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"The Fragrant Trail" by Patricia Turner begins when Rusty Linden, Sydney's top crime reporter, receives a copy of a letter signed The Executioner—her instincts tell her it's no ordinary crank mail. Investigator Rick Williams also received a letter. She urges Williams to take precautions, and after the first violent attack he is forced to admit his error of judgment in taking this for a prank. But, for The Executioner, the game has just begun, and when more letters arrive and more attacks take place, Rusty isn't satisfied with leaving all the detective work to the police. Rusty races against time to find the elusive link that will crack the case and put an end to The Executioner's murderous rampage.
The Fragrant Trail: A Rusty Linden Mystery
Patricia Turner
DLSIJ Press (2007)
ISBN 9781932014297
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/08)
When Australian crime reporter Rusty Linden receives a letter from someone calling himself, “The Executioner,” her gut feeling tells her he needs to be taken seriously. She contacts Investigator Rick Williams, who also has received a letter. She has to convince him that it is more than a prank, but unfortunately, with such little information they are given, there is nothing they can do to stop an attempt on a woman’s life. The Executioner tries to strangle an office cleaning lady; however, she is able to fight him off. Because he has gloves on and his face is covered, she can only identify him as being a tall man. She also noticed that he carried a very strong scent of perfume on him.
As the Executioner continues to send letters to Rusty, he makes sure that he carries out all of his promises. This time women are actually being murdered. Rusty continues to take her letters to Rick Williams. He does not want to share information with an investigative reporter, however, since she is the one getting the information he has to work with her. Rusty finds she is developing a better rapport with his assistant. She is very careful about how much information to release to the public; however, she does feel that they need to be warned. Other tabloids start creating moods of paranoia and fear among the masses. The Executioner has to be stopped.
“The Fragrant Trail” is a wonderful mystery. The author Patricia Turner does an excellent job of weaving tension and suspense into her plot. The characters are well developed. She even takes you into the minds of the victims prior to their deaths, making them dying so much worse. It also creates a feeling of vulnerability in the reader; you don’t know who you can trust.
“The Executioner” by Patricia Turner is a must-read for mystery fans and should read by reader’s groups. It would also make a great gift. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed. I look forward to reading other books in the Rusty Linden Mystery Series.
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