This is the sixth book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. I have always been a pretty big fan of this series!

I loved books one to three in this series but was a tad disappointed in book four. I have not been able to read book five... and was debating on whether I would continue with this series after my disappointment with book four.

I'm sad to say that this one I also was disappointed with and just really felt it lacked the magic and overall action/suspense like the first three books in the series had.

There are two parallel stories going on in this novel.. alternating between each chapter. I decided that I didn't like this at all and disrupted the overall flow to the storyline.

I'm not a fan when authors tend to throw too much to the actual plot. Sometimes, I feel like authors try so hard to have that extra thrill/twist that it fails to deliver.

I have a handful of series that I really enjoy and I just kept comparing this to the other series that I love. Which... clearly isn't a good sign because I was distracted and uninterested.

And.. I'm not sure if it's just me but there are just too many series out there and I can't keep up on them haha.

Overall, this was a somewhat enjoyable read but lacked the magic I was hoping for with the first three novels. I don't think I will continue on with this series.

3 stars

Thank you so much to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the advanced arc.

Publication date: 6/26/18
Published to GR: 5/22/18

I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the next novel in the Tracy Crosswhite series. It may have been that I was expecting something completely different from what it actually was.

All of the past novels have had different themes, with the common under lying theme being about Tracy's sister and the guilt she feels surrounding the case. This novel shares the theme of the previous Tracy Cross white novel, drugs. Of the two cases in this novel, drugs played a predominant roll in one of them. This left me feeling like the author had nothing better to write about, no new ideas. While the other case was full of cultural influences, the use of modern technology, and generational differences.

The two cases are complicated in their own ways. The switching back and forth between them left a lot of questions unanswered, and emphasis put on events that had no effect on the outcome of the case. This also lead both cases to coming to an abrupt end, without linking pieces of evidence together.

The conclusion of the novel was the highlight of it, and made reading it worth while.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, the author, Robert Dugoni, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Reading Robert Dugoni's last book in the Tracy Crosswhite series makes reinforces my pleasure in reading. A Steep Price weaves the story of Ravita Mukherjee's murder and the challenges of being a American born to a traditional family. As Tracy works at solving the murder while hiding her pregnancy, Faz and Del focus on the murder of a local activist. Faz concurrently deals with his wife Vera's cancer diagnosis. It was nice to have Faz and Del more in the forefront in the storyline. They are great characters to follow. The toggle between the two stores are not distracting but helps the build up of the story line. I enjoy the difference between the young whippersnapper, Tracy, and the weathered veterans, Faz and Del.

Dugoni's writing style highlights his ability to not only develop the story line in a thoughtful and purposeful way but also addressing relevant topics such as pregnancy in a high powered profession, challenges of first generation Americans, gangs, escort services, the list goes on.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I first “met” Seattle Homicide Detective Tracy Crosswhite in Robert Dugoni’s My Sister’s Grave and loved her, so I then eagerly read Her Final Breath. Following along in short order (he definitely can crank out books at a fast clip) were In the Clearing, The Trapped Girl, and Close to Home (all of which I reviewed on littorallibrarian.org). I enjoyed them all, particularly the way Dugoni makes his characters REAL, somehow writing a female perspective incredibly well. So I was pleased to receive a copy of #6 in the Tracy Crosswhite series, A Steep Price, from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This one starts out with the murder of a woman who has been organizing her community to fight against the increasing activity by gangs and drug dealers. She was shot in broad daylight, yet somehow there are no witnesses when Tracy’s fellow Homicide Detective Vic Fazzio and Del Castigliano begin investigating the murder. In the meantime, Tracy is stuck in court, where she is asked by a friend who works Missing Persons for help. This is close to Tracy’s heart as it was her own sister’s disappearance that led her to leave her career in teaching to become a cop. This time, a young Indian female named Vita Mukherjee, who is just about ready to go to medical school, vanishes. Aditi, her closest friend since childhood, with whom she has plans to partner in a pediatric practice following med school, reports her “sister” Vita missing the day after Aditi returns from three months in India. Tracy agrees to help, despite having to do it on the DL to avoid further complications with Nolasco, the boss who seems to pop up as somewhat of a nemesis throughout the series.

