welcome relief from the grim business at hand. Karen’s determination in the face of bureaucratic interference is especially entertaining, while Brad’s scientific curiosity proves just as useful as conventional detective work. Cooper makes good use of Maine’s coastal geography, moving between research facilities, secluded locations, and waterways as the investigation gathers urgency. The novel’s strength lies in the way apparently ordinary details acquire sinister significance. A company’s unusual financial arrangements, a scientist’s personal connections, and a legitimate medical research project gradually become pieces of a much larger puzzle. As the danger escalates, Cooper keeps the scientific stakes firmly tied to the people involved.
A satisfying, suspenseful addition to the series, rich in scientific intrigue and unexpected betrayals.
***
Pub date September 26, 2026
ISBN 979-8992426182
Price $15.95 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle edition
