| Title | : | In the Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 335 |
| Publication | : | First published May 17, 2016 |
| Awards | : | ITW Thriller Award Best Paperback Original (2017) |
Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime.
So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she’s made to the dead girl’s family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?
In the Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite, #3) Reviews
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"A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions."
Detective Tracy Crosswhite is called upon to unravel the tangled complications of a 40 year old crime that sits in the dust pile of cold cases. Her friend, Jenny, an academy classmate, wants Tracy to bring to light the details of Jenny's detective father's case after his death. Tracy doesn't have much to go on here in Klickitat County, Washington.
A Native American high school girl, Kimi Kanasket, was found in the cold, raging river nearby in 1976. Kimi had been walking home after her waitress shift at the diner late that night. The local police determined it to be a suicide. Buzz Almond, Jenny's detective father, was digging in another direction when the case went cold. Jenny hands over her father's private file on Kimi to Tracy.
Tracy sees this case through the eyes of one who has experienced great loss. Tracy's own sister was murdered and she dogged the case until the murderer was brought to justice. (My Sister's Grave, Tracy Crosswhite #1) The greatest of tragedies is the loss of one so young harboring the promise of bountiful potential and talent.
Robert Dugoni presents a story rich in detail and rich in well-researched police procedurals. The present day scientific methods in crime solving are just mindboggling. And the character of Tracy Crosswhite never lets you down. My only concern was a "backdoor" case that Dugoni introduces alongside of the Kimi Kanasket case. It didn't seem to have the fulfillment of commitment as did the 40 year old case. Perhaps Dugoni keeps us aware that Tracy hasn't given up her day job in Seattle.
In the Clearing is a standalone read. If you're a Dugoni fan, you've probably read all the others like your hair was on fire. Robert Dugoni is a word craftsman who locks you tightly into each and every one of his storylines. Wonderfully rendered and a smart, smart read. You can't write them fast enough for me, Dugoni. -
In The Clearing by Robert Dugoni is the third book in the Tracy Crosswhite crime series.
In this instalment the Seattle detective is involved in two cases.
One is a seemingly straight forward domestic homicide, the other is a case forty years old, concerning the supposed suicide of a native American girl.
Tracy’s involvement in this latter case is a favour for a close friend. Her friend’s recently deceased father was a rookie deputy sheriff at the time of the young girl’s death and his suspicion that the death wasn’t a suicide became a life long obsession. Tracy casts her eye over the old files and becomes involved.
Robert Dugoni writes clearly, he doesn’t over complicate plots and his characters are a believable mix of the good, the bad and the flawed. Tracy Crosswhite herself is an unshowy, likeable character who calmly works to get results whilst managing, just about, to maintain her relationship with lawyer boyfriend Dan.
This is a slow burn plot with a satisfying conclusion, a nicely written piece of escapism full of familiar faces and problems that reliably get solved.
This was the right book at the right time for me - a good 3.5 stars rounded up. -
I'm really liking Detective Tracy Crosswhite. Granted I have only read the first one and now the third one but I'm going to backtrack to the second one and go on from there as they come out.
In this book we are in the present and in the past in 1976. In the year of 1976 we are reading about deputy Buzz Almond trying to figure out what happened to Kimi Kanasket. In the current year of 2016 Tracy is asked by Buzz daughter Jenny, whom she knows from working together, to help with the cold case. Tracy goes down to Stoneridge for Buzz funeral and Jenny brings up the cold case from 1976. Kimi was walking home one night after her shift at the diner, but she never got there.
She was found later on in the White Salmon River and they ruled it a suicide. They say Kimi was distraught over her break up with Tommy Moore, but she wasn't. Buzz did not think she committed suicide but there wasn't much he could do in a small town that was run by not so good people. He even wondered if it might have to do with the Native Americans having rally's outside the football games because the team was called the Red Raiders and that it was being disrespectful to the Native American culture (which it was)
But like I said it was ruled as a suicide. They say she just jumped right off the bridge. Yeah, not so much.
With the help of an old file from the case that Buzz kept to himself, Tracy cracks this baby right open. After 40 freaking years, the truth comes out and it's not what your thinking at all. I like how the author puts it in different scenarios to keep you guessing.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle Tracy and her team are trying to solve the case of who shot Tim Collins. I mean the wife confessed and the son confessed so there is a lot going on there too. But I had the most fun going around finding out clues with Tracy on the Kimi Kanasket case! The thing is, when you find out, it's just really sad. The whole ordeal and why it happened it just so sad. Pointless. Stupid. But that's they way it goes right?
