Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner are called to the scene of a fatal carjacking in a really bad part of town, right in front of Poppy's Garage. The officer on the beat grew up in the neighborhood and has a rapport with Poppy and he tells Nolan there was no reason for the millionaire owner of a big dogfood company to be in the area. Then Poppy is gunned down in a drive-by shooting, so Nolan is convinced there is more going on than meets the eye. Then, the wife of the former partner in the dogfood company is kidnapped and so is he. And where did the Mexican cartels start showing up? A lot of intrigue and plot twists keep this an entertaining read. I like Tracy's style, but I do miss the Monkeewrench Gang.

Mimi calls the owner of Peppy Pets, Bruce Messane, in the middle of the night asking him to meet her. The next morning he is found in a bad part of LA murdered in his car. Detective Margaret Nolan is called to the scene. The tires have been stolen off the car, and the man in a nearby store says a very well dressed woman came and went into the car and emptied his pockets. Nolan soon finds out that Messane's company had been for sale, and that Messane was a sex addict, and there may have been some financial shenanagans in the company's finances A few years before, Rome Bechtold, his former partner, had retired, and he is supposed to inherit the company if Messane dies. Shortly after learning about the death, Rome's wife is abducted. Nolan finally hears from the coroner that the single bullet to his head was not traceable, but, he had been beaten with something that tore and scarred his back deeply probably about 6 months previously, and never got treatment!

The book becomes very exciting as Margaret Nolan has her work cut out and a lot of help. I thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

P.J. Tracy's City of Secrets (Minotaur Books 2024), Book 4 in the Detective Margaret Nolan Series, involves a crime that is tougher than most for LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner to solve. It starts as a murder mystery--the wealthy founder of a company about to be sold for millions is killed in his car, but shortly after, the obvious prime suspect's wife--the partner set to inherit the company--is abducted and then, he too disappears. The trail is complicated with little that makes sense, but exactly the type of crime Nolan excels at.

The story has a lot of threads, each told well with enough detail and emotion to draw readers in. Tracy is a good storyteller, maybe over-impressed with her wordslinging skills which are excellent. So why was I underwhelmed? One reason: I was 27% into the book before any progress was made on solving the murder. Another reason: Each plot piece was enticing and could stand alone as a scene. That sounds good, but in fact, they became so separated from the rest of the story, I wondered how all those pieces would work together into the big picture. I was well over half way through the book before that started to happen.

Overall, a good read from a talented writer some claim to be "one of today's finest crime writers". I think many readers will enjoy it more than I did.

I will start off by saying that I have not read any of the other books in the series. I did feel I didn't know all the back story because of this, but it did not take away from the book too much for me not to know. The hardest part about reading the book was the use of last names, then switching to first names. It was really confusing when that was done. Overall, I did enjoy this book, and it was interesting to see how it all came together in the end. I would read another one in this series.

This is the second Margaret Nolan book I've read by P.J. Tracy. It was better than the last book I read, which is the one that precedes it in the series, although it still feels like there's too many cooks in the kitchen with too many orders to keep track of. The books are called the Detective Margaret Nolan series, but there are multiple other narrators in the story. She just happens to be the one the book follows most. In addition to multiple narrators, the book has multiple storylines going too. These tie together better than the ones in the last book did, but there's still a piece that feels either unresolved or meant to be some kind of red herring, and at least one character that disappears from the storyline. There's also a storyline that feels completely unresolved at the end, and I'm not sure if it's because Tracy just didn't do a good job of providing closure or she plans on continuing a storyline with some of the characters into a future book. The book centers around a CEO who ends up murdered and while Nolan and her partner begin investigating, the wife of his former partner disappears. The former partner who also happens to be family friends with a friend of Nolan. The pair are trying to figure out if the two events are connected while also trying to figure out if there's any connection to the rise of a cartel in the area that has everyone scared. I enjoyed this, but I still feel like there's too many moving pieces and too many narrators to make it really good. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great book by PJ Tracy. I have had a hard time recently getting into books. I read daily, but I'm easily distracted and not really interested in the stories. This book reminds me of why I like to read. I could barely put it down and picked up it any chance I had. When I was walking into work, I would read this book, leaving work the same. When I was making dinner I'd have this book nearby to pick up while waiting on something to finish. Get this book, you will not regret it.

City of Secrets is the 4th book in the Detective Nolan series but it can be read as a stand a lone which is good for new readers to the series. i enjoyed the mystery about the death of the CEO of the pet food company and how the different charcter's stories all ended up intersecting. Overall even if you haven't read the other books in the series, I would recommend reading this one.

City Of Secrets is the fourth installment in the Detective Margaret Nolan series by PJ Tracy. This reviewer hadn't read the earlier books in the series when I received an advance copy of City Of Secrets for review, but I was able to engage with the characters and delve into the story as a standalone. The earlier books would have provided more insight into the politics and nuances of the fictional relationships inside the LA police department, but I was able to enjoy this well-written mystery, nonetheless. I'll probably return to read book one for backstory.

Detective Nolan is a smart, capable, easy to like character with impressive problem-solving skills regarding a complicated murder. Her forbidden romance with another member of the department adds a touch of spice to the story. Readers of police procedurals will likely enjoy following this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of this book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Action packed, suspenseful and page turning. Maggie Nolan takes you on an exciting crime solving journey.

This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, crime thriller. It has an intelligent, strong and capable, likable female protagonist, wit, a touch of romance, murder, mystery, intrigue, kidnapping, twists and turns, and a surprise ending. I especially liked the short chapters. This is the fourth entry in P.J. Tracy's outstanding Detective Margaret Nolan series, and it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. Ms. Tracy's loyal readers will appreciate the nod to her other series. St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, P.J. Tracy, and NetGalley kindly provided me with an ARC of this fantastic novel, and this is my honest opinion.

