I’m a newcomer to this author, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I found this book to be an interesting mystery, but I was a little stymied that the main character was supposed to be a police detective but ended up being one of the suspects. Detective Margaret Nolan is new to the LAPD detective force and struggles with making her place on the team. Her character is smart and hard-working, but her character development seems to be just beginning. Perhaps that is because this is labeled the first book in a new series. The most sympathetic and compelling character was Sam Easton, a war veteran suffering from PTSD, a suspect in multiple murders who is determined to clear his name if he can just keep his head clear enough to find who could be killing people and leaving a trail that points to him. There was a lot of action and the pacing was fast. I’m not sure whether to categorize this book as a police procedural or a mystery, but I think it falls more into the latter category since the good detecting work is done by the character who is just trying to clear his name. I enjoyed the backstory of Nolan and the imagery of the nightmares of war that Sam still suffers. The two characters together created a thoroughly entertaining story. I was able to guess the killer’s identity, but reading to the end to find out if I was right made the story compelling and interesting. Fans of mysteries with twists and raw imagery will enjoy this story. I’m will be looking for the next Margaret Nolan book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Deep into the Dark has an interesting premise but I struggled with the delivery. The word choices often took me out of the story and did not seem to fit the characters. I’m all for prose but as a voracious, educated reader I found myself having to look up more than a handful of words.

I do find the series premise of interest. I will give book two in the series a try as I’m curious to see how the series will unfold. Hopefully with book two the author will find her stride.

Between the "prologue," alternating characters, about whom we knew nothing, and a plot that never got started, this was a DNF for me. I moved on to something else.

I'm a huge Monkeewrench fan so I was anxious to read this new book by PJ Tracy. I wasn't disappointed. Similar to the Monkeewrench book it is a complex character driven story. My favorite type of book to immerse myself in. Though not really fast paced it kept my interest throughout. Overall I thought this was a great beginning to a new series, I'm going to enjoy seeing where this goes.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t even think about starting to read Deep into the Dark unless you have a totally free day. You will not be able to put it down! In this dark, complex thriller, best selling author P. J. Tracy begins a new series introducing Los Angeles Detective Maggie Nolan and Sam Easton, a disfigured veteran with PTSD.

Multiple plots and characters collide before a heart stopping and totally unexpected conclusion. Since returning from Afghanistan, Sam has had difficulty keeping a job. Educated as an engineer, he now works the back bar at a yuppie hangout. His coworker and friend is Melody Traeger who has a troubled history of her own. Of course, Sam lets her sleep on his couch after her boyfriend beats her. The next day the boyfriend is dead and Sam is a suspect. He is sure he’s innocent but…he’s been having hallucinations and blackouts. Detective Nolan, still grieving the loss of her brother, is investigating. She also has a more newsworthy case. There’s a serial killer the press has dubbed “The Monster of the Miracle Mile” who has already killed three people. While Sam is trying to prove his innocence, there’s another brutal killing. Is this a victim of The Monster? What has Sam forgotten?

This is the first book I’ve read by P.J. Tracy and it will definitely not be the last. I can’t wait for the next in this sears are all multi-faceted and intriguing. The pace of this thriller is perfect. It begins slowly and picks up speed until the “I can’t turn the pages fast enough” conclusion. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and P.J. Tracy for this ARC.

It has been a long time since I've read a book that has kept me up late at night reading. This was a first time reading this author for me and I will definitely be reading more! Initially, I struggled a little with the different sets of characters, at first, but I quickly got into the character profiles, and it was easier to follow the narrator changes.

Sam Easton did two tours in Afghanistan and lost his entire squad and the skin on half of his face in the process. He returned with a brain injury and severe PTSD, leading to black outs and memory loss. Despite having an engineering degree, Sam is working as a bar back at the Pearl Club in Los Angeles. It is there that he meets Melody Traeger. Melody is working as a bartender to pay her way through college. She hasn't had it easy and is trying to turn her life around. When boyfriend hits her and threatens her, she turns to Sam for help. They start to develop a strong friendship. As Sam's marriage deteriorates, his flashbacks and black outs worsen. We start to wonder if Sam could be responsible for a string of grizzly murders on Miracle Mile.