Like I said, I really enjoyed the book. I'm loving the Tracy Crosswhite series so far. Keep them coming!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG:
Melissa Martin's Reading List -
Fresh off a very difficult case, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself entangled in two new cases, one contemporary and the other a forty-year-old cold case. In the first instance, a man is found shot to death in the home he once shared with his wife from whom he is now separated. The wife and their teenage son are present in the home when officers first arrive. They claim that the husband/father was abusive, that he attacked his wife, and that she shot him in self-defense. But what appears at first to be a fairly straightforward case soon turns out to be a lot more complicated.
At virtually the same time, Jenny Almond, who had been a classmate of Tracy's in the police academy, asks Tracy to take over the investigation of a cold case in rural Klickitat County. Forty years earlier, a Native American high school student went missing while walking home from work one night. She was later found dead floating in a river. The official verdict was suicide, the explanation being that the victim, Kimi Kanasket, was distraught because her boyfriend had just broken up with her.
Jenny Almond is now the sheriff of Klickitat County, following in the footsteps of her father, Buzz Almond. As a newbie sheriff's deputy, Buzz Almond had investigated the case of Kanasket's death, but was never satisfied with the official verdict. Given his position at the time, he couldn't challenge the conclusions of his superiors, but the case bothered him enough that he kept the file for all those years and his daughter found it after Buzz died. She'd like Tracy to review the file and see if anything can be done.
Once the book is underway, Dugoni allows the other members of Crosswhite's unit to pursue the contemporary case, and the bulk of the novel is devoted to Tracy's investigation of the cold case. It turns out to be a fascinating case and Dugoni very convincingly demonstrates how Tracy, with a lot of help, is able to apply new investigative techniques and technologies to a case that originally seems cut and dried and devoid of any new insights.
Like the first two books in the series, it's a very entertaining read that should appeal especially to any fan of police procedurals. I'm anxious to get to the next book in the series. -
The Hook - I feel privileged to have been granted access to Robert Dugoni’s fourth Tracy Crosswhite novel, The Trapped Girl. Wanting to read them in order, I was happy the third made its way back to our library.
The Line - ”You must be a magnet for murders”, her sergeant, Billy Williams said.
The Sinker -
”Seemed every time Tracy and her partner, Kinsington Rowe, were the homicide team on call, someone got killed.”
Another murder to solve, just another day in the homicide department. Of course, these murders are exactly why I read crime fiction.
Robert Dugoni and his character Tracy Crosswhite have me under their spell with what is becoming the spec for this series. You get two for your money, one current murder and one cold case, each requiring a killer to be brought to justice.
Detective Crosswhite gets a call from an old friend from her academy days who wants Tracy to take a look-see at a forty-year old case her deceased father, Klickitat County Sheriff Buzz Almond Jr. was unable to solve. Sheriff Almond never believed that the river drowning death of high school Native American, Kimi Kanasket was the suicide it was ruled.
The cold case was far more interesting to me than the one taking place in the present but the ability to use similar methodology to connect dots in past and present-day crimes was fascinating.
The advances made in forensics and the ability to use these as well as new technology to solve cold cases is key to my involvement in this series. One new field used in this case was the identification of shoe prints. This kick off point to find additional information on this subject was informative. It was fascinating to learn that there is much out there regarding sole prints due to the need to decipher the many footprints often left at crime scenes. In an article on the National Institute of Justice website, many other ID databases are explored. Paint, Glass, Drugs, Ignitable Fluids and more help law enforcement solve crime. Perhaps Dugoni will use some of these in future outings of cases Crosswhite works.
Seattle and its surrounding has also become an important plot element. Though the actual towns are intentionally fictional in Crosswhite’s/Dugoni’s Seattle many mirror actual places, making them increasingly familiar territory.
In my review of Her Final Breath a GR friend asked if I felt Dugoni wrote his female character well. I honestly never thought about it until asked. I paid more attention this time. While reading In the Clearing there were often times I had trouble remembering Dugoni is a male author. His skill in creating this female protagonist is seamless and credible. -
For 40 years Kimi Kanakset's death was labelled suicide. But when her father dies, Jenny discovers amongst his possessions the original file on the case. A file classed in the system as having been destroyed.
Jenny asks her friend and police academy classmate Tracy Crosswhite for help as what she has read has perturbed her. After reading the file Tracy agrees and sets about uncovering a long buried truth.
