This tale of death is all about the characters, lushly told and styled to fit the rich culture in Los Angeles. Each is defined by their past and current relationships. There is action to the story, but it definitely is sidelined by who’s who. The language is a bit too overblown for my taste, sort of like the people it describes.

Seth Lehman, agent to beloved Disney star Evan Hobbes, is looking for his pants when his phone blares a warning this Saturday morning. Someone has produced a pornographic video of Hobbes doing hideous things. Clearly a deepfake, Seth must perform damage control. Seth worked for Rebecca Wodehouse at the snobby agency that he always meant to leave, and knew she’d be all over him to clear this up.

Most of LA is awakened on Sunday morning by an earthquake that sent a hilltop down onto the Pacific Coast Highway. Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner Al Crawford meet the coroner and criminalistics at the scene, since Evan’s body spilled down with the hillside from the home of Essie Baum, sister to Seth Lehman, where she’d hosted a large party the night before that included Evan and Seth as guests. That morning finds Seth buying caviar for his paramour of the night, Daphna Love, whom he’d convinced to change agents to him at his new agency, as soon as he quit Becca. Little did Seth know he would be called on by Essie for help in dealing with Evan’s death. Intertwined with doing so, Seth and Daphna decide to marry.

Nolan had noted some marks on Evan’s neck that might have indicated murder. His broken and battered body from the fall down the cliff would need to be analyzed to determine murder, accident, or even suicide. After the bombshell of the deepfake the day before, any were possible. In the meantime, Essie can’t seem to find her husband David, the top Disney exec who’d been unfaithful many, many times. It’s a shock when he’s found at their Malibu home shot to death with a young woman carrying a thumb drive full of photos of girls with David, and Evan Hobbes. Essie is having a meltdown while drugs and alcohol flow. David’s computer is missing, so Maggie Nolan is dealing with cybercrimes as well. Now we wonder if that deepfake really was fake and if so who made it and who paid for it.

Another storyline about an Afghanistan war vet with PTSD is interwoven with the Hobbes/Baum story, but it doesn’t go anywhere and seems superfluous. It may simply pay homage to the series to which this is the third entry. All the action takes place over a long weekend and ends quite abruptly with the revelation of the killer’s identity, which is not really a surprise. Or perhaps by then, I really didn’t care who killed whom; I just wanted the story to be over.

I have read and really enjoyed every book in this author’s Monkeewrench series, but I am having a difficult time with this one. The first book was good, but the second and especially this third one seemed to ramble on, introducing character after character. I was at 35% and still not sure who and how many people were killed in the beginning of the book and by that time there was another possible murder. I make notes when I review a book and the list of characters continued to grow with no idea if they would be important to the plot. I did enjoy Margaret’s inner thoughts while she interacted with various people. I was waiting for the entire case to be “wrapped” up, but that didn’t seem to happen, although there was an interesting twist at the end. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This book was well written and kept me entertained throughout. I love the detective mystery of it. And I didn't guess the ending which is always great. However, I didn't know it was #3 in a series. Since I missed out on the first two books, There were points when I felt a little out of the loop or unsure about past events or relationships.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with a double killing. Later, Maggie and her partner, Nolan, are called to the discovery of a body on the PCH as a result of a landslide. As they begin looking into it they are not able to make a call whether it was an accident or a homicide. The accident happened at a party where high society people were and where the victim was being conso;ed for the impact of a deepfake video that someone posted on social media. The victim's agent sister was the one who gave the party. Maggie and Nolan went to the location of the party to try and learn what they could. The scene was scoured by the police and there were some items that were discovered which might prove helpful. Not known at the time to Maggie was the fact that the agent's boss made a remark that they needed to cut Evan loose. Evan was the person who was the victim and also the one that had a video released by an unknown party.

As they were investigating, another incident happened to the husband of the agent's sister. This is where the opening story of the double murder came into play. Maggie and her partner followed up even though this happened outside of their jurisdiction. The husband was a high placed party at a movie studio so Maggie thought there might be a connection.

The agent Seth Lehman was with the victim at the party and while there he met an old friend from his teenage years and they got reacquainted . Read more to discover how the couple worked out.
The steps that Maggie and her partner took in solving the two cases as well as what other people contributed was quite interesting. The ending is one that you won't expect.

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