Close to Home by Robert Dugoni

 

First Line: D'Andre Miller pushed open the glass doors of the Rainier Beach Community Center and stepped out into the frigid night.

 

When a young boy is killed in a hit-and-run, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite discovers that the suspect is an active-duty serviceman at a local naval base. After a key piece of evidence goes missing, the serviceman is cleared of charges in a military court, but Tracy refuses to turn her back on this kind of injustice.

 

Continuing her investigation, she uncovers the serviceman's ties to a rash of heroin overdoses in Seattle. This isn't just a case of the military protecting its own. It runs much, much deeper, and the accused wasn't acting alone. 

 

The closer Tracy comes to learning the truth, the more she comes in harm's way. The problem is... she may not be able to trust the only people who can help her make it out alive.

 

~

 

I've been slowly savoring Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite mysteries. While some readers will binge when they discover such a good series, I stretch out the time between each book to make the series last. I like knowing that I have a "sure thing" or two waiting for me on my to-be-read pile. Close to Home was next up on my list.

Speaking of series, this is a perfect one for those who like the characters' personal lives to be important parts of the story. Tracy is now married, and while this city girl tries to adapt to country quiet, she and her husband make an important decision. Tracy's partner, Del, recently lost a beloved niece to a drug overdose, and his investigation leads him to Celia McDaniel, a woman whose son also died of an overdose. Military lawyer Leah Battles plays a significant part, and I hope to see her in future books.

The mystery in Close to Home is a strong one, and like all good crime fiction, readers' knowledge can grow a lot on the way to finding out whodunit. There's plenty to learn about the military legal system as well as the healthcare industry's shift in focus to pain management rather than treating underlying ailments. And how about the legalization of marijuana? When I found out how the drug cartels adapted to that, I realized that I hadn't been paying enough attention to the world outside my door. There are even more kernels of knowledge in the pages of Close to Home, some of which made me smile. (Navy camouflage being called "blueberries", and the general opinion of them, for example.)

Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series is for readers who love to be immersed in both the story and the characters-- especially when the main character is a bonafide member of the Harry Bosch School of Policing (Everybody counts or nobody counts). If you're not already a dedicated reader, I'd advise you to begin at the beginning with My Sister's Grave. This is an excellent series that you won't want to miss.

Close to Home by Robert Dugoni

eISBN: 9781542045018

Thomas & Mercer © 2017

eBook, 414 pages

Police Procedural, #5 Tracy Crosswhite

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

 

First Line: Kurt Schill dragged his fourteen-foot aluminum boat across the beach logs he’d set to minimize the scraping of the hull against the rocks.

 

When the body of a woman is found in a crab pot in the chilly waters of Puget Sound, she has to be identified before Tracy Crosswhite and her colleagues in the Seattle Police Department's Violent Crimes Section can begin to look for her killer.

 

The victim seemed to have gone to great lengths to conceal her identity, and when evidence comes to light that she may be a woman who disappeared months ago under suspicious circumstances, Tracy is reminded of her own sister's murder. Each clue Tracy and her team uncovers seems to contradict the last, but a tale of betrayal and greed slowly begins to come to light-- and Tracy is determined not to give up until she has the killer behind bars.

 

~

 

I don't know why I wait so long between the books in this series. I suppose I consider Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite mysteries to be "sure things"-- books guaranteed to be good reads so they're saved for times when I need to recuperate from unsatisfying stories. Regardless of the reason, I once again find myself vowing to read them faster.

 

Tracy Crosswhite is the type of main character you can sink your teeth into. Her life was irrevocably changed when her beloved younger sister disappeared. Tracy gave up her teaching job and ultimately became Seattle's only female homicide detective. Her goal was to find out what happened to her sister. As the years have passed, her closed-off life has begun to change-- mostly importantly by being in a committed relationship. Her experiences with her sister have made her extremely sensitive to any case involving missing and murdered women she and her team are called to investigate.

 

The woman in the crab pot is definitely a compelling story. Readers hear The Trapped Girl's story from Andrea Strickland's point of view as Tracy and her team investigate. As facts being to emerge, readers will begin to question what Andrea is telling them. Is she telling the truth? Is she lying? Or is she just leaving a lot of things out of her story? Andrea is a sympathetic character with her tragic life and her bad choice of husband. She is so shy and introspective that it's no wonder she chose to live in Portland, Oregon. You see, all the rain means that she'll be free to stay home and read book after book after book instead of dealing with people.

