Diamond — Linda Mooney

Forget everything you think you know about mass murderers and crimes of passion, because most killers don't wake up one morning, grab the nearest shotgun or axe, and proceed to hack apart their loved ones. Many do it because they're infected with a jewel. Once the destructive creature takes over a host's body, that person dies, leaving the jewel in total control to thrive on fear and horror.

Cutler Glass is a lapidary, one of an unknown group of people who've dedicated their lives to destroying jewels. Except this time the jewel she's assigned to go after, a diamond, has infected a very wealthy and influential man who has hired police protection. When Detective David Fellowes clashes with Cutler, it's going to take more than her explanation before he believes such an outlandish tale.