This is my first Robert Dugoni. I found the plot interesting, but not gripping in an 'omg I just can't put this down' way. The writing style is good, easy to read, but the story lacked any real suspense - there was no nail-biting, breath taking, page turning spurts. There was nothing obvious in the solution - I didn't crack it. in fact my mind was moving in a very different direction.
I like Robert Dugoni's writing. I don't love it. 3.5 stars from me, upgraded to 4 as I am going right on to read the next in the series, The Trapped Girl.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a digital ARC for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. -
Wah! I missed Tracy Crosswhite and her team! The third book in the series did not disappoint and I am proud to say that Tracy is still my favourite modern female detective! Yay.
As always, I am just totally blown away by Robert Dugoni’s writing style. His expertise in police procedurals, forensics and cop investigation is so damn fascinating. Add in a few awesome and very likeable characters and you’ll get a book that would surely be on the top shelf of your collection. I loved it!
Although the story itself was a bit depressing and sad, I loved how it was executed—the formula that is always present in Dugoni’s legal thriller made it more personal and relatable. This is not about your typical serial-killer police chase or a deranged murderer on the run, this is a heartbreaking story of guilt, conspiracy and a decades-long search for truth and justice.
You’ll love this book. You’ll love Tracy. You’ll cry, you’ll close your eyes at one point, take a long hard breath and think of the people you love the most—how you’ll do everything in your power to protect them, to shelter them. Sniff. -
Yes yes YES! I’ve finally got to this one.
Third book in the Tracy Crosswhite series which I’ve enjoyed.
This author has made an impression on me.
Loving this series so much I’ve bought them all for my shelf.
40 years ago we didn’t have the kind of technology we do today, hence Police and DI couldn’t work with what they do now.
So when something happens, it uncovers something from yesteryear. 40 years ago.
It was interesting to me to see this plot unfold. The chapters flew by.
I love this authors style and find it extremely easy to follow. I get “right in there!” Amongst it all.
Brilliantly done.
I’m just late to the table with this. I like to have a series so I can jump from book 1.......onwards. I’m so OCD with series. -
Jenny Almond was the only other female recruit attending the Academy with Tracy Crosswhite and they’ve remained friends over the years. Jenny is now the Sheriff of Klickitat County, succeeding her father Buzz who recently died. At the funeral, Jenny gives Tracy what appears to be one of her father’s cold case files but what’s puzzling is that it appeared to have been closed almost 40 years ago and the file supposedly destroyed. In 1976, the body of missing Native American teen Kimi Kanasket was found in the river and ruled a suicide. However, based on Buzz’s file, there’s room for skepticism. Meanwhile, Tracy and her partner Kinsington (Kins) Row catch a case in Seattle where Angela Collins shot her husband Tim and claims self defense. Complicating that situation is the woman’s father, a renowned city defense attorney who is on the scene when they arrive. There are lots of indicators to question the woman’s claims.
While both cases are investigated in this story, the probe into what happened to Kimi Kanasket is the most fascinating. It’s not a straightforward one as so many years have passed and the town law enforcement is certainly not being helpful. I loved how Tracy just followed the clues without a lot of supposition, calling in forensic experts that have resources, tools and skills not available back in 1976. It was challenging but Tracy is fearless, doggedly determined and a clever investigator. The procedurals were outstanding and even though the two cases were unrelated, there was a connection in the motivations of the suspects.
I continue to listen to the series and enjoy the narrator who demonstrates her versatility in creating distinctive voices for a host of characters. She maintains a specific one for Tracy that seems well suited for her personality. These were gnarly cases with lots of moving parts and people that kept me pondering until the final reveals. I loved that there were two seemingly disparate cases to immerse myself into and revel in the journey to figure both out. Still loving this series!
Posted on
Blue Mood Café -
IN THE CLEARING by Robert Dugoni is Book 3 in the Tracy Crosswhite detective series. Having already read book 1, My Sister’s Grave and book 2, Her Final Breath and really enjoying them, when I was approved on NetGalley for the 3rd book in the series, In The Clearing, I was very pleased.
In this third book of the Tracy Crosswhite series, Tracy is called in to Seattle to investigate a domestic incident, the shooting and murder of a man by his estranged wife. But was it really a situation of self-defense? Tracy with her team must search for the truth.
