P. J. Tracy

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

When a fatal carjacking proves to be a murder, Los Angeles Police Detectives Margaret Nolan and Al Crawford find themselves thrown into the middle of a twisted case. The victim, Bruce Messane, was the founder, president, and CEO of Peppy Pets, a pet food company which he was in the process of selling to Wilder Foods.

The next day, their case takes a strange turn when Nicole, the wife of Messane’s former business partner, Doctor Rome Bechtold, is kidnapped. When hints of drugs and financial mismanagement arise, the detectives find themselves with more questions than answers.

Who killed Bruce Messane? And why? And what does Nicole’s kidnapping have to do with the case?

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Fourth in the author’s Detective Margaret Nolan series, “City of Secrets” there is sufficient backstory for readers new to the series and for the book to work as a standalone. The suspenseful plot pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the outset.

The plot is complex and intriguing; unexpected revelations and plot twists keep readers guessing as the unfolding narrative takes some clever turns. With all the expected characters in place, readers are sure to be pleased with the continuing developments in the detectives’ personal lives.

Readers who enjoy police procedurals will find much to appreciate in this absorbing tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#CityofSecrets #NetGalley… (altro)

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

A man has been shot in his car in a rough area of town and then his former business partner's wife is kidnapped. This is mainly Nolan and Crawford doing the investigating, but there are a wide selection of other police officers, including Remy, Nolan's love interest. I like the way the author is developing their relationship. I have slightly lost track of Sam and Melody, but if you remember them from previous instalments they are here too.

I found the plot well paced and the story as a whole a page-turner. It managed to be realistic without being unduly violent and there is a fair amount of humour too. There were a couple of plot points I might quibble about - would audits etc really have missed what was going on at the pet food company? what was with that decision taken by one of the police officers at the end? - but overall, recommended.… (altro)

This is book 3 of the Det Margaret Nolan series. Each book appears to have the same characters that can get confusing at times. The series actually has two main characters as Sam Easton plays a central role in the first two books as well. The LAPD detectives get called to the scene when a dead body of actor Evans Hobbes is discovered. They need to determine if it was accident or if someone killed him. This continues the complex story murder and mystery with likeable interesting characters.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this complimentary digital copy. My review contains my honest, unbiased opinions of this novel.… (altro)

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan struggles after the death of her brother Max in Afghanistan. Sam Easton continues to be a character in this book series. There are many of the same characters in the books and could be read as a stand alone novel.

Detective Nolan's mother Emily tells her she will be going on a retreat to help her grief the loss of Max. The name of the retreat center, Children of the Desert, is a topic of discussion for many. Sam is asked by a friend to help rescue a woman and her daughter who fled the compound in Desolation Canyon in the middle of the desert. Nolan discovers that the Children of the Desert is a religious cult and desperately seeks to save her mother who unknowingly went there for respite. The story is complex with ties to the Russian mafia using the retreat center for their illegal smuggling activities.… (altro)