this was a great, fast read, that continues the development of the returning characters in the series.

i think it requires reading the previous 2 books in order to grasp all the old characters vs. the new, plot driving characters.

i enjoy the style of writing as well as the grittiness of the milieu.

For me this book was a small challenge as I did not realize it was part of a series. However, it was not a hurdle that I could not overcome.

A beloved actor is dead. Was it murder?

The book is good and an easy and engaging read. I like it so much, I've now started to read Deep into the Dark and am looking forward to Desolation Canyon.

Would highly recommend.

I listened to this on audio, and was totally lost. I enjoy a good police book but her Monkeywrench series was way more entertaining. Most of the characters were unlikable and that really bothered me. I like to make a character connection. Abby Craden does a great job with narrating.

This is my first foray into this series and I feel like that affected my experience a bit. Was it an enjoyable mystery/detective story? Yes it was. Did I feel like I was playing catch up the whole time, yeah I did. I’m not sure if that was due to the rushed feeling of the book or that I didn’t read the ones that came before it.

I really tried with this one but I ended up DNF this one. It reads like a wordy novel that doesn’t need to be wordy. This is part of a series and is the last book in the series. I am sure since there are other books in the series there are people who love this book and author. I just don't think it was for me.

The Devil You Know is book 3 in The Detective Margaret Nolan series by PJ Tracy. Do you LOVE a good who dunnit? If so this one is for you. Twisty ride all the way until the end!! A great performance by the narrator. The narration kept me engage and guessing to the very end.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Dreamscape Media for this e-arc & listening copy in exchange for my honest review.It was a great reading experience. I highly recommend reading this entire series. So binge worthy!!

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for an e-arc of this novel.
Darkness is nothing new to LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan, but in P.J. Tracy’s The Devil You Know, even she isn’t prepared for the scandalous deception of deadly proportions that shakes the very foundation of Hollywood and its untouchables…and leaves her entangled in its rotten core.

Los Angeles has many faces: the real LA where regular people live and work, the degenerate underbelly of any big city, and the rarefied 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 decay behind the glitter.

This book was published in Jan 2023. I read it earlier and then read it again when it came out. If you like detective novels, suspence thrillers then this book is for you.

Detective Nolan is back in LA where a very famous movie star has been murdered. She has to figure out who killed him while maneuvering the egos of several famous Hollywood stars. I enjoyed this one okay, but Monkeewrench series is my favorite and I hope she gets back to writing those soon.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the book.

The Devil You Know is a part of The Detective Nolan Series which takes places in Los Angeles. Famous actor Evan Hobbes was found dead soon after a fake video destroyed his career. As LA detectives try to figure out whether it was a suicide or homicide, more and more details come to surface.
At the beginning this story was confusing with the reader assuming many POVs, found it challenging to track how is everyone related. But it wasn't long before I got really invested in figuring out what is going on and solving the case.

I originally received this book from Netgalley as a kindle book, but I read the previous book in this series in audio format and really wanted to continue is that format. So I waited for the book to be released and then bought the audiobook.

P.J. Tracy always writes such a good twisty turny story that keeps me hooked until the end! This book was no exception and the fact that I was able to read this in audio format meant that I didn't have to stop reading for anything!!

I will absolutely keep reading this series in audio format!

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*

Can Hollywood untouchables get away with murder? Maybe. Or maybe not when Detective Margaret Nolan is on the case. This is the third in the series and I felt a little unconnected to it since I haven't read the first 2. The plot unraveled well, but I wasn't quite sure how one of the characters and his storyline fell into place with Nolan's. He was a family friend but his story never seemed to intersect with the others. And a lot of AI and deep fakes brought in. I loved the FBI character - she seemed a hoot!

A good read, but I felt like I was missing something by not having read the first 2.

"The Devil You Know" by P.J. Tracy is the latest installment in the LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan series. While the book attempts to explore the dark underbelly of Los Angeles and the privileged world of wealth and celebrity, it falls short in delivering a captivating and well-executed storyline.