The novel also deals with a cold case file, from 40 years ago, with the death of Kimi Kanasket, a Native American girl while preparing for college, supposedly committed suicide? But her family and Deputy Sheriff Buzz Almond did not believe the findings. Buzz's daughter, Sheriff Jenny Almond, asks for Tracy’s assistance in reviewing this cold case, and provide her opinion.
In this book, the reader is again exposed to informative details on forensic procedures and how today's advanced technology can be used to help solve cold cases. These dual investigations, small town secrets, lies and the truth kept me entertained. But I have to say this wasn't my favorite book in the series. I felt it lacked suspense, or maybe because I personally enjoy reading a whodunit murder mystery. Loved seeing Tracy again, but missed Dan her boyfriend, as only a brief appearance in this novel. I hope he comes back in future novels.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. -
4.5 stars!
Another wonderful book in the Tracy Crosswhite series! I love reading this series because I know the neighborhoods and businesses
Robert Dugoni is writing about. It's like I’m riding shotgun while Tracy drives all around my city. I’ve come to realize that it’s enjoyable to read a book set in your city or state.
In the Clearing is the third book in the series and consists of two cases. A 1976 cold case over in Klickitat County, Washington of a Native American teenager who commits suicide and a self defense murder case in Seattle of a woman shooting her estranged husband.
I really enjoyed the cold case of the girl's disappearance, the parts when Buzz Almond, the sheriff is the point of view and the last remaining steps she performed before her death. There were some twists that I didn't see coming and the ending was fantastic. I really felt for the girl’s surviving family at the end and it was a nice touch for the case of Kimi Kanasket.
The second storyline of the husband and wife was okay but it did seem like this case was to fill up pages. I’m not sure if it was needed but it was well written and gave more substance to Tracy Crosswhite's life in SPD and the secondary characters in the series.
From family lies, small town secrets, and suspense, this was a great crime mystery book. As always, Robert Dugoni does an outstanding job with character development, forensics and cop procedures. Bravo and looking forward to the next book in the series! -
At the funeral of Klickitat County Sheriff Buzz Almond, detective Tracy Crosswhite is approached by his daughter, Jenny, now the new sheriff and an Academy classmate of Tracy’s. She had recently found a file in her father’s study for a forty year old case – the death of a teenage native American girl, Kimi Kanasket. In 1976 Kimi’s family became worried about when she didn’t come home after her part time job at the local diner. The following day her body was found in the river and the police concluded that she died from drowning, most likely by committing suicide by jumping off a bridge after seeing her ex boyfriend out with another girl. Buzz Almond was clearly not convinced and had kept notes and photos in the file which Jenny asked Tracy to review and help her decide whether to re-open the case.
Although Tracy’s Captain, Nolasco, was not too thrilled at her requesting to take on a case out of their jurisdiction but agreed she could spend her accumulated personal time-off looking at it. Back in Seattle she and her team have a domestic shooting to investigate which she doesn’t think is as straight forward as the scene would suggest. While the cold case is by far the more interesting case with Tracy able to use modern technologies to review the evidence Buzz had collected in his file, the current case also presented a challenge for Tracy’s team to solve.
This series is shaping up to be a good one, with interesting plots and good investigation involving modern procedures and forensics. Tracy Crosswhite’s character is well written and her team are also becoming more relatable as the series goes on. -
This book was flat out fantastic! I was riveted. Tracy Crosswhite is a great character, and I've liked her in all three books in the series. I like how she and Dan both understand the nature of their work vs. personal lives. I think Dan will figure more in future books.
One of the things that makes this book so good is the in depth forensics and investigation of a very cold case. The facts were well laid out, both in 1976 and current day. The case involved a young woman whose death was ruled a suicide in 1976, but the rookie deputy doubted that. Forty years later, his daughter is now sheriff. She finds his case file in his desk at home after his death, and asks for an independent investigation by Tracy. While Tracy uses personal time for the cold case, her partner and the rest of the team are investigating a current case in Seattle, which was also interesting.
Robert Dugoni indicates there are more Tracy Crosswhite books coming. I can hardly wait! -
As in
My Sister's Grave, Dugoni gives us yet another reason why it is deadly to grow up in small town America. Corruption, murder, racism, suicide, and more corruption. If the thriller/crime procedural genre is to be believed, these country towns are about as dangerous as Midsommer.