This was a very complex story, multiple murders, a kidnapping and drugs. The author led you on a chase trying to figure out who was guilty of what. There was plenty of suspense to keep you engaged with a few twists and turns along the way. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I’ll admit a lot of my enjoyment of PJ Tracy’s mysteries comes down to her style of writing. I just really enjoy her way with words which includes a healthy dose of humor.
In the fourth of the Margaret Nolan series, Margaret is called in to investigate a murder of a wealthy man in a dicey part of LA. Is it a carjacking gone wrong? Or was the man on the hunt for drugs or sex? But the very next day, his ex-partner’s wife is abducted. Given the man’s company was about to be sold for big bucks, things got convoluted very quickly. The book moves at a quick pace and there aren’t any down moments. The story is complex but doesn’t rely on OTT scenes. I especially liked that Margaret doesn’t take any stupid risks to put herself in danger (something that has been rampant in other books I’ve recently read). While the series is named for Nolan, chapters include POVs from a variety of main characters which allows for a variety of ongoing cases at the same time. The mix of professional to personal lives of her characters is just the right mix.
Tracy seems to have a real feel for the city of LA and it adds a real depth to her books.
This works best if you’ve read the prior books in the series, although I guess it could work as a standalone. Be prepared that Tracy doesn’t spend a lot of time on her characters’ back stories.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

City of Secrets is a Margaret Nolan Mystery but can be read as a standalone. There are references to previous events but it is not distracting to the story.
A body is found in a bad part of town and a wife is kidnapped. How are they related and will the police figure it out in time? There are a lot of twists and moving parts which add to the suspense. It is a complicated, compelling thriller. Well worth reading. I like the characters very much and plan to read the series.

First I have to say this was the first book in this series that I read from this author, while I was able to follow along just fine, I have already decided to go back and read the first three books of the series as I want to know more about the characters. Which to mean is a sign of a great series and writing!

A man is dead in his car with a bullet hole to the head in a very bad part of town and there are no witnesses. Turns out the man is Bruce Message and he is the CEO of a famous pet food company, Peppy Pets. There is no lack of twists and turns in this book and it will make you want to keep turning the page. While there is a lot of information found, you are not sure if they are clues to the murder or something else going on in this sinister part of town. There is deceit, murder, drugs and kidnapping that all take place in this story and it is written so well. I felt for each of the characters and was rooting for Decective Nolan and Remy. (Their background is one of the reasons I NEED to go back and read from previous books to find out how they got into the relationship they have now).

Two things happened at the end that I didn't see coming at all and loved how I was surprised. Not too many books can do that to me anymore.

Definitely a must read when it is released in August 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the mystery within the novel —that of the successful entrepreneur and his wife, the miraculous business turnaround and the question of who is out to kill them. It was a tight, well-developed whodunnit.
Unfortunately, the parallel love story of the two cops who are dating in secret was less interesting. It felt to me like an unwelcome distraction. But based on other reviews I’ve read, I am in the vast minority in feeling that way!
The ultimate solution to the mystery was satisfying. I would read more of PJ Tracy, and recommend other mystery lovers check out this book.
My thanks to Net Galley for an advanced galley for review.

In City of Secrets, you are introduced to the characters and a slice of their life and not sure how it all fits together. Soon, the stories mesh and you are hooked. Nolan of the LAPD is assigned what appears to be a drive-by shooting, but the pieces just don’t fit together. The murdered man is the head of a pet food company which he is about to sell in a major deal; valuable items were left on the body. And who was the mysterious woman who was seen? The victim has an unsavory secret life, but is that the reason he was killed? Or could it be something else?
I enjoyed this mystery and watching as the detectives pulled the various threads together. This was a tense and enjoyable story with interesting characters.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. While it is the 4th in a series, I didn’t need to have read the previous books for this one to be enjoyable (though now I want to read them). The plot wasn’t overly complicated but has layers to it that kept me guessing the whole time. The characters were likable, and it was easy to get invested in their relationships. After reading this book, I feel confident recommending this series to friends.

I liked this; I didn't love it. This was my first book by the author, and I went in with a blank slate. I enjoyed the dialogue, much of which was clever and funny. I just didn't get totally invested in the story - it didn't grab me. The number of characters and their relationships was a little confusing to me. I think the author writes well and tells a good story, but this one just didn't connect for me.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

City of Secrets is part of Margaret Nolan mystery series but could be read as a standalone fairly easy. When the CEO of a pet food company is murdered, Detective Nolan and her partner begin an investigation into a twisted mystery where nothing is as simple as it seems. Lies and secrets drive a well written mystery that is unpredictable and unexpected. The characters are likable and intelligent and the mystery will keep you guessing and leave you coming back for more. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

A man is found murdered in his luxury automobile in a seedier section of LA. Turns out he is Bruce Messane, the CEO of a successful pet food company that is about to be bought out in a mega million dollar deal. Detectives Margaret Nolan and Al Crawford have a mystery on their hands that deepens when Messane's former partner’s wife is kidnapped. Their inquiry uncovers possible financial discrepancies in Messane’s life as well as his penchant for dark sexual proclivities. And, is there a connection to the ever present drug trade in LA?

City of Secrets has a creative, complex, but solid story line, full of mystery, twists, some humor, and convivial repeating characters. It is a fast, engrossing read, with the chapters moving along at a good pace.


This is the fourth in the Detective Margaret Nolan series; I have read all of them.While this could be read as a standalone, I think I enjoyed it more knowing the histories of many of the characters. There are quite a few players and some of the backstories are not fully developed. That said, I recommend this book and series for fans of police procedurals and mysteries, particularly those featuring a strong, capable female protagonist.