Epidemic investigator Dr. Zol Szabo and his team are called to a high school in the heart of Ontario's tobacco country, where unexplained deaths from liver failure are creating panic. The team begins to suspect a link with contaminated, cut-price cigarettes manufactured on nearby Grand Basin Indian Reserve led by the Badger, the multimillionaire kingpin of the illicit Native tobacco trade. First-responders from the local fire department become the epidemic's next victims, and when Zol confronts the Badger, he is rebuffed by the leader's lust for blood, money, and ancient artifacts. High-level government authorities, cowed by the weight of Native influence, order Zol to shut down his investigation. As the Badger's contaminated tobacco spreads across the country, he stalks Zol's family and executes witness after witness. Can Zol dig deep enough to find a creative solution before it's too late?

Ross Pennie's profile page

Ross Pennie was an infectious disease specialist and university professor for two decades prior to becoming an author. The two previous Dr. Zol Szabo novels, Tainted and Tampered, won the Arts Hamilton Literary Award. He lives in Ancaster, Ontario.

"Medical-thriller fans will find much to enjoy here." Booklist on Tampered