I have learned from the family "Easterner" that Plum Island is actually a nature reserve but the writing in this detective story is so convincing that I believed through the book that it is actually an animal biological research center, governed by the Dep't of Agriculture, and origially a Civil War defense station. Of course, the bunkers from that war do end up playing their part.
John Corey is a NYPD homicide detective recuperating in his Uncle's house in the township of Southold far out on Long Island. The murder of a young couple--research scientists from Plum Island, sparks the idea that the theft of viruses was the reason for the crime. That brings in the FBI and the CIA and a cover-up. The local police chief hires John to help and the local detective (femaly for sure) brings in some other interests
DeMille quite capably develops his characters, the mystery and the love affairs so that the length of the book is not a turn-off. My large print edition is 848 pages.
News in paper on 6/29:Associated Press found documents that show extensive efforts since 2000 to remove vast amounts of waste and contaminancts from the island from the site of top-secret Army germ warfare research and studies of animal diseases. Book based on facts?