This is a Mystery, and this is the fourth book in the Detective Margaret Nolan series. I have not read the first three books in this series before picking up this book. I ended up DNFing this book around 10% into this book. I really had a ton of trouble getting into this book, and there was a ton of jumping around which made it hard to connect to the characters. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

City of Secrets is the fourth procedural mystery featuring Detective Margaret Nolan by P. J. Tracy. Released 20th Aug 2024 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

The author does a good job intertwining an intricate plot with several disparate threads into a whole, including high profile California business power movers, drugs, and murder. All the characters seemed to be either irredeemably awful/shallow/predatory or irretrievably broken and suffering from PTSD/addiction/psychological problems (or a combination of all of the above). It makes for an often uncomfortably voyeuristic read in places. There are some explicit darker sexual/sadism/non-mainstream plot elements; sensitive readers should be aware.

The chapters are told in alternating third person and it's not always immediately clear which character is being written about without close attention. There are some content warnings, including addiction, sexual abuse, and mentions of suicide (brief mentions). The author does an impressive job with strong female characters (protagonists and antagonists both). There are some scary and over the top mentions of mental illness which aren't very accurate, but otherwise it's a solid cinematically written thriller.

The mystery, resolution, and denouement are self contained in this volume, so it works fine as a standalone, with the codicil that there are developing relationships between the main and returning secondary characters. Readers reading the series out of order will encounter some spoilers for the earlier books.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours 51 minutes and is capably read by Abby Craden. She has a well modulated alto voice and does a competent job with a range of American, non-specific European (supposedly Spanish), and male and female characters. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. It's a satisfying and well written somewhat gritty modern procedural. It's not at all derivative, but fans of Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, and Robert Crais will find a similar feel. (Especially to Connelly's Bosch books).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Another exciting episode in the Maggie Nolan series with the whip smart writing and plotting you expect from PJ Tracy. Well worth your time and sure to keep you turning pages past bedtime!

Detective Maggie Nolan and her partner are given a case that is more than just a murder case. They don’t know that until they begin their investigation into the victim and the people around him and his company. More and more secrets are revealed and slowly it begins to show why he was murdered and also into a much larger crime going on. There are many different characters and they all add to the story along with different storylines that help make this a very good book and one that is very much worth the read

This is a story about the city of angels.

I wanted to like this but oh my gosh, was the writing not for me. It felt like a thesaurus was heavily in use in ways that were odd- like an SAT vocab term in the midst of an unnecessary description of a woman’s body. The plot line was fine, and I was fairly invested despite my general annoyance with all involved. I’m sure this will lane for lots of people!

Thanks Netgalley and Minotaur Books!

I ended up not reading this as it is book 4 of a series I have not read and I didn't realize it when it was sent to me.

City of Secrets is the fourth book the Margaret Nolan series. This is the first book I have read in the series and was very pleased with the story. This book is a stand-alone story, but I would have liked to have started at the beginning.

This is a fast-paced mystery which begins with a murder of a wealthy man found in a seedy part of town in his car. Margaret Nolan is tasked to investigate the murder.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of but all of them and their connection are tied up in end for a fantastic conclusion.

Detective Maggie Nolan and her partner are given a case that is more than just a murder case. They don’t know that until they begin their investigation into the victim and the people around him and his company. More and more secrets are revealed and slowly it begins to show why he was murdered and also into a much larger crime going on. There are many different characters and they all add to the story along with different storylines that help make this a very good book and one that is very much worth the read.

L.A. police detective Margaret Nolan and her partner are called to a fatal carjacking. As they investigate, they learn that the dead man was the co-founder of a pet food company that is in the process of being acquired by another. Then, the other co-founder's wife is kidnapped, and Nolan and Ray discover that the carjacking victim had a disturbing sex life, and that there is much more going on with the company than appears on the surface.

Author P.J. Tracy has created a story that gripped me from its opening. Nolan proves to be an intriguing character, and she follows her instincts, as well as doing the necessary research, to progress the case forwards. The story's tight timeline (because of the kidnapping) helped to also build the tension and keep it high till the surprising ending.

