Cover Image: A Steep Price

A Steep Price

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Member Reviews

Another enjoyable book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. There are two storylines in this novel, one about a drug dealer that killed a local activist and the other is a missing woman that is planning to go to medical school.
I do recommend reading the other books in the series in order to really understand the relationships of the characters, but it's not totally necessary in order to enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A Steep Price, though #6 in this series, can be read as a standalone, but this is such an excellent series, I recommend you read them all. Once again, there are two stories being told as anyone knows that there is always more than one crime happening at a time. Detectives Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio of the Seattle Police Department A Team are called to a shooting. It is daytime and a mother of two, Monique Rogers is gunned down in broad daylight in a city park. She is an African American community activist, who is trying to clean up the drug trade in her neighbourhood of South Park. Was this a retaliatory shooting or was Mrs. Rogers just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Not a soul will offer any information whatsoever. Faz, is sure that Little Jimmy, has something to do with this killing as he runs the drugs for the Sureno Cartel. Meanwhile, Detective Tracy Crosswhite is tied up in court as a witness while trying to keep her pregnancy a secret. Even though she has not revealed her pregnancy, a young female detective, Andrea Gonzalez, shows up as a new member of the A Team. Gonzalez already crosses swords with Tracy by asking her about her secret pregnancy. Has Captain Nolasco set plans into motion for a replacement for Tracy? When their only suspect is killed by Gonzalez, it looks like Faz is the fall guy for this shooting of an unarmed man. As Tracy is trying to reconcile why Gonzalez is there, she receives a call about a missing woman, Kavita Mukherjee. According to her best friend, Aditi, both women had their eyes set on medical school and roomed together. When Vita finds out Aditi is now married, she is angry and disappears. Is she just hiding to wrap her mind around the changes this will bring to her life, or has something bad happened to her?

I liked that this story has Del and Faz front and center. Not only is Faz dealing with the issues plaguing his career, but his wife Vera has been diagnosed with cancer and he is also dealing with that. Del is off with a bad back, but when he comes back, he knows it is up to him to find out what really happened and clear Faz's name. This one is layered with crimes, brutality, gangs and drugs in one plotline, as well as arranged marriages, the place of women and how families believe that woman are property in some cultures. The issues of breast cancer are also dealt with to a degree. So much going on, yet is all fits and Dugoni has once again penned suspenseful story with a lot of realism and family issues. Once again, be sure to read the acknowledgments at the end of the story to find out more about the topics chosen for this book. I am still very happy with this series and will continue to read it as long as Robert Dugoni continues to write the Tracy Crosswhite series.

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Another fabulous Tracy Crosswhite Mystery that will keep you guessing; these characters are memorable and the storyline had puzzles to challenge the detection skills in all readers.

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A couple of years ago, Robert Dugoni very decisively moved into my list of favorite authors and this book is a great example why. Detective Tracy Crosswhite is going through challenges of her own, trying to keep her pregnancy undercover for the time being, but she gets herself involved in the disappearance of a young, beautiful Indian woman. Her team partner Fazzio gets in trouble when a valuable witness ends up dead. A great read and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.

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This book is another great addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series - and entertaining in a completely different way.

The storyline is split into two cases: one where Del and Faz are investigating the murder of a community activist, gunned down in broad daylight. It looks like the crime could be connected to a local drug lord, but with no one talking, it’s going to be almost impossible to prove. Tracy, meanwhile, gets a call from a friend in Missing Persons about a young woman who seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth after receiving some devastating news. Tracy has a bad feeling about things, and begins investigating to figure out what is going on.

I would suggest reading the others in the series before jumping into this one, though it could technically be read as a standalone.

I liked both of these storylines. They were very different from each other, but had the classic Tracy Crosswhite elements, like amazing characters and a ton of suspense. Dugoni seems to be the master of crafting tightly woven mysteries mixed with characters you can’t help but love.

However, I did have to deduct a star because I felt like one of the storylines wasn’t resolved all the way. I had to reread things a couple of times because I couldn’t really figure it all out. But that’s very unusual for this series, so I can let it slide (plus I did enjoy everything else about the book).

Overall, this is another great entry in this series, which I hope keeps going for a long, long time.

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A STEEP PRICE is one of the best books I have read in this series. There was just something really engrossing about the mystery of the missing woman. I especially liked that the readers also got the missing woman's POV.

While Tracy is busy with the missing woman case is Vic Fazzio dealing with the murder of a local community activist. The investigations take a deadly turn and it could mean the end of Vic's career. Last, but not least is the fact that Tracy is pregnant and trying to hide it. She gets pretty pissed off when a new female cop arrives takes one look at Tracy and sees that she's pregnant. Could this mean that someone higher up knows about Tracy's condition and is planning on replacing her?