As skeleton's start to emerge from Sam and Mel's closets and people close to them keep dying, they have to work together to prove their innocence. This book had me all kinds of turned around and guessing. I didn't know who was actually good and who was bad and who was good. I was second guessing all of the characters, which I love in a book. The story was accentuated by a pair of LAPD detectives Nolan and Crawford who are working on solving the murders tied to Sam and Mel, as well as Remy who is working on solving the Miracle Mile murders. I can't wait to read more of P.J. Tracy's books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Deep into the Dark blew me away! I had no expectations from this author as I’d not read anything by her. (That will change.) I was a bit confused as this was billed as a new series featuring Detective Margaret Nolan but the story deals more with Sam and Melody than Detective Nolan. AND IT WORKS! We deal with the twisted mind of the killer, Sam’s PTSD and Melody’s self-esteem issues as well as several murders and then you have Detective Nolan holding her own against her older more set in his ways mentor and partner. The story, a well crafted murder spree takes us on twists and turns and throws a few red herrings at us but comes to a satisfying conclusion. I will be picking up the next installment and will be checking out the authors’ backlist.

Although this novel might be billed as the first in a new series featuring Margaret Nolan, she's a bit player- the star is Sam Easton, a maimed veteran struggling with PTSD. Sam, an engineer by education, is working as a bar back and coping as best he can with the dissolution of his marriage and frightening nightmares and visions. Melody, the bartender, played in a band before she became an addict but she's clawed her way back. When her loathsome boyfriend hits her, she flees to Sam (don't worry- they're friends). Then the murders stasrt- murders of people close to them. And what about the black truck that seems to be stalking the two of them? No spoilers from me as to what happens to who. Sam is one of the best characters I've read in a long time; I would have liked to see Melody (as well as Nolan) better fleshed out. Sam's psychiatrist is wonderful and there are great little details such as the lunch from Whole Foods. As much as I enjoyed this- and it's a page turner- know that I wasn't surprised by part of it and was disappointed by the end, which is unrealistic. Thanks to the publisher for the arc. It's a good one I'd recommend to thriller fans. I'm curious to see where Tracy plans to take this next.

Deep into the Dark by PJ Tracy is a book that comes out next week. It is an interesting novel that follows both Sam Easton and Melody Traeger (friends and coworkers) through several days as they work through the obstacles and situations that were harrowing. The novel is definitely a thriller with some creepy things going on, but as all good reads, the novel builds up slowly to the thrilling climax. The story takes place in LA, which just adds another layer to the novel.

Sam Easton is a veteran who is struggling through bouts of PTSD and nightmares. He does work at a bar - keeping the bartenders supplied. His wife has moved out of their home, over his struggles and he is working with a psychiatrist to find his way forward. Melody has pulled herself up from the bottom. She is clean of drugs, bartending and taking college courses to pull herself forward. Her newest boyfriend however, has decided to hit her around. She turns to Sam for help and safety.

That’s when things get creepy, someone is leaving her roses - in her locked apartment. Her boyfriend is killed. Sam’s nightmares and PTSD are increasing and he is feeling quite overwhelmed and questioning his sanity.

I like how the story amps up the creepy and coincidence facts start to add up. I like how the characters are not perfect, but people fighting battles. The ambience of the novel is part of the strength of the storyline. One of the interesting previews I read was how the series is really going to focus on the LAPD detective Margaret Nolan. While she was one of the police and seemed to be a strong secondary character, I would not have guessed that this was the first novel in a series about her. Deep in the Dark by PJ Tracy was a good first read in a new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an opportunity to read Deep Into The Dark

Book Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Cover rating : 🌟 🌟 🌟 💫
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
Release Date : January 12, 2021

A serial killer on the loose in LA .... a soldier with PTSD ... a stalker. ... two murders ...

