Thanks to Netgalley and the Thomas & Mercer for this eARC.

In the latest installment of Robert Dugoni's acclaimed Tracy Crosswhite series, "One Last Kill" plunges readers into the depths of a long-cold case that heats up with unexpected ferocity. Dugoni, known for his masterful weaving of suspense and character depth, does not disappoint in this tenth book of the series.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself at the heart of a dormant case—the Route 99 serial killer, whose reign of terror ceased as abruptly as it began nearly three decades ago. With the Seattle PD's reputation hanging in the balance, Crosswhite is tasked with bringing closure to the victims' families and redeeming the department's tarnished image. The stakes are high, and the pressure mounts as she works alongside her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco, to unravel the mystery that has long evaded the grasp of the law.

Dugoni's narrative is a tightrope walk of tension and intrigue. As Crosswhite delves into the past, she unearths more than just the remnants of a serial killer's spree—she exposes a web of corruption and cover-ups that threaten to engulf her. The novel's pacing is relentless, driving the reader through a labyrinth of twists and turns, each more unexpected than the last.

The author's skill in character development shines through in Crosswhite's portrayal. She is resilient, yet unmistakably human, grappling with the weight of her responsibilities and the shadows of her past. Her dynamic with Nolasco adds a layer of complexity to the story, as they navigate their uneasy alliance with a shared goal yet conflicting methods.

"One Last Kill" is a psychological journey into the minds of its characters. Dugoni challenges readers to consider the nature of evil and the lengths to which one must go to confront it. The return of the Route 99 killer is not just a plot device; it's a catalyst for a deeper exploration of justice and redemption.

I will read anything by this author, but especially love Tracey Crosswhite series it was a little slow at the start but I never put down this authors works.., and man was I glad I did because once it got going it was hard to put down! Working with her old boss, and the new info from DNA. Will they be able to solve the case? I not only recommend this book but the whole series!

EXCERPT: 'What's going on?' Gibson said.
'This is the fourth woman we've found in this area in less than a year,' Laub said.
'And there's speculation that it's the same guy?' Gibson asked.
'The MO, strangulation,' and the disposing of the bodies in dumpsters is consistent, but that's not the main reason for the concern.'
'What is?' Faz asked.
'The brass is keeping this quiet for now, but the bodies were all cut in the same location, on the back of the left shoulder.'
'Cut?' Gibson said.
'Carved,' Laub said.
'What's the carving?' Faz said.
'That remains open to debate,' Laub said. 'The other three, it looks like two question marks facing one another, but I don't think that's it.'
'What do you think it is?'
Laub exhaled a breath. 'Between us? For now? To me it looks like angel's wings.'

ABOUT 'ONE LAST KILL': Tracy Crosswhite is reopening the investigation into Seattle’s Route 99 serial killer. After thirteen victims, he stopped hunting and the trail went cold, stirring public outrage. Now, nearly three decades after his first kill, Tracy is expected to finally bring closure to the victims’ families and redeem the Seattle PD’s reputation. Even if it means working with her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco.

Lead detective of the original task force, Nolasco dares Tracy to do what he failed to: close the case. Forming an uneasy alliance, Tracy and Nolasco revisit old leads and pursue new evidence only to unearth high-level corruption and cover-ups as dangerous as the elusive killer himself. At the risk of being exposed, such deadly and powerful forces will go to extremes to stay in the shadows.

That’s just where Tracy and Nolasco are headed—to find the twisted truth behind a killer’s motives, his disappearance, and his chilling comeback.

MY THOUGHTS: I know I have probably said this before about this series, but each book just gets better and better. I read this in a tad over twenty-four hours because I couldn't bear to not be reading it! Everything else was shoved to one side and ignored. I loved every word!

Like a train pulling out of a station on an uphill gradient, One Last Kill slowly gathers pace until it is racing along at full speed towards a climactic ending. I loved the way Tracy uses advances in DNA technology to help solve the cold cases, and the revelations it provided in this case were stellar.

Tracy's bosses (superiors is definitely not the right word) were there for the glory and, afraid what a series of articles on the unsolved series of murders might mean for their funding, making fools of themselves by disclosing an unproven theory as fact.

I like Tracy's strength of character. She likes to be sure of her facts and stands up for what she believes to be right. I enjoyed seeing her and Nolasco working together on this case - they are generally about as compatible as oil and water - Dugoni did a brilliant job of describing their distrust and the uneasy truce they settled into before it moved into an easier working partnership.

