Josie Harjo

Dr. Josie Harjo is used to cutting up dead bodies. As a veterinary pathologist at a state diagnostic lab, it’s her job to figure out the cause of death in a never-ending parade of various non-human species. Most cases are cut-and-dried, and rarely will a carcass roll in that gets her racking her brain. When a rancher shows up with a dead horse, Josie thinks it’s going to be a typical day at the office. She quickly learns that this is the third suspicious death in as many days, and the clock is ticking to figure out what’s going on before any more lives are lost.

Necropsy knife in hand, Dr. Josie Harjo is back and ready to cut up dead bodies. Senior rotations have begun and Josie is joined by a cadre of veterinary students. When they fumble their way through their first case and strong personalities collide, Josie grudgingly accepts that it’s going to be a rough week. She’s soon worn thin as she tries to balance the never-ending parade of dead animals, teaching, and helping a struggling student. When a valuable item goes missing under Josie’s watch, it’s the last straw.

The small college town of Stillwater has emptied for the winter holiday. There’s only a skeleton crew at the lab, and the steady stream of carcasses has slowed to a trickle. Josie expects it’ll be a nice respite after a few hectic months, so she doesn’t mind being at the lab despite her creepy coworker, Gerald, lurking in the halls. Anticipating a light caseload, she plans on spending her free time helping her friend, Laila, dodge the machinations of her overbearing parents.

Dr. Josie Harjo never expected a dead police dog to haunt her dreams. The workweek begins with a steady flow of the usual sorts of dead bodies, and Josie eases into the comfortable routine of life on the necropsy floor. Everything chugs along smoothly until the narcotics unit shows up with the body of a canine officer who died under suspicious circumstances. To Josie’s dismay, the necropsy is unremarkable, and she’s left grasping at straws. Her oddball coworker, Gerald, thinks the dog is another victim of a recent food-borne outbreak.