This was the first book I read in what I found out later is a series. That's on me. Not sure how I missed the # 3 and I thought it would read as a stand alone book which it mostly did. And there are lots of moving parts which meant you have to pay attention. I did have a hard time keeping up with the characters. I am sure they all play some part in the other books in the series and the reason for 3 stars, I did want to bump this to a 3.5 stars.

I loved the fact this is a pseudonym for a mom- daughter duo authors. The story was well written and while I guessed who the murderer was, there were enough twists and turns to keep me engaged in the story. The writing style as simple and I got to see the gritty side of Hollywood for a bit. I would recommend this author duo and also read other books inn the series because who doesn't like a strong female detective :)
Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

“Los Angeles has many faces: the real LA where regular people live and work, the degenerate underbelly of any big city, and the rarified world of wealth, power, and celebrity. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan’s latest case plunges her into this insular realm of privilege, and gives her a glimpse of the darkness behind the glitter.”

This murder mystery was a departure from most I’ve read, in that was the slowest of burns.

I enjoyed the characters, particularly the main female detective, the many points of view, the converging topics (murder and child porn and cybercrimes, oh my!) and the descriptions of Los Angeles, a city to which I’ve never been.

The dialogue was a little clunky, the action (such that it was) left you hanging until the bitter end, and the huge cast didn’t allow for much depth.

I would very much advise to read the first two of the series before this one. While it’s mostly a stand-alone, there are a few characters that don’t figure into the main story arc and aren’t given much of an explanation in this book.

All in all, this one won’t raise your blood pressure, but if you like a deliberate unfolding, (think Agatha Christie and Anthony Horowitz), this one might be for you.

6/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Dreamscape Media for this simmering ARC.

4 ⭐️‘S for Book 3.5 ⭐️‘S for audio
Nolan and Crawford’s newest case is set in LaLa land amongst the rich and powerful. Evan Hobbes is on the cusp of ruin when a deep fake video hits social media. As an actor he has a squeaky clean reputation, so who would want to destroy him? When he’s found dead in the aftermath of an earthquake, the detectives aren’t sure if it’s an accident, suicide or murder. Meanwhile another murder has taken place in Santa Barbara, one that very well could be linked to Hobbes, but is it? Nolan and Crawford are quite the team as the head up the investigation the reader is swept along. While it was fairly easy to figure out the perp, once you got deeper into the investigation it was a good story. Listening to the audio, the characters come fast and furious and there are many of them! Keeping them straight might be easier if reading the book and it takes a while to like the narrator. The voice lacks emotion and is hard to get past at first, but once the story gets going, it’s easier to listen to. This is a better read in my opinion. Thank you to Minotaur Books, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

In book #3 of this series, LAPD Homicide Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner investigate the death of a beloved actor who has just been demonized by an apparently deep-fake video of child pornography currently making the rounds on social media. Was he totally innocent? The case gets complicated by more bodies piling up.

I found the story a little hard to get into at first with its several plot lines and characters but it eventually comes together well and had me turning pages quickly to see what would happen next. An intriguing police procedural with a satisfying ending.

I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun murder mystery read. I enjoyed that I was able to pin the killer early on while still also being able to enjoy the journey to the reveal. It also didn't feel like the third book in a series. I was able to understand who all the characters were fairly easily. Would read more of this series!

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is a book with a goo, and intriguing plot yet overall I felt that the delivery was flawed. I confess that this is the first the first book by P J Tracy that I have read so I have no means of comparison to the author’s other works so my reading and review reflect this as a stand-alone read,

The strength of the book lies in the excellently drawn character of the police detective at the core of the investigation Margaret Nolan is precisely the kind of person one would want on a complex case such as this. She uses a full set of inductive and deductive reasoning tools to work the case to its conclusion.

The story’s focus is on a tight circle of people who are directly or indirectly involved in the movie and TV industry. Evan Hobbes, an actor the country has watched mature from a child actor to a popular young adult heart throb is found dead and it is quickly determined that it was a homicide. Shortly thereafter David Baum, Evan’s brother-in-law and former boss was also found dead. By the end of the book a third member of this tight circle is also found dead.

While the investigation process is enjoyable as we follow Detective Nolan through the maze of clues until it leads to the identity of the people behind the murders, I found myself very dissatisfied with the way the book was resolved. By focusing too much on the circle of movie industry people and not enough on the pure police investigation I felt cheated by the deliberate deception needed to cloak the identities of the murders. Without adding spoilers at this point I cannot be more specific other that to say I ended the book with the taste of resentment in my mouth.

One other problem I had—likely one that arises from the fact that I did not read the two previous books in this series—is that the whole Sam plot thread was unnecessary and intrusive. It added nothing to the true plot of the story—the murders of Evan Hobbs, his brother-in-law, etc. If some material doesn’t add to the plot it should be cut from the manuscript.

This is a book with a good plot but it is flawed overall and as a result I can give it no higher than a three star review. I do want to thank St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books as well ad NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this book.

