Toxic chemicals and instant chemistry in this tale of murder, medicine and combustible attraction! One minute Hannah Baker is a quiet science professor. The next, a possible murder suspect. Six victims, one per week, all poisoned with the same exotic chemical Hannah once worked with. Now she’s wanted by Houston detective Owen Randall—but is it to enlist her help, or arrest her? Owen knows the prim Hannah is hiding something, but he isn’t sure she’s a killer. Especially after some unfortunate incidents. Is she the next victim of the chemical killer? Torn between duty and his growing feelings, Owen only knows he has less than a week to save her… Lara Lacombe is a recovering research scientist turned college professor who now spends her days writing and wrangling a toddler. She lives in Texas with her family and two entitled cats, and loves chocolate and her Crock Pot. She uses Facebook to procrastinate--stop by Lara Lacombe Books if you'd like to chat! "Dr . Baker, is this going to be on the test?" Hannah sighed quietly, her hand pausing in its journey across the chalkboard. One…two…three… When she made it to five, she turned to face the class. Twenty-four faces watched her, their expressions running the gamut from drowsy boredom to bright-eyed interest. She was gratified to find that most of the students were awake, but she knew from experience they weren't all paying attention. The endless distractions of the internet were but a click away, and most kids couldn't resist the temptation of their phones for the full hour of class. How times have changed. She felt like a stick-in-the-mud for even thinking it, but when she had been in college, she had come to class prepared, asked questions and paid attention. Now students howled in protest whenever an assignment was given, and spent more time trying to figure out how to get out of studying than they spent in class. It was a fact that amused and exasperated her in equal measures. "You know I'm not going to answer that," she replied, smiling a little to soften the blow. "Like I told you on the first day of class, if I'm talking about something, it means I think it's important. And if I think it's important, you should, too." "There's just so much material," another student piped up. "How are we supposed to know what to study?" Hannah felt her smile grow thin. "Study all of it." "All of it!" Despair was almost a palpable thing in the room, hovering over the students' heads like a gray storm cloud. "But that's not fair!" "It's not that bad," she said, smiling at them before delivering her final coup. "You have all of spring break to study." A loud groan rose from the mass of students, and she chuckled, a small part of her enjoying their over-the-top reaction. If chemistry didn't pan out for them, they all had a promising future in acting. She glanced at the clock. Almost time to end for the day. Recognizing she wouldn't be able to pull them back on track with so little time left, she decided to cut her losses. "Remember, you can always email me over the break if you have questions while you're studying. Try to do a little bit of work every day, rather than leaving it until the end and trying to cram. That never works." She started to gather up her papers, and the students, recognizing their cue to leave, began to do the same. "Have a good break," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the din of books thumping shut, bags zipping closed and phones beeping as they were switched off of silent mode. She checked her own phone as the students filed out, a little surprised to find a missed call and message from her friend Gabby. Gabriella Whitman had been her roommate in college, and the two stayed in touch after going their separate ways, Gabby to medical school and Hannah to graduate school. Now that they were both back in the same city, they made it a point to have dinner together once a month. Hannah slipped the phone into her pocket, deciding to wait until she was in her office before checking the message. Gabby probably just needed to reschedule their upcoming girls' night. She worked long hours as the county medical examiner, and it wasn't always possible for her to get away. Since Hannah's schedule was more flexible, she didn't mind adjusting to accommodate her friend. She moved on autopilot back to her office, her mind already turning to the exams she needed to work on over the upcoming break. Then there were the letters of recommendation she had agreed to write for students applying to summer research programs or professional schools. She felt a surge of pride when she considered the number of references that were due. It was always gratifying to help a student succeed, and she had to admit, it made her feel good when a current or former student asked her to help them. Brian's letter was due next week, so she really needed to finish it and send it off well before the deadline… "Are you Hannah Baker?" She stopped a few feet away from her