The Death Shift - by Peter Elkind (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

It's 1980, and Genene Jones is working the 3 to 11 PM shift in the
pediatric ICU in San Antonio's county hospital. As weeks go by, infants
under her care begin experiencing unexpected complications--and death--in
alarming numbers, prompting rumors that there is a murderer among the
staff. Her eight-hour shift came to be called "the death shift." This
strange epidemic continued unabated for more than a year, before Jones
was quietly sent off--with a good recommendation--to a rural pediatric
clinic. There, eight children under her care mysteriously stopped
breathing--and a 15-month-old baby girl died.

In May 1983, Jones was finally arrested, leading to a pair of trials that
revealed not only her deeply disturbed mind and a willingness to kill,
but a desire to "play God" with the lives of the children under her
care. More shocking still, it was discovered that the hospital had
shredded records and remained silent about Jones's horrific deeds,
obscuring the full extent of her spree and prompting grieving parents to
ask: Why?

Elkind chronicles Jones's rampage, the desperate investigations of what
happened--including those that led to five new murder charges decades
later--and the chilling aftermath of one of the most horrific string of
crimes in America, while also turning his piercing gaze onto those
responsible for its cover-up. The Death Shift is a tale with
special relevance years after her conviction, as prosecutors, distraught
parents, and victims' advocates struggled and ultimately triumphed to
keep Jones behind bars, despite her scheduled mandatory release from a
Texas prison in early 2018.

Review Quotes

"Intriguing. . . . A horrifying true-life medical thriller..."
-Publishers Weekly

"Gripping. . . . A remarkable journalistic achievement!"
-Newsweek

"Murder, madness, and medicine. . . . superb!"
-Library Journal

"Shocking. . . . true crime reporting at its most compelling."
-Booklist