A STEEP PRICE is an engrossing new book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. I especially enjoyed the personal stuff in this book. It really made me feel for the characters as they both have to deal with police business as well as personal problems. This book really hit the spot for me and I can't wait to read the next one!

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A Steep Price by Robert Dugoni seems to me really .two separate stories with important themes. the stories take place in 2018 in Seattle Washington. The first one features Del Castigliano and his partner Vic Fazzio. They are a team investigating drug crimes and murder. A new member of their team enters the picture and everyone has difficulty trusting her. Tracy Crosswhite resents her when she finds the new detective sitting at her desk and using her computer. Tracy is involved in a different case when she tries to find a young beautiful woman who has suddenly vanished. The missing woman's family . is initially from India but she has moved away from her family and lives with a friend while they both attend school. their plan is to go to medical school. Her values and plans differ very much from her parents culture and beliefs. I Tracy finds her dead body in a park and must find the people who killed her. The ending is tragic..

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Dugoni has done it again! 4.5 ⭐️’s for this wonderfully-written thriller! I don’t usually like series—especially ones with numerous books—but this one is an exception. The main characters are likable and easy to relate to—especially Tracy Crosswhite.

Tracy is called in to consult when a young woman appears to have disappeared. The woman—Kavita—is reported missing by her ex-roommate and childhood friend—Aditi. Both are young Indian women who have been financially cut-off from their parents for attending college and not conforming to their Indian customs/family wishes. But after a visit to India, Aditi unexpectedly gives in to pressure and marries. Upon returning home to retrieve her belongings, she breaks the news to Kavita that she’s leaving school and moving away with her new husband. Kavita is upset by her friend’s sudden abandonment and they‘re last encounter ends on somewhat unhappy terms.

Then Kavita’s body is discovered in an abandoned well and Tracy is determined to solve the mystery behind the murder. Tracy is also trying to keep her pregnancy a secret, while her work life begins to become tumultuous. She suspects her boss is trying to replace her and this seems to be confirmed when a new detective is added to her team.

At the same time, Vic Fazzio—one of Tracy’s team members—struggles with devastating personal issues, while his investigation of the murder of a local community activist starts to go south.

Now two careers are on the line, as more deadly secrets emerge.

There is a lot going on in the book, but Dugoni does a fantastic job of keeping it all organized so it’s easy to keep up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#AsteepPrice #NetGalley

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Stuck testifying in a trial that was dragging on much too long, Detective Tracy Crosswhite was stunned to find that there had been a crew change on A Team – a young woman had been brought in, one who somehow recognized the pregnancy she hadn’t yet announced, making Tracy feel very uncomfortable. After the trial, Tracy was contacted by a friend in Missing Persons, knowing that Tracy had a gift for working these cases after the disappearance of her sister decades earlier. The young woman, Kavita, had been reported missing by her best friend Aditi, after Aditi returned from a trip to India and announced she had gotten married. The two women had planned to attend medical school, defying their very traditional parents, who felt it was past time they return home and submit to a marriage arranged by the family. Though not formally sanctioned to work the case, Tracy acted as an advisor, using the techniques she had perfected over the years.

Two other A Team members, Del and Faz, were working a homicide case in South Park where a community activist had been shot in the park, with plenty of witnesses, but no one was talking. When Faz got a possible identification on the shooter, he ended up with Angela, the new member, as his partner, and was then dragged into a nasty internal investigation after she shot and killed their only lead.

As always, Robert Dugoni has crafted a story that flows beautifully, one exciting scene into the next, keeping the reader involved and engaged in what’s happening on the page. I read this in one sitting – I simply couldn’t put it down. I’ve been a Tracy Crosswhite fan for years, and am waiting impatiently for the next chapters in her life.

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I can't get enough of this series. This book didn't disappoint. I highly recommend for all. No need to read the earlier books either, it can stand by itself

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A Steep Price is a double mystery from Robert Dugoni in the Tracy Crosswhite serries. What few of the other reviews mention is that Tracy works on not only with Kins Rowe, but also with Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio as a team of four. Because of the case load, the team divides into pairs, with Tracy working with Kins on one case, and Del and Vic handling another case. Dugoni develops all four of the these characters into believable and sympathetic people that I cared about.

Tracy has only shared the news about her pregnancy with Kins, and is concerned when she bumps into another woman, Andrea Gonzales, in the restroom who asks her how far along she is. Not only that, but the woman announces she’s joining their team as the “fifth wheel,” and their current “fifth wheel” has been transferred to another team.

Andrea not only annoys Tracy by moving into her desk when she’s out of the office, but arouses suspicion by accessing active case files that she shouldn’t be able to get into. On Tracy’s computer.

Tracy and Kins work a murder case in the closed community of Indian immigrants and arranged marriages, and Dugoni gives insight into that culture. Del and Vic work a second murder case where the main suspect is a local “wanna be” crime lord whose father was murdered in prison after Del and Vic sent him there.