What I liked :
✔️I generally enjoyed the story and then characters
✔️ones for main characters, Sam Easton, has severe PTSD, and it felt like the author had done a lot of research, and I appreciated some of the insights the book provided

What I didn’t like:

✖️there are a lot of characters in this book - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it made it hard to keep track of everyone at the beginning
✖️Generally speaking, for a first in a detective series, we didn’t get to see as much as Margaret Nolan as I would have expected.

P. J Tracy has moved her mystery setting from Minnesota to sunny LA. Introducing 3 new police officers, a rookie with curiosity, empathy and drive and two seasoned cops. They make a good team when a serial killer is on the loose and a hero Veteran with severe PTSD is their main suspect.
Once again Tracy writes a face paced and interesting story.

P. J. Tracy really shifts gears in this new series set in Los Angeles featuring deeply drawn characters and a riveting tale. Please see my detailed review on www.reviewingtheevidence.com

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, P. J. Tracy , St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After thoroughly enjoying the development of the Monkeewrench series, I was eager to see P.J. Tracy return with a new publication. A standalone, or perhaps a germinating series, this book differs greatly from the cold streets of Minneapolis. Rather, it’s a hot mystery set inside LA, with a killer who targets women and a recent Afghan vet whose battle with PTSD is one that is not going well. Tracy offers up a quick mystery with some interesting development, though Deep Into the Darkfails to resonate for me yet, as the Monkeewrench novels did repeatedly.

Sam Easton is back in the States, after a harrowing time serving his country overseas. What he saw and experienced in Afghanistan is enough to leave any man with wounds, something Sam does not lack. However, it is the marks that cannot be traced with a finger that cause Sam so many issues. His PTSD is severe, causing him horrible nightmares and blackouts that no amount of prescribed medication or visits to his psychiatrist can aid.

Sam’s taken up a job tending bar while he tries to piece his life back together., The city’s abuzz with a string of killings, as young women are found brutality killed in out of the way fleabag motels. While the LAPD are on the case, it’s a giant mystery as to where they ought to begin.

LAPD Detectives Margaret Nolan and Al Crawford are tossed the case, though they are slow to make any progress. After a few more bodies are found, one Sam Easton becomes a person of interest, as his ex-wife is one of those left slain. While Easton eschews his innocence, offering up a flimsy alibi, he cannot be sure where truth ends and possibility begins. His bouts of terrors and blackouts continue with increased intensity, forcing him to wonder if he could be living two lives, as he acts out what’s seen in these vivid dreams.

As Detective Nolan tries to give Sam the benefit of the doubt, she cannot ignore all the evidence that stands before her. However, there seems to be something that no one can ignore, which includes someone lurking in the shadows, almost seeking to pin the crimes on Sam as a distraction for a larger plan. While Sam’s terrors become all the more vivid, he will have to find a way to push the target off his back, or go down as a scapegoat.

I usually really enjoy the work that P.J. Tracy puts out. The moniker referred to an explosive mother-daughter team throughout most of the Monkeewrench series. When the elder passed on, it morphed into a fine-oiled machine headed by an experienced writer who knew her way around the streets of Minneapolis. With this new series, things seem a tad disjointed still, though there is the possibility that a fresh approach is still working out the kinks. I’d like to stick things out to see how the characters develop and whether Tracy can keep the momentum going.

While reading, I was apt to call Sam Easton the protagonist, as his bouts of PTSD cannot be ignored. However, it would see the reader should be focussing their time on Margaret Nolan and her glass ceiling breaking experiences within the LAPD. There are a number of building blocks P.J. Tracy has laid out to develop her character, including her fight to make a name for herself as the struggles with PTSD inside her own family. Nolan was not, for me, as memorable or central as I would have hoped a protagonist to be, though her presence cannot be ignored. Tracy has begun developing the Nolan character carefully, though there is still a great deal that needs to be done to showcase her effectively.

