Marilyn's Musings

The Pepper Tree was my second book that followed Lincoln 9 , which introduced the main character, Lieutenant Scott Hunter. I debated writing The Pepper Tree first, because it was such a great story, but opted to first write Lincoln 9 , to determine whether or not I could compose a novel, and develop fictional characters. With the success of my first book, I marched forward with a haunting story that followed my law enforcement career for several years. As a rookie cop, I was made aware of a landmark tree, along a dusty road through the Irvine Ranch, where three separate serial killers had left at least one of their victims. It was difficult to believe that the press had not picked up on the location, which was clearly visible from the San Diego freeway. What made it unique was the fact that the tree provided sufficient foliage to cover the dumping of bodies. In addition, the adjacent two-lane road provided a flat, unobstructed view for ½ mile in both directions, which prev...