Tainted

February 2, 2009
Canadian physician Pennie's mystery debut introduces a winning protagonist, an Ontario public health doctor and former chef. When Zol Szabo, a devoted single father to his disabled son, Max, gets word that his jurisdiction, which covers the province's Niagara Escarpment, may be facing an outbreak of mad cow disease, Zol and his team must race to find the truth behind the mysterious deaths of three locals in order to avoid a public panic. Fans of the TV show House
will find much of the plot familiar—the detailed medical detection that attempts to identify connections between the victims as well as the false or confusing leads in the hunt to locate a tainted food source. The appealing supporting cast includes a gorgeous female PI. Pennie, an infectious-disease specialist, makes the medical jargon accessible, though he throws in a few melodramatic touches, such as his hero's fear that Max may also fall victim to deadly prions.

March 15, 2009
First in a new medical mystery series starring Canadian public-health doctor Zol Szabo, Pennies novel is a taut and timely work of suspense. After a variant of mad-cow disease is found in several recent autopsies, Zol has only a few days to track down the source of the contamination before a media storm breaks and sends the public into a panic. With the help of assistant epidemiologist Natasha, medical professor Hamish, and private investigator Colleen, Zol tracks back the germs. Pennie builds tension perfectly, grabbing readers from the first page and keeping them entranced, both with the story itself and with nagging worries about the safety of the food they eat. All the characters, including such secondary figures as Natashas Indian mother, obsessed with finding her a husband, and Zols young son, Max, are realistically portrayed, their actions and emotions well matched with both their persoalities and the plot. Must reading for fans of Robin Cook and Peter Clement.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)