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 :)

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy

I received this book from Minotaur and NetGalley in exchange for a review.

It’s kind of funny that as I was reading this one, I was thinking I was gobbling it up. I didn’t even think about it being the week of Thanksgiving until I was writing this review. But I did gobble up this story. I read it in part of one day in two sittings. Probably would have read it in one sitting but I had to head to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner.

This is clearly the third or fourth book in a series. I have not read any of the others, but that did not take away from my enjoyment at all. There’s enough back story woven in to make it so it’s not necessary to have read the others. I will go back now and catch myself up but not because I need to in order to follow this plot. Only because I did enjoy this one so much that I’d like to read the others.

The story here is very Hollywood heavy and having been to Los Angeles, I enjoyed the way the author made the city a big part of the story. Even including Pink’s hot dog joint on La Brea.
The characters are well written and fully fleshed out. No one seemed one dimensional at all and that takes real talent and care. Especially with the large cast of characters in this story. All of the characters had distinct personalities and quirks.

I did figure out the whodunnits pretty swiftly, but that didn’t take away from the fact that I was scrolling through the pages eating up the dialogue and action.

The pace was well done and the author’s use of language was smart and refreshing. So many times, crime stories are not done with sophisticated language and nuance. This was different and I quite enjoyed it.
The main protagonist is a female detective and she was likable and relatable. Her relationship with her partner was amusing and they worked well together. I was happy to see the author gave both of them insight and that she allowed them to solve the case together with each giving ideas and building off what the other thought. So many times in these stories, the lead character is always the smartest person in the room and never asks for help nor bounces ideas off others. The way these two were written seems much more realistic. I enjoyed the relationship between them.

I don’t often give five stars—four is pretty much as high as I go even when I enjoy a story, but since I got so wrapped up in this one, I’m giving it a five.

This is a well-written, fast paced, entertaining, crime thriller. It has a likable, intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, murder, mystery, intrigue, wit, Hollywood scandal, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. This is the third entry in P.J. Tracy's Detective Margaret Nolan series, and can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. The author's note is interesting, insightful, and truly appreciated. P.J. Tracy, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley kindly provided me with an ARC of this novel, and this is my honest opinion.

Devil You Know
P.J. Tracy
Mystery
3
Nancy

When Hollywood’s heartthrob Evan Hobbes, via video from the Dark Web, is revealed to be the worst kind of pedophile, his fans almost unanimously turn on him, as do most of his famous friends, including the owner of the PR firm that represents him. There are a few who remain loyal to him, though (or at least who display what passes for loyalty in Hollywood), including his manager Seth Lehman, who may be juggling more women and drugs to be able to pay much attention to Evan. In fact, there are enough people to fill Essie Baum’s opulent home at the party she hosts to support Evan, an evening shattered by Evan’s death. Although rumors are already spreading that he killed himself, Homicide Detective Margaret Nolan recognizes it as murder, a theory confirmed when many more big names in the entertainment field become victims. As Nolan and her partner, Crawford, follow the bodies, PTSD-stricken Sam Easton assists, fighting the panic arracks that plague him.

In this, the third in Tracy’s Margaret Nolan series, the author has yet to create either a plot or a character that I can manage to care about.

My thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a great mystery about a murder very well camouflaged during a natural disaster. The first step is determining that the death is not an accident, From there, the investigation explodes to every area of Evan's (the victim) life. He is under a dark cloud for purported activity despite being well liked until the rumors started. He and his agent are surrounded by people that are manipulative and self-serving, some downright mean. When his agent Seth is also murdered, the suspect list expands to include almost everyone around them. Nolan is an excellent detective, and aligns the clues to reach a surprising ending! A wonderful whodunit!

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy sees LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan plunged into an insular realm of privilege and gives her a glimpse of the darkness behind the glitter.
I had a difficult time getting into this story. It was just not my writing style of enjoyment, and the writing and characters felt pretentious in their dialogue and actions.

I liked other books by this author, but The Devil You Know didn't quite do it for me in the storyline or the writing style.

This was a police procedural book, but it was slow-paced and not as exciting as I had hoped.

#TheDevilYouKnow #NetGalley @StMartinsPress

Maybe I would have liked this better if I'd read the previous books in this series? Despite being a slow burn, there wasn't any character development and the switching between the different character's thoughts was confusing and disorienting.

This is a really good book and full of suspense. I am glad this author has kept on writing. It is part of a series that I recommend you read.

Detective Margaret Nolan is sent to investigate a body found after an earthquake. This leads her uphill to a magnificent home where a large party ran into the wee hours. The body belongs to an actor who attended that party. Wading into the cesspool of lies and pretense of Hollywood's elite, Nolan and Detective Crawford find connections to the wealthy and privileged in LA, Hollywood, and Santa Barbara whose lives intersect and intertwine in shocking ways.
A lively, fast-paced police procedural, this story is told in bite-size chapters with a large cast. In truth, I had to jot a few notes to keep track. Crisp dialogue and vivid descriptions kept the story roaring along.
This book is part of the Detective Margaret Nolan Series. Since it is my first look at the series, I can say this book can be read as a standalone.
Thank you, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy. The release date for this book is January 17, 2023.

I understand this the third book in the series, but the first for me. I guess I am in the minority, because I don't like it. I am only 12% into the book and find it slow and boring. I thank Net Galley for the advanced copy for my own opinion.

