I listened to the first two in the Detective Margaret Nolan Series. There are quite a few characters in the books, but you don't get lost with all of them or forget who they are (at least I don't).

This one finds Detective Nolan and Detective Al investigating a Hollywood Star death. It is just the start of investigations. Are they all connected? Sam is trying to decide what path he wants to take with his life, job wise.

I like this series for a few reasons. It seems to always be full of action. I never get bored. There is great character development in each one. I can't wait to see what happens with them all. I look for some Detectives from the FBI to maybe make future appearances.

Published January 17, 2023

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 🙃

#netgalley
#stmartinspress
#minotaurbooks

Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I made it over a third of the way through, and I still wasn't following along. There are many characters that I just couldn't keep straight, and I didn't really care what happened.

*Thank you @minotaurbooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

The Devil You Know is an intriguing police procedural. A famous actor is found dead after a disturbing video of him with a child is leaked online. He swore it was a fake and he was being set up. Detective Maggie Nolan investigates the celebrity world of agents and actors. Maggie is a strong character with a likeable and driven personality. This story contains, deception, exploitation, abuse and betrayal, all the good stuff. This was a good enjoyable read. I liked it. My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

So far I liked the second book the most of out the three books published. This one also felt weak like the first one did. I feel like the AMOUNT of deaths in the first and third books are wayyyy over the top. Just dropping like flies, it's insane. It's too much. I'll probably continue the series if I keep getting them from NetGalley/Libby/Kindle Unlimited.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was not a bad read though i wish i had read the other books first to get a better feel for the characters. Interesting enough read, would read more of the series.

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy is a mysterious novel that quickly pulls you into its gritty world in the first few chapters. This book can be difficult to read because it deals with very real trauma and brutal crimes. Overall, it is an interesting story. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Fans of PJ Tracy's Monkeewrench series will find a different vibe here in the Maggie Nolan series. While she is a solid lead, Maggie is arguably a bit of a tough nut to crack, and the plot/place take center stage over character. Which works well enough when the mystery is set in Hollywood and deals with the death of an actor and all the expected buzz that brings with it. Though the third in the Maggie Nolan series, The Devil You Know is still accessible as an entry point for new readers.

Before I read this book, I decided to read the previous books in the series. I’m glad I did, but this book can be read as a standalone if you don’t want to read the others first.

I really like Detective Nolan, she’s my favorite character. Second favorite is Sam. They are well developed characters and this story is one that will have you hoping things don’t get worse and the cringing when they do. There is also an unsung hero that will leave you scratching your head and laughing, if you have a sick sense of humor like I do.

The body of a beloved Hollywood actor is found in the rubble of a Malibu mudslide the day after a fake video ruins his career. Is it an accident, a suicide, or a murder? Detective Margaret Nolan is on the case in this new novel that delves into the many societies of L.A.

The Devil You Know is book 3 in the Detective Margaret Nolan series. I have not read the previous books in this series and this was perhaps not the best book to start the series with. There are a lot of characters and we get a close look at many of their lives. Because of that, there isn't a lot of recapping or backstory provided.

At times this novel reminded me of Bosch (the television series based on Michael Connely's series) with its mix of personal life and police procedural.

Readers who love Hollywood scandals will enjoy the insider view of the machinations behind the screen. As I'm not really into Hollywood gossip, I just felt sorry for the characters. We really get to know all the secondary characters even though they probably won't appear in future books - that was a little shocking for a series book. It gives the novel a stand-alone feel.

I'm not a huge fan of police procedurals and I didn't feel like I connected with the characters much. That could be because I'm jumping into a series with book 3. So while it was an enjoyable enough read, it wasn't very rememberable. I would be willing to try another book in the series.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/04/the-devil-you-know-by-p-j-tracy.html

This is 3rd in a mystery series starring LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan. Damaged veteran Sam Easton continues to play a part as do Margaret's wealthy colleague Remy Beaudreau and Sam's friend, musician Melody Traeger.

This episode features several celebrity deaths, including that of Evan Hobbes, who dies after claiming that a video of him involved in child pornography is a deepfake.

It's a convoluted mystery, enhanced by series leads' progress on facing their personal demons and developing relationships.

This was a difficult one to read. It was my first book in the series but characters were well established and it was hard to pick up the backstory in some instances. The mystery didn’t grab me, the characters were hard to care about and overall I struggled to read this.

This book was honestly such a departure from the rest of the series. No action packed tense climax, lots more character development, but still very twisty, which was great.

Maggie Nolan is fleshing out really well. She’s definitely hard nosed and locked down tight, but her quick asides and soul searching are giving us a lot of feels to help round out her character. Sam is still by far my favorite part of the series and I hate that his name isn’t getting bigger billing.

