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Glamorous, international free-lance journalist Paige Harrington certainly goes above and beyond the call of duty. She dodges death, solves the murder of an acclaimed scientist and exposes the operations of an evil corporation in an adventure that all began with a magazine article. As the star of Allan McLeod's latest novel, "The Praetorian File," Paige brings readers along on a high-class journey that's filled with both style and substance.
The Praetorian File, a Paige Harrington Mystery
Allan McLeod
Duchess Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9780615150666
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/07)
I thought about titling my review, “Red-Heads Named Paige Rule,” but since I am a red-head named Paige, like the main character, I was afraid that I might appear to be biased! “The Praetorian File,” is the second book in the Paige Harrington Mystery series. It was the first one for me to read. You can definitely read it by itself and understand the characters and what is going on. McLeod managed to hook me on this one, so I plan to go back and read the first one.
The main character, Paige Harrington, is an international free-lance journalist. When the scientist that she is assigned to interview is murdered the day before she gets to meet her, Paige starts investigating. The more she discovers, the more she gets hooked on trying to solve the mystery of what happened. As she is trying to find out what happened, more people are murdered and she discovers the dangerous secret Praetorian society that involves worldwide corruption. Paige is unsure of who she can trust and has to put herself in further danger by reaching out to people who might be players in this society.
When a close friend of Paige’s is kidnapped and tortured, she becomes further determined to bring this society down. Her life and the lives of her friends and families are in jeopardy. As long as her friend is in the hands of the enemy, she will not give up. As she goes deeper in, she learns about the evilness of some very high-standing members of society. Along with trying to solve this mystery, there is a romance brewing between Paige and a man on the police force.
“The Praetorian File,” is an excellent fast-paced story. Once again, as in his book, “Death Spirits,” Allan McLeod does an excellent job of coming up with an intriguing detailed plot and compelling characters. He incorporates some touches of romance and humor in the story that keep it from becoming too dark. The relationships are also well-developed in the book. I enjoyed the camaraderie that Paige shares with other people, some of whom aren’t so trustworthy.
I highly recommend “The Praetorian File.” If you have not read any of Mr. McLeod’s books yet, you are in for a real treat. It would also make an excellent gift for mystery/suspense fans. I look forward to the books that will follow in the “Paige Harrington” series.
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