So there are two stories at once: the missing Indian woman and the murdered community activist. Although I generally don’t unravel plotlines before the big reveal, I had a good idea what was going on with one of these (for a change).

There are a few things that Dugoni totally nails in A Steep Price: the challenges of dual career couples, the search for life-work balance by working mothers, the personal hell of a serious medical diagnosis, cultural struggles within immigrant families with deeply help cultural traditions, and “sugar dating” (yes, it’s a thing).

The character development is awesome, as I’ve come to expect from Dugoni. This one is less reliant on setting than some others, but it isn’t a negative at all. The plotlines move along, and everything comes together at the end. This is another winner in this series (and, once again, it can easily be read as a standalone mystery as well as part of a series).

I’m not sure if Dugoni’s future books will include the strong emphasis on social and political relevance seen in A Steep Price, but I liked it a lot. Highly recommended both for established fans of the Tracy Crosswhite series, as well as newcomers. Four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advance reader copy, A Steep Price (The Tracey Crosswhite Series Book 6) by stellar mystery and detective author, Robert Dugoni, in exchange for an honest review. This latest thriller mystery did not disappoint! While Tracey was involved in a court case, her other partners catch another case involving the shooting/murder of a community activist. Also Tracy is contacted by one of her police mentees about a missing persons case, and even though Tracy is pregnant (trying to hide it from everyone) she works with this other police-officer to find a young Indian American college student/graduate. This aspect of the book will have readers riveted to the Indian family’s dynamics toward their daughter and arranged marriages. I never knew about “sugar dating” and am glad this book sheds light on this odious dating service. Dugoni’s sixth book was thrilling once again and I could not stop turning the pages! For a gripping, wild read, A Steep Price will not disappoint! I am so looking forward to Book 7 in this series.

This book did not captivate ne as previos volumes did. I got stopped around the part where Traci's pregnancy might force her to take leave and the vultures wanted her position at work. I will likely finish rhis summer as I like to finish series.

I continue to enjoy this series. Each book has been excellent and this one is no exception. I love the characters and like the way the novel is almost two distinct stories.

A Steep Price is another excellent addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni. I love the characters, and how they interact with each other, even during tense scenes, Robert Dugoni can weave in tension and humor that keeps the pages turning. Each of the sub-plots was equally interesting and moved the story forward to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. This book had me laughing, crying, and wanting more. I hope the next book in the series is not too far behind. Excellent book to include on your Must Read list.

I’ve read all of the Tracy Crosswhite stories and listened to some of the David Sloan series and enjoy Mr. Dugoni’s writing. I’ve loved watching the changes in Tracy’s life from the first book to this more recent one. I enjoy the camaraderie between Tracy, Del, Vic, and Kins and the feeling that they are family.

The stories are full of mystery and tension-filled suspense, and the police procedures are informative while easily moving the story forward.

The story includes a murder, drug related gangs, a missing woman, office conflicts, medical issues, Indian culture and more. It was quite an involved story but easy to follow along with the back and forth between the detectives and the cases. I was able to figure out certain outcomes, but I was still surprised at others.

I was excited about Tracy’s pregnancy from the previous book but wondered how that would affect her work in this story. There are various undercurrents at work with people retiring, moving to other units, and new colleagues, which causes conflicts.

The arranged marriages of Indian culture was interesting and somewhat sad, that many women are pretty much forced into marriage and an almost slave-like arrangement taking care of extended families.

I would have liked to read more about Dan in this story and love the connection he and Tracy have. As most parents wonder how they will handle a baby and work, this was a concern for Tracy. Vic gave such good advice about spending as much time as possible with children.

Vic and Vera had medical issues to deal with and I was quite concerned about both. Vic also follows up on a suspect and finds himself in a critical situation and I was flipping the pages as quickly as I could to see what would happen next.

Mr. Dugoni’s talents are in the plot, character development, plenty of twists and turns, and sometimes involves current issues. He evidently researches subjects quite extensively and it makes for an exciting and informative story.

I loved the ending, which brought tears to my eyes. I enjoy Mr. Dugoni’s work and can’t wait to read more about Tracy as it seems that there may be some significant changes ahead.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and to Robert Dugoni for the opportunity to read this book.