The character that really stands out though, is Marilynn Edwards, wife of the ex-mayor of Seattle. She stood up for herself and for what is right and just refused to back down. Tracy admired and respected her and she caused Tracy to re-evaluate some of her own values.

Although this is a series and I do recommend you read them in order, because each book contains its own complete story it is possible to read these books as stand-alones. There are references to past cases, disputes and relationships, but not enough to affect your understanding of the storyline.

A definite recommendation.

I approached One Last Kill, #10 in the Tracy Crosswhite series, with both anticipation and trepidation. Dugoni was contracted to write ten books in this series, and here we are at #10. Are there going to be any more? I certainly hope so and there is no indication in the way this book ended that there won't be. Fingers crossed and fervent prayers to the Book Gods.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#OneLastKill #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: A writer turned lawyer turned writer.
Robert Dugoni was born in Idaho and raised in Northern California the middle child of a family of ten siblings. Dugoni jokes that he didn't get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University, receiving writing awards along the way, and majored in communications/journalism and creative writing while working as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro Office and the San Gabriel Valley Office of the Los Angeles Times.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Thank you, Robert Dugoni and NetGalley, for this eARC! Dugoni continues to be one of my top favorite writers because of his TC series. I love the suspense and plot development in all of his books. He is the master of mystery in my opinion!

Completly enjoyed this book.Dugoni is one of my favorite authors. I read this in one day. 5 0f 5 stars.

Didn't keep my interest, I did not finish it. I am not sure what it was missing, but after multiple attempts I eventually quit :/

Another Tracy Crosswhite edition that is sure to leave readers satisfied and yearning for more Tracy action!

Tracy Crosswhite oversees the cold case division for the Seattle Police department and has just been tasked with reopening the Route 99 serial killer case. It’s been three decades since the killer of thirteen women stopped killing and left no further clues. Now, Tracy is in charge of bringing closure to the families after all these years. With so many cases to investigate, she asks for help and gets it in the form of the former task force leader, her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco. The two have always had a tense relationship and being forced to work together on the case he couldn’t solve makes Tracy an even deeper thorn in Nolasco’s side. As they start to investigate, a new body shows up with the same MO as the previous thirteen. Tracy and Nolasco must work together to find and stop Seattle’s old threat before he takes more lives.

This is the tenth book in the Tracy Crosswhite series and each time I enjoy seeing what case Tracy is going to have to solve and how the rest of the characters will be involved. The first book in the series is still my absolute favorite, not sure if any will ever top it. This book was fun though because we got to see a fun dynamic between Tracy and her captain who has always had it out for her. Having them work together on a case that has haunted him for years was a brilliant writing move by Dugoni. For me, Dugoni is one of the very best suspense thriller writers I have read, I know when I pick up one of his books I am going to enjoy the entire story.

Fans of the Crosswhite series will enjoy the back and forth banter between the two detectives and how they go about solving this cold case. I would highly recommend reading this series in order to get the most out of it. I will absolutely be reading as many Tracy Crosswhite stories as Dugoni will write. Job well done.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Robert Dugoni for this ARC . I will read anything by this author, but especially love Tracey Crosswhite series…while this started put a bit slow for me, but I never put down this authors works.., glad I kept reading because it was a wow the second half ! Working with an old nemesis, and the new info from DNA, lead to an incredible storyline…i have recommended this series and this author to my book club peeps..love it ! 4 stars only because of the slow start…

Very engaging book. This book starts off with the murder of a woman who was buried alive. After the DNA results come back it was linked to a cold case of two little girls who were kidnapped more then 30 years ago. The agent in charge of the cold case Van is determined to find the other missing girl. But will her own trauma be her undoing?

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity top read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a revuiew based upon my honest opinion.

This is the 10th book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. This could very easily be read as a stand-alone book, but this series is good, it sghould be read and enjoyed right from book one.

Tracey after sucessfully catching a serial killer and discovering a police cover-up has been tasked with the cold case department. It is most likely meant to punish her for finding the last Line poilce coverup but she takes it in stride. Tracy is now being asked to work on the Route 99 Serial killer as the twenty-fifth anniversary is approaching and he was never caught. Tracey is teamed up woth Nolasco, the former leade of the Route 99 task force to try to finally solve this case. But when the police do a press release, it appears to bring out the killer for one alst kill. Can Tracy find this maniac before he strikes again, of course she can!

This is the tenth book, and the first book that I read, in the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni. Why do I read books that are part of a series, without having read the previous ones? I have no clue. Sometimes it does work out as there is not much overlap in the story, but in the Tracy Crosswhite series case, I strongly recommend reading in the proper order. There's too much backlog story, especially this book as it's part of a trilogy within the series.

