The Lithium Murder — Camille Minichino

Element of Murder

When a janitor from a Massachusetts physics laboratory involved in lithium research is garroted on a dark street--hours after he agreed to accept a huge payoff for overhearing something he shouldn't have--homicide turns to their prime consultant: feisty Gloria Lamerino, a former physicist from Berkeley.

Evidently the university physics lab was having some problems with the processing of elemental lithium for use in the four Cs: computers, cell phones, camcorders and cordless tools. With her natural ability to snoop and befriend, Gloria skillfully maneuvers her way through the upper and lower ranks of the facility and uncovers a hornet's nest of technical, political and environmental problems just dying to be covered up. Unfortunately, that's a killer's idea, as well.