The author continues her Margaret Nolan series. For me this one was a utter disappointment. I found the characters uninteresting and the storyline cumbersome and uninteresting. Hopefully the author bounces back with the next book in the series.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

Fast-paced crime drama taking place in the entertainment industry. Who has it out for whom and why? I figured out the plot fairly fast but still a very interesting action packed read.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

The Devil You Know
By P.J. Tracy

This is another murder mystery with plenty of plot twists to keep the reader on edge. It involves a female detective, Margaret Nolan; an "accidental LAPD asset", Sam Easton, who suffers from PTSD; a movie star, Daphna Love; Seth Lehman, an agent; and various others who love and hate each other alternatively. As people are murdered, it's up to Detective Nolan to figure out who is behind all the murders and why. Plenty of red herrings here!

This is a quick and entertaining read and will delight mystery lovers – especially the ending!

The first thing that drew me in about this book was its fantastic cover. The second was the plot. The book had a sloooooow start for me and I actually considered not finishing it after a couple of chapters. The language is so over the top. Something that could be said simply is reworked and it just feels like the author is trying to show off how many big and obscure words they know. Eventually, the story picked up and I stopped noticing the grandstanding so much.

This was the first book I've read by the author but is the third book in a series. I only knew this because there was mention of past events that must have taken place in the first two books. This did not take away from the story, however, and I very much enjoyed reading it. It was definitely hard to put down, and I especially appreciate that the chapters were short - easier to think, "I'll just read one more chapter before going to bed."

I plan on reading the first two in the series.

Hollywood at it’s darkest, trust no one. Mystery, fractured relationships, multiple murders and enough suspects to keep it interesting. I was a bit confused about a few of the characters in this book as they seemed to add little to the story. Now that I am aware that this is the third part of a detective series I understand that there must be more in depth character development in the first two novels. It works as a stand alone but I’m interested in reading the first two books in the series.

This is a very good series by a very talented writer. This compelling book, complete with Detective Maggie Nolan and Los Angeles glitz, can be read as a stand-alone. Recommended!

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy is book three in her Detective Margaret Nolan series.

I found it difficult to connect with this plot and these characters. I wanted to like this new, to me, female protagonist but found her flat with no redeeming qualities. The writing style left me confused without enough backstory to fully engage with the storyline or characters. The story develops very slowly, but does pick up near the end. Someone else might read this differently. I am rating The Devil You Know 2.5, rounded up to 3 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Third in the Detective Margaret Nolan series
When the body of Disney star Evan Hobbes is discovered in the rubble of a Malibu rockslide, Detective Maggie Nolan and her partner are called in to investigate. Is his death related to a deep fake video circulating revealing him to be a pedophile? As the guests at a party that Evan was last seen at are questioned, the ties between various guests raise more questions, especially when two more bodies are found. Will Maggie uncover the killer before someone else dies? A story with twists and an unexpected conclusion.
#TheDevilYouKnow #NetGalley

So this was my first read by PJ Tracy. It is the third in the series, I didn't read the other two, but still enjoyed this book. So Disney actor, Evan, is “filmed” in a career ending, video and it goes viral, but it would appear that it’s a fake. Then before anything can be done, his dead body is found in a landslide. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner are on the case. The more people interviewed, the more questions surface. Evidence is hard to be found and clues have them questioning the same group of people. The FBI cybercrimes finally gets involved & the rest I will leave for you to read and find out! Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy and to St. Martin’s Press. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

LAPD homicide detective Margaret Nolan’s third outing finds entangled in in the messy public and private lives of the Hollywood elite. When an earthquake brings down part of a cliff, it also reveals a body. It is not immediately clear whether accident or murder, but actor Evan Hobbes is dead a day after a deep fake video ruined his career. Maggie and her partner have to wade through powerful agents, producers and actors who all have a stake in Hobbes career. Tracy provides plenty of bodies and possible motives that kept me reading and guessing possibilities to the end. I enjoyed the insights into Maggie’s personal life, that while necessarily brief, kept her character growing. Sam, who also featured in the previous books, is peripheral to the plot. Tracy synergistically weaves hot topics such as Me Too, deep fakes and PTSD into the storyline. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

At first, the characters were a little confusing, but as the story wore on they became much clearer. Very good storyline! Since this is part of a series, I am eager to go back and read the first two as well.
The main character is likeable, yet flawed. And the main character is also a strong woman which is nice to see. The plot was well organized, and I did like the different points of view through the story.
I’m excited to read more by this author

I was excited to get a copy of #TheDevilYouKnow by P.J. Tracy from #NetGalley .
The book and its multiple murder mystery set in the superficial world of Hollywood is incredibly complex, with compelling characters who, because of their background, could very well not be who they seem to be.
Within the pages are sometimes profound insights on social issues such as PTSD, and on the toll some cases can take on those who solve them. The book is well-written and the mystery one that carries you, intrigued, to the ultimate conclusion.
This was the first time I'd read a book in this series and it stands well on its own. One problem I did have was the authors' tendency to use complicated and sometimes rare words throughout the book when a simpler word would do. Each time it takes the reader out of the book, trying to decide whether to look up the word, guess as to its meaning through the use of context, or ignore it entirely. Whatever decision, the reader is still slammed out of the book and the enjoyment of reading.
Some instances include the use of the word 'colloquies' instead of the simpler 'conversations', 'obviating' instead of 'removing', 'ersatz' instead of 'fake', 'gustatory' instead of 'tasty', 'susurration' instead of 'whispering', and the list goes on.
It's as though the writers are trying to seem brilliant through the use of a thesaurus, when the storyline itself speaks to their brilliance. And instead of enhancing the book with bigger words, they are detracting from it instead.
All in all, however, it is an excellent, suspenseful, and intriguing book.