In any case, this series gets better and better. More intricately plotted than the first two (which I loved), this instalment escaped the 'it's all about Tracy' theme that I worried would take over the series. Instead, we see her at her best in one location and get to watch her colleagues succeed without her back home. Dugoni also utilised experts well, individuals who had little page time but whose impact was immediately felt. I found this added a healthy dose of realism. Homicide departments must be busy, I doubt they run to the tune of one star player and on one case at a time. It felt like a more well rounded book as a result.
Without doubt, this series is on my must-read crime. It is genuinely enjoyable, clever, and well written.
Many thanks to Robert Dugoni, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. -
Another home run
Suspense, mystery and so well written. What I love about the books is the procedural education and following all the clues to a satisfying ending -
4.5. Superb, stunning and full of suspence - a thriller with a great Detective - Tracey Crosswhite.
Crosswhite investigates the 40 year old, purported, suicide of a Native American high school girl. A girl with a very bright future.
Intriguing book, full if false starts, strong ending with that makes wonderful sense if all the clues. But not what I expected.
Robert Dugoni is now a favourite author for me.
Unputdownable. -
The third in this series about a female homicide detective in Seattle. I have read these books in order and I can say they are all excellent novels and if anything, are getting better as Robert Dugoni becomes more at ease with his well-drawn characters.
There are cold cases which previous stories have shown Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill in re-visiting and there are others in cryogenic stasis. When her friend asks her to take a fresh look at the first investigation her Dad had in his career as a sheriff; after his death, she found this one case file dating back some 40 years. Tracy is interested initially as it resonates with her own experiences.
Taking lieu days, while the A team try to gather evidence in a family dispute where the husband lost his life, Tracy combines both rolls while using her contacts to re-visit the evidence 'Buzz' Almond had earlier gathered, mainly through sound detective work and use of photographic images of the potential crime scene.
Another excellent story that doesn't ever seem to stretch a reader's credibility and is told in a sensitive and thoughtful way. Sufficient that you can identify with nearly all characters and often empathise with their actions at the time and in subsequent years following the suicide/murder of 17-year-old Native American girl, Kimi Kanasket.
Some books and in the cases of a successful series stall and after the first 100 or so pages feel like you've read this before and the author, bless them, is just milking their goose that lays those golden eggs. Robert Dugoni even side-lines his most dynamic force against Tracy here; he is still licking his wounds after his ignominy in book 2. Her captain, Johnny Nolasco.
No with these novels there is no inertia built. Once the story is laid down and you pass a third of the way into the book the potential energy propels the story along, as I reader you can barely keep pace as you devour the pages. A Dugoni book has sufficient kinetic energy to power Seattle for a week.
I love his writing, his sense of place. He is thorough in his preparation and research and generous with his praise for the help others bring to his art.
The good news is I have the fourth episode to read and the fifth instalment is due out later this year.
If you haven't found this series yet, start at the beginning it is an incredible journey and it is how thrillers should be written and enjoyed. -
an ARC kindly provided by the publisher Thomas & Mercer Via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Full review to come. -
Outstanding!
Captivating suspense with incredible heroine!
Absolutely flove this series! -
Seattle Police Detective Tracy Crosswhite tackles a cold case that is 40 years old. Native American Kimi Kanasket was a Stoneridge High senior on the path to college—possibly on an athletic scholarship—when she apparently committed suicide. The investigating officer at the time was suspicious, but his reservations were disregarded. Forty years later his daughter hands over her dad’s case file to Tracy. So the reader is treated to two investigations—the one that Buzz Almond originally conducted and the current one that Tracy is pursuing. Fortunately, Tracy has expert forensic specialists to help her uncover the truth. Enjoy this well-written police procedural.
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Robert Dugoni brings back Tracy Crosswhite to help solve a case that has been cold for 40 years.
A former police academy classmate and friend, Jenny, reaches out to Tracy to help solve the possible murder of a Native American high school student. It was officially ruled as suicide. Jenny's dad was a new deputy when he investigated. When he passed away, Jenny found the file locked away in his desk. And she would like Tracy to take a look ... Jenny would like closure for her father ...and for the girl's family.
As Tracy investigates, she follows the deputy's footsteps .. and what she finds is a small town's deep, dark secrets ... and someone doesn't want them to see the light of day. If Tracy must be silenced, then so be it.
This has been a really good series.... very well written, with many believable characters both good and evil. There is plenty of mystery and suspense to keep the reader entertained from page one until the very last sentence of the very last page.
I do hope the author brings Tracy Crosswhite and her team back again ... and again ...
