Patsy, a scruffy, ragamuffin of a puppy, fills a void when Millie Lupinski's husband dies. Little does she know that the newest addition to her household will be the death of her.

Millie's death is just the first, as dog and cat owners begin to die mysteriously. Michael Dawson, chief of operations for Homeland Security's Bioterrorism Unit, and his team must work fast to determine the cause. Failure means the deaths of millions of Americans.

Chemical and biological weapons aren't anything new, but today's scientific know-how makes them a threat that could kill billions through new and ingenious ways. That threat is why the bioterrorism unit exists. But Michael and his team are up against an act of terror that even they could never have imagined. They must not only figure out how the pandemic is being spread; they must also figure out who's behind it-and how they can stop it in time.

Author Paul Bromberg, a veterinarian, explores the bonds between pets and their owners in the suspense thriller Annuals: A Novel of Bioterrorism. He asks the question, is America ready for such an attack? His book will have you deeply pondering the answer.