Bad Chemistry

February 1998

"If you start Bad Chemistry, you're going to finish it. Then you'll hope Krist has another one coming. Bad Chemistry is my nominee for the Best First Mystery of the Year award."--Tony Hillerman

"[A] handsomely crafted, character-driven thriller..."--Publishers Weekly

Bad Chemistry opens with the mysterious and grim discovery of a mutilated corpse in the woods by a troubled 14-year-old boy named Evan. While Evan keeps the corpse a secret for a day or two before calling the police, another drama simultaneously unfolds.

Kate Baker lived a quiet and predictable life as a former cop turned social worker in a wealthy Washington, D.C., suburb. However, her ordinary life gets turned upside down one evening when her wealthy importer husband, Joel, leaves home to buy groceries and never returns. Kate is convinced that Joel met with foul play, but as the police begin to focus their investigation on Joel and his business, Kate is forced to ask herself how much she really knows about her husband.

Kate maintains her belief in his innocence despite the disturbing questions raised during the police investigation into his business and his whereabouts. The a bag of exotic mind-altering drugs is found hidden in her husband's office, an intruder breaks in to erase her husband's computer files, and the murdered biochemist discovered in the woods is linked to Joel's company.

When Joel Baker becomes the prime suspect in the murder, Kate embarks on a search for her husband -- and for who her husband really is. Armed with only Joel's secret email address and a few encrypted files, Kate and Evan become unlikely partners in a quest that takes them into a world of "smart drugs," Internet-assisted crime, and murder.