Sam's return from Afghanistan finds him working as a bartender and attending therapy sessions to try to work through the PTSD that plagues him. When a co-worker is beaten by her boyfriend, she turns to Sam for help, but when the boyfriend turns up dead, somehow Sam becomes suspect #1. The detective working the case, though, is more interested in what she suspects Melody is hiding and works to prove that Sam was not the killer.

I love this author's Monkeewrench series and couldn't wait to read this book, which I recently learned is the first book in a new series featuring Margaret, the LAPD detective. Unfortunately for me, this book is much more intense and dark than the Monkeewrench books, and I missed the humor and occasional light banter from those books that provide the reader with a break from the action in the story. I liked the characters, but would not have guessed that Margaret will be the focus of this new series, as she didn't seem to play a very big role here. I will probably read the next book in the series before deciding if I want to continue with it, but in the meantime, I'll be waiting and hoping for another Monkeewrench book.

This book hit all the markers for the mystery/thriller genre that I love to read. Since this is the first book of an anticipated series featuring the LA Detective Maggie Nolan and war veteran Sam Easton, I look forward to future books. If the author continues this type of writing in future editions. this series is bound to find an appreciative audience and become a fan-favorite. The characters were well-developed to the point that you could "feel" their emotions during heart-breaking and/or traumatic experiences. There were many times things felt coincidental to the story line, but as expressed by one of the detectives "nothing is ever coincidental". I appreciated that there was no "fluff" in the story, and that there was more than one main concept to focus on throughout. Who was the Miracle Mile killer? Who was stalking Melody? What can't Sam remember and how important is it? Can Maggie work through her grief over her brother Max? I have to admit I have never hit "definition" more often than in this book as the author uses some 25-cent words fairly frequently, but at the same time I appreciated that this concept was also used between Melody and Sam as "word of the day". The instances of dry-humor were also a relief at times from the drama playing out. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review. #NetGalley #DeepIntoTheDark #StMartinsPress

Deep Into the Dark
P.J. Tracy
Fiction
Nancy (NancysBookNook, found on Facebook)
4

Sam Easton may have a degree in engineering, but until he finds a way to limit the worst of his PTSD symptoms, working as a bar back at the Pearl Club puts money in his pocket while presenting few triggers that might set off the panic attacks, hallucinations, and blackouts that plague him. There seems to be nothing he can do about the nightmares, though, watching his team die in the IED attack night after night. Maybe it’s his subconscious filling in the blanks of his unreachable memory of the event.

Melody Traeger’s memories are only too vivid, except for the times she had been too stoned or drunk to have any. She’s fought her way back from addiction, though, changed her name (Ugh. Was there really a time when she thought Roxy Codone was a catchy stage name?), and makes enough waitressing at the Pearl Club to fund her almost-finished degree. She even has a boyfriend, a rich one, who likes spending money on her. While she doesn’t pretend it’s love, it’s nice for now, except for tonight when Melody sees a side of Ryan she hadn’t known existed, a jealous, violent side that appears when she refuses to quit her job to become, what? A kept woman? Ryan’s possession? Nursing a black eye and the fear that Ryan might find her, Melody ends up on Sam’s couch for the night.

When Ryan Gallagher is murdered, the first suspect LAPD detectives Maggie Nolan and Al Crawford question is Melody, but Crawford’s attention focuses on Sam. What are the chances that Sam, obviously losing the battle with his mental health issues, might have killed Gallagher to protect Melody?

P.J. Tracy began as a mother/daughter team who, together, wrote the (very good) Monkeewrench series. The mom, PJ, has died, but Traci continues to write. Deep Into the Dark is her first stand-alone effort; in which she definitely proves that her mom was not the only talented one of the duo. I, for one, am hoping this is the beginning of a new series!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read the ARC of Deep Into the Dark, and to offer my review of it.

Deep Into the Dark is a fast paced thoroughly enjoyable thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. A monster is using the seedy sections of LA as his hunting ground and LAPD Homicide Detectives, Maggie Nolan, Al Crawford, and LAPD Homicide Special Section Detective Remy Beaudreau have just found his third victim. Also introduced are Sam Easton, a wounded vet suffering from PTSD and Melody Traeger, a beautiful college student and bartender working at a posh Hollywood nightclub, who has her own tragic past. When Melody’s abusive boyfriend is found murdered by Nolan and Crawford, Sam and Melody find themselves not only as potential murder suspects, but also caught in a madman’s snare.

