Book 3 in the Tracy Crosswhite Serie- Tracy’s dedication to solving unsolved crimes becomes deeply personal when a former police academy classmate seeks her help in unraveling a cold case from four decades ago. Tracy, haunted by her own sister's murder, takes on the challenge to bring justice to a Native American high school girl whose suspicious suicide has left unanswered questions for years.
As Tracy delves into the investigation, she uncovers a web of dark and well-concealed secrets in a small town's history. This is a gripping narrative of crime, justice, and the relentless pursuit of truth, making it a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

In this book Tracy Crosswhite investigates 2 cases, a current murder and a cold case. It felt most of the books was about the cold case, she spent little time on the more recent case. It was an intriguing book and I liked the investigative work. Book 3 of the series.

Enjoying catching up with this series. Great interesting reads with enough going on that you need to keep turning those pages.

Ever since MY SISTER’S GRAVE shot to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list in 2014, readers have come to look forward to a new Tracy Crosswhite thriller every year. As a detective gifted --- but not supernaturally so --- with a keen eye, sharp wit and warm heart, Tracy Crosswhite makes for a wonderful protagonist whose interesting cases are not only perfectly paced but also morally intriguing. His latest novel, IN THE CLEARING, throws Tracy headfirst into a brand new mystery with life-changing repercussions for one small town.

In this installment of the series, Tracy is finally settling into a more stable routine, free of personal cases and vicious stalkers. Instead, she is faced with a bizarre murder in which an affluent woman has confessed to shooting her husband in plain view of their 18-year-old son. Dugoni quickly lays out the facts, but it is easy to see why the pieces do not add up. While the woman is bruised, there are no prints on the weapon her husband supposedly used to beat her. The son’s prints, meanwhile, have been found on his father’s shoe, despite his report that he was not involved in the murder. It’s an interesting case, to say the least, but another more complicated case soon falls into Tracy’s lap.

Fans of Dugoni’s series know that Tracy regularly trains fellow female officers to be outstanding shooters --- not, as one may suspect, because she is easier on them as a woman, but because she is far tougher than her male counterparts. As a woman who faced numerous counts of sexism on her rise through the ranks, she knows how to prepare her female colleagues to enter the force. But when Jenny, one of her protégés and friends, reaches out with a 40-year-old cold case, Tracy enters a whole new playing field.

Forty years ago, the small town of Stoneridge was rocked by the horrific death of a young Native American girl named Kimi Kanasket. At the time, the town was celebrating a series of football wins by honoring four teenage players. Known as the Iron Horsemen, these young men shepherded in a new era for the small, unassuming town accustomed to losing. The death of Kimi, however, cast a dark mark on the town and piqued the interest of new detective Buzz Almond --- Jenny’s father. Following Buzz’s death, Jenny discovers a secret file about Kimi in his office and invites Tracy to come investigate. Recalling the terror of her own sister’s death, Tracy readily accepts.

So what happened to Kimi? The official record states that she hurled herself into a river following a bad breakup --- but the truth is never quite so simple in the small towns of fiction, with their tight-knit communities and dedication to preserving honor. As Tracy investigates, it becomes clear that Buzz knew the real cause of Kimi’s death, but what is unclear is how and why he was unable to prove it. Using modern technology and expertly skilled colleagues, Tracy must track down Kimi’s killer and give her heartbroken family the closure they have needed for decades. At the same time, she must balance the demands of her current workload and her relationship with Dan.

For a less high-stakes thriller than MY SISTER’S GRAVE or HER FINAL BREATH, IN THE CLEARING is no less suspenseful or intriguing than Tracy’s earlier adventures. As usual, Dugoni plots a compelling and well-paced read, and his talent for balancing two seemingly unrelated storylines is superb. I must admit, though, that I found the plot a bit more predictable than his previous works. I cannot say that I figured out every aspect of either case, but parts of each felt a bit more obvious than I would have liked. On the other hand, it was refreshing to see Tracy solve a case in a more relaxed setting, and I truly enjoyed reading along as she investigated. If Dugoni can add a bit more drama to his fourth Tracy Crosswhite book, I think he will have achieved the perfect balance.

