Close to Home is the fifth installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series. While I liked the previous book The Trapped Girl better, Close to Home is still a good addition to the series. Drug trafficking seems to be the “crime du jour” these days, and heroin is the drug at issue in this book. The suspect is an active serviceman at the local Navy base, and the issue of jurisdiction and the handling of the crime as a result was very interesting. There was a twist at the end that I felt might be coming but liked it nonetheless. Dugoni focuses a fair amount on Tracy’s personal life too which I enjoyed. This is a great book for anyone who likes realistic mysteries with a strong protagonist. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for my copy. All opinions are my own.

I stumbled across Tracy Crosswhite not knowing it was a series based on the description of My Sister's Grave, and although I don't always like to read series because they can get predictable (and nobody wants that in their thrillers), I have continued to read these fast paced books and enjoyed every one. I especially liked getting to know Del further in this one :)

I am a fan of Robert Dugoni's books and in particular the Tracy Crosswhite series. Over the last 4 books we have got to know her character, motivation and just as important, her family history. However, it is not necessary to have read all these books as you will still have an enjoyable read and be able to follow all the action.
This time there is a drugs theme which is also linked to events happening around a local US Navy base. Both aspects to the story create their own sub-plots where Crosswhite herself is less prevalent in the book. Ultimately, the reason for this becomes clear and we end up with yet another hit story from Robert Dugoni.

“No parent should have to bury their child” detective Tracy Crosswhite thinks as she murmers “I’m sorry” to D’Andre Miller’s Mother Shaniqua. Twelve year old D’Andere was just murdered by a hit and run driver on his way home from a rec center basketball game; a hit and run driver who did not even slow down or hit the brakes.

“Close to Home” is Book 5 in Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series. Tracy is a Seattle homicide detective and if you have read any of the other books in the series, you are familiar with Tracy’s history; the kidnapping and murder of her sister Sarah.

After tracking down the driver of the car, who is in the Navy, they realize that the case is not as cut and dried as it first appeared, especially when evidence disappears.

Dugoni does a great job of describing the process the detectives go through to solve the case. He also detrails the steps that the Navy goes through when prosecuting one of their own, as in this case, and how that process is similar to or differs from cases that are outside of military jurisdication.

Exciting, thrilling book that had me guessing to the end. Several great twists and turns toward the end. Great standalone book, but recommend starting with the first one so you know the recurring characters and events that have happened to the characters in the past to shape them.

Release Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime, Police Procedural, Women Sleuths
Cover: Perfect
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Close to Home. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Robert Dugoni, once again, has given Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite a deceptively simple case that becomes complex as the investigation deepens. The hit and run of a young boy leads Tracy down a complicated path when the identity of the driver is revealed. Thrown into the naval world and scrambling for answers, will the wider picture that emerges place many more lives in danger?

Tracy Crosswhite is a good main character, as her determination to solve her cases and help others give readers a very realistic picture of the investigative process. Although Tracy's personal life is part of her story, the author does a great job of keeping it on the periphery of the overall plot. Despite the fact that I had a good idea of the identity of the perpetrators, the fast pace of the novel coupled with the thrilling investigation kept my interest throughout. It is not necessary for readers to have completed the novels that have come before this one, but I would recommend it if possible. Some of the important moments from Tracy's past will be lost and may affect the ability of readers to totally enjoy the character. I look forward to reading more by author Robert Dugoni, whether it features Tracy Crosswhite and the Seattle police department or not.

I've read all of the books in the Tracy Crosswhite series. This author is so easy to read. I feel like I've gotten to know the characters, and the stories are great
The story starts with a horrible accident, a hit and run. Tracy investigates the case and finds it goes so much deeper and more complex than it seemed to be at the beginning.
I'm looking forward to the next Tracy Crosswhite book.

This is the fifth book in the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni and I enjoyed it almost as much as the others.  This one was a bit different.

Tracy starts off investigating a hit and run accident of a young boy.  But this leads to a suspect in the Navy, which starts to take over the case.  They decide to hold a hearing for the suspect, but a video tape from the night of the hit and run goes missing.  Tracy feels something is very off and thinks someone in the Navy is covering up a crime, especially when other people end up dead.  

There is also another major part of the story that I enjoyed more.  Del's niece died from a heroin overdose.  A large section of the book deals with the heroin epidemic that we're seeing across the United States.  Del is trying to handle his grief, take care of his sister and nephews, and find out who the supplier was.  During this time, he meets a woman, Celia, who also lost her son to an overdose.  The growing relationship between Del and Celia was really sweet.

There is some crossover between the two cases, but I won't get into it anymore than that.  I don't want to give any of that away.