If you're looking to read about the seedy side of Tinsel Town, check this one out.
I did struggle with this book in certain spots. There were many characters thrown at me in the fist chapters and I had to go back and re-read to see who was whom as I progressed.
I like how the author wove her own family history into the story’s tapestry.
I didn’t have a strong like or connection to any of the people, but it made for interesting reading.

I have always been a fan of P J Tracy and am enjoying this series too. This was a fast-paced and entertaining police procedural. Maggie Nolan is a detective in the LAPD, used to dealing with both the rich and glitzy and the seedier side of LA. There was a lot of drama which you would expect in a novel with a Hollywood scandal. I look forward to the next in the series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Devil You Know (Detective Margaret Nolan #3) is an intense crime thriller that follows Detective Margaret Nolan. With each new startling discovery, the hunt for answers leads him closer to an unexpected resolution—but also to extreme danger. It's a must-read for thriller fans!

The Devil You Know by P. J. Tracy is a clever, fast-paced crime thriller. While this is #3 in the Detective Margaret Nolan series, I found it to be an engaging stand-alone suspense novel.
LAPD Detctive Nolan and her partner, Detective Al Crawford, are confronted with the death of Disney actor Evan Hobbes. To resolve the cause of death—accident, suicide, murder—and close the case, they must wend their way through a number of celebrities and hangers-on, all of whom have stories or alibis that muddy the water.
The characters grew on me throughout the story, and while it began slowly, the narrative gained momentum and the action picked up in the second half of the book. Nolan and her sidekick Al are easy characters to like, while most of the Hollywood side characters were drawn as caricatures of spoiled, self-absorbed persons of privilege. I did enjoy the descriptions of LA landmarks and the author’s clever turns of phrase, as the story itself delivered a couple good twists in the final chapters.
I will look for more novels by P. J. Tracy in the future.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC. These opinions are my own.
3.75 stars

Another excellent police procedural novel from P.J. Tracy. The 3rd book in the Detective Margaret Nolan series is every bit as good as the previous two books and the enjoyable Monkeewrench series, by P.J. Tracy. Great characters with engaging banter between the detectives, an engaging plot that kept me guessing until the end. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy.

Detective Margaret Nolan is back. This time her investigation is taking her deep into the folds of LA’s Hollywood scene. When her suspects become additional murder victims, Nolan finds herself at the center of a scandalous Hollywood story.

This is the third book in the series and honestly my least favorite. I’ve seen quite a few reviews of people reading this as a stand-alone, and I don’t recommend doing that. There is tons of character building in the first two books, that the third book just doesn’t provide.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, so was excited to dive into another. When the first book came out, it was hard to see Nolan as the main character with Sam playing such a strong role in the book. I was actually surprised that it was a series based around Nolan at the time. In book 2, we see Nolan more and I started to get a feel for how this series was following her career and not Sam’s. But in this newest installment it’s purely Nolan focused, and honestly Sam’s pieces of the story are sidebars that have little relevance, other than continuing to bring him on the journey. It does seem as if P.J. Tracy is ramping up to something with Sam’s story, but for this book I felt it detracted from the storyline.

Unlike the first two books, The Devil You Know, lacked growth for our characters that I have become accustomed too while reading the series. The first two books focus so much on the stories of Sam and Nolan, that to have lack of that in this book was a little jarring. Nolan, this go around felt stale and uninteresting. Sam’s role felt unclear and bogged down the story at times.

The actual police procedural part of the story is fine – there are some twists, it’s well written, and it will keep you guessing. But I did find this one a bit harder to follow. There are quite a few additional subplots that I felt bogged down the main storyline, and overall, I felt something was missing. Ultimately, I didn’t love this book and felt a bit too disinterested in what was going on. I might read a 4th, but this one wasn’t at all what I was hoping it would be.

The Devil You Know comes out January 17, 2023. Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The series has settled into being the Detective Margaret Nolan series written by the daughter from the mother-daughter writing team. Detective Nolan, along with her partner, is sort of a main character, with supporting characters in her friends, family and love interests. But Sam Easton is equally important, along with the people in his life.

In The Devil You Know, Nolan is more central to the story. She is adjusting to a relationship with someone else from her work. She is enjoying it but is not used to having anyone in her life so much. Margaret lost her brother recently; he was in the military. The case involves several high profile Hollywood people who are narcissists, used to getting their way and not being questioned.

Sam's role here is like a sub-plot which never goes anywhere. He was also in the military, having lost much of his team and suffering physical injuries. Sam started out as a suspect or at the least a witness, when his wife is murdered in the first book. We see him getting back into life and taking a long time friendship into more.

There were all kinds of characters with rough emotional situations and high monetary stakes. Then people start dying. There are plenty of suspects and motives. We get the development of those characters and even some of their points of view.

I appreciated both the personal and professional growth in the "series regulars" along with quite a bit of development of the characters in this case. I always enjoy a police procedural with a mystery or multiple mysteries intertwined. I'm enjoying the glitzy light of Hollywood contrasted with the dark side of murder.

