THE OBSERVER THRILLER OF THE MONTH For generations the Freyls have ruled Springfield, Illinois, capital of a state of great lakes and rivers. Now convicted killer David Marion threatens their invincibility, and he threatens it from within their own ranks. Water: it's blue gold, and the price on world markets is soaring. When Springfield gets a new mayor, it finds its supply under threat, not only from corporations out for the money but from a disease that appears from nowhere, that nobody can identify and nobody can treat. None of this interests David Marion until his own past surfaces and he finds himself caught between multinational leviathans at war over America's heartland. Praise for The Blue Death and Joan Brady 'Thrills and spills…terrifying... compelling…an intelligent, refreshingly different take on the thriller' Observer 'Gripping' The Sun 'There are shades of Chinatown and Bonfire of the Vanities about Brady's third thriller...sharp and fierce and clever, full of horrid little details and appalled by the arrogance of domination and the weakness of submission. Impressive' Guardian 'A truly extraordinary novel with a fascinating mix of ingredients...compulsive' Shots 'A writer of enormous ability and harrowing power' Mail on Sunday