What do you think?
Rate this book
Dr. Sylvia Strange #5
Dark Alchemy
A string of renowned scientists have been found dead of lethal poisoning. The FBI has just one suspect, the brilliant toxicologist Dr. Christine Palmer. The doctor has an eccentric personality and classified access to the world’s most deadly experimental neurotoxins, but the FBI has no proof.
When the latest death occurs at a top-secret research facility near Santa Fe, forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange and her associate, counterterrorism expert Edmond Sweetheart are called in to link Palmer to the crime.
But Sylvia has doubts when she encounters the compelling doctor. And when it appears that her partner is withholding vital information from her, Sylvia no longer knows who to trust. Is Christine Palmer the narcissistic and ruthless killer the FBI suspects? Or is there another killer on the loose?
When the latest death occurs at a top-secret research facility near Santa Fe, forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange and her associate, counterterrorism expert Edmond Sweetheart are called in to link Palmer to the crime.
But Sylvia has doubts when she encounters the compelling doctor. And when it appears that her partner is withholding vital information from her, Sylvia no longer knows who to trust. Is Christine Palmer the narcissistic and ruthless killer the FBI suspects? Or is there another killer on the loose?
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Lovett
26 books29 followersSarah Lovett is currently collaborating with former CIA covert operative, Valerie Plame Wilson, co-authoring the second book (fall 2014) in a series of “Vanessa Pierson” spy novels for Penguin Books/Blue Rider Press. The series debut, BLOWBACK, is due out October 2013.
Lovett is the author of Dark Alchemy, Dantes’ Inferno, Dangerous Attachments, Acquired Motives, and A Desperate Silence as well as 25 nonfiction travel and science books written primarily for children.
The five novels in Lovett’s crime fiction series, featuring forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange, have been translated into a dozen languages, her non-fiction books include the award-winning “Extremely Weird” children’s series, which also aired as a network television special. Her short fiction and how-to pieces are included in anthologies, and she has worked as a freelancer for newspapers, magazines, and National Public Radio.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lovett worked as a legal researcher for the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, an executive director of a non-profit theater, a jazz dancer, a playwright, a gas station attendant, an upholstery assistant, and a bartender. It was her experience working in the New Mexico State Penitentiary and the exposure to prison issues that led her to write her first crime series. While researching for the series, Lovett earned a degree in criminal justice.
When she’s not on deadline, Lovett works with writers as a coach, teacher and consultant. She has been a presenter at writing conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
A native Californian, she lives in Santa Fe with her family.
Lovett is the author of Dark Alchemy, Dantes’ Inferno, Dangerous Attachments, Acquired Motives, and A Desperate Silence as well as 25 nonfiction travel and science books written primarily for children.
The five novels in Lovett’s crime fiction series, featuring forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange, have been translated into a dozen languages, her non-fiction books include the award-winning “Extremely Weird” children’s series, which also aired as a network television special. Her short fiction and how-to pieces are included in anthologies, and she has worked as a freelancer for newspapers, magazines, and National Public Radio.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Lovett worked as a legal researcher for the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, an executive director of a non-profit theater, a jazz dancer, a playwright, a gas station attendant, an upholstery assistant, and a bartender. It was her experience working in the New Mexico State Penitentiary and the exposure to prison issues that led her to write her first crime series. While researching for the series, Lovett earned a degree in criminal justice.
When she’s not on deadline, Lovett works with writers as a coach, teacher and consultant. She has been a presenter at writing conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
A native Californian, she lives in Santa Fe with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 28, 2026
I went into Dark Alchemy expecting a straightforward crime thriller, but it turned out to be much more psychological and unsettling than I anticipated. Sarah Lovett does a fantastic job building tension from the very first chapter. The idea of scientists being poisoned in high security labs feels chillingly plausible, which made the story all the more disturbing.
Dr. Sylvia Strange is a compelling lea, intelligent, observant, but also emotionally vulnerable in ways that make her feel very human. I appreciated that she’s not written as a flawless profiler, she doubts herself, especially as she gets pulled deeper into Christine Palmer’s orbit. Palmer, in particular, is fascinating, brilliant and charismatic, yet always just opaque enough to make you question her motives. That ambiguity kept me guessing.
The pacing is steady, though at times it leans heavily into technical detail. Still, the psychological cat and mouse dynamic more than makes up for it. The paranoia, wondering who to trust and how something as invisible as poison can be weaponized, lingers long after finishing.
Overall, it’s a smart, atmospheric thriller that rewards patient readers who enjoy character driven suspense.
Dr. Sylvia Strange is a compelling lea, intelligent, observant, but also emotionally vulnerable in ways that make her feel very human. I appreciated that she’s not written as a flawless profiler, she doubts herself, especially as she gets pulled deeper into Christine Palmer’s orbit. Palmer, in particular, is fascinating, brilliant and charismatic, yet always just opaque enough to make you question her motives. That ambiguity kept me guessing.
The pacing is steady, though at times it leans heavily into technical detail. Still, the psychological cat and mouse dynamic more than makes up for it. The paranoia, wondering who to trust and how something as invisible as poison can be weaponized, lingers long after finishing.
Overall, it’s a smart, atmospheric thriller that rewards patient readers who enjoy character driven suspense.
February 11, 2021
Very interesting
June 3, 2008
When forensic psychologist Dr. Sylvia Strange is asked to profile a suspected serial poisoner working for the government, a game of cat and mouse ensues.
Complex characters, highly suspenseful. Series best when read in order. Recommend.
Complex characters, highly suspenseful. Series best when read in order. Recommend.
May 26, 2019
Great set-up, but the story fell apart in the end.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews