A Cold Trail is the seventh book in the wonderful Tracy Crosswhite series about a Seattle Homicide detective whose life and career have been shaped by the murder of her younger sister. While in general the mysteries stand alone, if you have not read the first, My Sister’s Grave, I strongly recommend starting there even if you’re not going to get through them all, as not only does this plot refer frequently to the events and characters introduced there, but this one also has major spoilers if you later decided to go back to it.

As it happens, I had bought most of the series when it was on special last year, but not got round to starting them, until the impending publication deadline of this ARC. Having loved MSG, I was then torn between wanting to continue them in order, and my guilt over the review being late, so emailed the author who was lovely enough to write back personally and tell me to read them in order and not worry about the deadline - and how nice it was to hear that someone in New Zealand was enjoying his books! Well that was over two months ago and I’ve finally caught up - but am definitely glad I followed his advice as it’s a brilliant series and I adore the characters he’s created.

Tracy and Dan have brought their two-month old baby Daniella to their home town of Cedar Grove, Washington, while their house is being renovated. Tracy is still struggling with the decision about whether or not to go back to work after her maternity leave ends. When she learns that retired Chief of Police Roy Calloway has stepped back into the role, following the suspicious death in a fire of his successor’s wife Kimberley, a journalist, Tracy can’t resist his request for help. Kimberley was investigating the murder of a young woman killed only a few months before Tracy’s sister’s murder, on the same stretch of road, which had been attributed to the same man, but what if someone else was responsible? Meanwhile lawyer Dan is suing the town in behalf of a small business owner tricked into selling his property at a loss as part of a redevelopment project.

Some authors are so clever. Dugoni has seeded various innocuous characters and events throughout the previous six books, that all now fit effortlessly into this plot - like ballsy Leah Battles who’s now running Dan’s practice in Seattle and avuncular Faz who, still recovering from his injuries from the last book, is free to come help Tracy out when things start to get dangerous. Even Cedar Grove’s geography and history are all worked masterfully into the story. We see old events in a new light and get a completely different insight into some of the recurring characters from Book One. There are also some good new characters like Therese the hilarious Irish nanny.

The other aspect that Dugoni always does brilliantly is work the weather into the narrative - in this case the snowstorms that threaten and trap our characters and shape every decision they make. Winter has just arrived here, after an unexpectedly lovely Lockdown Indian summer, and I felt decidedly wussy huddling under a fleece blanket at 10C when he’s showing us what cold can really be like.

As ever, the mystery part was intriguing but not the most important part of the book: I was sure I’d figured out who the guilty party was, only to be wrong-footed once again. I particularly liked the flashback scenes revealing what really happened to the various victims, but that don’t go into excessive gory details or descriptions of suffering. I struggled a bit with the legal subplot which was important but somewhat confusing, I suspect it would make more sense if you’re from the US.

The relationship between Tracy and Dan is an important backbone to this series, and feels very realistic as it has evolved (well OK, Dan is almost too adorable to be true - my new favourite book-husband) but it never gets in the way of the story. Tracy’s insecurities as a new mother make her ever more human as she grapples with the same issues they all face - guilt, tiredness, body image, anxiety about the future, but she’s still as tough as they come.

While this ends in a perfect place, I hope it’s not the last in the series, as I’d hate to say goodbye to these characters. The down side is of course that it could be at least a year before we get to meet them again - being able to read one instalment every couple of weeks has been a rare treat!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review and apologies once again to Robert Dugoni that it’s so late, but I’m glad I followed your advice!

I always forget how much I enjoy Tracy Crosswhite until I pick up the next book and can't bear to put it down. This one was especially interesting because Tracy has become a mother and I was very curious to see how this was going to impact her work. I think the author did a very good job of exploring that through Tracy's inner dialogue as she investigates the case and in her interactions with Dan. This story also has some very intricate plotting, complicated by the fact that it takes place in Cedar Grove, where Tracy grew up and where her sister was also murdered. I think the setting of the story also gave some insight into how Tracy became the person she is as the reader gets to see her through the eyes of the townspeople, many of whom remember her from her childhood.

I particularly enjoy a series where you get to see the character develop, change and mature with time and the situations that they find themselves in. This is one of those series. I really enjoyed this installment and look forward to many more books in this series.

EXCERPT: '... have you really not yet figured out why I invited you to this party? You thought Tracy was getting too close to those answers, that she had pieced all this together, that she had concluded you were the killer. So you stalked her. . . That's something that will be easy enough for (them) to believe, and you waited until she was alone. You came here to kill her, but you forgot one thing. You forgot that Tracy was always fast with a gun and she, too, managed to get off a shot. It wasn't fast enough to save her, but it was fast enough to kill you. Everyone will believe that, won't they, Tracy? They'll be talking about how fast you and your sister always were with a pistol, at your funeral.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars. Now she’s returned for a respite and the chance to put her life back in order for herself, her attorney husband, Dan, and their new daughter. But tragic memories soon prove impossible to escape.

Dan is drawn into representing a local merchant whose business is jeopardized by the town’s revitalization. And Tracy is urged by the local PD to put her own skills to work on a new case: the brutal murder of a police officer’s wife and local reporter who was investigating a cold-case slaying of a young woman. As Tracy’s and Dan’s cases crisscross, Tracy’s trail becomes dangerous. It’s stirring up her own haunted past and a decades-old conspiracy in Cedar Grove that has erupted in murder. Getting to the truth is all that matters. But what’s Tracy willing to risk as a killer gets closer to her and threatens everyone she loves?

MY THOUGHTS: I love this series. It's believable and interesting. Cedar Grove faces all the same problems as many small towns: falling population that migrates to bigger centres for educational and work opportunities; small businesses failing. But the town of Cedar Grove is undergoing an unexplained rejuvenation. An old family business resisting being bought out and facing pressure from the building regulators is what has brought Dan, and by extension Tracy and baby daughter Daniella, back to Cedar Grove while their main home is being remodelled.

Even though Tracy is still on maternity leave, she can't resist the lure of a mystery and Cedar Grove certainly has a mystery. In fact, more than one.

I love the way Tracy's facing a dilemma now that she is a mother. She is torn between solving two murders, decades apart, and maintaining her own and her family's safety.

Robert Dugoni is great at characterisation. This is his description of one of the characters, a childhood friend of Tracy's: 'Sunnie hadn't changed much since they'd been kids, at least not her personality. Sunnie could talk to a dead body for an hour before she'd notice the person wasn't breathing, and likely finish her story even after she had.'

The plot of A Cold Trail is well thought out, as are all Dugoni's plots. Although this is #7 in a series, it is able to be read as a stand-alone. The back story is cleverly woven into this storyline. But I am certain that if you do read A Cold Trail as a stand-alone, you will want to read the back titles. And me? I am eagerly awaiting Tracy Crosswhite #8.

❤❤❤❤

#AColdTrail #NetGalley

'He's so crooked he couldn't put on a straight pair of jeans.'

THE AUTHOR: Robert Dugoni is the New York Times, #1 Amazon, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of the Tracy Crosswhite series: My Sister's Grave, Her Last Breath, In the Clearing, The Trapped Girl and Close to Home, A Steep Price and A Cold Trail as well as the short prequels The Academy and Third Watch. The police procedural featuring Seattle Homicide Detective Tracy Crosswhite has kept Dugoni in the Amazon top 10 for more than three years and sold more than 5 million copies. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, released April 2018 and soon to be a major motion picture. He is also the author of the Charles Jenkin's International spy series, The Eighth Sister and The Last Agent, soon to be a television series. Dugoni's first series featured attorney David Sloane and CIA agent Charles Jenkins.
He is the winner of the Nancy Pearl Award for fiction, a two-time nominee for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction, A two-time nominee for the Mystery Writer's of America Edgar Award and a two-time nominee for the International Thriller of the year. His non-fiction expose, The Cyanide Canary, was a 2004 Best Book of the Year. He is published in more than 30 countries and two dozen languages.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

I have not read any other Tracy Crosswhite books, so I may have been at a disadvantage when reading this one. It worked as a standalone. Tracy and her husband are believable characters and the mystery was intriguing. I enjoyed the pull Tracy felt between returning to detective work and balancing that with motherhood.