Despite all that I loved this book, so much that I have decided to finish the series in proper order, starting from the prequels(I think they are short stories). I love police procedural thriller, so this was perfect for me, because along with the chase to find the killer, Tracy, the detective from Seattle Police Department is also embroiled with a lot of internal politics within the force. I love Tracy's character. She seems so perfect, so concise in her thoughts and actions. Initially I thought that she was a non-assertive person for not standing up against Weber and Nolasco but later I realized that Tracy just picks the battles she wants to fight and let the other arguments be. The ending was not the conventional way of ending things, but it felt realistic in some ways. Not always all matters gets wrapped up perfectly, right? You win some, you lose some.

To give brief background of the plot, Tracy is back in Cold Case unit of SPD and is now assigned the Route 99 serial killer case from twenty five years ago. 13 women were murdered, 9 prostitutes and 4 middle-class, respectable moms after which the killer suddenly stopped. The failure of the task force, and the lead detective, Johnny Nolasco was publicized by the media widely. Now, on the anniversary of the murders, Seattle Times is planning a series of articles, focusing on the department's failure. The chief, Weber, asks Tracy to reopen the investigation and assigns her nemesis, Nolasco, to help her find the killer, assuming he's not dead or incarcerated on other charges.

I don't know why I never read this series before, but I am definitely hooked. Now only if I get time to finish the whole series before the next book is out. Wishful thinking, I know. But this series is highly recommended if you're into mystery and police procedural genre.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful. This book evened my eyes to quite a few things and it’s one of those books that I’ll think about for quite awhile.

I really enjoyed this installment in the Tracy Crosswrite series. My only complaint is that the author went a little overboard with the pity the poor police line. No one wants to be a cop because one mistake and their lives are over was a bit much for me to take.
I was given a copy by NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

A new Tracy! Great. This one is of a cold case (of a kind), where the killer was killing at first the prostitutes, but then he started to kill serious, nice middle class women - and then he stopped. And now, lured by the article about re-opening the case, they might start to kill again.

I love this series. This novel may not be my most favourite (I like the earliest volumes the best), but is still a very fine story. Also, you might see the very ugly character of Johnny Nolasco redeemed!?! Say what? But this is why I love this author, he always works with the characters and his works have a lot of heart and humman connections. This is also a follow-up of a kind to the previous novel "What She Found", so if you were interested in the Lisa´s journalistic arc, you need to read this. Also the Cowboy has a comeback of a kind - not a good character, but quite an useful info he can offer!
And I found the killer very soon in the plot here. My first time with Mr Dugoni. But I am a fan, so maybe I am getting the feel of his writing :).

One Last Kill is book 10 in the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni. I started the book this morning and finished it by this evening. I don't read books fast like this, so that should tell you all you need to know about One Last Kill! It's a fantastic mystery that goes back to an unsolved case from 25 years ago. Detective Tracy Crosswhite is assigned a cold case in which a serial killer known as the Route 99 killer murdered 13 women. Then the killings stopped. There was a task force assigned to catch the Route 99 killer, but they never did. No one knew what caused the murders to stop. Was the killer dead? Did he move? Is he in prison? No one knew.

Tracy is supposed to put fresh eyes on the case and try to bring the victim's families some closure. The bad part is Tracy has to work with Captain Johnny Nolasco. He was in charge of the original task force and has always been troubled that it went unsolved. Tracy and Johnny aren't happy to be working together, but must tolerate each other as they've been ordered to try to solve this case. As they go over the old case files and unlock new leads, levels of corruption and cover-ups are discovered. Who would want this case to go unsolved and why? It doesn't make sense. When a new murder takes place with the same calling card that the Route 99 killer used, Tracy and Johnny know they are getting close,

As they look for things that the victims have in common, something critical is discovered that will shake everything up! This book will keep you flipping the pages at record speed to find out who is behind the murders. Will Tracy figure it out before she's in danger? Will she come out unscathed? Will Johnny be able to put his ego aside to be of help to Tracy? Will he make it out alive? If. you've never read a book in this series, you can read this book and enjoy it thoroughly. You are given the background information that you need. I rate One Last Kill 5 stars with my highest recommendation! The book is available now so go get it! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of One Last Kill in exchange for a fair review. #OneLastKill

Thank you @netgalley and #thomasandmercer for my digital copy. My thoughts are my own.
 
Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series is one I have followed since its beginning, and in the latest installment, book 10, the series is still as strong and interesting as ever. I do recommend reading the series in order (at least books 8, 9, and 10) so you can pick up on the tensions, political undertones, and character nuances throughout the series.

In this book, Detective Tracy Crosswhite is now head of the Seattle Police Department’s Cold Case Unit. The local newspaper is preparing to print an article about some decades-old unsolved cases, which will reflect badly on the Seattle Police Department; so Tracy is directed by her boss to reopen the investigation into a serial killer who has been dormant for 25 years. Reluctantly, Tracy joins forces with her long-time nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco, who was the lead detective on the case 25 years ago. Tracy does not realize that Nolasco is still haunted by those unsolved murders.

Readers of the series have watched the animosity grow between Tracy and Nolasco for years. I enjoyed seeing Nolasco through a different lens, as both Nolasco and Tracy eventually learn to appreciate the other a little more. The story alternates timelines, from Tracy’s point-of-view in the present, to Nolasco’s perspective in the past. The characters in this series are strong and well-developed. This is a well-written, compelling series, and I highly recommend it for lovers of police procedurals.

"Tracy Crosswhite is reopening the investigation into Seattle’s Route 99 serial killer. After thirteen victims, he stopped hunting and the trail went cold, stirring public outrage. Now, nearly three decades after his first kill, Tracy is expected to finally bring closure to the victims’ families and redeem the Seattle PD’s reputation. Even if it means working with her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco. Lead detective of the original task force, Nolasco dares Tracy to do what he failed to: close the case. Forming an uneasy alliance, Tracy and Nolasco revisit old leads and pursue new evidence only to unearth high-level corruption and cover-ups as dangerous as the elusive killer himself. At the risk of being exposed, such deadly and powerful forces will go to extremes to stay in the shadows.
That’s just where Tracy and Nolasco are headed—to find the twisted truth behind a killer’s motives, his disappearance, and his chilling comeback."
Do they find the killer? Will have to read the story to find out. Great storyline.
This is book 10 in the Tracy Crosswhite series, I havent read all of his books a few, and have read out of order which does not really confuse me, so they can be read as standalones.
I give this book 4 stars.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, netgalley, and the author for a chance to leave an honest review.
Published Oct 3rd, 2023.

One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite #10

Okay…being honest…on the fence on this one. I still like Tracy, loved seeing a negative colleague emerge less of a douche, and am still curious about what will happen next. I just checked and missed out on many of the books in the series…seven of them…and wonder how that would impact my take on this book. That said…easily a read-a-lone book and no previous books needed.

So…this book…after of a day of gluttonous pre-thanksgiving potluck feasting in Lebanon, I came home to finish this book. Yes, I am behind in my reading commitments BUT I take those commitments seriously. And…the story flows easily and well till one point about page 230 on my copy that had one of the main characters willingly handing off information to a colleague rather than processing it themselves. Not easy to give credence to but, I did move on.

I came away wondering what would warp a character enough in a book like this to have the decisions made…made. Would it be the childhood lived, seeing a parent disparaged and left behind, and knowing wanting vengeance is a real thing but…not sure the vehicle of vengeance in this story was…looking for a term…commensurate with the actions that occurred and needed to be addressed.

That said, Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4- 5 Stars

I know I'm in the minority when I say I was rather lukewarm on the beginning of this series. Don't get me wrong, it was good. But I felt it was missing... something. Something that made me want to keep coming back to these characters. I continued on, but didn't make it a priority. Until book 4 - "The Trapped Girl." It was a dinner scene in that book that was a turning point. The found family aspect was something I really enjoyed. Since then, I thought every subsequent book kept getting better and better. Which brings us to the one, two (three) punch of the last few books (and short story). I thought the interconnectivty of it all, with characters woven in and out, was such a joy that I felt eager to pick up the next installment as soon as I finished the one I was working on. This one in particular felt like the best parts of Michael Connelly. The author states in his acknowledgments that the series will continue, but I really hope he keeps the level of storytelling he showed here. I get that most people like to jump in and out of series, so books need to, essentially, work as standalones, but that would be a disservice to the characters and the world he's created. Bring on more of this. And more Johnny Nalesco. He's fun, even though he's awful.

The Tracy Crosswhite series is still one of my favorites. She continues to be an incredible detective and genuine person. I love the personal element within the series; it truly humanizes her character.

This case was incredible as always. Dugoni writes amazing story lines with intriguing twists that keep you hooked.

(I’m glad this isn’t the last of Tracy Crosswhite. I could read this series forever.)