Though perhaps not as dramatic as MY SISTER’S GRAVE or as terrifying as HER FINAL BREATH, Dugoni’s latest effort is an impressive addition to the Crosswhite canon and one that is sure to entice new readers and leave other fans hungry for more. I look forward to seeing where Tracy heads next.

Robert Dugoni's novels are so full of intrigue. The stories are so real and I fall into his novels every time. "In the Clearing" is a novel that will keep you wanting more; which is great because his novels are series.

This is a slow burn plot with a satisfying conclusion, a nicely written piece of escapism full of familiar faces and problems that reliably get solved.
This was the right book at the right time for me - a good 3.5 stars rounded up.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime. So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees.

This is a solid installment in a strong series. I enjoyed seeing how the character of Tracy continues to mature and build connections with the other characters. The mystery/intrigue was great and the blending of two cases (one recent and one cold) added depth to the story.

Yes yes YES! I’ve finally got to this one.
Third book in the Tracy Crosswhite series which I’ve enjoyed.
This author has made an impression on me.
Loving this series so much I’ve bought them all for my shelf.

40 years ago we didn’t have the kind of technology we do today, hence Police and DI couldn’t work with what they do now.

So when something happens, it uncovers something from yesteryear. 40 years ago.

It was interesting to me to see this plot unfold. The chapters flew by.
I love this authors style and find it extremely easy to follow. I get “right in there!” Amongst it all.
Brilliantly done.


I’m just late to the table with this. I like to have a series so I can jump from book 1.......onwards. I’m so OCD with series.

Robert Dugoni brings back Tracy Crosswhite to help solve a case that has been cold for 40 years as well as a recent murder where domestic abuse is involved.

When Tracy travels to a nearby town for the funeral of the father of a former police academy classmate and friend, Jenny, asks for her help. She has found a file in her father's desk from the death of a 17 year old Native American girl. It was officially ruled as suicide but Jenny's father, Buzz, had his doubts. Jenny's dad was a new deputy when he investigated and when the case was closed by the investigators, he had no choice but to let it go. Jenny would like Tracy to take a look at the file as an oustider. She would like closure for her father and for the girl's family. As Tracy investigates, she follows the deputy's footsteps and finds that in this small town, there are many secrets.

This story is told in two timelines. As Tracy investigates, we find ourselves in 1976 sharing Buzz's perspective, then the present following both murder investigations. Tracy is a very smart detective, she knows what to ask, how to ask it and is very adept at reading people. She solves crimes like puzzles spreading everything out in front of herself to see it all at one time. We do not see as much of Kins in this story as he is not working with Tracy for the cold case, but we see enough to know that he has a personal issue that he is dealing with. Faz and Del are as irascible as ever and make me laugh often. As Tracy gets closer to solving the 40 year old case, it also helps her to solve the present day case in Seattle. She is a wonderful protagonist and I am looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

This series is very well written, with many believable characters both good and bad. There is plenty of mystery and suspense to keep the reader entertained from beginning to end. The crimes are realistic to a degree, but this is fiction. I think all lovers of mystery, police procedurals and female detectives will enjoy this series.

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni
The third book in the series Detective Sergeant Tracy Crosswhite may be the best one yet. The cold case: 40-year-old murder or suicide while still working on a current case. Dugoni pinpoints the advances in forensic science bringing readers into the investigation. He excels on character development. This is definitely a recommended read.

In the Clearing is a double mystery from Robert Dugoni in the Tracy Crosswhite series. Tracy works with Kins Rowe, Del Castigliano, and Vic Fazzio as the Seattle Police Violent Crimes “A team.” Dugoni develops all four of the these characters into believable and sympathetic characters that I cared about.

The book opens forty years earlier with the report of missing nineteen-year-old Native-American girl who did not arrive home after leaving her job.

In present day, Tracy still uses her marksmanship skills to coach women recruits in the Seattle police department. One of these newer officers asks if Tracy would be willing to help her look at a reported suicide from forty years earlier that her father worked on. Of course, Tracy agrees.