The Devil you Know by PJ Tracy
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This was a slow burn murder mystery that mostly followed Detective Margaret Nolan while she is investigating the death of a celebrity.
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One thing to note is that there are a lot of people we are introduced to and quite quickly, so the first 10% of the book took some concentration for me. After the first murder I was hooked though, and binged the last 80% of the book in about ten hours. I didn’t want to put it down and needed to know how the detectives solved the case.
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I liked Nolan’s character and enjoyed following her and her partner while they were following the many clues in this case.
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This is the third book in the Detective Nolan series and I didn’t read the other two. I was able to follow along and keep up just fine though.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this book, it surprised me!

First off, this is a series best read in order. It's so good that reading out of order would have you missing too many connections between the recurring characters. I've been a fan of P. J. Tracy when the mother/daughter duo wrote Monkeewrench 9set in the Twin Cities) way back in early 2000. Tracy Lambrechet is now writing solo and has another winner in The Devil You Know and the character of Margaret Nolan.
Set in Los Angeles, the city is a character all of its own. In this, the third of the series, Hollywood shows its glitz and its darkness. When a beloved actor is found dead in a rock slide the question is: did he die of an accident? a suicide? or was it homicide? As Nolan investigates, she soon has more than one homicide to work and connect the dots. From the dark side of Hollywood to the uber rich and powerful, glamorous and ugly, the cast of characters and the crimes demand the readers attention from the start. I enjoyed the complex mystery and the chance to look behind the curtain of the Hollywood industry. It all makes for a great police procedural.and a series that is staying on my TBR shelf for as long as she writes.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

an agent and two actors, a rich sister and her cheating husband, what could go wrong? first Seth is killed, then his agent Nolen the day after he gets engaged to Ms Love, and next the cheating husband and his girlfriend. All these deaths in just a few days.
thanks netgalley

3.5 Stars
As someone who is very familiar with Los Angeles and the different types of those who live there, this gave a strong view of life there.
A solid look and mystery.

The Devil You Know is book three in the Detective Margaret Nolan series.

Maggie investigates the death of a Disney star who had a deep fake child pornography video surface just before his body was found in rubble that fell from a cliff during an earthquake. HIs body will not be the last but were they all murdered by the same person.

It can be a stand-alone book, but there are a lot of people involved in this story and it probably would have been better to have started at the beginning. Although I doubt that would have made much of a difference in liking this book. In the first few chapters there were so many people being introduced it was hard to follow who they were and how they were connected. Not only that, but the characters were also not likable at all. I was turned off by all the excesses, name brand dropping, and all the very shallow characters. I stuck it out and finished the book despite my dislike. The description had so much more promise, this was unfortunately disappointing. I really dislike having to give a one star. The writer's do something so many of us cannot or will not do which is write. On the other hand, maybe, this will make a better movie than a book. It seems right up their alley.

I requested this novel with interest in the synopsis of the book, not realizing this was the third book in the series. I then falsely rationalized to myself that most police procedurals, crime fiction, mystery/thrillers can be read as stand-alones, unfortunately, I was sorely mistaken.

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is investigating the death of actor Evan Hobbes the day after a deepfake video surfaces and ruins his career. With little to go on, Nolan is trying to decipher whether the death was an accident, a suicide, or a murder. Hobbes' agent is dealing with the aftermath of the deepfake, among other issues when his powerful brother in law is murdered. As the body count starts to rise, Nolan is forced to figure out whether everything is connected and who could be responsible.

My biggest issue with the storytelling of this novel was the characters. There are so many characters and all with little to no introduction. I understand the vast majority of the characters are likely from previous novels, but a one-liner about who they are and why I care can work wonders for those of us who are foolish enough to start series several books in (or can serve as a good reminder for those who space out books in a series). The other thing that bothered me and further decimated my attempts at deciphering who is who was the fact that the author interchanges first & last name use, but rarely uses both simultaneously.

There's many viewpoints shared in this novel, alternating between third person views of Nolan, Seth, Darcy & Sam. I found this to be confusing because many of these viewpoints added nothing to the story and thus were largely irrelevant?

I seriously considered DNF-ing this novel for the pure fact that up to the 60% point, very little had happened and there wasn't an ounce of intrigue here for me. There's a lot of filler between setting the stage of the story, the first death, and then the wild investigation tactics used. The investigation was one of the most bizarre things I've read.. a lot of assumptions and foregone conclusions, rather than doubling down and following the evidence trail and witness statements.

Additionally, this novel is very wordy. The author evidently has a large and eclectic vocabulary as I have never looked up so many words while reading a police procedural. My favourite new word may be ersatz.

I did somewhat enjoy the ending as everything came together with a bit of a twist. I just didn't particularly like the journey it took to get there.

I am not convinced that I will be reading more of this author's work after my current experience.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher, St Martin's Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is back with her latest case. This one will drop her into the world of money and privilege, where all that glitters is not gold.

Evan Hobbes has been found dead in the rubble of a Malibu rockslide a day after a fake video ruins his career. Margaret isn’t sure if this is an accident, a suicide, or a murder. And things don’t become clear for a while. Working with his producer, things are about to be even more complicated. Bodies, Crazy people, scandals, and psychotic women are just a few things being thrown at them.

This is big and dangerous. I think this book was the best of all.

NetGalley/ January 17th, 2023 by Minotaur Books