The use of a number of secondary characters keeps the story flowing. As I mentioned before, Tracy confuses things by offering Sam Easton more of the spotlight than a supporting character might normally receive, but I was pleased to see how intricate the development was to add depth and flavour to the story. The reader is able to see interesting side perspectives of veterans returning from the battlefield and how things are mishandled, leaving many to medicate (either under a doctor’s care or on their own) to dull the pain. The reader is treated to a number of other characters as well, all of whom provide something to keep the story from going flat.

Looking at the overall reading experience, Tracy provides the reader with an interesting mystery and an intriguing police procedural. While the narrative focuses more on the Sam Easton angle, there are moments that Margaret Nolan is permitted to shine in her own debut. The writing is strong and pushes the story along quite effectively, helped with short chapters to capture the reader’s attention. With a narrative that seeks to guide and dialogue that helps to show the way, P.J. Tracy lays the groundwork for what could be a decent series, though her fans will surely play the comparative game against the long-established Monkeewrench novels, as I did. In the end, it’s a great start and there is a lot of room to grow, perfect for those who need something that will intrigue, yet not full engross them just yet!

Kudos, Madam Tracy, for a nice start to something new. I’ll stick around to see what else you have in store for us soon!

Deep into the Dark is one half of former mother/daughter P.J. Tracy (her mother passed away a few years ago). This story finds coworkers and friends Sam and Melody accused of murdering their respective significant others by Detectives Nolan and Caldwell. Both claim innocence and take the investigation on themselves. Sam is a veteran who is badly disfigured after an IED burned half his face and killed most everyone in his unit in Afghanistan.

Sam and Melody are very likable characters who are fully realized with detailed back stories. They are featured so prominently that one would almost feel like they are the main characters in this book. They aren't though. This is book one in a series about Detective Nolan who we really don't get to know about. All we really know is she's dealing with the death of her brother in Afghanistan, that she's relatively new to homicide, and that she has a thing for Detective Remy Budreau, who is investigating cases of serial murder. A subplot that to me, doesn't really add much to the story.

This book starts off slow at first than picks up the pace about 2/3 of the way through. It's also pretty pedantic. There's a lot of language in here that's more for academic texts and journals and it doesn't seem to fit in the story. If this was the start of a series about Sam and Melody, I'd be interested in book 2, As it stands now, I'm not so sure about reading book 2 in the Detective Nolan series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, author P.J. Tracy and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5, rounded up. I'm on the fence for the second book. When it comes out, hit me up if the many positive seeds here mature and the major problems get reined in.

The positives:

The main characters are likeable. Sam and Melody are friends and coworkers that both become victims of horrific crimes. They are fully developed and interesting people. If they were the stars, I may give the second one a chance, but would be worried about all the bad things happen to two people problem. Part of the reason that these characters are so likeable is the plot device of Sam's view showing us a lot about the two of them. Also, please bring back Teddy. He stole the show!

Notice I don't include the main detective listed as the star of the series. She has tombstone eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and a strong misandrist streak. Despite this, there is hope. Part of why we dont get as close to her is because Sam doesnt get as close to her, and he's our main information source, even though it is in third person. See the negatives about the misandrist streak. Please just make that go away.

She has the beginnings of interesting backstory, with enough development for sympathy, but room for more. There just needed to be more crumbs for me, but this isnt unusual with first in the series novels.

So, remember that I think there's a lot of potential. Because here we go.

The negatives:

Ableism! Omg! Purporting to be a positive voice about mental illness in the form of PTSD, the author sure does schizophrenia and whatever was up with the bad guy horribly. I do appreciate the stab at supporting sufferers of PTSD. In a way the author calls out the ableism those sufferers face, as when the police detective's partner assumes he is paranoid and a murderer. But even that small rebuke is later undone by the main detective's appreciation for his views tempering her sympathy for veterans with PTSD.

Then there's the misandry in this novel. It's even completely unnecessary to the plot and easy enough to edit out. I really hope it was removed before the final release because it is very toxic and detracts from the story as a whole. The main character goes on random rants full of misandry, and even Sam, our suffering veteran, spews misandrist nonsense. These are just random tacked on paragraphs and do not seem to be part of a flawed character. I can get behind it in that case. In this case. Just. Stop.