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. -
I am really enjoying the Seattle setting of this series, and Dugoni has drawn some sympathetic characters in the main story of the mysterious decades-old death of Kimi Kanasket.
The current-day subplot felt a little tacked-on, though it certainly has some twists of its own.
This is an interesting book and I recommend it to all who like Dugoni's books, Seattle/West Coast settings, or mysteries generally. -
When I read the author's first book in the series featuring detective Tracy Crosswhite - My Sister's Grave - I absolutely loved it and vowed to read the second (Her Final Breath). Alas, that one somehow got lost in my ever-growing list of to-read books, which I'm still hoping to rectify as soon as possible; so when I was offered the opportunity to read this one, the third in the series, I jumped on it (thank you to the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review).
Tracy, whose beloved sister was murdered when they were young, is now a detective and intent on solving cases involving other murder victims. Here, she is called in when a man, married to the daughter of a high-powered attorney, has been murdered. Apparently, he was killed by his soon-to-be-divorced wife as an act of self-defense as their son looked on.
Concurrently, Tracy and her BF Dan attend the funeral of Buzz Almond, father of Tracy's former police academy classmate Jenny, who is now the sheriff in the rather remote Washington county where her late father once held the same position. Some 40 years ago, Buzz investigated the death of a Native American girl who, it was ruled at the time, committed suicide. Never satisfied with that ruling and believing the death to be murder, Buzz kept the file open; now, because it was so important to her late father, Jenny asks Tracy to look into it. Partly because of her friendship with Jenny and partly because of her experiences with her own sister, Tracy agrees - even though she must conduct the investigation on her own time.
It is the cold case, in fact, that consumes the lion's share of this book. Here and there, a chapter (or part of a chapter) reverts to 1976, where we learn what was really going on, but most of the story centers on Tracy's efforts to ferret out the truth. There's plenty of forensics involved - for the most part using newer technology that could never have been unearthed that long ago - that keeps things interesting and informative. Close to the end come a couple of twists in both cases that surprised me - always a hallmark of a good murder mystery.
So why 4 stars on this one instead of 5? Mostly, I think, because I'd like to have seen the domestic violence murder case fleshed out a little more - it almost seems as if that storyline was thrown in just so Tracy's police cohorts would have a chance to get their names in print. Oh, and there's one other thing I'll niggle about, although I pinky-swear it had no bearing whatsoever on my rating: The phrase "panties in a bunch" is trite but mildly amusing the first time around. But by the third time I came across it, my own had started to creep up into places they don't belong. -
Detective Tracy Crosswhite is asked by Jenny, a former police academy classmate, to investigate a cold case that her father worked on forty years before. A young Native American high school girl was found in a river and it was ruled a suicide, but Jenny's father Buzz never believed it to be so. Tracy agrees to take on the case and it seems that Buzz was on to something and that there are people who want the truth to stay buried...
In the Clearing is the third and latest book in the Tracy Crosswhite series and I have eagerly waited to get to the book. The case in this book reminds me a bit of the case in the first book when Tracy investigated her dead sister's murder after her body had been found after 20 years. Jenny herself was a bit hesitant when it came to asking Tracy about the case because of the similarities; a young girl cut down early in life, but Tracy wanted and felt that she could take on the case.
The book was good, I do have a weakness for cold cases and cover up stories, and little towns with dark secrets. The book actually has two cases, one that Tracy wasn't that much involved with, but that her colleagues worked with and it didn't take up so much of the books pages. A woman is said to have shot her soon to be ex-husband, but then the woman's son confess to shooting his father. To be honest, I didn't find that case especially interesting to read about and part of me wished that the book had only focused on the cold case, but I guess her partner Kins had to do something while Tracy was investigating the cold case. Although the answer to the cold case made Tracy realize something about the shooting drama. So, in a way, the cold case helped point out the answer to the present case, even though Kins solved it himself.
I do think this book was a bit better than the previous book. However, I still think the first book is the best of them all. There is just something very tragic with the first book, with Tracy searching for the truth about her sister's murder. Still, this book was well written and engrossing to read.
Can one read the book without having read the previous books? Yes, every book can be read separately. Sure, it could be wise to read the books in order to get a better understating of Tracy's and the rest of the character's history, but the cases don't demand previous knowledge.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! -
Two cases separated by forty years. An apparent incident of self-defense that leaves a man dead. A teenage girl’s death long dismissed as suicide four decades ago. A favor to a friend to look into the forty year old crime. Can Tracy solve both? Or will two murderers go free?
