In reality Bad Seed contains well-researched, concise background information on genetic engineering. The author sets forth both sides of the issue clearly and fairly, probably educating even the best informed on the subject. She makes it a simpler and easier issue because she confines genetic engineering to agriculture only.

The heroine is Alex Bernier, a newspaper reporter well known to her fans. Too obviously the other books in this series have fleshed out the personalities of the newspaper staff and Alex’s current significant other. The book begins with the murder of Lane Freeman, which brought to an end the nastiest marriage in the county. Lane and his wife Shelly had fought publicly in almost every venue in the small college town, and its citizens watched the trial with fascination as it was revealed Shelly’s car backseat had traces of poison.

Since Lane had been killed by poison the jury returned a conviction in record time. Somewhat later, Shelly prevails upon Alex to interview her in prison and convinces her of her innocence.

The college is hosting an agriculture biotechnology conference. Proponents of each side of the issue flock to it. Leading one of the more vocal protestor groups is Tobias Kahan, a self-professed expert on genetic engineering and an arrogant but clever jerk. Other splinter protest groups are around and the author’s imagination and imagery is to be much admired as the visualization of people dressed as carrots and turnips wandering around, bring much needed levity to a profound issue.

And in the other corner is renowned professor Kate Barnett. Articulate and driven, she opens the conference immediately playing her “Get out of Jail Free Card” by relying on World Hunger as the justification for genetic engineering. She put her money where her mouth so to speak, when she had adopted two starving Somalian refugee children.

Tensions escalate and the police have been warned to expect trouble. It arrives in the form of bombs set off at the agriculture building and escalates to the beating death of Kate Barnett, and continues from there focusing on Alex.

Alex is left alone to solve the many mysteries in this complex plot. Her friend Detective Cody is beaucratically sidelined and not available to help as Alex keeps uncovering more and more suspects from every location. An unexplained overdose puts her friend Jake Madison (the science reporter for the paper) out of commission as well, but Alex withstands the attempts on her life and this highly energetic novel hurdles to a swift, unexpected but realistic conclusion.

To say that Alex is perky and undaunted is an understatement. The dialogue is fresh, crisp and funny in many places. Character development is a bit on the weak side relying on past novels too heavily.

Bad Seed is more than an interesting mystery; it is compelling in a haunting way as society begins to face the legal and moral issues arising from genetic engineering.

--Thea Davis