Author Description

In an Appalachian Mountain Valley with shoulder to shoulder chemical plants, an explosion at one of them, the German-owned Kabot AgriBus, kills two workers. Fear of a toxic MIC gas release triggers a community-wide shelter-in-place - residents must stay inside, seal all doors and windows. Julie, a newspaper reporter, investigates the explosion. Her former fiancee, Ben, works in public relations at the plant. Twenty-five years earlier, Ben's older brother, a hemophiliac and child-prodigy pianist, had died of AIDS. Unable to identify a cause of Roger's disease, Ben's mother blamed herself for not protecting him. She has carried that guilt for a lifetime. Working closely with the newspaper's managing editor, Julie unearths Kabot's cover-up of the causes of the explosion and the magnitude of the continuing chemical risks faced by the Valley. Her findings fuel a congressional investigation and public censure of Kabot. As her investigation deepens, Julie soon uncovers a harrowing truth - one that sends tremors through the Valley and her relationships leaving her searching for her own shelter-in-place.