Louisa Rodgers is working as a magazine reporter and is hoping midwife Sarah Malloy can help her. New Century Magazine, like Colliers and McClure's, is branching out into investigative articles on pressing social issues. Louisa explains that she is researching the dangers of patent medicines. She had been walking through the neighborhood in search of people addicted to such nostrums to interview when she saw the sign for the clinic. Sarah is only too happy to tell Louisa exactly what she thinks of the so-called medicines that hurt much more than they help.

A few days later, Sarah receives a visit from a man who introduces himself as Louisa's father. Bernard Rodgers explains that Louisa has been found strangled in the lobby of the building where New Century has its offices. The police have decided it was a random attack and have made no attempt to investigate, hinting that Louisa got what she deserved for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Her family found Sarah's card among Louisa's effects, and now it is up to Sarah and Frank to catch a cold-blooded murderer.

Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private detective husband Frank discover that the cure is worse than the disease when they investigate the death of a promising young woman in this atmospheric, riveting mystery from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Murder on Bedford Street.

Sarah Malloy has just helped with the delivery of a bouncing baby girl ather women's clinic, when she receives a visit from anengaging anddeterminedyoung woman writing an article for New Century Magazine. LouisaRodgersexplains that she is researching the dangers of patentremedies. Sarah is only too happy to tell Louisa exactly what she thinks of the so-calledmedicineswhose ingredients include heavy doses of alcohol and other addictive drugs, and hurt much more than they help.

A few days later, Sarah receives a visit from abereft Bernard Rodgers, whoexplains that his daughter, Louisa, has been found strangled in the lobby of the building where New Century has its offices. The police have decided it was a random attack and have made no attempt to investigate, hinting that Louisa got what she deserved for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Sarah wants justice for the bright young woman but as she and Frank delve deeper into Louisa's life, they find that nothing is quite as it seemed and Louisa is not who she claimed to be. The Malloys must first solve the mystery of Louisa's life before they can figure out who wanted to see her dead...