While P.J. Tracy's writing style is competent, it is not enough to compensate for the shortcomings of the plot and character development. The lackluster execution of the storyline and the underwhelming exploration of the intriguing setting of Los Angeles are major drawbacks that prevent the book from reaching its full potential.

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Devil You Know is the third book in the Detective Maggie Nolan series and while each book is a stand-alone and can be read as such but in my opinion it’s better to start a series from the beginning. There was references back to what happened in the previous books so I understood where things were but you definitely miss the small thing’s when you jump into the middle of a series.

There’s a lot of moving parts in this story with the multiple murders and the personal side stories of Maggie and Sam. This book is a well written police procedural once you figure out who all the players are and I think if I had read the previous books it wouldn’t have taken me as long to get entrenched in the story.

I usually try to start series from the beginning so I will probably go back and read the previous books (definitely interested in one of the stories based off the callback references) and then reread this one to better appreciate it.


Thank you @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I'm a sucker for a good detective story so I was excited for this one. I did enjoy the read, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first two books in the series. I got the sense that the characters were explained in much more detail before I jumped into the story. The language and imagery in this book were quirky and amusing. I liked the relationships and the interactions between the characters. It was fun to jump into this world, but as I said, I felt like I was missing some of the inside jokes.

Was it an accident, was it a murder, or did he commit suicide? This is the question circulating through Los Angeles when the body of Evan Hobbes is found among the rubble from a landslide. Any of these possibilities is just that, a possibility. After all, a video was just leaked that could destroy his career, angering more people than just himself. Things get even murkier when another body is discovered. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is tasked with uncovering the truth before another person ends up dead.

The Devil You Know is the third novel in the Detective Margaret Nolan series, and I would not recommend reading this novel before reading the previous two. While I could follow a majority of the main story, there were a few side narratives that, not having read the other novels, I did not understand; there are continuing relationships and histories that are further built upon in The Devil You Know. I enjoyed the characters and what they brought to the mystery surrounding Evan Hobbes. While I had my suspicions early on, I was a bit surprised by one aspect of the ending.

I really liked the Margaret Nolan detective series a lot. It was intriguing and I enjoyed the writing style and the plot line.

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy is third in the Margaret Nolan series. I wish I would have known this going in as there are a lot of characters and it sometimes gets a bit confusing. Definitely read the first two books before this one. While I did enjoy the whole storyline, again, I felt somewhat off, not reading the first two books. My fault!

A Good Read


Although I had previously read the first book in this series, I opted to start with the third installment and now plan to go back and read the second as well. The author skillfully delves into the thoughts of both major and minor characters, making even the most fleeting appearances feel fully developed. However, the sheer number of characters can make it overwhelming to keep track of all the information presented.

Although the series is named after Detective Nolan, she shares the lead role with Sam, a wounded veteran whom Margaret befriended in a previous book. The portrayal of Hollywood elites is scathing, depicting them as snobbish, cunning, and treacherous, while some can be endearing, and others deadly. The working-class law enforcement types, especially Margaret's partner Detective Crawford, are much easier to relate to.

The story begins with a murder and quickly escalates as more bodies pile up. The detectives investigate, uncovering a tangled web of suspects that grows more complex with each revelation. While the initial character building can make the beginning feel slow, once Margaret begins to solve the crime, the story becomes engaging. Keeping track of all the suspects may require taking notes.

This book is the third in a series featuring Detective Margaret Nolan of the Los Angeles Police Department. The opening chapter is gripping, featuring murder, investigation, and personal lives of the characters. While the secondary characters are well-developed, readers may find it easier to follow if they have read the previous books. The intricate plot includes several subplots that build momentum toward a somewhat predictable conclusion.

The author skillfully balances the shocking and emotional aspects of the story with the personal lives of the characters, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of actors, police officers, talent agents, veterans, and musicians. Themes include death, murder, friendship, family, privilege, and much more.

Overall, this complex police procedural features compelling characters and subplots that keep the pages turning. Although it can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend reading the series in order for a better understanding of the characters and their development. I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and P.J. Tracy via NetGalley, and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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.*