Bug Man Suspense Bundle

The Bug Man Suspense Bundle (3,4,5) 3. First the Dead,� 4. Less than Dead,� 5. Ends of the Earth. This series follows Nick Polchak, a quirky forensic entomologist known as "The Bug Man," as he works to uncover murders using his expert knowledge of bugs. In� First the Dead �Nick tries to find a killer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina�s attack on New Orleans. But the more he digs the stronger�and deadlier�the resistance becomes. Nick is there to collect bodies, and he's going to do just that�especially when he starts finding bodies that were clearly dead before the hurricane. He understands that all forensic evidence will soon disintegrate in the hot, contaminated water . . . and he knows that's exactly what the killer wants to happen. Nick has finally met his match in� Less than Dead . When a grave is discovered on property owned by the front-running candidate for the next presidential election, the FBI immediately becomes involved. The graves then vanish and Nick follows local legend to the bizarre Alena who keeps to herself in the mountains of Northern Virginia, training cadaver dogs. Together they discover that this small town�and the presidential-hopeful�have closets full of skeletons. As� Ends of the Earth �unfolds, Nick struggles to protect a victim�s family from agro-terrorists in North Carolina. After dissecting the remains of a bale of marijuana scattered in the tomato fields, Nick learns that the South American marijuana is strangely infested with a common North Carolina insect: the tobacco hornworm. To further confound the mystery, the bugs are infected with a fungus from Asia, and Nick begins to suspect his victim wasn't killed because of the marijuana, but because of the insects it contained. He then discovers that a vicious agricultural scheme is underway to cripple US corn and ethanol production.

Nick Polchak must stop a terrorist from causing a global ecological nightmare.

Two beautiful women from Nick's past are competing for his heart.

He's not sure which impending disaster makes him more nervous.

When forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is called to the scene of a murder on a small organic farm in North Carolina he is astonished to find that the victim's estranged wife is an old friend, a woman he once worked with—a woman he once had feelings for. When she asks Nick to investigate her husband's drug-related murder, Nick seeks the assistance of Alena Savard, the reclusive dog trainer known to the people of northern Virginia as the Witch of Endor.

Alena jumps at the chance to renew her relationship with Nick—but when she arrives in North Carolina she discovers that she's not the only woman who has her eye on the Bug Man. Soon Nick finds his usually analytical mind clouded by thoughts of a strangely human nature. These two women have stirred feelings that he can't quite fathom, feelings of lost opportunities and future possibilities . . .

Now Nick must navigate the unexplored territory of his own heart while he solves an agroterrorist's plot to ignite an environmental holocaust that could spread to the ends of the earth.