Tracy and Dan are also trying to conceive.  I would give a bit of a warning for anyone dealing with infertility.  Ten years ago, this book would have been a bit painful for me to read, but I do enjoy seeing infertility mentioned more often now.  It's something so many of us suffer through and can relate to.

The pacing of the book was good, similar to the others in the series.  The Navy court stuff was a little slower, but still interesting.

I ended up rating this one 4 stars, the same rating I gave the other books in the series.  I enjoy books with suspense that have the same characters that I can get attached to.



I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.

A thoughtful and measured crime thriller from the wonderful Robert Dugoni. This is a police procedural set in Seattle and focusing on the career of Tracy Crosswhite and the cops in her small team. This is the fifth in this exceptional series and is a refreshing change down from previous novels.
The focus of the investigation is centred upon a hit and run victim. Meanwhile a separate plot leads to Del looking into the death of his niece from a heroin overdose. He supports his broken sister and minds his two young nephews, but wants to find the supplier and gain closure through his job as a detective.
Early on Tracy gets a lead on a possible vehicle and a suspect emerges who just refuses to admit his guilt. Even when seemingly conclusive evidence places him close to the scene of the fatality he denies any involvement claiming his car had been stolen.
Any chance of prosecuting him and bringing justice to his grieving family is further complicated in that he is from a local naval base and they take over the investigation.
I loved the sense of reality this case brings, the frustrations and set backs. It is contrasted with Del's own investigations for truth and justice. You see the pain of the victims families in both sets of circumstances and the ineptitude of criminal legal proceedings. The cops remain driven and vigilant in their endeavours, wanting to spare other parents the lose of a child to a drug overdose. Showing that their son did not die devoid of concern or the will to find and prosecute the driver who ran a red light and failed to stop.
Sometimes the process of a police investigation takes time and consequently the author is able to introduce different characters and obstacles that delay the case but still engage the reader.
I loved the contrast with the navy's approach to their personnel being involved and the author's homage and wit concerning the movie A few good men.
I also like to read of Tracy's bond with her fellow officer and partner and her devotion to her man and their wish to have a child, although time may have passed her by. The author flags up duty before personal goals in this series and this has always underscored Tracy's journey.
I also liked the bravery of the author to tackle difficult subjects that reflect real life crimes. That lead to multiple deaths but don't sell a story perhaps as well as psychopathic serial killers.
These are very real issues in society and I welcome a novel that tells the fiction to reveal an unwanted truth.
A great read that gently leads you rather than a scary page turner. A book that keeps you guessing and delivers surprises but carries you carefully in the process. A rewarding read that despite the subject matter finds positives in the end and perhaps mirrors the hope and hard-work required to fix our broken societies.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have loved the writing of Mr. Dugoni ever since I picked up My Sister's Grave as a kindle unlimited. Ever since then I have grabbed up everything I could get as soon as it came out. I will admit when I started this book I was a little disappointed when it appeared that this story was going to head into a courtroom. I do not like lawyer or court room stories. But luckily there was a wonderful twist and Tracy was back out investigating! Lots of action, story plots coming together and at the end, sigh! It was so wonderful it brought tears to my eyes. I can not wait for the next Tracy Crosswhite to come out!!

I highly recommend this series, but I do suggest starting at the beginning, it adds so much to the stories when you know the background.

Another great mystery "starring"detective Tracy Crosswhite. Trademark Robert Dugoni novel offers plot twists until the end intertwined with real human touch.

Living is not easy, Tracy knows. She made amends with her sister's murder, but she knows well the pain and the heartbreak. That's why she is so invested into the investigation with the death of D'Andre Miller, 12-year-old African American guy in the hit-and-run situation.
She was able to find a person who is probably guilty - but Laszlo Trejo is a civilian working for U.S. Navy. And Navy pulls their own jurisdiction. But when the key evidence goes missing, Tracy gives her best to investigate further.

Heroin on the streets is now too personal to Del Castigliano, his niece being dead by overdose. A kid from the good family, she fought her addiction, but was too weak. When Del reveals that thewe was old boyfriend tempting Allie to buy heroin after being out from rehab, he enters a warpath. During the investigation he is forced to re-evaluate some of his opinions - forced by a beautiful Celia from D.A.’s office, who had experienced a similar situation.

And Tracy’s personal life? Dan loves her deeply and vice versa, but she is scared to death that she is not enough, probably being too old to conceive.

