Acceptable Risk
The book begins with the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 where Elizabeth Stewart is prosecuted on suspicions of being a witch. This occurs on the insistence of witnesses who see children acting strangely after eating rye bread. Despite the pleas of her husband who happens to be a wealthy shipbuilder, she is executed at the insistence of Reverend Increase Mather, who convinces her husband with a mysterious evidence.
Three hundred years later, the Stewart family fortune is inherited by Kimberly Stewart, a nurse. Kim is introduced to the brilliant scientist Edward Armstrong by their mutual friend Stanton Lewis. The two immediately fall in love. A casual visit to her old family house in Salem proves to be a turning point in the story. In the basement of the old house, Edward finds a new strain of Claviceps purpurea which induces a great sense of calmness, sexual drive, confidence, etc. Edward immediately assembles a team and begin working on developing the new drug with help from Stanton.To save time Edward and his team starts taking the drug themselves. During this time Kim is working on finding out about the evidence that was used to convict her ancestor. Finding out that the evidence is in the possession of Harvard University, she makes enquiries in that direction.
Soon strange things begin happening in Salem Town. The town begins experiencing acts of vandalism, and even murder. Meanwhile, Kim finally locates the evidence mentioned in the letter. It turns out to be the fetus of a deformed baby which was given birth by Elizabeth. The fetus is taken as evidence by the clergy of her covenant with devil. Kim rushes home to inform Edward that the drug they are taking has teratogenic effects. However at home she is attacked by Edward and his team who are in a kind of trance. In the ensuing pursuit the house is set ablaze killing all but two of the researchers.
violence, murder