This is a story about Kenzie Kirsch, an assistant who works in the Medical Examiner's office.  Kenzie hopes to become an M.E. someday, but for now she's content to study under her boss, Dr. Wiltshire . Unfortunately,  Dr. Wiltshire has suffered a serious injury to his hand and is unable to work, leaving Kenzie in the lurch. And a new case has emerged- a young man has passed away after being treated at a local mental hospital.  Kenzie doesn't like the way the staff acts whens she shows up to examine the body, leading her to wonder if the simple case really isn't so simple after all. This book takes Kenzie in new directions as she struggles to solve the mystery surrounding this death while also under attack from someone who seems bent on keeping her from doing her job.

I always look forward to another story in this series because the author consistently delivers timely, relevant stories peopled with believable characters that are convincingly human, complete with positive attributes as well as fears, foibles and flaws. Add in the riveting details of an assistant medical examiner’s work with the bodies of victims who succumbed to all manner of abuse, misfortune and violence, and you will invariably be in for a thrilling ride. In this story, Kenzie is summoned to look into the death of a patient in a psychiatric facility promising cutting edge trauma therapy. Her gut tells her something is off, but the doctors there assure her that the death was simply an unfortunate isolated event. Her investigation leads her down a winding path that suggests something quite different. Then the threats and “accidents” begin. It soon becomes apparent that other patients, a young friend, and Kenzie herself are in real danger. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just offer my highest recommendation that you grab a copy of this book and settle in for a gripping story that just might have you looking over your shoulder the next time you go out.

Another difficult subject. P. D. Workman does not shy away from difficult things and she writes about them with such care! I do admire that. I enjoy experiencing Kenzie’s ability to notice things that are off or not how they should be. I love her fierceness when advocating for at risk people. I love her tenacity in standing up for what she believes in the face of threats. I wish this world had more people like Kenzie Kirsch. I loved this story.