The Devil's Breath by Tessa Harris

A strange cloud of gray ash floats in the sky.  Those on the ground are getting very sick and dying from it.  Among those dying from illness are bodies that were struck down by a murderer...

Kensington Books sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  This makes the third in the series about Dr. Thomas Silkstone and the author's writing style improves in each book.  This is my favorite so far.  It has been published, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

Thomas is a doctor who has an interest in forensics and the science behind healing.  He's viewed askance by the practitioners who are still bleeding patients to get the evil out.  Even knowing the consistency of the cloud and trying to help those who are stricken doesn't always work.  Some are surviving if it's caught soon enough and the damage isn't too extensive.  While Thomas is trying different solutions to help the stricken, murders start happening around the countryside.  He hasn't much time to devote to solving crimes but he does find that the autopsies are proving it was murder, not accidental death.

Unbeknownst to him, there's a group in the village that wants to get rid of him.  They want the land his sweetheart owns and they want him out of the way.  The best way to do that is to accuse him of the murders.  He gets a clue that they are plotting against him when he gets a message to return to his teacher's home because he's ill.  While he's there, he finds out his teacher is well and the message was sent by a dead man...

These stories are intense, the characters get caught up in battles of greed, pride, and lust, and the murderer is unknown until the end.  I was amazed by who was playing judge and jury.  You may be, too.  Why not give it a read and see if you can guess who's taking life into their own hands?