I enjoyed this instalment in the Margaret Nolan series more than the previous, and am now interested in reading earlier entries, as well as eagerly awaiting more Margaret Nolan stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

P.J. Tracy does not disappoint in this latest installment of Det. Margaret Nolan. I love me a kick-ass woman detective and Det. Nolan kills it! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series.

This was a fun mystery thriller! I enjoyed how the plot played out and the characters in this one! Even though this is the fourth book in the series it can definitely be read as a standalone! Very excited to continue with the other books in this series! Definitely recommend giving this one a read!

I received a copy from NetGalley. Book four in a series so there is less back ground character development. I would recommend not starting with this one as I don't think it works well as a stand alone. Good story if you are already familiar with the main characters.

A thriller is often made or broken by the intensity of the villain. The City of Secrets’s Angel of Death is preternaturally evil, mysterious, and casts a pall on everyone whose lives are touched by them. Ringo, a confidential informant tells his Homicide handler that he’s leaving town because of a very-real specter: “This motherfucker is scary, and he’s somebody big.” He’s a “kind of a jefe,” he continues and one visit from him was enough for Ringo: “My buddy Chick in Culver City got a visit too. He says the dude is the angel of death, that all this rain and shit is a sign the devil is coming for us. Like in Revelations.”

City of Secrets is the fourth Detective Margaret Nolan Los Angeles based mystery. Nolan has a great repartee with her co-workers in the “vaunted” Homicide Special Section. That said, her romantic relationship with fellow detective Remy Beaudreau appears to be an open secret, and how will that play out if Captain Mendoza clues in? Cue recollections of The Big Easy.

Remy Beaudreau’s low, smooth voice behind her startled as much as it catalyzed a furious rush of endorphins. She loved the sizzling high, but hated that she was a feeble pawn to biology in even the most inappropriate circumstances. She came from a long line of control freaks, and had probably absorbed the trait in the womb. Hormonal autopilot contravened her most basic principles.

Remy is smooth, attentive, wealthy and he listens to her so what’s not to love? But Maggie’s career success has been achieved through hard work, intelligence, and perseverance. Can she risk jeopardizing that? Maggie and Remy relationship weaves through the story, occasionally in the most one-degree-of-separation ways (like Remy catching a huge clue while nursing his sorrows because he’s having to drink alone at the Bel-Air bar).

In Los Angeles it’s not unusual for folks to moonlight in the film industry. Meet “Roscoe Miles, lead tech and dilettante filmmaker.” When Nolan is called out to a late-night crime scene during a monsoon, Ross steps up. Helpful, since her partner Al Crawford is stuck in L.A. traffic.

He gestured to the car. “This is a mess. Everything is soaked inside and out. We can’t lift prints until everything dries out, and it’s not going to impound until we work it on-site.”



“Can you get a generator and some heaters or fans?”



“Working on it.”



“You never disappoint, Ross.” She peered inside. No outward signs of a struggle. The man was mid to late fifties, she guessed; well-dressed, as she’d expected. His abundant, artfully graying hair was plastered to his skull. A droplet of water trickled down his artificially tight, blanched cheek, and dripped on the front of his sodden cashmere sweater. The small hole in the middle of his forehead was clean, scoured of blood by the rain. From the size and minimal damage, most likely a .22. “He saw it coming.”



“Yeah. Poor bastard. Carjacking?”



Possible, but those assholes usually carry bigger pieces. And his window is down. It’s been too cold and rainy for that all week, so there was another reason it was open, and it wasn’t to greet a carjacker.”



Ross brightened. “Maybe he knew his killer.”

P.J. Tracy has us on the ground floor of the investigation. What’s a “big, fancy car” doing “in a bad part of town?” Unusually, the car looks like it was driven there. The owner wouldn’t have brought it to Poppy’s body shop in the middle of a rainy night for mechanical work, so who was he meeting? Nolan’s partner is still delayed by the beastly weather. When Crawford finally arrives, he’s huddling under a tiny unicorn-decorated umbrella: Nolan takes a few surreptitious pictures.

Ross finally has a generator up-and-running—how’d that miracle transpire? A neighborhood cop, Gonzales, persuaded Poppy to lend his equipment. Ross is grateful.

He smiled slyly. “I’m taking Gonzales out for a drink later to thank him.”



“I hear workplace romances can work out occasionally,” Crawford said cheerfully.