That’s why I love this series - strong topics, plot going on fast and furious, humanity and vulnerability. This one is another good one in the strong series. I loved the first one the most, but another books in the series are very, very good too.
The mystery part is represented the best by the "Navy" parts. Why is Trejo silent? How the evidence went missing? Is Leah Battles, the JAG representing Trejo, truly the guilty one in that missing?
But the "heroin" parts are the heart-wrenching ones. The heartbreak, the pain, the crime. It is also very educative - who would say that the legalization of marijuana - and loss of marijuana income -
would led the drug cartels to made up for that loss in heroin selling? Scary and sad.
And poor Tracy, with live truly different from what it should be - her sister should not be murdered, her death casting a dark cloud over the whole family. Tracy should have a husband and couple of kids, living the American dream, not this. Or is that the fertility medication speaking? (The answer: no, it is not. Life had been hard on Tracy. But maybe this is why she is such a good detective, with a beating heart.).
And I love her vulnerability.

Mr Dugoni, I hope to God you are using your favourite writing method to work on another installment in this series. I can’t wait!

4.5 Stars.

This is the fifth book of the Tracy Crosswhite series and the third i read, and i must say she is becoming one of my favorite detectives among all the series that i am following.

The story starts with a hit and run involving an enlisted man and as Tracy and her team compile evidence there is no doubt that he was responsible for the accident. The only problem is that the key evidence went missing before the court hearing. Things do not stop here however, they get much more complicated when the detectives suspect that this hit and run is connected to a drug ring that was ravaging Seattle.

I really liked this book. It has a lot of emotional moment, a lot of personal feeling for the all the detectives and it was interesting getting to know Del, one the detectives in Tracy's team, a bit more. The involvement of the Navy brought out some very interesting characters that i am hoping to see in the next books of this series.

I also liked the fact that Tracy Crosswhite was not a very central figure in the story, it felt like some kind of trianle going between her, Del and Leah Battles the defence attorney in the Navy, and i really enjoyed how the story was told .

The book touched a very serious subject in a different way. Drugs, addictions, overdoses are never an easy topic i think.
In any case this was another great book of this series and i am looking forward to reading the next one!

I could hardly wait for this new installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series, and author Robert Dugoni certainly didn’t disappoint.

When twelve-year-old D’Andre Miller is killed in a hit and run, Tracy and her fellow detectives in the A-team of the Seattle Police Department's Violent Crimes Section are called to the scene. Though this is not the kind of case the team usually investigates, the sensitivity and nature of the crime require the case to be thoroughly examined by Seattle’s best. It is an absolutely heartbreaking storyline as this beautiful and promising young boy loses his life in such a terrible tragedy. It’s not just hard for this mom to read; but it’s also an extremely painful investigation for Del, one of Tracy’s fellow detectives, as he is still mourning the loss of his teenage niece who recently died of a heroin overdose – also an ongoing investigation. It seems these two cases wouldn’t have anything at all in common, but Mr. Dugoni weaves these two storylines into an intriguing and shocking intersecting outcome.

This novel has a very different feel from its predecessors by exploring an entirely new territory in the naval base in Bremerton. The inclusion of the military court and naval base makes this story really stand out in the series, and it’s extremely fascinating. Though I should not have been surprised when it comes to this series, I was absolutely glued to the pages – even though I would have sworn before reading that this one might not resonate with me as much as some of the others. I just love when an author proves me wrong.

It’s always so good to visit Tracy, Dan, and the gang; and catching up on their personal lives is something I always look most forward to. It’s like seeing old friends, and I love that we get to know Del better in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the investigations, and all the twists and turns this series is known for. Another wonderful addition to what has become one of my favorite mystery and crime series.

wasn’t sure how much I would like this book from the description. Military/conspiracy-type books usually aren’t my things. But I didn’t count on the fact that Robert Dugoni could probably make watching paint dry seem interesting.

This book is a great addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series and makes you impatient for the next installment. I wouldn’t start with this one if you’re interested in the series, but technically it could be read as a standalone.

The novel centers around a hit-and-run which results in the death of a 12-year-old boy. The detectives find overwhelming evidence – hinging on one key piece – that a Naval logistics officer is responsible. But then, suddenly, that evidence goes missing. And Tracy decides she is going to find out why. Meanwhile, Del is mourning his niece, who OD’d on heroin. He becomes determined to avenge her death by taking her supplier off the street. But will that bring him closure?

I love the supporting team in this series. Del, Faz, Kins, etc., they’re so fun and it feels like yo really know them after five books. I’m so glad that they’ve each gotten some time to develop and grow as characters. Plus, this book introduces some new characters which I think will make future appearances as well, which I’m glad about.

The storyline is really, very intriguing. It’s not a traditional military-spy-thriller. It’s a classic Tracy Crosswhite novel, which slowly reveals the answers as you move through the book. I did not guess the ending at all. It was really very good.