An interesting book about murders in Hollywood. Detective Nolan and her partner are trying to cut through all the lies to figure out who the murderer is.

Well written, but sooo many characters to keep track of. I found myself at times trying to remember where they fit in.

There were some twists that kept me turning pages and some insight to the life of the stars.

This books was really full of twists and turns that I often didn’t see coming. The characters were broken into two categories: the law enforcement, who were easy to like and hope for, and the rich and famous, who had seemingly no good qualities. But, the author wove them together with skill and made the story interesting. This was a quick but fun read.

I received an invitation to read and review this title. I gladly accepted , as the summary appeared to be something that typically appeals to my reading desires.
The beginning of the book became a little confusing and I never quite understood the connection to the overall story. * I found out upon finishing the book that "The devil you know is the third installment in the Margaret Nolan series. So the fact that I was a bit confused makes a bit more sense now knowing the main characters have more of a history/backstory that I am unaware of."
That said, the story still left me wondering who was being referred to or who was speaking because of the authors' writing style. Sometimes people are referred to by their first name sometimes by their last, just not consistent. I did power through to finish. The conclusion was fairly predictable.
Perhaps, if one is familiar with the Detective Nolan series this installment will be of more interest and you will connect with the main characters better than I was able to.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC. :)

Im sorry but i couldnt get into the story amd i did not finish half way through i likes the characters but didnt like the plot

My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's for this advanced copy to review.

Story centers around Detective Maggie Nolan who gets involved in a case of an actor Evan Hobbez found in a rockslide after a damaging video is released of him.. Was it murder or not? Told in various pov...Found following it a bit confusing.

I rounded up a bit bc I don’t think I could give an entirely fair assessment having not read the first two books in the series. I’ve picked things up midway through before with other series and gotten a feel for characters and their backstories, but here I felt like I was going in blind. Some of the characters weren’t really used and kind of felt superfluous but I could tell they were important in previous installments. So I tried to set that aside.

The mystery had a lot of parts that come together neatly. But I felt not.. that into it. I think there were too many people involved for me. Not so much in the mystery itself but in the POVs. I felt like it was distracting since none of them were very likable. Sometimes this jumping around works for me but I think the combination of feeling like I should know the main detectives but don’t, and the focus being too many other places was distracting.

BUT again, that might be bc I jumped in on the third book. So I didn’t want to take anything off for that. I think the whodunnit holds up, and if you’re already invested in the characters, it’s probably a good story.

304 pages

3 stars

Seth Lehman is a reprehensible character. Aside from that, I found that I didn’t like any of the actresses and actors portrayed in the book. Perhaps the only good one was killed in the landslide.

Detectives Maggie Nolan and Al Crawford respond to a body being found in a landslide. The body is the famous and widely loved actor named Evan Hobbes. Was it suicide? Murder? Accident? We must wait for the autopsy.

I liked the detectives. Nolan was driven and determined to discover what happened to Mr. Hobbes. The rest of the story was kind of blah, blah… The violent domestic scenes and Seth’s behavior made the book rather tedious.

I truly enjoy police procedurals and I was hoping that this book would be a solid procedural. While the police work was good, the rest of the novel just didn’t have it for me.

This is the first time that I have been disappointed by a book for St. Martin’s Press. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

The Devil You know by PJ Tracy tells the story of LAPD Detective Maggie Nolan. An accident, suicide, or murder of a well known star occurs in the area. This is the first time I have read this author. I’m guessing there is a history with the characters from prior novels. It was a bit difficult to follow the characters and story line. It did come together and the main plot was really good. It kept me reading. I would recommend this novel. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me review this book.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this Detective Margaret Nolan, #3 of the series, from Netgalley, the author P. J. Tracy, and at the invitation of publisher Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Devil You Know of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am happy to recommend P. J. Tracy to friends and family. She writes an excellent police procedural and paints exceptional mental pictures with her prose.

I am so pleased to have found Ms. Tracy. Our story flows occasionally back to 1864 in Lancaster, Pa. for the Easton family history, but for the most part, we are in the present day in Southern California. Los Angeles Homicide Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner Al Crawford battle their way through L.A. traffic and up and down to coastal towns via Pacific Coast Highway. When Malibu calls them in to investigate the death of Hollywood heart-throb Evan Hobbes, whose body was found on a section of a cliff face that separated and fell down onto State Highway 1 (PCH) during the earthquake. Traffic is backed up on the one-lane highway for miles in both directions. they aren't sure if the Malibu local police didn't want to handle such a high-profile case or just didn't want to crawl down the 200-foot unsteady cliff face to investigate and retrieve the body. If it was murder, there are a lot of potential suspects - the actor had recently been outed on social media with an accompanying film as a purveyor of kiddie porn and sexual abuse. Rumor has it the film is a deepfake though that has not yet been explored. Or it's possible he was just in the wrong place, the wrong time. There had been a party at the top of the cliff the night of the earthquake, and the victim smelled strongly of alcohol. But before the coroner can determine whether Hobbes's death was a homicide, suicide, or accident, more bodies are found.

P.J. Tracy’s mystery, revolving around four murders, involves several characters: the victims, the victimizers, and those trying to solve the crimes. Alternating viewpoints can be an effective storytelling technique; in this instance it it is not. Rather, it is confusing. There are too many characters in this work; some seem extraneous. The inflated diction is distracting and impedes the tension of the plot. Finding the solution becomes tedious rather than intriguing.