I really had a hard to time setting this book down! I also enjoyed how the author was able to tie everything together in a satisfactory ending. Sam and Melody were completely relatable and sympathetic characters and I loved the chemistry between Nolan and Beaudreau! Hopefully those two will have that drink in a future sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Deep into the Dark. I've never read the author's previous books before but I was pleased when my request was approved. I'm always looking for a new author to read. This book made me want to read more of the authors books!

I have read a few books by the author and I found them fast moving and interesting this book is a start of a new series and it didn't disappoint. The characters are strong and they can be built upon. I liked this book for the simple reason that it wasn't just one story but two stories that didn't leave you hanging at the end. Superbly written and I look forward to the next one.

This is my first PJ Tracy book. Are they all full of pretentious language that seems incredibly inappropriate for the characters thinking/saying things? At the beginning I felt like I was tripping over words that felt out of place for the story. As time went on, I became more accustomed to the bombastic writing but it never felt true to the characters. Sadly, it continued to distract from a really good story. The characters were deep, with a history sufficient to fill a full length book all on its own, and the story itself continued to pull me in. I'd advise to be prepared for the overly ambitious words and settle in for a solid who done it!

A twisted tale. A police procedural that is following two different crimes. It is also looking at the life of a soldier suffering from severe PTSD and a young girl recovering from drug addiction. It goes into some deep psychological details as they try to find a way out of the mess that is their lives. Finding who the killers are will be surprising.

This is a complex mystery that took me awhile to get into, but once I did, I was all in for the exciting ride! The main characters are damaged people who are just trying to do their best. I felt sorry for them and yet proud of them for trying. Hated to see the awful things happening to them. I did guess 'whodunnit' earlier than the revelation - but not too much earlier! The author did a good job of keeping the suspense going right up to the end.

I'm glad to see this is the first book in a series because I liked the detective duo and look forward to getting to know them better.

Deep into the Dark by PJ Tracy is about Sam Easton, a military vet with PTSD, Melody Traeger, a bartender who works with Sam, and Margaret Nolan, an LAPD homicide detective with a soft spot for military vets. Melody and Sam work together at a bar. One night Melody's horrible boyfriend gets violent and she runs to Sam for protection and a place to stay. Sam is battling his own demons, horrible PTSD and a recent separation from his wife Yuki. Sam lets Melody stay. The next day Melody's boyfriend turns up murdered and they are both persons of interest. Nolan and her partner are assigned the case. The other case they are working is a serial killer who kills women of ill repute in dirty hotel rooms that have so much DNA that no one can be named a suspect. Are these two cases related? There is a lot more to the plot but I don't want to give too much away. I loved the characters of Sam and Melody and I hope this is made into a series. Sam is a very complicated man with many layers of problems. Reading about PTSD and the treatment was very interesting to me. Melody was a tough, strong woman and I hope to see more of her! I really hated for this book to end. Don't miss this book! It is definitely a great thriller you will not regret reading! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Title: Deep into the Dark
Author: P. J. Tracy
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

Sam Easton—a true survivor—is home from Afghanistan, trying to rebuild a life in his hometown of LA. Separated from his wife, bartending and therapy sessions are what occupy his days and nights. When friend and colleague Melody Traeger is beaten by her boyfriend, she turns to Sam for help. When the boyfriend turns up dead the next day, a hard case like Sam is the perfect suspect.

But LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan, whose brother recently died serving overseas, is sympathetic to Sam's troubles, and can't quite see him as a killer. She's more interested in the secrets Melody might be keeping and the developments in another murder case on the other side of town.

I haven’t read anything from this author, but I enjoyed this read. Excellent writing, fascinating characters, and a realistic setting all made this an engrossing book. Sam proves to be an unreliable narrator, which is hard to pull-off, but it’s well-done here. I didn’t figure out who the killer was until just before the characters did, and it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I’d definitely read more of this series.

P.J. Tracy is an award-winning author. Deep into the Dark is her newest novel, the start of a new series.

(Galley courtesy of Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/14.)

I was looking forward to P.J. Tracy’s new series but, unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. I truly loved The Monkeewrench series and had high hopes for this new series.
Overall, I didn’t dislike the story....it was more like there were just too many characters and too much going on. I I found it hard to follow the storyline at times.
I will read the next book in the series in hopes it will draw me in more.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really really wanted to like this book, but it fell very flat for me. It started off strong, but halfway through I got really bored and had to force myself to finish this one. I wasnt invested in the story or characters which made it difficult to connect.

I was really hoping for more of a police procedural book (especially because the is the start of a new series), but I felt that Maggie's role played second fiddle to Sam and Melody.

