by Alex Kava
First published 2008
FBI Agent Maggie O'Dell and Assistant Director Cunningham respond to what they think is a routine threat at Quantico. They walk straight into a carefully laid trap. A killer exposes them both to a lethal virus that can strike anyone without warning. The perpetrator studies criminal minds and borrows methods from notorious killers. He takes phrases from the Beltway Snipers, clues from the Unabomber, and delivery techniques from the Anthrax Killer. His victims look random but he selects each one for revenge. The available vaccine remains limited and untested. Maggie finds herself trapped in an isolation ward at a biosafety hospital, fighting time as the virus potentially multiplies in her system. She must work with Agent R.J. Tully to track down the killer while facing her own mortality. Each new exposure threatens to trigger an epidemic. Maggie has confronted child predators and serial killers before, but this opponent may be the most dangerous she has ever faced.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: Quantico
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Mira Books
Content warnings: violence