* * * A gripping suspense in the tradition of Tess Gerritsen, Robin Cook and Alex Kava, The Slaughterhouse Secrets is the debut of Dr. Jessica Bergstrom, a smart and resourceful veterinarian thrust into a quagmire of corruption, crime and drug smuggling. * * *DR. JESSICA BERGSTROM has job pressures—deadlines, a cranky boss and a meth-addled co-worker out to kill her. As a public health veterinarian at a meat packing plant she knew the place would be rough and dirty. What she didn’t know was the depth of the corruption between industry and government.As she fits the puzzle pieces of fraud, deception and crime together her job of inspecting cattle and beef sides slides into a dangerous career and a potentially life ending endeavor. With a little help from her friend, Shana, and her kid brother, Jay, Jessica digs through the layers of drug dealing, toxic meat processing and government bungling that serve up a lethal stew in small town Minnesota. When she and Shana discover a local cop is in on the action the stakes become dangerous. When they stumble upon a secluded meth laboratory with a dying woman and her sick baby inside the lab it turns deadly. Will Jessica pay the ultimate price for her determination to bring the truth to light? Or will her wits and brains be enough to save her life? What reviewers are saying: "At once a dramatic glimpse at the modern American food industry and the blinders a regulatory agency wears to keep an uneasy truce with a powerful business, The Slaughterhouse Secrets is a story of courage and honor in the face of dangerous, and, ultimately, making the right choices." ". . .a modern day version of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle ." Visit the author at: www.mgnelsonwrites.com "A gripping, well-written, & realistic tale about the meat-packing industry. I am happy to say that this novel, though highly realistic and graphic about a meat-packing plant and its Public Health Vet who does the inspections, is informative and thrilling. The highly intelligent main character, Jessica Bergstrom, faces almost insurmountable challenges. From sexual harassment to undocumented nighttime slaughters of unregulated cattle, she rises to the occasion. Never weak or whiny, Jessica is the epitome of today's 'real' woman who works hard, has a huge college debt, and chooses to be a 'whistle blower' because it is the right thing to do. I loved the character of Jessica who is independent and knowledgeable about her job and believes that the public's safety is the most important aspect of her job. The novel takes on a 'thriller' quality about a third of the way through and I found it so gripping that I couldn't stop reading. I could see this making an awesome film with a strong female lead whose moral center makes her take on the 'big boys' who only want to turn a quick buck. I loved the twist at the ending which left me shaking my head at the irony of it all. Highly recommended!" Loren Lockner, author of Under a Desert Sky. Dr. Melissa (M G) Nelson is a veterinarian in Minnesota. Dr. Nelson worked for three years as a Veterinarian Public Health officer in the trenches at a slaughter house. While there she took her mission to ensure the public's health was paramount over corporate profits seriously.  Needless to say this balancing act was a tough process but she won the respect of both inspection personnel and the industry. She applauds those still in the inspection agency who work long hours in adverse conditions behind the scenes making sure the United States food supply is safe and wholesome.