Desolation Canyon
P.J. Tracy
Mystery
Nancy (Nancy'sBookNook on Facebook)
3

LAPD detective Maggie Nolan knows what it’s like to kill someone: there’s that defining moment in your life that separates the before from the after. She also knows what it is like to lose a person you love: her brother, Max, killed in Afghanistan.

Sam Easton, too, knows what it’s like to kill someone. He knows what losing people does to you, and what it is like to, sometimes, feel as though it might have been better if he had killed with his team in Afghanistan. The PTSD he suffers from is an unrelenting reminder of his loss.

Maggie and Sam team up again to uncover the truth about a secretive cult after intelligence reveals that the motives of Children of the Desert are far from spiritual and that its leader Father Paul is not only a con man but a killer. Time, they realize, is ticking: Maggie’s mother has just joined the group for a retreat; if the cult learns that Maggie is her daughter, she has placed herself in terrible danger.

All in all, an okay read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I read the first Detective Nolan book and was hoping it would be turned into a series. This second book did not live up to the hopes I had had for a series after reading the first. Not as much character development, gaps in relationships, and actions that seemed too fictional to be believable for a realistic fiction novel.

Deep into the Dark was one of the most surprising books I read last year. I loved Nolan and Sam and the potential to launch a detective series, so I was really excited to be pre-approved for Desolation Canyon.

Dealing with several personal issues, Detective Margaret Nolan is having a difficult time finding support and an outlet for her complex emotions. Finding herself having drinks with a colleague, which admittedly she knows may be a bad idea, is more surprising than anticipated, as a casual stroll leads to the discovery of a dead body.

I liked this book. Nolan's narrative voice is strong and readable. I enjoyed her internal moments the best, especially when she's delving into her unresolved feelings. Similar to the DitD, Tracy explores the themes of loss, grieving, and mental health which I found important and interesting. I did want more of Sam's voice but I enjoyed the overall plot and structure. And while I wasn't as invested in this case as I was the first book, Desolation Canyon is still a solid entry in the series.

Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I have read all of PJ Tracy's Monkeywrench gang books and thoroughly enjoyed them. DESOLATION CANYON appears to be the beginning of a new series. Tracy gives us an excellent plot and interesting characters - my only complaint is that there are so many of them. Because the novel jumps around to give us different viewpoints it was really hard to keep track of all of the characters for the first third of the book. I had to refer back to earlier chapters to determine who the character was on at least four occasions. that said, I look forward to Tracy's next work.

Nice follow-up to the first in the series, Deep into the Dark. Not much interaction this time between LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and Afghanistan War veteran Sam Easton, which allows both to become even more fully developed as characters, as well as giving the reader two unique perspectives on the operations of a cult out in the California desert and the roles Nolan and Easton play in solving murders and kidnappings that seem tied to the cult.

This was an enjoyable book to read. The main character, Detective Maggie Nolan, was likable and relatable. I also liked Veteran Sam Easton and Maggie’s parents. There were several other characters as well, and at times, I felt there were too many. I had some trouble remembering the lesser characters or how they fit into the story. Still, I really appreciated the way the mystery developed and how it concluded. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the second book in this series. The first part of this book had me confused. Everybody kept call the main character by different names. Some people called her by her first name, some by her last name, and some people called her by a nickname I finally got everyone’s name straight and then I began to enjoy the book.

Second in this series and an excellent addition. This story had a twist that keeps the reader interested and involved. Deception, drama, angst, mystery and violence are part of this intensely riveting book. Grab this one, well worth the time.

Thank you for my early review copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe this book will be a huge bestseller.

Desolation Canyon is the second book in this new series by P.J. Tracy.

The series has several problems:

While the author seems to want Detective Margaret Nolan to be the lead character, she wasn't the main character in Deep Into the Dark, and she isn't in Desolation Canyon.

Too many fantastic coincidences and unbelievable plot lines.

No humor.

I miss the Monkeewrench gang!
NetGalley/Minotaur Books

Jan. 18, 2022. Print length: 320 pages

In Desolation Canyon P.J. Tracy gives readers an exciting reunion with Maggie, Sam, and Remi. This book checks all the blocks for a great thriller.

A scarred veteran, a traumatized cop, a Russian gangster, a cult leader, and a runaway woman and child, all converge in a complicated, fascinating thriller by P. J. Tracy. Recommended.

Second in the series.
LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is still dealing with the loss of her brother in Afghanistan and the difficulty her mother is having with dealing with the loss. As she investigates the death of a successful attorney, it leads her to the spa that her mother is staying at where she hopes to find a way to deal with her grief.
Afghanistan veteran Sam Easton is helping a friend with a woman and child who have escaped from the spa.
As the leader of the spa is investigated, ties to the attorney and the Russian mob are uncovered.
Fast paced read - look forward to the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Margaret Nolan is a Detective in Los Angeles. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan, and she has recently taken a life on the job and she is now struggling to keep her head above water. When she weakens and agrees to cocktails with a colleague, their walk around the grounds leads them to a gruesome discovery in Swan Lake ~a successful attorney is found dead in the water, and the mystery is just beginning. As she searches for the truth, Margaret finds herself facing a secret group that just may end not only her life, but take everyone she cares about with her.

I really enjoy this writer and this book did not disappoint. Second in the series, it would be helpful to read the first in the series before this one to gain a better understanding of the main character. This story is dark but not in an unpleasant way. You have murder, Russians, mafia and lots of dicey characters. It gets a bit far afield in places but all in all this was another homer from this author. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

P. J. Tracy finds a way to bring the characters from Deep Into the Dark together again while trying to solve a murder that may involve a pseudo-religious retreat in California desert. The first part of the book moves slowly and there are no clear threads between the characters and their current situations. Although it's somewhat clumsy how they come together, when they do come together the plot takes off and the last half of the book is a real page turner. The characters have depth and I look forward to reading more about them.

Thanks for NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I usually can't read right through this author's exciting novels but not this one. For some reason it was a difficult read with its disjointed style. Difficult for me to follow at times
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

law-enforcement, Russian-mob, scam, murder, murder-investigation, noir, family-dynamics, friendship, fraud, PTSD, crime-fiction, thriller, triggers****

Harsh realities of those traumatized by extraordinary circumstances. A gritty scenario with emotionally fragile protagonists working The Job one day at a time. Add in a fraudulent retreat spa run by a psychopathic ex-con in Death Valley, the Russian mafia, and more weirdness than a Hollywood party. It's a tough read, but well worth it.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books via NetGalley.

Although I found the story moved along at a good pace; the story became a little too far fetched for me. I’ve read other PJ Tracy books that I enjoyed more than this one.

This was my first novel by Tracy and it will not be my last.
Mafia, cops, murders and relationships all into one murder mystery provided for a fantastic book that I read in one sitting not realizing it was a series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ebook copy.