I am glad that each mystery is super different from the last which keeps things fresh. It will be fun to see where this thing goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

This is the third book in a series. I wish I would have read the first two because I felt a little lost with the characters. The book is about the showbiz side of Los Angeles. Homicide detective Nolan is called to the scene of a Malibu rockslide that turned up the body of a famous star, Evan Hobbes. At first it’s unclear if the death was accidental or not, but it soon turns out that Hobbes was most likely dead before he went over a cliff at a private party. Nolan’s investigation takes her deep into the world of stars and agents, uncovering several secrets and more than one murder. The Hollywood scene is a little much for me so I didn’t particularly like the book. It was just ok for me. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by P.J. Tracy
Publication: 1/18/2023 by Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio
Narrated by: Abby Craden
Duration: 7 hrs, 12 min

This is the third in a series of police procedural / detective mystery - thrillers involving Detective Margaret Nolan. Explored is the many of facets of Hollywood - Los Angeles, from the degenerate underbelly to the pompous and pretentious world of the wealthy, the power brokers and the elite celebrities. Supposedly wholesome and beloved Disney star, Evan Hobbes’ career is in jeopardy as photos and video appear of him in a sexual liaison with underage fans.
He insists they are deep fakes… and his agent, Seth Lehman goes into a concerted damage control mode. Before his reputation can be cleared Evan is dead. His broken and twisted body lies below the cliffs of a Malibu mansion. There were more than a hundred elites attending a celebratory party at the mansion of Disney exec, David Keller. Who knows what really happened…. an accident, a murder or even suicide. David’s wife Essie, just happens to be the sister of the Hobbes’ agent, Seth Lehman. Detective Nolan is summoned to the scene to investigate the death of Evan Hobbes. He was one of many wealthy guests attending the mega party. In the course of interview and interrogation of the many potential suspects and witnesses, Margaret must deal with the colossal egos and subterfuge of the Hollywood elite. On the morning after the death, Seth is actually buying caviar for his guest of the night… well known actress Daphna Love. He’s convinced her to break her contract with his boss, Rebecca Wodehouse, better known as “The Dragon Lady”, and sign on with him, as he forms a new agency. Nolan uncovers the sordid pasts of the multiple repellent Hollywood characters … the so-called glitzy and glamorous people. Most are nvolved in some type of scandalous deception. Before the weekend is over, other bodies will fall … including the lecherous David Keller.
P.J. Trace concocts a compelling narrative replete with unbelievable twists and turns … uncovering many “secret affairs” and documents extensive back-stabbing. It is tale of great atmospheric depth, populated by extensive odious personalities. The audio version was narrated by professional actress, and voice personality, Abby Craden, Her incredible voice, intonations and tone brought forth into reality the multiple different and varied characters. It is obvious why she has twice been the recipient of the Audio File Earphones Award. Her presentation saves this tale from being a simple soap opera.
Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced version of the audio novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third entry in a detective series, and I think it's important to read the first two. I say that because I haven't read them, and I was a little lost with all the characters. I feel like I was missing info that would have helped me form more of an attachment to the leads especially. I did finish and it was well written, I just feel I need to read the first two books.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

The 3rd book in the Detective Margaret Nolan series, The Devil You Know follows the investigation of Evan Hobbes, a Disney child star whose body turns up in a Malibu rockslide and suggests that foul play was involved with his demise. When another dead body turns up and seems linked to Hobbes - can Nolan find the killer who is on the loose?

This one was unfortunately not for me - I’m new to Margaret Nolan and while this can be read as a stand alone, it is very hard to follow with out the context of knowing what has happened in the two prior books. For me, that made this a DNF - I’m hoping to come back to it once I read the first two books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and P.J. Tracy for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

FINALLY! An exactly paced perfectly twisty thriller that has a plot that thickens instead of separating. I have been in such a thriller rut lately and this cured me!

Thank you to the publisher #stmartinspress and #netgalley for this ARC thriller!

The Devil You Know is the third installment of a series about Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner AJ and a cast of characters that recur in the series.

Overall, this book has the makings of a compelling story - Hollywood drama, an unexplained death, and plenty of detective work.

In this case, though, I kept getting lost in who was who and could not get super invested in the story. It took me forever to finish. I enjoyed the first installment of this series so was disappointed that I wasn't as captured by this story. I will keep an eye out for future books featuring Nolan though because I think this series has good potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion! I'm leaving this review voluntarily!

This is a book you can definitely not read out of order since there are many references to characters and events in previous books. But that wasn't why the book didn't quite work for me. The book didn't draw me in at all! I caught myself wondering off and then realizing I may have missed something. So I went back and reread only to find out that there was nothing important I missed. While the writing was good, I didn't care about the characters. I wanted to love this book, but I couldn't! This was my first book by this author. Since I liked the writing, I will give the other books by the author a chance.

Dnf at 40% . I didn’t find any of the characters relatable or likable and with so many POV it was hard to wrap my mind around it all. I wished I like this more. I’m usually a huge mystery fan..