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 :)

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.