“It’s just a drink.”



“That’s how it all starts. Isn’t that right, Maggie?”



She eviscerated him with a look.



Ross watched them curiously. “Am I missing out on something?”



“Absolutely nothing at all, unless you didn’t realize that Al can be a pain in the ass,” she snapped, then regretted because Ross was very intrigued now.

Oh dear, as her mother had always reminded her, “her rare combination of strawberry-blond hair and pale skin made her a genetic tinderbox and her temper should be managed early.” Enough with the uncomfortable banter. Nolan’s professionalism kicks in. The dead man behind the wheel is Bruce Messane. Hearing that name causes Ross’s face to “crumple.”

“What, you know him?”



“Of him. He the Peppy Pets guy. He formed the company because his cats died from tainted food. Really sad.”



“How the hell do you know this?” Crawford asked.



“The story is on the back of every bag of dry food. Man, I hope the company doesn’t go under. My cats won’t eat anything else.”



“I think it’s too big to fail,” Nolan reassured him.

Nolan quickly finds out that the victim’s company was “about to sell for millions.” Is the money on the table a motive? Within twenty-four hours, Messane’s partner’s wife is kidnapped—and the plot just gets messier. Nolan’s ex-wife states that Messane was a sex addict. A female associate says Nolan was a devotee of violent sex games. Darker still are intimations that an “Angel of Death” may be behind both Messane’s murder and the abduction of his partner’s wife. Were Poppy’s words to her prescient, when he said, “Ángel de la Muerte is here. The angel of death.” Although Gonzales said Poppy’s words weren’t literal, as the case unfolds, Nolan wonders. Poppy also said Por favor cuidadmente (stay safe), a command that’s easier said than done.

You won’t be able to put City of Secrets down. And there’s time before the fifth Detective Margaret Nolan book drops to read the initial three mysteries in the series.

City of Secrets follows Detective Nolan as she has another case to solve. This is a police investigative thriller that’s fast paced and easy to follow. I didn’t have any trouble following what was going on even though it’s the first book in the series I’ve read.

Maggie Nolan is relatable and unstoppable. She’s the perfect point of view. She’s not perfect, but she’s a force to be reckoned with. She and her partner work to find out about three seemingly unrelated crimes.

It’s probably obvious how I feel about the main character. I’ll read more books in this series because I like her so much. I’m not sure I’d remember the book otherwise though. It flowed well, but nothing about the plot stands out.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I have read and enjoyed this entire series, and this was another great entry. I would say these need to be read in order, mainly because the relationships between the characters have grown and developed since Book 1. Each book, including this one, has had an intricate and complex crime plot with lots of action (but not too much gore). My one complaint/concern would be that this book was written in third person close perspective, with the character in focus changing randomly in each chapter. There were a couple that for whatever reason it took me a minute to remember who that person was. It was good to get those clues and information, but it made it harder to get to know those characters very much. If you enjoy crime novels, I think you would enjoy this series and this book.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This author never disappoints, and this read was really thrilling. Full of twists and turns, and action all the way through, would highly recommend.

Enjoyed this one very much, another great suspense thriller from author P.J. Tracy. Never disappoints, highly recommend!

This is book four of the Detective Margaret Nolan series, and it keeps getting better and better. In this installment, Detective Margaret Nolan is investigating a fatal car jacking that ends up being so much more and connects to other cases.

As the bodies pile up, this gripping mystery gets even more intriguing. Dangerous forces are coming from different sides as this intricate storyline is woven together. The plot is well paced, the characters are great, and the overall story is vastly entertaining. If you enjoy detective fiction, then this series is a must-read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I've read in this series, but I've added this author as a backlist challenge because I enjoyed City of Secrets so much.

Detective Maggie Nolen is such a complex character, making this twisted complex plot all the more interesting to work through as she and her partner Al work to solve this complicated case.

There’s a little bit of romance and the secondary characters add a significant contribution to the storyline.

Suspenseful and gripping, I’ll be looking forward to reading more from P.J. Tracy.

My thanks to St. Martins Press for this gifted DRC

City of Secrets is a thrilling addition to the Detective Margaret Nolan series. There are multiple layers to the mystery that kept me engaged in the story.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.