While the pairs work different cases, Dugoni manages to weave the team together so it doesn’t feel like two separate books. He’s a master writer, and I love his colorful descriptions like “the woman behind the counter . . . looked like she could eat glass shards and shit a stained glass window.”

This book is an excellent read.

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3.5 stars

In this 6th book in the 'Tracy Crosswhite' series, the Seattle homicide detective investigates the disappearance of an Indian woman, while her colleagues look into a murder. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Aditi Dasgupta and Kavita Mukherjee, both from Indian families, grew up in the same Seattle neighborhood and have been friends since childhood. Having recently graduated from the University of Washington, the young women hoped to attend medical school. Thus they continued to share a Seattle apartment, got jobs, and started to save money for tuition. This was anathema to the girls' families, who demanded the girls return home and agree to arranged marriages - as was the custom in their culture. Both girls refused, determined to fulfill their dreams.

The women's plans to be doctors seemed to be on track until Aditi went to India for two months - to attend a relative's wedding - and returned married to a London man chosen by her parents. Kavita was shocked and dismayed, and left the apartment while Aditi packed her things. Later that night, Kavita vanished.

The police were notified, and Katie Pryor, a cop with the missing persons division, got a bad feeling about Kavita's disappearance. Thus Pryor asked her friend and mentor Detective Tracy Crosswhite - from Seattle's Homicide A Unit - to help investigate.

Soon Tracy and her partner, Kinsington Rowe (Kins), are involved with Kavita's case.

The homicide boss, Captain Nolasco, wants Tracy to drop the missing persons inquiry and help with a murder investigation. Tracy's colleagues, Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio (Faz), are looking into the death of Monique Rogers, who was shot in front of her building. Del and Faz suspect that Monique - who spoke out against drugs and guns in her South Park neighborhood - was killed by gangbangers. No witnesses will speak up, though, out of fear of Little Jimmy - the local drug pusher/gang leader.

In defiance of Nolasco, Tracy sticks with Kavita's case. This may spell bad news for Tracy, since she's hiding the fact that she's pregnant, and fears that Nolasco may replace her with a new homicide cop, Andrea Gonzalez, when she goes on maternity leave.

Faz and Del carry on with their murder inquiry, but Faz is distracted by additional concerns. His wife, Vera, recently learned she has breast cancer, and Faz is caught up in an officer-involved shooting that could derail his career. 😏

The suspense in the novel ratchets up as the dual investigations proceed, and the author tackles some interesting issues, including cultural expectations in Indian communities, and girls dating 'sugar daddies' from online sites.

In the course of the story, we see the affection between Faz and his wife, and get a glimpse of Tracy's home life with her husband Dan and their Rhodesian ridgebacks, Rex and Sherlock. I got a laugh at the end of the book, when Faz asked Del if he had known Tracy was pregnant and Del responded, "I suspected, but I wasn't about to ask unless she gave birth in front of me. My luck she could just be putting on a few extra pounds since her marriage." Ha ha ha. 😁

I enjoyed the story but was disappointed with the resolution of one of the cases, which seemed mundane (to me). Still, I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy mysteries, especially fans of Tracy Crosswhite.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Robert Dugoni), and the publisher (Thomas and Mercer) for a copy of the book.

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Robert Dugoni is a master storyteller. And this book, A Steep Price, is no exception.. Tracy and her partner Kins, are called to investigate the death of a college student, and the more they dig into her life the more secrets they find.. Meanwhile the other members of Tracy's major crimes team, Faz and Del, are embroiled in the investigation of the death of a young mother in one of the city's violent neighborhoods, and when it looks like there might be ties to the mafia, their lives are put at risk. This was almost like having two books in one! Both stories were well thought out. They took place at just the right pace, pulling me into the story and keeping me interested until the very end. I really enjoyed the book, but of course I had no doubt I would. Dugoni is always good for an entertaining read!
. This is the 6th book in Tracy Crosswhite series and with each book, I feel I know the characters better and better. I have become invested in their lives and their well being and I look forward to having more time with them in upcoming books.

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I LOVE Tracy Crosswhite and this newest entry into the series was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. This is the review that I posted on my blog.

Moving right along. My beloved Tracy Crosswhite is back for book #6, A Steep Price. Every time Robert Dugoni releases a new book in this series, I feel like I get to see old friends again. Kins, Vic, Faz, Dan, Dan's DOGS!, and of course Tracy herself. I love this series because it feels authentic, manages to remain heartwarming in the face of grim subject matters, and really makes you care about the characters.