Detective Tracy Crosswhite is called to the home of Angela Collins, who confesses to the responding officer that, in full view of her sixteen year old son Connor, she shot and killed her estranged husband, Tim. When officially on the record, Angela continues claiming that she only killed him after he was physically abusive to herself and Connor. But the crime scene isn’t quite so open and shut and Tracy has doubts about what really occurred that night. These doubts grow when Connor comes to speak to the detective days later and admits that he, not his mother, killed Tim. This theory, however, also doesn’t fit the story the evidence tells and Tracy and her team in the Violent Crimes Section at the Seattle Police Department, must delve even further to discover what really transpired.
Separately, Tracy is approached by friend and former Police Academy student Jenny Almond following the funeral of her father, retired Sheriff Theodore Michael ‘Buzz’ Almond. After her father passes away, Jenny finds a file in his desk about the disappearance and ensuing death of a young Native American teenager named Kimi Kanasket. As a rookie in the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Department forty years ago, Buzz had been the responding officer when Earl Kanasket reported his daughter missing. Promising her father that he would find Kimi, Buzz becomes devoted to discovering the truth. But when he discovers information that results in doubt that she committed suicide, his superiors override his objections and close the case. It is clear from the file that Buzz kept locked in his desk that he had retained doubts about the teenager’s death for four decades. Tracy agrees to look into the case for Jenny, but the more she learns about the 1976 death, the less she believes that the presumption had been correct. Will she be able to conclude the case in a satisfactory manner? One that will appease Kimi’s family?
In this third installment of the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni, we are presented with two apparently unconnected investigations which should have proved difficult to follow. But in traditional Dugoni style, both are breathtaking, well-constructed, and complex without being overly complicated. Although less pulse-pounding than the previous two books, it is no less thrilling and happily provides two cases that are investigated without the tense political turmoil that was present in both My Sister’s Grave and Her Final Breath. I specifically enjoyed how the cold case in the small, rural town of Stoneridge was full of incestuous connections (as many small towns are) which provides excellent fodder for the plot. Ultimately, however, it is a somewhat heartbreaking exploration of guilt and the impact of trauma in the form of a suspenseful police procedural. With well-defined characters that continue to grow in depth (particularly Tracy who is unusual in crime fiction as a strong yet still emotional woman), it is an admirable addition to the series. I do have to add, however, that In the Clearing was not my favorite Dugoni book and I missed Dan and the legal element that he always adds to the plot. Still, I was shocked by the twists (which I did not foresee) and cannot wait to read the next book, The Trapped Girl. Rating of 4 stars. -
I am not sure why I waited so long to read this book after reading
Her Final Breath. With each installment the series grows stronger. There are two different cases ongoing in this latest offering. The first follows Tracy as she investigates a cold case using her accumulated vacation days to investigate unofficially. Use it or lose it. The second case allows the members of her squad to take the spotlight and show that they have skills too.
Jenny Almond, a friend and former classmate from the academy, asks Tracy for help. Her father, Buzz Almond, recently died and left a file of a 40 year old cold case from when he was the investigating deputy. Kimi Kanasket was a high school senior and working at a diner in 1976. She was smart, on the track team, and headed for college. She always called her parents before she left work. Then one night she never made it home. Her body was later found in the Salmon River and her death was ruled a suicide. Buzz, then a deputy sheriff, received the initial call and started retracing Kimi’s route home but was soon told by the detective in charge, Jerry Ostertag, to leave the investigation alone. There have been many technological advances since 1976 and Buzz’s file is an invaluable asset in looking back to what happened that night in 1976. There are those who do not want to see a 40 year old case that was ruled a suicide reopened. A small town with secrets they do not want unlocked. For Tracy this case hits close to home and reminds her of her sister who she lost to murder.
The second case involves what appears to be a domestic dispute. A husband shot in the back when he goes to his estranged wife's house to pick up his son. Both the ex-wife and son confess but only one could have done it. Adding to the confusion is the brother and co-workers of the murder victim claim he was not a violent man and would never harm his ex-wife or son. Talk about reasonable doubt. While Tracy is working on the Kimi Kanasket case her teammates take the lead on this case. Tracy is the title character in the series but she does not work alone.
Another positive in this story was how experts played a part in the investigation. Crime scene analyst Kaylee Wright and forensic anthropologist Kelly Rosa help provide Tracy with information that put her on the trail of Kimi's killers. Including the experts and the part they play in an investigation adds to the reality of the story.