So while this is book 7 in a series with Tracy Crosswhite as the main character, I have not read any of the prior novels in the series. Tracy and her husband make a temporary move back to Tracy’s hometown of Cedar Grove, a place with many painful memories. This time she brings her husband and her brand new 2 month old daughter. Unsure if she wants to return to her job as a detective, Tracy trues to enjoy domestic life. When the old police chief approaches Tracy asking for assistance with a string of homicides that he believes might be related, Tracy’s interest is peaked. It all began with the 26 year old homicide of a young woman who Tracy went to school with. With new revelations about the case, Tracy agrees to give her expertise on these cold cases. Tracy’s husband Dan, working as an attorney, catches a case defending a local business owner who is being forced out of his business so the city can buy up the property. While the homicides are decidedly cold, Tracy soon discovers that their killer doesn’t take kindly to the fresh interest in the case. Story is thorough and well written. A slow burning mystery that introduces multiple suspects and is able to pull off a surprise at the end. An exciting head scratching mystery. Review posted to Netgalley, LibraryThing, and Amazon.

A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni is the seventh mystery in the Tracy Crosswhite series but it works well as a stand-alone. However, I now realize that I would enjoy reading the previous books as well. Seattle police detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to her hometown of Cedar Grove with her husband Dan and their infant daughter, while their home is being renovated. Dan is a lawyer and is soon working on a case for a local merchant. Tracy is asked by the police chief to assist in the investigation of the death of a journalist who died under suspicious circumstances. It soon becomes evident that Dan and Tracy’s cases may be related and someone in town is feeling threatened by the truths they are uncovering and will do anything to stop them. The pair will need to go several decades back in time, in their search for the truth. The story moves at a fast pace with plenty of suspense to keep the reader guessing. Highly recommended. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.
WOW! #7 in a Great series that is very well written. The story line holds your attention and keeps you hook to the last word.
Great Mystery!!!!

Always excited to get another adventure with Tracy Crosswhite, and honestly this is one of my favorite books so far in the series. So many plot twists and lots of history pulled from previous books, this is a book you will want to add to your reading list.

Detective Tracey Crosswhite, on maternity leave from the Seattle police department and while her home is undergoing renovation, heads home to the small town where she grew up. Once there, the Chief of Police and old family friend draws Tracey into a murder mystery that just might solve a decades old murder as well.

Full of suspense and drama, this novel was a quick, easy read. Even though it’s the seventh book in a series, I never felt lost or like I was missing information. In fact, I’m now going to have to go back to book one and start the series from the beginning. I enjoyed the writing style and layers of deception the author wove for the crimes.

Love the Tracy Crosswhite series and this one didn’t disappoint! The suspense in this crime fiction novel is superb. The characters and how their cases intertwine forces you to keep turning the pages. Truly, this is unputdownable!

Tracy Crosswhite and her husband Dan and their new daughter have gone back to their hometown Cedar Grove. The place where her sister was brutally murdered. Now with a baby and being a mother, Tracy is reconsidering if she will go back to the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes Section. She loves being a mother and the protectiveness that she feels also leads her to make things right.

Making things right is always costly so when Chief Calloway of Cedar Grove appeals to Tracy's sense of justice on several past crimes and if they were connected, Tracy is compelled to find the truth. A past crime of murder to present death are they connected. With small town gossip and politics, finding the truth can be deadly.

I really enjoy the people in Tracy's life. They keep her balanced and also get her. It was nice to see her husband Dan in more of this case so their relationship added something more to the plot than in the past.

A Special Thank you to Thomas Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Would you return home where only tragic memories exist. Homicide Detective Tracey is on leave after the birth of her daughter and she has returned to her home town with her husband while their house is being remodeled. Her lawyer husband Dan, is representing a local merchant who is fighting the town's take over of all businesses. What secrets will come to life as Tracey and Dan's paths cross as they investigate their cases .

Up to the same standard as the Crosswhite books, this one keeps you on your toes like all others.
Twists and turns take you everywhere and the ending really is unexpected, over a set of cold cases that span 20 years.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

As usual, I love all the Tracy Crosswhite books! They keep you guessing to the end!! This book was amazing with all the twists and new turns along with all the familiar characters you have grown to love in this series!

I have read all the books in this series and this one is as good as the other books. Tracy Crosswhite is back in Cedar Grove with her husband and baby girl while their house is being remodeled. Dan is working with a family trying to hold on to their business on Market Street. Most of the businesses have been sold but this man wants to keep his business. Tracy has been asked to help solve some murders in the Cedar Grove area to put some new eyes on the information they have. One of the murders was 26 years ago and one about 6 years ago. The last one was just recently. The case seems to be going nowhere for awhile but then it all seems to come together. The killer may surprise you in the end.