This time around, Tracy and Kins are investigating the death of a young Indian woman whose best friend has reported her missing after delivering some life-changing news. Unfortunately, when she is found murdered in a shallow grave in the park, it creates more questions than answers. As they delve deeper into her life, they find a lot of ambition that was hampered by her familys societal expectations, her grim determination to raise money for medical school at any cost despite her parents wishes to return home and accept an arranged marriage, and the seedy underworld of "Sugar Dating", which has enough loopholes to escape being classified as prostitution, despite being dangerous and borderline sex work. Tracy is feeling threatened and on edge due to their newest team member, another female who seems to be snooping in private files and isn't honest about the circumstances of an officer-involved shooting in the case that Vic and Faz are tackling currently. A young activist woman who spoke out against gangs and the drug trade in her underprivileged area gets shot and killed. The guys think it's connected to a local gang leader whose father they put in prison years earlier. The hotter the trail gets, the more in danger they are. Little Jimmy blames them for putting his dad away, and for his subsequent death in prison when a rival gang member stabbed him. Just as things are reaching a boiling point, Tracy and Kins figure out exactly who their killer is and they're hot on the trail. The book, like the others in the series, was a fun, fast-paced read with heart and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend starting this series!

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I didn’t realize this book is part of a series until I had finished it. I enjoyed reading it as a stand-alone book, but now I know I’ll start at the beginning to learn more about Tracy Crosswhite, Robert Dugoni’s lead character in this detective series.
I enjoyed Tracy’s demeanor and drive to wrap up loose ends before they’re allowed to unravel. Her thought process and her maternal instincts often crossed as she becomes more in tune with the need to protect her baby growing within her.
She has to make an effort to hold back, no longer being completely without worry for the consequences of her actions.
I enjoyed the methodical process of Tracy’s thinking. The characters in this book, her colleague Vic, the victim Kavita and her family and Kavita’s best friend are all so realistic and relatable. I found this to be a comfortable, engrossing and pleasant read.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for making it available.)

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I really enjoy this series and the main character, Tracey Crosswhite. It's nice to see the main character actually progress in her life and not just stay static as a character. Great setting and character development. The crime is interesting and keeps your attention.

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Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of A Steep Price. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Tracy Crosswhite and her colleague, Vic Fazzio, are both in precarious positions in regards to their jobs at the Seattle Police Department. Both are taken by surprise by certain turns of events, ones that may affect their professional standing forever. When their separate issues seem to have a common thread, will Vic and Tracy, with the help of their friends, be able to get back on track? When a favor for a fellow officer leads Tracy down an unexpected path, will she be able to help solve the case?

The plot went along at a good pace, although it was predictable at times. The author took a few liberties with the story that were not all that realistic, especially when it came to the health and safety of the police. I did like how Tracy's strength and resolve were not weakened, despite any physical issues that she might have had. The epilogue wrapped everything up for the book and, in my opinion, the series as well. A Steep Price was not as strong of a book as the previous novels in the Tracy Crosswhite series, but it was a quick read and was enjoyable.

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A Steep Price is the 6th book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. This is actually my least favorite in the series so far.

In this book, we have 2 investigations, which divides the members of the A team into 2 teams. Faz and Del are investigating the shooting death of a local activist who was against the drug and gun culture in the community. Tracy and Kins investigate a missing young woman who is estranged from her family due to not wanting an arranged marriage and wanting to become a doctor instead.

This story seemed to be lacking action and suspense for me. I like the stories where you have to catch the killer before he/she strikes again. In this one, Tracy is investigating a missing person. Seems kind of a step down with someone with her capacity. She doesn't even know if the person is missing or was just angry and needed time for herself. Then we have Faz who is dealing with a lot in his life. Yet I did not feel the "family" dynamic between the 4 members of the team.

The 2nd half of the book did pick up pace but overall I was disappointed with this one. However I definitely read the next one (if Tracy decides to go back).

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of Robert Dugoni's "A Steep Price" in exchange of an honest review.

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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
The sixth in the series and it did not disappoint. I have read all of them but this book would work easily as a standalone.
Something happened beginning with book 4 that made these books so much better. I suspect a new editor but whatever
it is, I am grateful. I continue to applaud this author for being able to write women characters accurately. One of the story lines
concerns Indian-American women fighting the bonds of traditional cultural practices. Many things going on in this book but it is not difficult to sort out the various story lines.

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I received a copy from NetGalley for my review. I really like the Tracy Crosswhite series, so I wanted to get my hands on this one as soon as possible! I enjoyed it, but I felt like I was reading two different stories that never connected. I am a fan of the "A" team, so I enjoyed their previous camaraderie as a unit, this I felt like Del and Faz were on one story, Tracey and Kin, a completely different story. I liked both "stories" but I missed them working a singular case together. Do I just not remember that from previous books? Overall it was an entertaining read... Not enough Del and his new love, but I enjoyed the ending and Tracy's baby moment. I would give it 3.5, would have been a 4 if I felt more connection between the two cases.

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