Deep into the Dark
A Mystery
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3.8 • 6 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“Tracy seems to have found her literary sweet spot.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
New York Times bestseller P. J. Tracy returns with Deep into the Dark, a brand new series set in LA and featuring up-and-coming LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and murder suspect Sam Easton.
Sam Easton—a true survivor—is home from Afghanistan, trying to rebuild a life in his hometown of LA. Separated from his wife, bartending and therapy sessions are what occupy his days and nights. When friend and colleague Melody Traeger is beaten by her boyfriend, she turns to Sam for help. When the boyfriend turns up dead the next day, a hard case like Sam is the perfect suspect.
But LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan, whose brother recently died serving overseas, is sympathetic to Sam's troubles, and can't quite see him as a killer. She's more interested in the secrets Melody might be keeping and the developments in another murder case on the other side of town.
Set in an LA where real people live and work--not the superficial LA of Beverly Hills or the gritty underbelly of the city--Deep into the Dark features two really engaging, dynamic main characters and explores the nature of obsession, revenge, and grief.
P. J. Tracy is known for her "fast, fresh, and funny" characters (Harlan Coben) and her "sizzling" plots (People); the Monkeewrench series was her first, set in Minneapolis and co-written with her mother. Now with Deep into the Dark she's on her own—and it's a home run.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This riveting series launch from bestseller Tracy (the Monkeewrench series) introduces LAPD Det. Maggie Nolan, as well as Sam Easton, an Army veteran who has recently returned from Aghanistan with PTSD. Sam bartends at Pearl Club, a haunt of Hollywood bigwigs, where fellow bartender Melody Traeger asks for his help after she's beaten up by her boyfriend, music promoter Ryan Gallagher. A day later, Gallagher is murdered, and Sam becomes a suspect. Maggie investigates, interviewing both Sam and Melody. When Sam's estranged wife, Yukiko, is also murdered, Sam again becomes a suspect. Maggie, whose brother was killed in Afghanistan, is reluctant to believe Sam is guilty of either crime. Meanwhile, Melody reports being targeted by a stalker. When evidence emerges that implicates Sam in Yukiko's murder, Melody helps him avoid arrest, and together they try to discover the stalker's identity. The suspense rises as the plot takes some unexpected twists and turns. Readers will want to see more of Maggie, a complicated woman determined to succeed in a profession dominated by men, and the troubled Sam, who does his best to do the right thing.
Customer Reviews
Meh
1.5 stars
Author
American. Nom de plume of mother and daughter team (P.J. Lambrecht and Traci Lambrecht) from Minnesota. Mom died in late 2016, and Traci carried on writing under the same name. Best known for the "Monkeewrench" series involving game developer/sleuths, which have won multiple US awards in the crime genre. This is a standalone at present, but putative start of a series based around an LA detective Margaret Nolan.
In brief
After the BF of Melody, a female college student/bartender, beats her up, she confides in a co-worker, Sam, an Afghanistan war vet with PTSD. Next thing you know, BF is dead. Detective Margaret thinks Sam has been set up as the perp by the real killer, but how to prove it? Let Melody and Sam do most of the work, that's how.
Writing
Standard genre writing. Plot slow to develop and not worth waiting for. Characters cliched. The killer was obvious from early on.
Bottom line
Apparently, the Monkeewrench series is better.
Footnote
"Monkeewrench" made me think of a sixties band cover version of a Foo Fighters song, which is impossible because it would necessitate time travel. I wonder whether Dave and the boys do Monkees covers? I hope not.