Nick Polchak must stop a terrorist from causing a global ecological nightmare. Two beautiful women from Nick's past are competing for his heart. He's not sure which impending disaster makes him more nervous. When forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is called to the scene of a murder on a small organic farm in North Carolina he is astonished to find that the victim's estranged wife is an old friend, a woman he once worked with -- a woman he once had feelings for. When she asks Nick to investigate her husband's drug-related murder Nick seeks the assistance of Alena Savard, the reclusive dog trainer known to the people of northern Virginia as the Witch of Endor. Alena jumps at the chance to renew her relationship with Nick, but when she arrives in North Carolina she discovers that she's not the only woman who has her eye on the Bug Man. Soon Nick finds his usually analytical mind clouded by thoughts of a strangely human nature. These two women have stirred feelings that he can't quite fathom, feelings of lost opportunities and future possibilities. Now Nick must navigate the unexplored territory of his own heart while he solves an agroterrorist's plot to ignite an environmental holocaust that could spread to the ends of the earth. - Back cover Nick Polchak must stop a terrorist from causing a global ecological nightmare. Two beautiful women from Nick's past are competing for his heart.He's not sure which impending disaster makes him more nervous.When forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is called to the scene of a murder on a small organic farm in North Carolina he is astonished to find that the victim's estranged wife is an old friend, a woman he once worked withùa woman he once had feelings for. When she asks Nick to investigate her husband's drug-related murder, Nick seeks the assistance of Alena Savard, the reclusive dog trainer known to the people of northern Virginia as the Witch of Endor.Alena jumps at the chance to renew her relationship with Nickùbut when she arrives in North Carolina she discovers that she's not the only woman who has her eye on the Bug Man. Soon Nick finds his usually analytical mind clouded by thoughts of a strangely human nature. These two women have stirred feelings that he can't quite fathom, feelings of lost opportunities and future possibilities...Now Nick must navigate the unexplored territory of his own heart while he solves an agroterrorist's plot to ignite an environmental holocaust that could spread to the ends of the earth. Dogs have long been man's best friend, but the Bug Man's friend is a rare breed -- the cadaver dog. All roads lead to the White House for John Henry Braden, the charismatic senator from Virginia aristocracy whose beautiful wife Victoria is the talk of Washington and the crown jewel of Endor, her backwoods Virginia hometown. But when bodies turn up on Braden's property -- the site of a multimillion dollar construction project he's spearheading -- the senator's spin doctors, led by his future first lady, must act quickly to quell a conspiracy before it blemishes their presidential campaign. Enter entomologist Nick Polchak, the quirky bug expert enlisted to determine if the senator's bone yard is a forgotten cemetery or a crime scene. To help with the investigation, Polchak follows local legend to Alena Savard, a mysterious woman known for her ability to turn mongrels into the best search dogs around. They soon find themselves on the trail of a desperate individual bent on protecting a terrible secret. Less than Dead is an unforgettable tale of crime and concealment in the corridors of high-stakes politics as well as in the deepest contours of the human heart. - Back cover. "All roads lead to the White House for John Henry Braden, the charismatic senator from Virginia aristocracy whose beautiful wife Victoria is the talk of Washington and the crown jewel of Endor, her backwoods Virginia hometown. But when bodies turn up on Braden's property - the site of a multimillion dollar construction project he's spearheading - the senator's spin doctors, led by his future first lady, must act quickly to quell a conspiracy that threatens to blemish their upcoming presidential campaign." "Enter entomologist Nick Polchak, the quirky bug expert enlisted by Special Agent Nathan Donovan to determine if the senator's boneyard is a forgotten cemetery or a grisly crime scene." When the investigation breaks open, Polchak follows local legend to Alena Savard, a tortured pariah known to comb the woods with mongrel cadaver dogs in search of her missing father. In one night, the two uncover a mass grave teeming with deadly questions whose answers take them from the outskirts of Endor to the halls of Capitol Hill as they track a desperate killer bent on protecting a terrible secret. When a national disaster strikes, "first the living" is the rule. Unless you're the Bug Man. When Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, forensic entomologist Nick Polchak signs up to help with the recovery effort. He is known as the Bug Man for his knowledge of insects and what they can reveal about the dead. The government's mandate is clear--rescue the living first, recover the dead later. But something is very wrong in the toxic soup-bowl of post-Katrina New Orleans. Someone is using the cover of disaster to kill . . . hiding the victims of murder in the same watery grave as the victims of Katrina. It's a tale only the dead can tell. But no one besides the Bug Man is listening. " . . . stands out from the pack of CSI-inspired mysteries with its quirky hero and creative handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster." --"Publishers Weekly" (Starred Review) Nick must face the realities of lost opportunities and the passing of time as he struggles to protect a mother and her child from agro-terrorists in this latest novel from award-winning author Tim Downs. Dr. Nick Polchak is called to a farm community in eastern North Carolina to investigate a murder. The victim is the owner of a failing organic farm who had developed a drug problem, and the police think his murder is drug-related. Nick finds the remains of a bale of marijuana scattered in the tomato fields--but the South American marijuana seems to be strangely infested with a common North Carolina insect: the tobacco hornworm. To further confound the mystery, the bugs are infected with a fungus from Asia. Nick suspects the man wasn't killed because of the marijuana, but because of the insects it contained. When Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, forensic entomologist Nick Polchak signs up to help with the recovery effort. He is known as the Bug Man for his knowledge of insects and what they can reveal about the dead. The government's mandate is clear -- rescue the living first, recover the dead later. But something is very wrong in the toxic soup-bowl of post-Katrina New Orleans. Someone is using the cover of disaster to kill...hiding the victims in the same watery grave as the victims of Katrina. It's a tale only the dead can tell. But no one besides the Bug Man is listening. -- cover verso Some secrets just won't stay buried. When strange bones surface on a U.S. senator's property, the FBI enlists forensic entomologist Nick Polchak to investigate the forgotten graveyard. Polchak's orders are simple: figure out the mess While investigating the murder of an organic farmer in North Carolina, Dr. Nick Polchack finds an infestation of diseased insects, a discovery that leads him to an agricultural scheme to cripple the U.S.'s ethanol production Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is ready to go and volunteer his assistance, but his task turns out to be rescuing the living rather than autopsying the dead