I am looking forward to reading
The Trapped Girl. Hopefully it will not be long before I get to this.
“So many books, so little time.”
― Frank Zappa -
Seattle based Detective Tracy Crosswhite is strong, passionate, and determined to discover the truth in her search for justice. Here, she works on two cases, a 40 year old cold case and one in the present day. In the present, a murdered man, has the wife and son confess to the killing. However, the forensics do not tally. The cold case relates to the suicide of a young Native American girl, the sheriff was less than happy with the suicide ruling and continued to work the case until his death. His daughter, Jenny, asks Tracy to look into the case. The dual investigations are fascinating and kept me totally engrossed in the book. I particularly liked the detailed forensics aspects. Secrets and betrayal emerge. The twists and turns are breathtaking in a story that is beautifully plotted by the author. Great read! Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for an ARC via netgalley.
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This is the third book in the Tracy Crosswhite series which is definitely a must read for all police procedural mystery lovers
Tracy's sister Sarah disappeared when she was a teen which haunted and shaped Tracy’s future. So when her friend Jenny asks her to investigate a 40 year cold case mysterious suicide of a teenager Tracy jumps right in. Meanwhile back in Seattle her team is investigating a domestic shooting where the mom and son have both confessed to killing the victim.
Robert Dugouni wrote a detailed police procedural book and I definitely enjoyed reading it. The cold case was more interesting than the present one and would rate overall 4 stars.
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at
https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/ -
5 stars - Mystery/Crime/Police Procedural/Suspense/Thriller
I’ve been completely engrossed listening to the Tracy Crosswhite series on audiobook over the past few days. In the Clearing is another emotional, complex, and compelling mystery. Robert Dugoni has created an admirable character in Detective Tracy Crosswhite. She’s tough, intelligent, tenacious, and capable with a deep sense of vulnerability, empathy, and compassion that drives her to seek justice and right wrongs.
Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a penchant and gift for solving cold cases. In the first book,
My Sister's Grave, she uncovers the truth behind own sister’s past disappearance and murder. The second book,
Her Final Breath, focuses on a serial killer with possible ties to a decade-old case.
This time, Detective Crosswhite is asked by a friend to investigate the suspicious death ruled a suicide of a young Native American girl in a small-town from forty years earlier. There’s a deep sense of foreboding as Tracy uncovers evidence and secrets, and when the truth is finally revealed, it’s tragic and heartbreaking. -
I’m working my way through this series much faster than I normally would, because I’m overdue with a review of book 7 and can’t bring myself to read them out of order, but trust me it’s been no hardship as they have all been brilliant and this is joining the ranks of my favourite series. As with the others, you could read this as a stand-alone, but will appreciate Tracy’s character much more if you’ve read the two previous books.
Tracy is asked by her friend from the Police Academy Jenny, who is now sheriff of the small town of Stoneridge, to look into a cold case from forty years ago, that Jenny’s father, Buzz Almond, who has just died, kept a secret file on. A seventeen year old Native American girl was found dead in a river, supposedly a suicide, but the evidence says otherwise. Buzz was a young sheriff’s deputy at the time and was unable to take the case further. Tracy has the benefit of modern forensics and skilled experts like her friends Kelly Rosa and Kaylee Wright, who help her unearth the terrible truth.
Meanwhile Tracy’s team in Seattle are investigating the death of a wealthy engineer shot dead in his estranged wife’s home, with both the wife and teenage son claiming to have done it in self-defence, but once again the evidence tells a different story. The two cases are unrelated but Tracy uses insights from one to help solve the other.
The story is mostly told in two timelines, the recent third person past, and Buzz’s third person point of view from 1976. As in the previous books, these have a wonderful sense of place, but the scene descriptions never get in the way of the plot. Similarly, Tracy is an awesome heroine - someone you’d totally want as your friend or to solve your murder - although I wouldn’t want to be her poor cat. No wonder he’s needy when she leaves him alone all the time. As for poor patient Dan, her loyal boyfriend, what a saint!
The mystery here was cleverly done, as you think you know early on what happened, only to be thrown for a loop when the truth is revealed. The scene from the past where what happened is finally described is heart-breaking, as you desperately hope for a different outcome, knowing there won’t be one.
This also has one of the most emotional epilogues I’ve ever read in a crime novel. 4.5 rounded up, partly because I rounded down last time, and also because Dugoni comes across as such a lovely man in his afterword.
