The Marathon Murders (A Greg McKenzie Mystery)

When Warren Jarvis comes with a case, there isn t anything Greg and Jill McKenzie won t do for him. He brings with him a friend who goes by various names due to the nature of her work with the Air Force s Office of Special Investigations. She has a family link to a ninety year old murder case involving the Marathon Motor Works located near downtown Nashville. Though the plant isn t operating anymore, a bunch of old records have been found hidden in a wall and they seem to indicate that a former employee suspected of embezzlement was actually innocent. At least, that is what they believe and the family involved would like to see the records themselves but the man who had them is now missing. She wants to hire them to find the missing man and the records. Greg and Jill agree and begin to work the case by starting at the most obvious point. They start with the construction company and easily find out where the man lives and what he drives. That angle, and working the familial connection, sends them off into a case that eludes nearly ever attempt they make. While the fourth in a series, this novel could easily be read as an enjoyable stand alone cozy mystery. Greg and Jill do make the occasional reference to earlier events but for the most part are constantly working the current case. Character development is nil as these are characters that series readers have long since become accustomed to and don t expect major changes. Instead the focus is on the mystery and it is not one easily solved with numerous twists and turns along the way. The result is another excellent cozy style mystery from Chester Campbell and another enjoyable read. --Kevin R. Tipple, Blogger News NetworkGreg and Jill McKenzie don t know what to expect when an old friend shows up with a mysterious woman in tow. Seems the woman disappeared some time ago, and has now re-appeared under a different name. And she s got a request for Greg: help her solve the ninety year old murder of her great great-grandfather, an accountant for the now defunct Marathon Motor Works. Seems her ancestor had been accused of embezzling the firm s funds. The woman claims newly discovered documents could clear the family s name, but now the documents have gone missing, along with the man whose carpenter found them stashed behind paneling in the plant s decaying walls. This is a bigger pie than one woman's slice. As Greg and Jill investigate, they learn the woman herself has killed a man. Then, as bodies pile up, the woman disappears again, and the term Marathon Murders enters the local lexicon. Worst of all, these murders are likely to continue. And Greg and Jill may be the next victims. With his fourth entry into the Mystery Sweepstakes, Chester Campbell's Marathon Murders may sweep the prize list. Chester's long been blending surprise and suspense into his mystery puzzles like a fine vintner blends fermented grapes. A Greg and Jill McKenzie Mystery is like a fine wine: balanced, tasty, smooth, satisfying and with a pleasant lingering aftertaste. Bravo! Chester. Keep them coming. --Ben F. Small, author of Alibi on Ice and The Olive HorseshoeThis fourth mystery by the author is especially entertaining for those of us in the silver/no hair set. Retired Air Force OSI investigator Greg McKenzie and his partner/wife Jill become involved in a case that spans a current mysterious disappearance of old evidence in a cold case stretching back to the turn of the 1900s. Hired by a woman working for a clandestine government agency and an Air Force Colonel working for the Defense Intelligence Agency who have gone to bat for her grandfather whose ancestor was falsely accused of stealing money from the Marathon Car Company. Exonerating papers are found in a wall of the plant while it goes under refurbishment and the man who contacts the grandfather turns up dead. Greg McKenzie's inner dialogue and the interactions with Jill give the reader the thoughts of seasoned professional senior citizens. The story is fun to follow and the dialogue is realistic. We rated this mystery four hearts. --Bob Spear, Heartland Reviews I got bitten by the writing bug when I started work as a newspaper reporter while a journalism student at the University of Tennessee. That was more than 60 years ago. Since then I've worked as a freelance writer, a magazine editor, a political speechwriter, an advertising copywriter, a public relations writer and an association manager. I started writing novels after retirement. I write the Greg McKenzie mysteries featuring a retired Air Force OSI agent. The first, SECRET OF THE SCROLL (2002), takes place in Nashville and Israel. The second, DESIGNED TO KILL (2004), is set around Pensacola, FL, and the third, DEADLY ILLUSIONS (2005), wanders about Nashville. The fourth,xa0 titled THE MARATHON MURDERS (2008), involves the long-defunct Marathon Motor Works in Nashville, and the fifth is A SPORTING MURDER (2010), dealing with professional sports in Nashville. My second mystery series follows the adventures of Nashville PI Sid Chance. The first book, titled THE SUREST POISON (2009), deals with a toxic chemical spill in a suburban county.