A Steep Price by Robert Dugoni is a real page turner, a great detective story that will keep you engaged until the very last page!

A lovely young woman of India descent Kavita, disappears..yet her family seems strangely detached. Detective Tracy Crosswaithe is called in to help with the investigation, but something just seems wrong. The victim was a college student with aspirations to attend medical school. Her family wanted her to have a traditional arranged marriage, but Kavita had greater plans for herself, and it seemed to her roomate that things were on track for Kavita and her disappearance greatly out of character.

At the same time, Tracy is dealing with the usual set of issues with her boss who'd like to see her go, and she has a secret of her own...after years of hoping she is actually pregnant! Her boss brings in someone to "assist" the team while Tracy is working on Kavita's disappearance, and the woman behaving quite strangely - logging in to Tracy's files, butting into things that she is not assigned to - leaving Tracy feeling strangely vulnerable. As if that is not enough, Tracy's partner Vic Fazio is dealing with his wife's diagnosis of cancer and the resulting treatment.

As usual with Robert Dugoni the book is well written and takes us deep into the investigation, leading us in many directions before we find out who killed Kavita and why. The characters are well developed and little by little we learn about and understand their hidden motivations. A Steep Price also takes us into the complexities and challenges of American born children of immigrants and their potential cultural conflicts. I love that Dugoni makes us work for that successful conclusion of the case; as Tracy gets closer to resolving it, block by block she builds the story for us, so that we realize who did it just before she proves it. This book is a wonderful addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series!

Thank you Netgalley for an early reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great addition to the stellar Detective Tracy Crosswhite and the Violent Crime Unit series based in Seattle, Washington. There are two storylines that dominate this book. The pregnant Tracy finds herself immersed in a court trial as a witness, but responds when a colleague tells her about a missing person case. Washington University medical student and aspiring paediatrician, Kavita Mukherjee has disappeared, and Tracy's gut instinct tells her there is more to the case, besides she has a personal reason that drives her to investigate, irrespective of the obstacles placed in her path. Vic Fazzio and Del Castigliano focus on the killing of a local mother and activist, unhappy at the state of the drug infested, high crime neighbourhood of South Park. The narrative focuses on the issues of crime, race, drugs, poverty and how it blights lives, culture and traditional expectations of young Indian women, health scares, pregnancy issues and secrets, and where nothing is as it appears.

The beautiful Kavita was estranged from her family, not wanting an arranged marriage. Before long, Kavita's body is discovered in an abandoned well, and it looks as if it might possibly be suicide, but Tracy and Kins soon ascertain that they are dealing with a murder. A new detective has joined the team, Andrea Gonzalez, and frankly, Tracy is less than impressed with her. Tracy has yet to reveal her pregnancy at work, and when Gonzalez talks to her about being pregnant, Tracy fears that she is her replacement. Fazzio finds himself partnered with Gonzalez on the South Park case where the shooting dead of a critical witness leads to conflicting accounts of what happened. The menacing Cartel Surano, led by Little Jimmy, are the powerful local gang, dealing in drugs and terrorising the local community, ensuring that they do not co-operate with the police as they try to work out the perpetrator and their motive. Fazzio and Castigliano come to take a much more central position in this particular outing of this series.

Once again, Robert Dugoni gives us a socially and politically relevant novel with a gripping and well plotted tale. He provides an insight into the different cultural expectations of Indian women and the ramifications in contemporary society; and the realities of drug dealing, sex escorts, and gangs. The highlights of the series though are his complex characters and their development, and Tracy's close knit and supportive police team with their sharp humour. Tracy is worried about the implications of her pregnancy on her job, and her team have their own personal issues and family dramas. It is these authentic touches that depict the ordinary lives and the travails they face that make this such a wonderful series. A fantastic and entertaining read which I recommend. Many thanks to Thomas and Mercer for an ARC.

