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Trail of Blood: A Novel of Suspense
Trail of Blood: A Novel of Suspense
Trail of Blood: A Novel of Suspense
Ebook440 pages7 hours

Trail of Blood: A Novel of Suspense

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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With “captivating characters,” this forensics thriller from a New York Times bestseller features a killer who copycats unsolved historical serial murders (Booklist).

In 1930s Cleveland, a serial killer nicknamed the Torso Killer went on a horrific spree that resulted in more than a dozen murders. And he was never caught.

Today, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is called to an abandoned building where a body has been found in a room that’s been sealed off for years. Although there’s no immediate proof, everyone assumes the newly discovered corpse was a Torso Killer victim.

But then another body—this one recently deceased—turns up, and all signs seem to indicate the work of a new Torso Killer. Theresa’s examination of the old body has opened a door to the past—a door someone wanted to keep closed—and she shifts her focus from solving a historical puzzle to catching a very dangerous, present-day psychopath.

But as the body count rises, danger closes in on Theresa. For the killer is keeping a watchful eye on Theresa, and each step brings them closer and closer to each other. . . .

Praise for Lisa Black:

“Black, a former forensic scientist, knows her stuff and briskly leads readers along the trail of clues behind her likeable, no-nonsense heroine.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Fans of forensic mysteries, CSI and Patricia Cornwell’s novels will enjoy the emphasis on evidence.” —Associated Press

“There are many forensic experts. There are many writers. Rarely, however, do the two meld as seamlessly and synergistically as Lisa Black.” —Sacramento Book Revie

“Quite simply, one of the best storytellers around.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 7, 2010
ISBN9780062010810
Trail of Blood: A Novel of Suspense
Author

Lisa Black

Lisa Black is the author of several thrillers, including the Theresa MacLean series and the Gardiner and Renner series. A latent fingerprint examiner and crime scene investigator, she is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and has testified in more than fifty homicide trials. Native to Cleveland, where she worked for the coroner's office, she currently resides in Cape Coral, Florida.

Read more from Lisa Black

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Reviews for Trail of Blood

Rating: 3.467391360869565 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

46 ratings4 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked this book. The mystery surrounding the killings was nice. the way that Theresa's mind works and the way she looks at a case is impressive. She is not easily shoken up by anything. This I liked. She made for a strong female lead. Yet despite the strong presense of Theresa and the grusome killings of the Torso Killer, which were not really that gory, I found the story just alright. I was only after I had gotten almost all the way done and had a third of the story left that I was like what just happened? The killer had been idenified but I could not remember the clues pointing to him and then the ending did not finish strongly. The whole time the story again was fine but then when it came to the ending it seemed to just be rushed and over quickly.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm still reading this book but it seems like I've been reading it forever. It's such a slow read, I don't know if I'm going to finish it. It's a good story but unlike the other reviews, I feel there's something wrong here but I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps it's because it doesn't flow for me. I like the story but I'm just not engaged.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thersa MacLean, forensic scientist tracks the trail of modern serial killer repeating the acts of one some 75 years ago. How are they related? Can they save the next victim? Known as the Torso Killer, Cleveland Ohio again faces murder of a strange kind.Good read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Part true crime and part fiction, this book was drew from two genres that I generally enjoy.The true crime part came in as the author drew from the Torso Killer crimes that took place largely in the Cleveland area in the 1930s. The serial killer was never caught, and the killings took place amidst a backdrop of police corruption.In modern times, our protagonist Theresa MacLean, a forensic scientist, gets called to a crime scene in which she examines a decapitated body. The police officers at the scene immediately tell her that the scene is reminiscent of the Torso Killer's works. While MacLean retains a more open mind, she soon concludes that not only does the scene have much in common with a Torso Killer's scene, but it may actually be the work of the Torso Killer.Soon, other killings start happening around Cleveland, and MacLean intuits that either a copycat is at work or the Torso Killer is very old and is reliving his greatest hits.The narrative flips back and forth in time between MacLean's investigation and the original investigation.The plot was interesting, I found MacLean's character compelling, and the pacing was fine. However, for reasons I could never quite put my finger on, it took me about 2-3 times longer than usual to get through a book this length.

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Trail of Blood - Lisa Black

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