PI s Greg, a retired Air Force OSI agent, and Jill McKenzie take on what appears to be a 90-year-old murder case, dragging them into a present-day conspiracy filled with chicanery in circles of power and chaos created by a frenzied killer. It starts with a stash of yellowed records found during restoration of the long-defunct Marathon Motor Works buildings in Nashville. The documents vanish, and the construction foreman who had them is murdered. The McKenzies' clients, Col. Warren Jarvis and his girlfriend, Kelli Kane, believe the records would shed light on the fate of her great-great-grandfather. A Marathon officer who disappeared in 1914, he was accused of embezzlement and later found dead. More murders occur, appearing aimed at suppressing the secret behind the missing records. It is a tale of greed, misplaced pride, family loyalty, and the unpredictable violence of an irrational mind.
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Review
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 Network
Greg 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 Horseshoe
This 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
Greg 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 Horseshoe
This 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
About the Author
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, 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.
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After following a snake-like career path that writhed about from newspapers to magazines to speechwriting to advertising to PR to association management, I settled on novel writing after retirement. I'm having a blast. My PI characters do things I'd never dare attempt. The reviewers love 'em, and so do the fans. Most of my stories are drawn from life, from all the weird and wonderful things that go on around me. Since I've been observing this for the last 85 years, there's no shortage of stuff to draw on.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old cars and murder,
By Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Marathon Murders (A Greg McKenzie Mystery) (Hardcover)
Greg and Jill McKenzie, owners of McKenzie Investigations, feel obligated to help when Colonel Warren Jarvis asks them to take on the case of his good friend Kelli Kane. Kelli needs the McKenzies to help clear the name of her great-great-grandfather Sydney Liggett. Back in 1914 he was accused of embezzling funds from Marathon Motor Works.
Pierce Bradley, a construction supervisor at the former Marathon Motors building, found papers belonging to Sydney Liggett which would have exonerated him, but he disappeared before the papers could be turned over to the DA. Bradley called Kelli's grandfather and set up a meeting to hand over the papers. Unfortunately Bradley can't be located now. Not long after the McKenzies being to investigate, Bradley's body is found submerged in a lake. The papers he claimed he found are still missing. To make matters worse, more people connected to the investigate end up dead. There aren't many clues to go on, but the McKenzies are committed to do everything they can to find those papers. Can they find them before more people die? Can they find them without putting themselves in danger? I love this series. Jill and Greg are such lovable characters. The plot is well constructed, and the setting is terrific. Such a great cozy mystery series. The author has done a fabulous job of setting up the story and creating characters that are believable. I enjoyed learning about the Marathon cars as well. I highly recommend this book and series. I found myself having trouble putting it down.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed for Midwest Book Review,
By
This review is from: The Marathon Murders (A Greg McKenzie Mystery) (Hardcover)
When Colonel Warren Jarvis asks Greg and Jill McKenzie, owners of McKenzie Investigations, to take on the case of his good friend Kelli Kane, they readily agree. Jarvis was instrumental in one of their former cases and the McKenzies feel indebted to him. Kelli needs the McKenzies' help in clearing the name of her great-great-grandfather Sydney Liggett, accused of embezzling funds from Marathon Motor Works in 1914. Kelli's grandfather recently received a phone call from Pierce Bradley, a construction supervisor at the former Marathon Motors building, who found papers belonging to Sydney Liggett which would have exonerated Liggett had he not disappeared before he could turn them over to the DA. And now Bradley is nowhere to be found. The McKenzies have barely begun their investigation when Bradley's body is discovered submerged in a lake, but the papers he claimed to have come across are missing. The McKenzies hope to recover the papers, but nothing seems to jell and, to make matters worse, people connected to the investigation are ending up dead. The only clue: a Russian cigarette stub found at each crime scene.
This fourth installment of the Greg McKenzie Mysteries is proof positive the series remains strong and fresh and is a major contender in the mystery venue. Greg and Jill McKenzie are a nice pairing, an amiable blend against the shady backdrop of murder and deceit. This well-plotted cozy is sure to please its fans and lure even more into its fold, the not-so-easily-guessed mystery one readers will enjoy trying to solve.
2.0 out of 5 stars
lacked intrigue and suspense,
By 007Magnum (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Marathon Murders (A Greg McKenzie Mystery) (Hardcover)
Picked this up thinking it might be a good read and quality characters to follow in his other books. I'm an avid reader of suspense novels (military, police, espionage and so on)and enjoy repeat characters in an on-going series of novels. This book (and the characters) failed to deliver. Marginal at best. The writing style was amateurish compared to what I normally read. It's as if the book was written for high school students as reading material. The chapters were kept short. The story plodded along and never gained any traction. Basically a 'simple' book. Sorry, but I wont be spending any more time with Mr Campbell.
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