Another Excellent Tracy Crosswhite Mystery/Thriller

The novel opens with Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio, two detectives on Tracy Crosswhite’s Violent Crime Team responding to a murder in South Park, a part of Seattle where a Mexican drug gang operates. Tracy is tied up testifying in a trial. As the trial goes to the jury, Tracy’s boss, Captain Nolasco, wants Tracy to work the South Park murder because it is becoming high profile. Tracy is contacted by a detective that she has mentored, Katie Pryor, who now is in the Missing Persons Unit. She has a missing young woman about which Katie has a very bad feeling and wants Tracy to look into the case. A twist in the novel’s start is a new detective was hired who, rumor has it, may be replacing Tracy as it is becoming obvious that Tracy is pregnant. Lastly, personal and health issues have befallen both Del and Vic so that they cannot be focused 100% on their police work. From this start the two main storylines, the murder and the missing person cases, develop a very captivating novel that proceeds with twists and turns set in a conflicted environment. I was quickly captured and could not stop reading.

The continued character development of the main characters continued for Tracy and her team detectives with her pregnancy and Del’s and Vic’s personal and medical issues provide much insight into their lives and relationships. All of this B-storylines are well-woven into the main story lines, and for someone who has read most of the previous novels really enriched the reading of this novel. While I have read four of the five previous novels so I am familiar with these characters, I did not see any instances that knowledge of these prior novels was required to understand the storylines in this novel.

There was some swearing but not at an amount that should offend as most were mildly vulgar terms, and all such usage was consistent with the character and situation. There were a few scenes with adult content, but nowhere near objectionable levels.

What I particularly liked about this novel was that there were two main storylines with many B-storylines woven into the storylines. To me, this is quite realistic for a police department to have multiple cases running with court appearances and all setting on top of personal lives. There were several aspects that I thought were not realistic. All but one was answered by the end of the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It captured my attention and I found myself reading well past midnight several times. Even if this would be your first Terry Crosswhite novel, I strongly recommend that you can start with this one. After reading this novel, I have started to read the one novel of this series that I have not read. I rate it with five stars.

I have received a free kindle advanced reader’s copy, an uncorrected proof, of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this novel early.

A Steep Price is another solid read in the series but yet again a very different type of novel compared to the previous one, and the one before that. There's no mistaking his signature style though, it certainly contains his typical cheeky humour again, and I especially love the way he references - quite ironically -  lawyers at least once in every novel. 

'We tan the way lawyers tell the truth, never on purpose and never very well'

One of the strengths of this series and why I came to enjoy reading this one so much as well is definitely the cast of Del, Faz, Kins and Tracy, the four members of the A team. I really don’t know any other team of detectives that have such warm and tight dynamics. They can quip and bitch to each other but they can also just as easily cry in front of one another if something’s troubling them, which is exactly what is happening in this novel. Health issues lay at the base and although it is justified, it is a sight unseen. I’m not used to detectives having doubts and fears but this series makes me realise they are only human too and I appreciate that they are more than just a detective, they are actually friends of each other as well and they know each other's families like their own. 

This time the foursome is divided into two teams working separately. I foolishly thought the storylines would cross at some point but you'll see that they don't run in the same circles so the chance was practically nihil. Tracy starts off at court giving testimony but while waiting for the verdict she’s called about a missing student which she pursues with Kins. At the same time Del and Faz look into the murder on a woman who fought for a better community, after-school lessons and only wanted a drug-free neighbourhood. 

I enjoyed the setting of this novel more than I did the previous one, which was situated on a military base. This time the author provides an insight into the Indian way of life. He chose two Indian girls with divided opinions about arranged marriages, the girl who went missing had no contact with her parents anymore, she received no money from them and she was very much on her own by choosing not to marry someone chosen for her. Both investigations were interesting but the disappearance of this student felt just a bit more mistifying and unsettling and I felt myself drawn to this plotline a little more.  

Another excellent novel to add to your list if you enjoy reading police procedurals, but start with novel 1 to get properly addicted!

A Steep Price by Robert Dugoni is the first thriller that I have read by this author by absolutely not my last. I had such a hard time putting this book down when I first began reading.
It´s such a captivating read, that you just need to know what happens next. It only took one book "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell" to be intrigued by Robert Dugoni´s writing style. It´s no wounder that he has become a bestselling author.
If you like mystery and thrillers this is a wonderful addition to the genre.

