The Pepper Tree by Dave Freedland

Release: February 20th 2019
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent
Source: RABT Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N

A Southern California landmark primarily known only to law enforcement earned a reputation for crime scenes of the most unspeakably vicious homicides. Infamous serial killers had chosen this location to discard and display their victims as trophies of their horrific deeds. Lieutenant Scott Hunter must lead a team of detectives to identify and capture a suspect who’s targeting young women, and has chosen this landmark to showcase his victims.

This story is a work of fiction, but the Orange County location is real. So notorious, in fact, that those officers working the graveyard shift need only radio their activity at a site bearing two words, and they are immediately dispatched a back-up officer to the “pepper tree”.

As a young patrol officer, Hunter had been introduced to the terror at the tree on an evening when he turned his police cruiser down that dusty road separating asparagus fields, and discovered a corpse hanging from a low-hanging limb. But now as the leader of the Robbery, Homicide team, he received that most dreaded call interrupting the stillness of the night, a body dump.

About the Author:

Dave Freedland is a 34 year decorated law enforcement professional having served with the Irvine (California) Police Department. Following a competitive athletic career culminating with the award of UCLA’s Most Valuable Gymnast, he graduated 1st in his Sheriff’s academy class.

As a SWAT team leader and commander for over 25 years, he supervised operations for numerous strikes and hostage incidents, and was the recipient of several awards including Police Officer of the Year. He retired at the rank of Deputy Chief, and currently holds a 6th degree black belt in Japanese karate.

His first novel, Lincoln 9, was Oak Tree Press bestselling book on Amazon in 2015. His second novel, The Pepper Tree, received a 2018 manuscript award from the Public Safety Writers’ Association..

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

The Pepper Tree Review:

“The Pepper Tree” is a high adrenaline crime fiction novel that follows a crew of detectives tracking down a serial killer, and it was intriguing!

I have to commend the author for writing the story so dynamically. The way he wrote the story made me feel like watching live-action news filled with action and thrills. Moreover, as the author is a law enforcement professional, he shows how he puts his experiences towards the story. There is never a dull moment in the story as Lieutenant Scott Hunter and his team investigates the case. Some of the scenes that made the story memorable were when Amy Van der Linden appears and when they find out about Lena Holmquist.

Also, I enjoyed Hunter in the lead. What’s nice about the story is how the author also spends time with the character’s issues. I thought Blackburn and Hunter made a fine due as they try to track the killer. Similarly, it was interesting to see Hunter’s controversial relationship with Ashley, especially when he gets tagged with Valerie Mason. I also liked some of the secondary characters like Vannover and Jim Janowitz. The author also ends the story with an exciting climax, which shocked me with an unexpected reveal.

Probably my only minor criticism in the story is the large canvas. At times, I felt there were too many cases and characters, and it wasn’t easy to keep track of what was happening.

Apart from that, I thought this was a gripping crime fiction novel. Overall, if you love high-speed chases, intriguing investigations with solid protagonists, you would enjoy “The Pepper Tree.”