Amazing latest edition! The most compelling one to date!!!!!
I always get excited when I see there is another installment in this series.


Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dugoni’s “A Cold Trail” is the seventh volume in his acclaimed Tracy Crosswhite series. For those familiar with the series and the characters, it’s probably like visiting old friends to open up this volume. For those of us who are just now dipping our toes in these waters, there’s a bit of a learning curve. Nevertheless, don’t be discouraged. There’s a terrific payoff in the end.

Tracy is a Seattle homicide detective. Her husband Dan is an attorney. This story takes them back to their humble small-town roots in Cedar Grove up in the northern Cascades. Their daughter Daniella is just two months old but Tracy’s not stuck in maternal bliss. She’s got murder on her mind. Specifically, several seemingly unrelated murders that haunted this small town just the same way the murder of Tracy’s little sister had done so long ago. Of course, it’s a small town so everyone knows each other’s business and few, if any, want her opening up old wounds going back 26 years.

Since the crime investigations are interspersed with domestic scenes and Dan’s legal shenanigans, it has a real different feel to it than an urban police procedural. The suspects too are very personal as Tracy’s known them all since forever. Hard to stay separate from things that touch so close to home.

Although the start is slow, Dugoni has this one all paced out so the tension builds and as we get deeper into the book, it’s thriller-time as the truth comes out and it builds to. Climax. Indeed, some of the truth comes out in a Perry Mason style court hearing.

Overall, this ended up becoming a very satisfying read.

I feel like a broken record when I talk about the Tracy Crosswhite series, because I only have good things to say. And this addition to the series is no different. Once again, Dugoni delivers a winner for our favorite Seattle detective.

Tracy and Dan are in their hometowns, where Dan is working on a lawsuit involving businesses in the downtown area. Meanwhile, Tracy is asked to look at a cold case that may have heated up: a local journalist was working on a book about the case when she was murdered. Turns out, the two cases are not so far apart, the pair find out as they dig deeper.

I love how Dugoni can take straightforward, even dry-sounding, storylines and make them complex, fascinating books. A civil case about a downtown area that is being upgraded? Turns out, it’s a page-turner! And the journey to how it connects with Tracy’s case is amazingly well put together.

The relationship between Dan and Tracy also grows with this new chapter in the series, as we get to see them as parents for the first time. It’s really sweet to see how they progress and grow as people outside of their jobs and even their relationship between each other, as there’s a new addition to worry about.

Plus, their nanny, Terese, is pretty awesome. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

Overall, I don’t know what else to tell you. If you’re not reading the Tracy Crosswhite series, you’re missing out. If you are reading it, and you’re worried that the series may be waning, no worries there.

The prologue to Robert Dugoni’s murder mystery that is just out this week, A Cold Trail, begins in Cedar Grove, Washington in 1993. “Heather Johansen wiped her tears and the driving rain that blurred her vision and ran down her face.” By the end of the prologue, she is dead from a blow to the head. (It also has an epilogue, and I am fond of both.)
The first chapter picks up in the present day with homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite returning home to Cedar Grove on maternity leave from the Seattle Police Department’s Violent Crimes Section. Naturally, a new case occurs while she is home, and the local police department asks for her help. That case leads back to her past and memories of her friend Heather’s death and her sister Sarah’s disappearance. Likely suspects abound and danger looms for Tracy as she comes closer to finding the solution to the current murder and perhaps to her friend Heather’s long ago murder.
In the meantime, her lawyer husband represents Larry Kaufman, a merchant from a historical family business, who is declining to sell out to the city’s revitalization project. Soon the couple’s work begins to intertwine. Is there a connection between the conspiracy of the downtown project and the murders?
This book is one of a series, but the first that I had read. Robert Dugoni cleverly folds in information needed from previous books in a way that has lead me to add the earlier books to my ever-growing list of books I’d like to read.
This book will not edify or inspire you in any way, but if you happen to be looking for a good read under a warm afghan on a cold rainy day, it would be a perfect fit.

A Cold Trail is the 7th book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. Even though you can get by with reading this book as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the previous books first.

This book was well written with well developed characters. The mystery keeps you guessing. I felt this was more courtroom drama than police procedural. There was legal jargon that went over my head which slowed the pace for me. However the ending was climatic.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and Robert Dugoni for an ARC of "A Cold Trail" in exchange for an honest review.