Two young girls are rebelling against the wishes of their parents and refusing to participate in the traditional arranged marriages of their culture. Instead, the girls dream of pursuing medical school. They are working hard to save money and make their dreams a reality. One of the girls comes back from a few weeks away and announces that she has finally given in to the wishes of her family. She got married in the short time she was away. Her best friend is shocked and devastated to hear the news and, shortly afterward, she disappears. When her body is discovered, suicide is a possible cause of death but Tracy Crosswhite thinks there is more to the story. She believes someone wanted her dead. But who would have the motive to take the life of this brilliant young woman?

This is another fantastic story in the Tracy Crosswhite series. Robert Dugoni never fails to impress me with his writing and has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book and the entire Tracy Crosswhite series.

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

All the stars!
Robert Dugoni keeps impressing the hell out of me with his books!

So, if you’ve never heard of this series or this author, you’re missing out!
Dugoni writes excellent detective thrillers with beloved characters that I’ve cheered for over the last four years. And it seems he’s hitting his stride and each book gets a bit better for me.

You see, the Tracy Crosswhite series is set in the Seattle area so I'm a bit biased and also more critical. I’m a resident living in Seattle. I’ve checked out the locations along with the topics for the murder cases. Dugoni gets it right every time regarding research of this area! Well done sir!

The main character, Tracy Crosswhite is a Seattle Police Department detective on the A team.
The SPD A team consists of Del Castigliano, Vic Fazzio, Kinsington (“Kins”) Rowe and Tracy Crosswhite. They have become characters that I’ve cared for over the years involving their careers and life.
And that’s the beauty of Dugoni’s writing. It’s GREAT! And almost flawless. I don’t say that without hesitation because the characterization, research he does with each case and police procedure is excellent! The police procedure is one of the best that I’ve read in a detective series.

In A Steep Price there’s two cases going on at the same time. One involves the murder of a local activist against the Sureño gang in South Park. Yes, we have gangs up here in the Seattle area and the Sureños are indeed in the South Park area. I looked it up. Score one for Dugoni.

The second case involves a missing young woman named Kavita Mukherjee. She’s estranged from her family, attending medical school at University of Washington and does not want an arranged marriage. What has happened to this beautiful and vibrant young woman?!

There are many topics discussed in this book from arranged marriages, returning to work after a pregnancy, a cancer diagnosis, sex escorts to moving drugs along the West Coast. The author manages to write well on each topic and with heart.
It seems each case that I’ve read in all six books deal with real life issues and heavy topics. I’ve gotten emotional on most cases and that’s great writing!
Way to pull on the heart strings Dugoni!!

If you want to read a great crime detective series, I would suggest starting with My Sister’s Grave which is the 1st book in the series and letting the characters tug your hearts throughout each book. I believe you will love them in time like I do.

Another brilliant novel by Robert Dugoni, my favorite author. I can’t wait to read what he comes up with next.

Yet another amazing Tracy Crosswhite read! This one was a little different with two different story lines within and some jumping around between characters. I liked the fresh ideas, the sugar babies concept and some history on Indian relations. It was also nice to have the victim's perspective leading up to the crime itself. I love seeing the relationships expand with the A-team. You can feel the love and respect they have for each other. It just makes you feel more connected to the characters. One other thing I really enjoyed was that we got to meet Tracy and Dan's baby in this one and didn't have to wait for the next one. So happy that I continually get the chance to read the advanced copies of this series. When is the next one coming out??

Excellent addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series, but make sure you've read previous books first as the protagonist plays "second-fiddle" in the novel dual threads are being spun, and Tracy's character doesn't drive the story as strong as before.

This series usually features several different cases with which the "A-Team" grapple, all of them equally interesting but mostly at least tangentially related to each other. A Steep Price is a little less cohesive, to the point where Tracy and Kins could be part of a different novel than Del and Faz. Normally this would subtract points from my rating but, since I love this series, it was more like getting two novels in one. Tracy and Kins are investigating the alleged disappearance of a young woman while Faz and Del get entangled in a drug case. As usual, there is some personal drama added to the police procedural. We get a new character that fans of the series are bound to hate (anything that Nolasco approves of must be evil). I wish there had been a little bit more of Dan, because he hardly appears here, but some old friends come back from past cases and that was nice. The resolution of the whodunit was actually unexpected, and it's great to see how highly researched the investigative aspects seem to be, as far as I can tell being a layperson. A solid read, the characters really make me love this series.