First published 2014
Dr. Lou Welcome arrives at a medical conference in Atlanta with his best friend Cap Duncan. When Cap suffers a running injury that requires surgery, the open wound becomes infected with a deadly bacteria that resists all known antibiotics. The same organism attacks a teenage girl hundreds of miles away. Lou discovers that the government scientist working on a cure has been kidnapped. His investigation leads to the Centers for Disease Control and uncovers a shadowy organization called One Hundred Neighbors. This group has infiltrated health institutions and uses them as weapons to advance their agenda. Lou races against time to stop a spreading epidemic while trying to save Cap's life. He must confront the conspiracy that threatens both his friend and public health. The story moves from hospital rooms where any surface could carry death to the highest levels of government power. Lou faces external enemies and his own personal fears as the crisis escalates.
Genres: medical, suspense, mystery, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-stakes, race-against-time
Setting: Atlanta, Centers for Disease Control
Period: Contemporary
387 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: medical-trauma