by Nevada Barr
Part of Anna Pigeon, book 3
First published 2004
Anna Pigeon watches tourists return from Mesa Verde carrying more than souvenirs. A mysterious illness spreads among visitors to the ancient cliff dwellings. People fall sick with symptoms no one can explain. The disease kills quickly and without warning. Anna knows this outbreak has a human cause. Someone deliberately introduced this pathogen to the park. She must identify the source before more visitors die. The investigation takes her through Mesa Verde's archaeological sites and into the motives of those who would weaponize disease. Anna faces a killer who uses biology as a weapon. The stakes climb as the body count rises. She races against time while the contagion spreads beyond the park boundaries. This case forces Anna to confront how far someone will go to make a deadly point.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, race-against-time
Setting: Mesa Verde, National Park
Period: Contemporary
320 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley
Content warnings: death, violence