I feel.bad about requesting this book without noticing it was only available as an audio book, which I intensely dislike. Thus, I didn't get to 'read' it. Good luck to the author.

Being the second book in the series, I would recommend reading the first book before picking this one up. Something I did not do. While it can be read as a stand alone, I think there would be a much bigger connection with the main characters if I’d read book one first. I started this one on audio and quickly switched to reading. The narrator read the story quite fast (which by itself is not necessarily a bad thing) with no inflection, making it hard to get into the story. Once I started reading, it flowed much better, although with seemingly different storylines, it still felt a bit disjointed for a bit. When things started to weave together, the story became much more interesting, it just took a bit too long getting there!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, P.J. Tracy, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Having read many of P.J. Tracy’s novels in a past series, I was drawn to this new collection of crime thrillers, sure to make their mark on the curious reader. Leaving Minnesota behind, this series shifts to the West Coast, when LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is struggling with a number of family issues. When she receives no support from her parents, Nolan turns to drinks with an old colleague, something that could have dire consequences. When they discover the body of a prominent lawyer, it looks like an open and shut case, until whispers of a dark religious cult emerges and Detective Nolan may have to risk it all to protect those around her. An intriguing story that pushes the limits and keeps the reader entertained.

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan has been struggling for a while, partially because of the death of her brother overseas, but also because she shot someone in the line of duty. While Nolan seeks some solace from her parents, they turn a stiff upper lip and try to compartmentalise it all. This forces Nolan to turn to a friend (sometimes with benefits) for a drink at a posh hotel. If this is the only way that Nolan can dull the pain, so be it.

The time out for a stroll on the grounds turns ominous when Nolan and her companion come upon a man floating in the water. His death appears to be an accident, but Detective Nolan has an eye for these things and something does not add up. She is keen to investigate, though she remains apprehensive about what awaits her.

Sam Easton, another key character, has been asked to help a friend who has a dilemma of his own. A woman and her daughter were found in the middle of the desert, apparently trying to flee a religious compound with a reputation as being a Shanghai-La to the rich and famous. Something does not make sense here.

As Sam and Detective Nolan work side by side on their respective cases, there appears to be a thread of commonality, one that could turn both cases on their heads and leave many in serious danger. Nolan and Sam work together, allowing them to unravel much of what has been going on, only to discover the dangers that lurk beneath. P.J. Tracy has done well with this piece, even if it did not resonate with me as much as I might have liked.

I look for strong writing and a well-crafted narrative in the books I read. While I found some aspects of this in the book, there were times that it lacked and did not pull me in. Detective Margaret Nolan has moments of intrigue, but there was also times when I could not keep things straight, which also happened with Sam Easton. For some, it will surely be an amazing read, but for me it was simply decent and a way to end a year of books.

Margaret Nolan and Sam Easton work together to create interesting protagonists, though not as sensational as I would have liked. They prove to be quite unique in their personalities, struggling to find themselves at various points. While I cannot say anything bad about them, I was not drawn to want to learn a great deal more, which could surely be an issue of my own making. Still, I sought a little something else throughout, though Tracy can develop characters quite effectively.

The story had moments of greatness, but they were outdone by some neutral aspects that I could not ignore. A decent narrative and some intriguing characters rounded out the piece, offering me just enough to want to keep reading, but far from being riveted. The characters worked well and I found myself curious at various points, but I did not have the spark I had hoped to find. P.J. Tracy has a way with words and develops plots well, but something was just not on point for me. I chalk it up to being the last book of the year for me, leaving me ready to begin a new year with a BANG!

Kudos, Madam Tracy, for a decent piece. I am eager to see what;s to come and how it will compare.

I don't really know why, but all of the characters in this one just rubbed me the wrong way. Not like I didn't like them, more like I didn't really buy them. Like they were all too much like caricatures. It made the plot feel forced and cliche.

As a long-time P.J. Tracy fan, I think this Margaret Nolan series is some of her best so far. It just gets better and better as we learn more about the characters and what makes them tick. The Children of the Desert cult setting is the perfect way to bring together the characters that we were introduced to in Deep Into the Dark. I already want to know more about the Margaret and Sam and Remy. I want to see how their lives will continue to intertwine and the cases they will solve. This is a great series with compelling and engaging plot lines.

The narration for the audio version is exceptionally good. It's well paced and addictive.

