Part of Doc Ford, book 12
First published 2006
Doc Ford agrees to check on a reclusive biologist living on a remote Florida island. The marine biologist seems to have dropped out of contact, worrying his family. When Ford arrives at the secluded home, he discovers the man has killed himself. The suicide becomes more disturbing when Ford realizes the corpse hosts live parasites that feed and reproduce on human flesh. The creatures are not native to Florida waters, yet they are multiplying rapidly in the surrounding ecosystem. Ford realizes this is no random tragedy or natural occurrence. Someone has deliberately introduced these organisms as a biological weapon. The parasites threaten to spread beyond the island and create an environmental disaster across Florida's coastal waters. Ford must trace the source of the infestation and identify who orchestrated this act of bioterrorism before the flesh-eating organisms reach populated areas and kill thousands of people.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, biological-weapon
Setting: Florida, Remote Island
Period: Contemporary
368 pages · Mass Market Paperback · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: body-horror, gore, violence