Reviewer: Annie
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life.
A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?
Review:
What a wonderful change of pace! I had almost forgotten that I was a fan of crime novels.
I am a huge fan of Patricia Cornwell and her Kay Scarpetta Detective series. Now, I can add Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite to the list!
In “Her Final Breath”, we are introduced to Detective Tracy Crosswhite and a battery of characters that make up the Seattle Police Department, and its entire forensic and legal team. I have not had the pleasure of reading the first Tracy Crosswhite book, “My Sister’s Grave”, YET! But, it is now on my to-read list.
I am hoping that Robert Dugoni has more to tell about Tracy…I really want to learn what happens with her and Dan. And, of course, have her solving other crimes.
While reading this book, it was playing in my head like a movie (or, CSI-Miami and Law & Order – SVU). It was THAT good!!!
The story begins with Detective Tracy Crosswhite going to the shooting range with Officer Katie Pryor, who is preparing for her Shooting Qualification Test. Tracy holds the best qualifying target in the department, so people want to train with her. When the practice was over, Tracy stayed behind to pick up all of the loose slugs on the ground, so Katie could get back to her family. I had already decided that I liked Tracy Crosswhite at this point. She was a caring person. I felt a connection to her right away.
That day at the range, Tracy is being followed or watched, because she heard noises and upon exiting the Shooting Range she discovers a noose hanging at the front gate.
That same noose was what was being used to kill women in the Seattle area. Or, was it someone else all-together? Was her Stalker and the Murderer the same person? Or, someone mad that an old case was not worked properly?
There was someone murdering female exotic dancers. He was hog-tying his victims like cattle. This was a way of dying that was just awful. The way Robert Dugoni writes about it, you can really imagine the agonizing deaths.
Once they had a third murder victim, the Seattle Police Department knew they had a Serial Killer on their hands.
They dubbed the Serial Killer, “The Cowboy”, because of the hog-tying. Tracy was the given the position of lead detective once they put together a Task Force to solve these crimes. Then, there was no rest until they could find the killer, and stop them. The “Cowboy” would not be so easily caught!
I thought I had the whole story figured out, only to learn that I was completely wrong.
And, sometimes it is great to be wrong!
5 Stars
Anyone who has put themselves out there as looking has literally dozens of recruiters asking for calls, some of them hinting at the fact that they *might* have a role you’d be good for, but providing no details about the role. If you’re unemployed, you have all day to schedule calls. If you’re working, and have a family, and maybe some extracurriculars, the space in which to schedule calls is really tight. You have to try to read between the lines to determine if it’s a pre-submission screen or if it’s simply someone trying to build their contact list.