I love this series and Dugoni as an author. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries.

Tracy Crosswhite, homicide detective in Seattle’s police department, is back in the fifth installment of the series by Robert Dugoni, Close to Home. A 12 year old boy who was on his way home from basketball practice has been killed in a hit and run, and the prime suspect is from the naval base close by. Jurisdiction goes to the navy, and some of the critical evidence disappears, causing public outrage and accusations that the navy is covering up a crime to protect one of their own. Tracy and her team keep up on things, knowing that they will end up with the case in the end since the navy has messed it up. Del’s niece has just died of a heroin overdose, and there seems to be an epidemic of similar drug deaths in the area, so he and his partner are distracted and not much help to Tracy. Could these cases be connected?

Kins is out of the office recovering from hip surgery, so Tracy seems to be on her own. Tracy senses that things don’t to add up – she is missing something very important - and puts herself and others in danger while trying to uncover the truth.

Readers of this series know that Dugoni is an excellent storyteller, and that the main characters have become likeable old friends. This particular book focuses more on the crimes and less on relationships, which makes it less personal. Although it is well-written, and has surprises and plenty of suspense, it isn’t quite as grabbing as the earlier installments in the series. All told, however, most readers will want to pick it up to find out what is happening to Tracy. Not Dugoni’s best, but still better than most.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I had never heard of Robert Dugoni until I received an Arc of his book "The Trapped Girl". I loved that book, btw and thought to myself, "why have I not heard of this Author before?" Needless to say, when I saw there was another ARC out in the same series, I just had to read it! One of the things I enjoy most about his writing is that he doesn't spoon feed the reader anything. He lays out his story in an intelligent fashion, there will be plot twists and reveals and all seem plausible and believable. He is a master at mixing police procedural, character development, and suspense into his work. I also like his main character, Tracy Crosswhite. She is a likable, tough, sympathetic and interesting woman. She is dealing with personal issues in this book but does not let her personal struggles get in the way or her job.

While investigating the hit and run death of a young boy, Tracy determines that an active duty navy serviceman is the prime suspect. This issue becomes a military one but when damning evidence goes missing, he is released and Tracy can't let the boys death go on punished.

Meanwhile Del Castigliano is still coping with the death of his niece from a Heroin overdose. He and his partner are on the hunt to find those responsible for selling his niece the heroin the night she overdosed. He finds out that she is not the only one who has died after using the drug.

These two story lines help move the book along and give a real glimpse into police and detective work. Both story lines flow seamlessly as as revelations are made in both cases. I believe the beauty of this book is how the Author tells two stories or has two plot lines going at once. This way we get to see the detective work of both Tracy and Del as they work on each case. I think there is a fine line an Author has to tread when this is done to make the plot(s) flow and seem believable. Dugoni pulls this off while at the same time building the suspense. I love trying to figure out what is going on and what is going to be the conclusion when I read suspense/mysteries. This book did keep me guessing and I did have some theories. Sometimes I am right, sometimes I am wrong. In this case, I was wrong.

There are a lot of characters in this book but no so much that they get distracting or weigh down the plot. Now, I need to go back and read the other books in this series that I have missed while I anxiously wait for the next book in this series to come out. The pacing was spot on. I loved that there were no dull moments in this book. I was sucked in from page one.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an honest review.

Tracy is investigating a hit and run accident which, at first, it seems like it might be a typical hit and run. However, with no skid marks on the road, she concludes that the driver never tried to stop. There is also suspicion that the crime could be racially motivated. Tracy becomes involved in the case to find closure for the grieving mother. Evidence leads to the conclusion that this has to be the work of more than one person. Tracy needs to figure out how this young man became the target of such a heartless act.

Robert Dugoni has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This is a fantastic series. Highly recommended!

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Thomas & Mercer Publishing, and to Robert Dugoni.

Enjoyed this book. All characters seem
like real people with every day problems but still need to go to work. The book had some legal jargon concerning the navy and civilian law but not over the top. Liked how there were two investigations going on and they connected towards the end. Thanks netgalley.

Excellent detective/lawyer thriller with enough twists and turns to keep ones attention. Emotional and complex plotting cleverly written .

sadly not my favorite, thus the low rating. felt like 2 separate books about the same story... not enough Tracy!

thank you net galley for the ARC

If you haven't read this series before you will be perfectly fine starting here- although you'll want to go back and read the earlier ones. Dugoni has created a complex, intriguing and humane character in Tracy, who is a dogged investigator searching for justice. He uses Seattle effectively as a back drop for topical thrillers- this time involving the scourge of opiates. The small details always make a difference in the genre and he's got hem here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this page turner. Try it if you like strong, determined female protagonists.