Brain Trust by Christopher Golden and Rick Hautala (Body of Evidence Series #8)

"Maybe the odds are against the cases being connected, but I'd hate to find out that it was some contagious, horrible disease."

Spring break is prime time for R&R, fun in the sun, and all things low-key. So when Jenna Blake goes to Florida with her roommate, Yoshiko, the last thing she's expecting to find is another mystery. Well, you can take the girl out of the ME's office, but... A series of seemingly natural deaths turn out to be suspicious when each of the bodies proves to have mysterious growths of some kind. Needless to say, despite Yoshiko's concerns that her roommate is missing the point of a vacation, Jenna can't stay away from this case.

After autopsies, another common denominator among the victims presents itself. And when further research reveals similar deaths in other states, Jenna starts to wonder if the deaths were indeed natural. As the body count climbs, Jenna's break gives way to a dangerous chase. With Slick and Danny back in Massachusetts, Jenna has only herself to rely on... for survival.

Former library copy

Goodreads: 3.86

Paperback, 2001