Thanks for the opportunity to review! Link to Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CX1zoEeLT2i/

"Desolation Canyon" audiobook by P.J. Tracy is the second book in the "Detective Margaret Nolan Series". The story opens with Detective Margaret Nolan emotionally going through a rough patch. She recently lost her brother in Afghanistan and additionally went through a tough situation at work that left her with PTSD. Margaret's parents are still reeling with grief and offer no comfort or reassurance to her. Remy Beaudreau (a coworker) invites Margaret to join him for drinks. While there the dead body of a lawyer is discovered. The plot thickens when the lawyer's ex-wife is also brutally murdered.

Sam Easton enters the book still recovering from devastating injuries he suffered while in Afghanistan. Sam and Remy have a friend (Lenny) who is trying to help a lady and her young daughter escape from a cult run by Pastor Paul. Remy's sister disappeared long ago and he thinks the woman could be his missing family member. P.J. Tracy unfolds an action packed tale of murder, cults, and mob activity.

I felt the book was a bit hard to fellow in the middle. There was a lot going on and the characters were confusing. However, in the end the author did an excellent job linking all the characters together for a very satisfying conclusion to the novel. To be totally fair I have not read the first book in the series so I was missing much of the background story. Please do not let my review stop you from reading this book. Many of my friends loved it! That's the great fun of reading books. We all come away with different opinions.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to "Desolation Canyon". I appreciate it very much. This audio will be published January 18, 2022.

P.J.Tracy is the pen name for the mother daughter team PJ and Traci Lambrecht. Unfortunately PJ died December 2016 but Traci continued to write the Monkeewrench series. I have not read any of those novels but on my TBR list. I did read "Deep into the Dark" and really liked it so was pleased when I saw this the second in the series.
In that story Sam Easton got back from serving in Afghanistan. He is an electrical engineer by trade but is suffering from PTSD and can only get a job as a bartender. I liked that he was key in this story as my comment at the end of Book #1 was that I was looking forward to more of Sam and Melody

True there were parts and characters I really liked e.g. Sam but wasn’t a fan of so many nasty characters and their nasty language ~ I was disappointed. However, I will read Book #3 as I have found it isn’t unusual for the second book in a series to be …shall we say a transitional story.

I did like narrator Abby Craden ~ she did a great job in performing all the characters.
Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio ~ for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 18, 2022

I wasn't able to finish this. It just didn't hold my attention; I wasn't motivated to continue. It needed a more intriguing beginning.

I liked this book. I can see the characters starting to emerge into a long series of adventures.

I think story wise and definitely the narrators are a four star review bit I felt the foul language was unnecessary and over used.

This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I struggled getting interested in this one. It felt really slow to get going, and it seemed like every scene was a new person for a bit, and I struggled to know what was happening. Once the story got going, it was interesting, but I thought it would focus more on solving a crime. This book really focuses on characters and the mystery seems to be secondary, so I think that is important for readers to know going in.

Before reading this book two of Detective Margaret Nolan series, I've actually read the first book - Deep Into The Dark -first. It was not what I expected as it was more of a psychology suspense.than a detective story. But I was curious enough to want to read this second book hoping it will be more of a police procedural.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. It was really slow and once again the characters were the focus, while the crime/murder mystery was obscured. I lose interest and did not finish this book. I do not know why there was a lot on Sam Easton while this is suppose to be a Detective Nolan series and that was what I was actually hoping for..

While the story did not work for me, I did enjoy the audiobook. The narrator Abby Craden did an excellent narration.

Please do not let my review deter you from trying this book and series! If you like character driven, psychological suspense with a dash of murder mystery, then this may be the book for you!

Pub. Date: Jan 18th, 2022

***Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this gifted review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

So good! Really enjoyed the back and forth plots and the ending was awesome. Definitely recommend. Great thriller! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Tracy creates the perfect conflicted, troubled heroine in LAPD detective Margaret Nolan. Still suffering PTSD after she had to take down a suspect, mourning her sister’s death and mulling over a relationship in its death throes, Nolan is having a hard time holding it together. Maybe that’s why she agrees to have drinks with a colleague she’s attracted to, even though she knows it’s a bad idea. It’s at the hotel bar where she discovers the body of a local attorney in the hotels lake. While the death at first appears to have been an accident, Nolan soon uncovers that the deceased had lots of secrets and plenty of people who wanted him dead. I love Margaret Nolan, she’s my new favorite heroine, she’s real, she screws up and she pulls herself up by her own bootstraps. I’m not sure if there was a problem with the audio file or not, but the narration sounds as if it were computer generated