cover image The Christopher Killer

The Christopher Killer

Alane Ferguson. Viking Books, $15.99 (274pp) ISBN 978-0-670-06008-5

This suspenseful tale includes some unusual technical elements for good measure. Seventeen-year-old Cameryn has wanted to be a forensic pathologist for as long as she can remember, and when a killer strikes in her hometown of Silverton, Colo., she takes advantage of her father's position as coroner to assist in the autopsy. But she had not expected that she would know the murder victim. Cameryn's interest is both personal and professional, so when the Medical Examiner sends her from the room, she does some independent investigating in hopes of bringing her friend's killer to justice. Cameryn then finds her own life in jeopardy as she hones in on the murderer. Ferguson's (Show Me the Evidence) novel includes detailed descriptions of human corpses and the autopsy process, but viewed through Cameryn's fascinated eyes, the dealings with the dead are more clinical than gross, and reinforce her resolve to make sure justice is carried out. The ending will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Ages 12-up.