Pesticide

Bern, Switzerland—known for its narrow cobblestone streets, decorative fountains, and  striking towers. Yet dark currents run through this charming medieval city and beyond, to the idyllic farmlands that surround it.

When a rave on a hot summer night erupts into violent riots, a young man is found the next morning bludgeoned to death with a policeman’s club. Seasoned detective Giuliana Linder is assigned to the case. That same day, an elderly organic farmer turns up dead and drenched with pesticide. Enter Giuliana’s younger—and distractingly attractive—colleague Renzo Donatelli to investigate the second murder. Giuliana’s disappointment that they’re on two different cases is tinged with relief—her home life is complicated enough without the risk of a fling.

But when an unexpected discovery ties the two victims into a single case, Giuliana and Renzo are thrown closer together than ever before. Dangerously close. Will Giuliana be able to handle the threats to her marriage and to her assumptions about the police? If she wants to prevent another murder, she’ll have to put her life on the line—and her principles.

Combining suspense and romance, this debut mystery in the Polizei Bern series offers a distinctive picture of the Swiss. An inventive tale, packed with surprises, it will keep readers guessing until the end.

Kim Hays was born in the US, but grew up in Puerto Rico and British Columbia. At 21, she lived alone in Stockholm for a year and worked in a Saab factory. Twelve years later, in 1988, she married a Swiss and moved to Bern, Switzerland, becoming a dual citizen in the process. In Switzerland, she freelanced for an English-language magazine and a news website, writing about everything from traveling family circuses to the large number of marriages between Swiss and foreigners. She also got a job as a cultural coach, working one-on-one with the employees of large American firms to prepare them for daily life in a new country. As a volunteer, she did the same thing with Syrian, Afghani and Eritrean refugees for over a year.