This also felt like 2 super disjointed and unconnected books and they were forced to mesh together at the end.

This one also deals with PTSD which was difficult to read times.

The characters in this book were all multi layered and damaged in some way. The most damaged was Sam who bore many physical and psychological scars. He developed a strong support system which gave clues into what he was before the incident. Even Detective Maggie is drawn to him. The mystery surrounding him is parallel to another mystery. Both are well developed. Clues are given some more predictable than others. I enjoyed this book. It kept methinking and wanting to go back and read more. I’m going to look for other books by this author.

Deep into the Dark is a very entertaining book that kept me guessing. Tracy's characters are interesting with unique back stories. Sam Easton is a former army man suffering from severe PTSD. He lives in Los Angeles and is separated from his wife. Sam's difficult life becomes even worse when he begins to have horrific visions and people he is connected to are murdered. Tracy's writing makes this story exciting, not depressing. A definite must read for any thriller fan.

This book was such an enjoyable ride.

Sam is a war vet who is haunted by PTSD and his failing marriage. His paranoia and hallucinations are out of control and he finds comfort in a platonic friendship with his coworker, Melody, who has major abusive boyfriend problems. The story really begins with Detective Margaret Nolan investigating a suspicious vehicle that seems to be following Melody and Sam, not to mention there's a serial killer loose in LA.

I'm not sure if this will even make sense but it felt like when you dump out a puzzle and start to organize and flip over all the pieces and then once you get to like 60% you start putting the pieces together and let me tell you... my jaw dropped more than once. I'd say once I got to about 80% I legitimately just could not stop reading.

This book looks like it's going to be the beginning of a series, which I'm looking forward to, but I felt like there were maybe one too many characters. I was getting the characters confused a lot until the dots started to finally connect. I think that some characters like Sam and Melody and Rolf were the main focus and other characters were kind of an afterthought, including Maggie herself. I would've given this 5 stars if this was solely from her perspective. The POV's change pretty abruptly which I didn't like at all. Overall, I wouldn't be opposed to reading another Detective Nolan novel. 4 stars!

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing, character driven crime novel told from multiple perspectives. P.J. Tracy has created a brilliant cast of characters that are all a bit damaged and wonderfully unique. Readers will love getting to know them as they are led through the twists and turns of a murder investigation. The plot moves fast and broaches a wide variety of subject matters, including that of PTSD.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for the ARC of #DeepIntoTheDark. All thoughts and opinions posted by Wayward Readers Book Blog are original and are offered voluntarily.

Sam Easton is a veteran who is trying to get his life together after coming home from Afghanistan. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan recently lost a loved one who was serving overseas. Their lives intersect when Easton is a suspect in the death of someone he had conflict with. Nolan doesn't see this as the open and shut case others see it as.

This was my first P.J. Tracy book and I am happy to see that the intention is to turn it into a series. While some may feel like there are enough detective series on the market, I will always read one with a strong female lead.

PJ Tracy, author of the popular Monkeewrench series, is a new-to-me author. Originally the mother-daughter writing duo of P.J and Tracy Lambrecht, after the death of PJ in 2017, daughter Tracy continued writing under the same pseudonym. Deep into the Dark is the first book in her new series and is a slow burn, character-driven story with just enough mystery to keep me turning the pages and quite dark subject matter.

The chapters are short and pivot between different characters, giving readers a variety of perspectives. But while the series features Detective Maggie Nolan, she shares a surprising amount of the spotlight with Sam Easton, a mentally and physically scarred war vet and his coworker Melody Traeger. Despite this different focus, Tracy gives her characters depth and hearty doses of emotional baggage to contend with, which makes for an interesting cast. I applaud the author for not holding back on the darker subject matter, particularly the intense effects of PTSD on war vets and how it influences their family members, but sometimes this focus took precedence over the murder investigation.

I enjoyed this book, but I was disappointed that I guessed the culprit early on and felt that the plot unraveled a bit at the end requiring me to suspend disbelief in how things panned out. Perhaps there was just too much going on, particularly when we're just getting to know Maggie.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me but I overall I enjoyed it and think the main characters and general premise have good promise for a new series. I liked that the author doesn't shy away from big topics and I'm hoping Maggie becomes more of the focus in future books so readers can connect with her as the main character of this series.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books, St Martin's Press for my advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

At the beginning, I didn’t think I was going to like this book. There were a ton of big words, that I had to look up the definitions for, so I was getting confused. After about a fourth of the book, it really took off. It grabbed my attention and held it for the remainder of the story. I ended up really enjoying the mystery, glad I did not give up.