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy is book #3 in the Detective Margaret Nolan series. Detective Margaret Nolan is called to the scene of a body found on the rocks. The question is whether this occurred due to an accident, suicide or a murder. This is an interesting detective story. I liked Margaret who is a well-developed character and who is an innovative, dedicated, persistent detective. I wasn't crazy about the Hollywood actors in the story though. I think I need to go back to the first two books in the series to get a better feel for Margaret Nolan.

It has been said that Hollywood is not only a geographical place on the map of the world, but an idea and a frame of mind. The author’s success in this installment is that she perfectly conveys the idea and mindset of Hollywood. While I might not have liked the Hollywood characters, they were a true representation of this ‘unreal’ setting.

What I loved:

✔️LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan returns
✔️Crafty title
✔️Shows us the many faces of the City of Angels
✔️Explores the scandals and deceptions of Hollywood
✔️Fast paced crime thriller/police procedural
✔️Refreshingly rich vocabulary for this genre
✔️Hooked for book 4
✔️Gorgeous cover
✔️Reveals more of her central characters backstories

What I struggled with:

🤔Swearing and sex
🤔Too many secondary characters and subplots bogged the story down
🤔Sam’s role was unclear as were the ‘way too long’ glimpses into the Hollywood scene
🤔Mystery too easy to solve
🤔Ending
🤔over-polished/wordy/descriptive prose

Although I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the previous two in the series, it won’t stop me from anticipating another great read in book 4!

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The third in the detective Margaret Nolan series works best if you've read the series in order. Otherwise, there are too many relationships that might confuse the reader.
Tracy sets up a great premise here. A Disney actor is “filmed” in a compromising video, but it would appear that it’s a deep fake. Then before anything can really be done, his dead body is found in a landslide.
L.A. is as much a character as the humans in this story. The earthquakes, ocean vistas and high end real estate. There are also a host of characters, mostly mentally unstable. It’s not a flattering portrait of the Hollywood set. But it did make for an interesting whodunit. Nolan and Al have their work cut out for them, especially as the body count rises. There’s also a side story concerning Sam which has nothing to do with the mystery and appears to just be a method of keeping him as part of the story.
I adore Tracy’s use of the English language. “ “Steady, girls and boys, don’t drop my body!” Weil crowed to his corpse Sherpas like a Teutonic coxswain.” And that’s just an example of a vocabulary rich book.
There are lots of moving parts here which demand the reader pay attention. I was able to suss out the murderer early on, but there was a twist I didn’t see coming. It didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I received this complimentary book from the publisher and the reviews are strictly my own opinion.
It took a me a bit to get wholly involved with the characters with the first chapter kind of disappearing for several chapters. Once I got involved it was a hard book to put down. The storyline kept me guessing and wanting to know more. All the likely suspects that should get their due were in this story. Highly recommend this book and get your thinking caps on because it keeps you guessing.
The body of a famous Disney actor is found after a landslide due to some minor earthquake tremors. What first appears accidental or suicide quick becomes questionable. Detectives Nolan and Crawford are hard pressed to find answers. A murder in Santa Barbara of a main Disney boss is thrown into the mix along with a video released that was a deepfake but closer to home than anyone realized. Nolan and Crawford are working overtime to find the killer when another body of a main player is found. Who dunit and will they catch them?

Works as a stand-alone as I hadn't read the previous books I followed it well. There are a lot of characters and I did stop and kept a list so as to not get confused, but saying that all the characters are needed to flesh out the full story. Twists and turns are all over the pages and it is fairly fast action, I enjoyed the main character and her partner, they worked well together and off each other to solve the mystery presented to them, along with the rest that piled on as the book continued. Well written who done it with interesting tidbits thrown in. Look forward to catching up and following further stories in this series. I received this book from Minotaur and NetGalley in exchange for a review, thank you very much enjoyed it.

Good with interesting twists but so many characters I kept getting lost.
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I really enjoy reading a great detective story especially when it’s a female lead. The authors tend to give us all of the issues that come with a position like that for a woman. That usually involves discrimination, working twice as hard, recognition issues, and more.

This one followed that theme to a degree with the detective a very likable woman who is smart and well-versed in her craft. The story brings us an unlikely murder which quickly becomes multiple murders, all with very mysterious and suspicious connections.

Tracy allows the characters to dive deep into the story as a chunk of the storyline involves points of view from the family of the victims and surrounding characters. The police procedural seemed less front-focused to me. I would have enjoyed more from Maggie's and her partner's POV.

The Devil You Know is a gripping tale that is interesting and complex in many ways. But there are a lot of characters involved. So much so, that I kept getting lost in who is who.

I would definitely read another installment in the series. This one was easy to follow as a stand-alone and I was connected with the detective and her works. I just wanted more from her.

Aptly Titled!
As with any series, if you jump into the middle, the main characters have already been developed and some of the subtleties of their defining moments have been played out elsewhere. Nonetheless, the heroine's character seemed familiar enough that I felt almost as if I had read one or two of the previous novels.
The first several chapters are a series of sketches in minute detail; an excellent psychological study of people you wouldn't want to know. But there is positive character development on several of the main protagonists as well.
You may well figure this one out. I didn't quite, but was left satisfied with the ending, whether or not justice was adequately served.

LOVE THIS COVER!!!!! Honestly gorgeous, stunning, and made me want to read this so bad!
.....with that said, I didn't realize when I started this that it was the THIRD in a series. A series, where I haven't read the first two books :(

For that reason, I put this on hold for now, but will return once I get my hands on and read the first 2 books!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this early review opportunity :)