Sunday, November 24, 2019

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni


First Line: Buzz Almond informed dispatch he was rolling, punched the accelerator, and smiled at the roar of the 245-horsepower V-8 engine, the g-forces nudging him back against his seat.

Jenny, a former police academy classmate, knows Tracy Crosswhite's soft spot and her skill set. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy loves tackling unsolved crimes. She knows firsthand how important justice and closure are to the victims' families and friends. When Jenny's father, the police chief in a small town in southern Washington, died, Jenny found the case that wouldn't let her father go: the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years ago.

Tracy agrees to take a look at the case and begins combing the small town's memory. It's not long before she starts uncovering inconsistencies and secrets that were believed to be well-buried. Is Tracy going to be able to uphold the promise she's made to the dead girl's family? It's anyone's guess because she could very well be the next victim.

In the Clearing is a two-investigation, two-timeline mystery that held my interest from beginning to end. One investigation involves the death of a man in Seattle. Most of the police officers believe that the man's wife killed him and that her father, a high-powered, expensive lawyer, is going to get her off scotfree. The second investigation involves the forty-year-old cold case in southern Washington, and it takes center stage.

Throughout Tracy's investigation of the cold case, it is shown how difficult it is to prosecute cases in which so much time has passed. Flashbacks to 1976 give readers insight into the characters. And as far as difficulties go, Tracy shows once again how hard it is for someone as dedicated as she is to have any sort of personal life.

For me, the character of Tracy Crosswhite makes this series. I really enjoy watching her work. Her dedication to both the person lost and to those left behind. Her unwillingness to stop until justice is done. The special insight she has into the mindset of victims' families because of her own history. No one can endure the disappearance of a sibling and not knowing what happened for almost twenty years without being changed. Since this is a road Tracy has been down, she's especially suited to talking to the bereaved and often getting information from them that no one else has.

Yes, In the Clearing has Tracy saving the day once again. It's a strong performance even though I found the solution to both cold case and new rather easy to deduce. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.


In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni
ASIN: B013UVNZ7A
Thomas & Mercer © 2016
eBook, 479 pages

Police Procedural, #3 Tracy Crosswhite mystery
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

9 comments:

  1. Sometimes dual timelines like this one can work really well, Cathy. I think that's especially true when it's a family connection, as it is here. Hmm....sounds good, and I can see why you enjoyed it.

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    1. Yes, the dual timelines really give readers insight into the characters (and helps them solve the mystery).

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  2. This sounds good. The TBR list is groaning again.

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  3. I've got four books on my stack to read now from the library and many more on hold. And lots more on hold and many sitting on my own stacks.

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    1. And you don't even want to take a look at mine!

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  4. I did find one of Dugoni's books at the library and it's on hold.

    I tried to get one of Satterthwaite's books at the library, but they only have one in a secret location, not for circulation. This is what this system is like now. Older books are culled and one copy is kept at some inaccessible location.

    I'll have to figure out if I can get a used copy of one of them. I haven't conceded to a Kindle yet.

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    1. I like Satterthwait's writing. The New Mexico settings in this Joshua Croft series is wonderful. He also wrote a book about Lizzie Borden that I enjoyed-- MISS LIZZIE.

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