With her acclaimed novels Harvest and Life Support, New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen has injected a new dose of adrenaline into the medical thriller. Of Harvest, Michael Palmer declared: "Only a riveting storyteller who is also a physician could have written this book." Now, Gerritsen again weaves frighteningly realistic medical detail into heart-stopping suspense, as a small-town doctor races to unravel the roots of a violent epidemic-before it destroys everything she loves.
Lapped by the gentle waters of Locust Lake, the small resort town of Tranquility, Maine, seems like the perfect spot for Dr. Claire Elliot to shelter her adolescent son, Noah, from the distractions of the big city, and the lingering memory of his father's death. And she's hopeful that she can earn the trust of the town as she builds a new practice. But all her plans unravel with the first snap of winter, and the news of a shocking incident: a teenage boy under her care has committed an appalling act of violence.
Claire had stopped prescribing a controversial drug to the troubled boy, a decision that some in the town now second-guess. But before she can defend herself, a rash of new violence erupts in Tranquility, forcing Claire to perform increasingly risky emergency procedures. And when one of her patients dies, the town's panic turns to fury.