When the Wasp Stings

Cooper North is back as Allen County prosecutor, called out of retirement-a wave of bizarre crimes has everyone on edge. This town's in the Green Mountains, a thousand miles north of the subtropics-yet, an alligator waddles along Main Street, scaring shoppers. Simultaneously, for no obvious reason, inept thieves steal sugar-maple logs.

Then it gets serious.

Sadists attack the town's pets.

Meanwhile, a maple-syrup entrepreneur is murdered-someone hid yellow-jacket wasps in his sleeves. His venom allergies were widely known, so everyone in his company is a suspect.

Then, knife-wielding psychopaths, costumed as Ninjas, go on a killing rampage. Cooper suspects they target people who matter to her, even a small boy.

She wonders: is it all connected?

Suddenly, she faces great danger, her chances of surviving miniscule.

She's graying, tall, almost gaunt. She walks with a cane. She's a recovering scotch addict. Yet, her penetrating gray eyes see deep. On the hunt, she's relentless.

As she and her police colleagues follow the killers' zigzagging trails, this story twists, then keeps twisting.

Finally, it twists hard.

You won't guess the ending.