by Linda Grant
First published 1997
Someone is destroying valuable plant specimens at UC Berkeley's genetics laboratory. Catherine Sayler arrives to find missing genetic material and trashed research. The private investigator suspects more than student mischief when a beloved staff member dies unexpectedly. The lab's brilliant scientists abandon collegiality and turn on each other just as their major funding faces renewal. Sayler digs into the competitive world of biotechnology research, where scientific breakthroughs promise enormous profits. The researchers who once collaborated now guard their work jealously. Each discovery could launch a career or secure millions in investment. As tensions escalate, Sayler must determine whether ambition has driven one of these genetic researchers to commit murder. The investigation forces her to navigate academic politics and corporate interests while the killer remains hidden among the lab's staff.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, competition, corporate-interests
Setting: UC Berkeley
260 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ivy Books