Dark Alchemy

Dr. Sylvia Strange #5

by Sarah Lovett

A string of deaths in laboratories around the world has the scientific community on edge -- and the FBI on high alert. To the FBI, the circumstances surrounding the scientists' deaths spell the work of an unusually skilled serial poisoner, and they have zeroed in on a single suspect: the brilliant, beautiful Dr. Christine Palmer. A world-renowned toxicologist and leader of numerous international research teams, Palmer is one of only a handful of scientists with highly classified knowledge of the deadliest experimental neurotoxins and their antidotes.

When a molecular toxicologist is poisoned while working at a top-secret research facility outside Santa Fe, Dr. Sylvia Strange and counterterrorism expert Edmond Sweetheart are recruited to assemble a psychological profile of Palmer in an effort to link her to the crimes. But as Sylvia's investigation of Palmer's charismatic persona draws her ever more strongly into the scientist's orbit, hunter and hunted become perilously intertwined. And when Sylvia discovers that her partner may be withholding crucial information, she no longer knows who can be trusted: is the killer friend or foe?

Sylvia will risk everything she holds dear, only to learn that there is no safe haven from a voyeuristic killer whose weapon of choice may go undetected in the food you eat, the clothes you wear, or the air you breathe.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Before crafting her gripping thrillers, Sarah Lovett immersed herself in the very world her fiction explores.

With a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of New Mexico, she stepped directly into the legal and investigative sphere—working within the state’s Office of the Attorney General. It was here that she encountered the stark realities of forensic analysis, behavioral profiling, and the mechanics of organized crime.

Her research extended beyond office walls. Lovett spent time inside the New Mexico State Penitentiary, conducting interviews with offenders and law enforcement officials alike. Those firsthand encounters revealed a side of justice few ever witness—a world both brutal and humanizing.

Every detail in her novels, from the precision of forensic evidence to the psychological nuance of her protagonists, is grounded in years of direct observation, institutional collaboration, and meticulous fieldwork. For Lovett, truth itself is a powerful catalyst—one that continually transforms her fiction into reality.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ms.soule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great set-up, but the story fell apart in the end.