Synopsis
The sleepy Rocky Mountain town of Silverton, Colorado hasn t seen a murder in years according to Pat Mahoney, the county coroner. So when his teenage daughter, Cameryn, asks if she can be his assistant as preparation for a career in forensic pathology he figures it s a safe bet. But neither of them imagines that their first case will involve someone Cameryn knows . . . the fourth victim of a serial killer.
Attending her first autopsy is more difficult than Cameryn had ever expected, but she s determined to find her friend s murderer. Before long, Cameryn is plunged into a disturbing mystery, matching wits with everyone from the cantankerous medical examiner who doubts her abilities to the famous psychic who is predicting yet another death soon.
Edgar-award winner Alane Ferguson has written a smart and fascinating forensic mystery.
Author Biography: Alane Ferguson is the author of numerous novels and mysteries, including the Edgar Award-winning Show Me the Evidence. She does intensive research for her books, attending autopsies and interviewing forensic pathologists as she delves into the fascinating world of medical examiners.
Ms. Ferguson lives with her family near the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.
VOYA
As the daughter of the county coroner in a peaceful Colorado mountain town, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney develops an interest in forensic pathology and convinces her father to hire her as his assistant. When a body found in the forest turns into a murder case matching the patterns of a serial killer, Cameryn experiences the roughest elements of the job against the wishes of her Irish grandmother, who believes her grandchild should learn domestic skills instead. The work of Cameryn and her father is complicated by a slick new sheriff's deputy and a famous television psychic and his entourage who come to town to assist with the case. By the end of the story, more than just the identity of the killer is revealed. Ferguson's portrait of forensic work is informative and should create interest in the field among readers. The descriptions of decomposing corpses can be gruesome, and Cameryn reacts realistically when she first faces them. She is determined to succeed and to prove herself to a skeptical medical examiner and her grandmother. At times, the book appears scattered; there are too many story lines, and they might have been better left for a sequel or developed more. Still the book is suspenseful and engrossing.