In 1976, the race is on to be the first to claim a human baby being born through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Two British doctors are said to be very close, but Dr. Colin Sanford, a brilliant OB/GYN living in Emerald, Washington, is sure he can beat them to the prize. He enlists the help of Dr. Giselle Hearn, a highly experienced geneticist working at the local university hospital. Her boss has forbidden her to do any further research into IVF, so she jumps at the chance to work with Dr. Sanford on his clandestine project.

When a healthy baby boy is born several months later to Dr. Sanford's patient, Joyce Kennett, the doctors are primed to let the world know of the birth. So why then does Joyce's husband confront Dr. Hearn in her lab, explode into a rage, and then fatally shoot her and himself?

Detective Bernie Baumgartner is sure there's more to the deaths than just the acts of an unstable man, but his superiors are wanting him to close the case quickly. This doesn't sit well with Bernie, who is as tenacious as a bulldog in his pursuit of the truth behind the deaths -- as well as the baby's birth.

The evolution of this plotline, even knowing some of the underlying facts, still makes for a tension-filled, exciting read. It's a fast-paced mystery with a more than satisfactory resolution.