The Stars Turned Inside Out - by Nova Jacobs (Paperback)

About the Book

"Deep beneath the ground outside of Geneva, where CERN's Large Hadron Collider smashes subatomic particles at breathtaking speeds, a startling discovery is made when the tunnel is down for maintenance: the body of Howard Anderby, a brilliant and recently arrived young physicist, who appears to have been irradiated by the collider. But security shows no evidence of him entering the tunnel, and for all of the lab's funding, its video surveillance is sorely lacking. Eager to keep the death under wraps until more is known, CERN brings in private investigator Sabine Leroux, who has her own ties to the lab's administration--and more than a passing interest in particle physics. Meanwhile, Howard's colleague and budding love interest Eve, shattered by his death, determines to reconcile what she knew of Howard with his gruesome fate, wondering if she could have done something to stop it. As Sabine digs into petty academic rivalries and personal secrets, an escalating international physics arms race heightens tensions and fuels speculation of a mole at the lab--throwing into question loyalties and revealing what sort of knowledge may be worth killing for." --

Book Synopsis

"Many and wondrous are the charms of this witty, suspenseful, and enchanting book." --The Wall Street Journal

A suspicious death at a renowned Swiss laboratory raises unnerving questions in this "science-based thriller that fuses physics and philosophy in mind-bending ways" (Booklist)--from the Edgar Award-nominated author Nova Jacobs.

Deep beneath the ground outside of Geneva, where CERN's Large Hadron Collider smashes subatomic particles at breathtaking speeds, a shocking discovery is made when the tunnel is down for maintenance: the body of Howard Anderby, a brilliant and recently arrived young physicist. But security shows no evidence of him entering the tunnel.

Eager to keep the death under wraps until more is known, CERN brings in private investigator Sabine Leroux, who has her own ties to the lab's administration--and more than a passing interest in particle physics. Meanwhile, Howard's colleague and budding love interest Eve, shattered by his death, determines to reconcile what she knew of Howard with his gruesome fate.

"Science, love, greed, and betrayal collide in a tense read that never loses its deliciously eerie edge" (Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal) as Sabine digs into petty academic rivalries and personal secrets. At the same time, an escalating international physics arms race heightens tensions and fuels speculation of a mole at the lab--throwing loyalties into question and revealing what sort of knowledge may be worth killing for.

Review Quotes

"An engrossing whodunit revolving around Geneva's Large Hadron Collider... Jacobs bestows even minor characters with such convincing motives that the plot's momentum never slows, no matter how complex things get. Golden age mystery fans will love this."
--Publishers Weekly

"Many and wondrous are the charms of this witty, suspenseful and enchanting book... One eagerly awaits whatever brainteasing concoction Ms. Jacobs comes up with next."
--Wall Street Journal

"Nova Jacobs returns with another brainy, brilliant murder mystery."
--BookPage

"Who knew particle physics could be so bewitching?"
--Los Angeles Times