 

With a riveting story involving a smart, determined, reflective victim and an equally intelligent woman determined to find out what happened to her, The Trapped Girl is almost impossible to put down. If you haven't made Tracy Crosswhite's acquaintance, I would suggest starting with the first book, My Sister's Grave, because of the character development. You're in for a treat!    

The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

eISBN: 9781503940406

Thomas & Mercer © 2017

eBook, 423 pages

Police Procedural, #4 Tracy Crosswhite

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

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.


 

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

First Line: Tracy Crosswhite watched the minivan pull into the parking lot, noting a car seat strapped into the backseat and a yellow "Child on Board" placard dangling in the window.

Tracy Crosswhite is back working the Homicide Division of the Seattle Police Department after the sensational retrial of her sister's killer. With her luck (or lack thereof), she's immediately plunged into the hunt for a serial killer who's been named The Cowboy.

The Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle, and Tracy is determined to bring him to justice. With more victims dying and clues being difficult to find, she realizes that the solution may lie in a ten-year-old homicide investigation that others-- including her boss, Captain Johnny Nolasco-- would prefer to remain buried. There's only one thing wrong: while Tracy is searching for the evidence to put The Cowboy away, she's moving to the top of The Cowboy's list of victims.

My review could be wrapped up in short order: Her Final Breath is, quite simply, a pleasure to read. However, most people do expect more in a review. Dugoni has crafted a truly puzzling, well-paced mystery with a main character whom I'm learning to like more and more with each book in the series that I read.

Tracy is saddled with an obnoxious boss, and Nolasco really has it in for her. The problem is-- like a cat-- he seems to have nine lives and to always land on his feet. I am really looking forward to continuing with this series because this character certainly deserves to have Karma slap him right upside the head.

Dan, the attorney Tracy met in My Sister's Grave, shows up once again and does some very valuable research for her regarding The Cowboy. The rest of the supporting cast performs ably, especially the detectives who work closely with Tracy because they think the world of her but don't always like the way she behaves.

Tracy Crosswhite herself is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. Give her a goal and she gets tunnel vision, not wanting to stop until the bad guy is behind bars. This may lead to some impulsive behavior from time to time, but she does use common sense and her heart is always with the victims and their families. (She's been in their shoes.) One of the many things I like about this character is that although her focus on the job is tremendous, she nevertheless takes the time to share her knowledge and expertise with other women trying to make their way in the police department.

Characters and story. Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series has both in abundance, and I'm really looking forward to reading my way through this series.

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

eISBN: 9781503945029

Thomas & Mercer © 2015

eBook, 424 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Tracy Crosswhite mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

First Line: Her tactical instructor at the police academy had liked taunting them during early morning drills.

Contrary to popular opinion, Tracy Crosswhite does not believe that Edmund House, a convicted rapist and the man sent to prison for her sister Sarah's murder, is guilty of the crime. This case has haunted her for twenty years, so much so that she left her job as a high school chemistry teacher to become a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department.

When Sarah's remains are finally found near their home in northern Washington, Tracy is determined to get the answers she's been searching for all these years. As she hunts for the real killer, she keeps unearthing long-buried secrets that change her relationship to her past... and put her in very real danger.

After watching a video of one of Dugoni's author events, I knew I had to read one of his books, so I downloaded My Sister's Grave. I'm glad I did because Dugoni's fast-moving story kept me riveted from first page to last. One of the things I liked most was the author's decision to let readers know very early on that there is some sort of conspiracy surrounding Sarah's death. This really ups the suspense and keeps readers wondering how many people are involved, their identities, how much they can be trusted (if at all)-- and just what exactly that they're covering up.

There were a couple of things that I didn't particularly care for: a romance for Tracy that wasn't really necessary, and all the drama coming to a head in the middle of a snowpocalypse, but these were minor annoyances that really didn't prevent me from turning the pages as fast as I could go. 

Dugoni's characters come very, very close to stealing the show from his story. These people are not cardboard cutouts, even the murder victim whose light is just a brief shooting star in the night sky. Tracy can be admired for her dogged determination to find the truth and to demand justice, but how is she going to handle herself if any of her theories are wrong? Almost every single character is shown to have multiple facets, and that gives so much depth and power to a story.

Now that Tracy has finally solved her sister's murder, I'm looking forward to continuing this series. I have to know what's next for such an intelligent, stubborn woman.

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

ASIN: B00K2EOONI

Thomas & Mercer © 2014

eBook, 402 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Tracy Crosswhite mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.