Then her team catches a “grounder,” a case that appears to be an easy solve. But the case takes a turn when domestic killing involves the daughter and grandson of a defense attorney. An attorney that Seattle detectives cringe when they face him in trial because he almost always wins.

The tension mounts as Tracy and her colleagues pursue both cases. Once again, Dugoni has delivered.

The third book in the Tracy cross white series was not a disappointment. A cold case that has been sitting for 40 years gets reopened after a detectives death. I love the way Dugoni makes me feel like I am riding along with Tracy. Written in both present day and 1976 this book is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC

A real page turning rollercoaster ride!! I was hooked by the end of the prologue and found it impossible to put down. And with this one you get a double header. Not only is Detective Crosswhite and her team trying to solve what appears to be be a domestic dispute shooting, but as a favor to a friend the Detective is also looking into a 40 year old case involving a 17 year old Native American girl whose death was initially ruled a suicide. And finding out what happened 40 years ago just might help them with the new case.

No longer interested in reading this. Clearing out old galleys.

This is the third book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. It had Tracy and her partner Kins trying to solve a murder mystery as well as Tracy being contacted by a friend to look into a crime from 40 years ago. The time frame alternated between the present and the past which I liked. I was totally engrossed in the crime from the 1970s. To me, the present crime and intereactions with those characters felt underdevelop and like an afterthought. Also, Tracy's interactions with her partner and her bf seemed very superficial this time. Overall, the book was good. The author did a great job at weaving the mystery from 40 years past and it was the best part of the book. Though this one was not my favorite, I will be reading on to the next part.

Two cases, one present and active and one past and closed. The latter gets reopened by Crosswhite as a favor to a friend. Although that case was ruled a suicide, the friend's father, who worked on the case, was never satisfied with that resolution. At the same time that Crosswhite is working that case, she and her partner are working a present day case that appears simple at first but quickly gets complicated.

The two cases don't have much in common but it was fascinating watching Crosswhite, her partner, and their team work them. Especially fascinating was the difference in technology, and also methodology as Dugoni shows us the old case as it was worked by the original detective back in 1976 and as it's worked now by Crosswhite. She works it thoroughly and patiently, using modern techniques and resources while being hampered by the fact that witnesses and people otherwise involved have died, moved, or gotten ill. The story is a sad one, there's not a happy ending though Crosswhite does find answers. I got a little bit overwhelmed with some of the details concerning, water, rivers, temperature, speed, etc. The information was necessary to the story but could probably have been trimmed a bit.

The modern day story was gripping and also sad though really, any story where there's death and murder is going to be sad. The story took turns both predictable and unexpected. At times I was certain I knew where Dugoni and then BOOM! Left turn. But the twists and turns weren't simply to keep us awake or on our toes; they served the story and moved things along or revealed new information about the case or a character.

"In the Clearing" was a sad yet satisfying story that kept me up late, swiping the screen on my Kindle.

Also, some people shouldn't be parents. Really, they shouldn't. Come to think of it, that applies to both the stories, so they are connected, if tenuously

The topic no longer interests me, and I will not be finishing the book.

This series just keeps getting better! I'm really enjoying the growing relationship between Tracy and Dan. This was the first one so far where I actually had a portion of the case figured out. I like that it isn't so obvious to me that I can still enjoy it without getting bored! Keep them coming!!

Another great one in the Tracy Crosswhite Series! In this one, Tracy teams up with a former police academy classmate to investigate the suicide of a Native American teen forty years earlier. As Tracy uncovers secrets, her own life is in danger.

Great storyline that kept me interested!

This is the third book in the Tracy Crosswhite series which is definitely a must read for all police procedural mystery lovers

Tracy's sister Sarah disappeared when she was a teen which haunted and shaped Tracy’s future. So when her friend Jenny asks her to investigate a 40 year cold case mysterious suicide of a teenager Tracy jumps right in. Meanwhile back in Seattle her team is investigating a domestic shooting where the mom and son have both confessed to killing the victim.
Robert Dugouni wrote a detailed police procedural book and I definitely enjoyed reading it. The cold case was more interesting than the present one and would rate overall 4 stars.
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
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