The Iceman's Curse

Nature, climate, and stupidity produce a pandemic.

Grant Farnsworth, a post-doc student, veterinarian, and virologist at the University of Minnesota is upset when his professor tells him to prepare to work on tissue samples from the Iceman, a 1,200-year-old corpse discovered in the Swiss Alps. Grant is already working seven days a week and his wife is eight months pregnant with their second child.

The situation becomes dangerous when a Swiss professor, to avoid regulations, smuggles the samples into the United States, putting Grant and his professor in legal jeopardy. A blizzard diverts the professor's flight to Chicago, Customs is hectic, and the professor mistakenly swaps his suitcase with Frank, a drug mule. Frank discovers the error and follows the professor noth on I-94 to recover the missing drugs. Snow forces the professor to stop at a motel in the hamlet of Kirby, Wisconsin; he has no idea that he's carrying drugs and that his life is in jeopardy.

The Swiss government confidentially informs the CDC that those who handled Iceman samples are ill, and one has died. Grant is sent to Kirby to find the Swiss professor and isolate the samples. The CDC learns of the samples in Kirby and dispatches Dr. Sybil Erypet to Fort McCoy, a nearby Army base, to get the samples under control. Between dangerous drug mules, eccentric locals, and infected tissue samples, many lives in the snow-bound village and surrounding area are in jeopardy.

“. . . This cinematic-style caper is perfect for readers who have also loved movies such as Fargo and Weekend at Bernies. Gary Jones’s novel is a triumph. If you haven’t read his work yet, put The Iceman’s Curse on your list. Highly recommended.” – Christine DeSmet, mystery novelist, writing coach, member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime