Synopses & Reviews
The ambitious seventh thriller in the Dr. Anya Crichton series When forensic pathologist Dr. Anya Crichton finds a dead child covered in blood and stuffed into a toy box, her thoughts immediately turn to murder. Then the post mortem reveals that the girl died from a deadly bacterial infection brought on by food poisoning. But does that mean Anya can rule out foul play? Anya was only meant to be in Tasmania for a conference and to visit her mother, but when more people fall sick, Anya becomes intimately involved in the case. At the same time, her mother—with whom Anya has had a difficult relationship ever since her little sister Miriam went missing 30 years ago—is acting strangely, talking about conspiracies and exhibiting classic signs of dementia. As Anya deals with her increasingly paranoid mother, she is also racing to discover the source of the fatal bacterial infection. But Anya's investigations into the close-knit Tasmanian agricultural community where the contaminated food originated soon put her in grave danger as someone tries to kill her. As the deaths pile up, Anya's search leads her to an old murder case, and soon it becomes clear that her own family is closer to danger than ever before. Will Anya be able to discover the truth behind the poisoning and unmask the killer in time to save them, and herself?
Synopsis
Forensic pathologist and physician, Dr. Anya Crichton does not just examine the dead. She also treats survivors of sexual assault, and the women she now sees compel her to follow the trail of a violent serial rapist—who is becoming more brutal with each attack. When two new victims are stabbed to death, suspicion immediately falls on Geoffrey Willard, recently released from twenty years in prison for the vicious rape and murder of a teenage girl.
As the community demands justice, Anya faces the greatest ethical dilemma of her career. If Willard is innocent, her forensic evidence will destroy a respected pathologist's reputation. If Anya is wrong, she has ensured not only that a seasoned killer goes free, but that he remains unstoppable.
Only the killer knows a mistake has been made. One that is about to prove fatal . . .
About the Author
Kathryn Fox is a medical practitioner with a special interest in forensic medicine. Her bestselling debut novel, Malicious Intent, received international acclaim and was awarded the Davitt Award for adult fiction. Kathryn currently lives in Sydney, Australia.