Trail of Blood: A Novel of Suspense (Theresa MacLean series Book 3)

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 Seventy-five years ago, a madman nicknamed the Torso Killer terrorized Cleveland. His horrific spree lasted four years and crisscrossed the entire city. Overall, he was credited with more than a dozen murders. And he was never caught. Today, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is called to an abandoned building where a desiccated, decapitated body has been found in a room that's been sealed off for years. Although there's no immediate proof, everyone assumes the same thing: that the newly discovered corpse was a Torso Killer victim. The body has decayed beyond recognition, leaving few forensic clues, but Theresa sees this as an opportunity to shed some light on a big piece of Cleveland's past that until now has been shrouded in mystery. But then another body?this one recently deceased?turns up, and all signs at the scene seem to indicate the work of a new Torso Killer. Suddenly, Theresa's investigation takes on a whole new meaning. Her 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, Theresa finds herself nearer to danger than she ever imagined. For the killer is keeping a watchful eye on Theresa, and she begins to feel his presence everywhere. Each step brings them closer and closer to each other?at one point separated by no more than a speeding train in a railroad switchyard?as Theresa scours the city in her hunt for a murderous lunatic intent on reliving a terrifying past Seventy-five years ago, the Torso Killer terrorized a city with a horrific spree of murder/dismemberments. He was never caught. It would be impossible for the maniac to still be at largeand activetoday . . . A decapitated body has been found in a sealed room in an abandoned buildingand forensic scientist Theresa MacLean believes the decades-old corpse is a previously unaccounted-for victim of the legendary psychopath. But the discovery of a second bodynewly slain and bearing the unmistakable signature of the Torso Killersuggests the unthinkable: that a copycat serial killer is following in a madman's bloody footprints. A long-dormant nightmare has been reawakened as a dark history repeats itself. Theresa MacLean's forensic investigation has opened a door into a terrifying pasta door someone desperately wants to keep closed . . . and will keep killing to make it so. “Quite simply, one of the best storytellers around.” —Tess Gerritsen Murders past and present collide in Trail of Blood, the third riveting crime fiction masterwork by Lisa Black to feature forensic scientist Theresa MacLean. Based on the real-life and still unsolved “Torso Killer” murders that terrified residents of Cleveland, Ohio more than seventy five years ago, Trail of Blood is a masterful forensic thriller from the acclaimed author of Takeover and Evidence of Murder that fans of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Jefferson Bass, and Michael Connelly, and, of course, C.S.I., will absolutely adore. Forensic scientist Theresa MacLean thinks the decapitated and decayed body found in a abandoned building was the victim of a serial killer who was active in Cleveland seventy-five years earlier, but when another dead person is found, she suspects a copycat is on the loose and finds her own life in danger Forensic Scientist Theresa Maclean Investigates A Crime Spree From Cleveland's Past When The Bodies Of Recent Murder Victims Show Up Bearing The Hallmarks Of An Uncaught Serial Killer Who Had Terrorized The City Seventy-five Years Prior. Lisa Black. Includes Bibliographical References.