Related - the psychobabble and pretentious language was very much a turn off for me. The psychological theories are outdated, and the academic language just doesnt mesh with the setting and characters.

Our star detective is only fleshed out a little, and that little clashes with many of her actions (see above about misandry). I hope the author follows what little character development there is and drops the rest. There are the seeds of an interesting character here. Less so her partner and the romantic interest. I groaned inwardly whenever they showed up. I get the literary work they're doing, but I need more than stereotyped plot devices.

Speaking of stereotyped plot devices... The plot was simplistic. I knew who did what well before any reveals. You know the main bad guy when he first appears on the page. The secondary plot was there just enough to be a distraction (filler that sounds like a more interesting case and a reason for the detective to drool?). I had hopes, but they were shot with a thrown together lazy end.

As long as this section is, they are problems easily fixed. There are some promising kernels of a good story here.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur, and PJ Tracy for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

This is my first PJ Tracy book but I don't think it will be my last. Sam Easton is a troubled vet who cannot remember how he was injured in war. He has blackouts and visions. He works as a bar back with Melody. Melody's abusive boyfriend turns up dead and both get caught up in the investigation. There was a lot going on here and I felt like some of it wasn't fully fleshed out. When I found out that this was the beginning of a new series, I got hope that some of these things would come up again. Sam's visions for one. The truth behind the incident that injured Sam. More about the murders that were tangentally happening throughout the story. All of those had an unfinished feel. My only complaint was that the killer of Melody's boyfriend was pretty glaringly obvious. The details and reasons were not, though, so it made a really interesting read anyway. The action never really stopped, so it was a quick, engrossing read.

This book ended up being so much better than I initially thought. When I started reading, I was a bit turned off by what I felt was the overuse of big words. People just generally don’t talk that way and as a reader I don’t want to be pulled out of a story because I have to figure out what the author is trying to say. This issue did seem to lessen as I got more into the story.

The characters are very well developed and capture the reader’s interest. The dual storylines of the murders that Sam is a suspect for and the serial killer investigation can be confusing at times, but they are certainly interesting and ultimately come to a satisfactory conclusion..

This is the first installment of a new series. It’s not totally clear how many characters from this book will reappear in future books, but I do want to find out and look forward to seeing where the series goes.

Sam Easton, who is an ex-army, is ready to start his life anew. However, he is often haunted by the ghosts of his past, and is drawn even deeper into the dark when there are two murders happened back to back, including his soon-to-be ex-wife!
P.J. Tracy is undisputedly adept at spinning tantalizing twists and turns into this riveting DEEP INTO THE DARK!
Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this delightful thriller.
#NetGalley
#DeepIntoTheDark

I just couldn’t get into this. Too many characters and it was tough for me to follow. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

There's a lot of good news with this book. P.J. Tracy is a great storyteller, and can create complex, believable characters who deliver authentic dialogue. The plotting is strong, tight and realistic. Supporting topics (particularly PTSD) are well-researched and layered skillfully into into the narrative.

Main characters Sam Easton and Det. Margaret Nolan are complex and memorable, which is VERY good news, since they apparently will have future outings together.

So why doesn't Deep Into the Dark rate five stars from this reader/reviewer? It was uneven. Unlike the author's Monkeewrench series, this was inconsistent. There many, many, many shifts in location and point of view that wallops the reader with no more warning than a single paragraph break.

If, every time I must stop reading and figure out what the heck just happened. my reading pleasure and the book's rating suffer, then this book should have been a one-star or two-star, because it happened a LOT. There was also plenty of out-of-character language. Most of the book was intelligent and appropriate. Then in the critical scene, we have a straight-A college student who is filled with "icy cold squishiness."

The rest of the book was so strong, though, and it was disappointing to come across the parts that didn't live up to the general high bar.

So, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 from this picky reader. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance readers copy.