Another great installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series. While this one may not have been as well written as books before it, the story was still enjoyable to read and kept me turning the pages. I liked how we revisited a cold case of a serial killer in the Seattle area, and that Tracy had to work closely with Captain Nolasco. This gave an opportunity for that relationship to develop outside of the hostility that normally existed. I missed some of the other relationships, like Del and Faz, or with Tracy's family, and look forward to seeing them appear more in future books.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review.

20-Year-Old Cold Case Is Now on the Front Burner

Twenty years ago, Vic Fazzio, who was recently assigned to the homicide within the Violent Crimes Section, is called by his partner about a body found in a dumpster along Route 99. The manager discovered a body when tossing out the trash in the early morning. This is the fourth strangled victim found in the dumpster. The previous three had a carving on their backs that looked like question marks or wings. The killer’s moniker became the Route 99 serial killer. The timeline shifts to present time. The killer never has been found.

The main storyline consists of two threads. The minor thread consists of flashbacks into the original investigation of the Route 99 Serial Killer. The primary thread is the current cold case investigation. There are three major characters in this thread. They are the Seattle Police Chief, Marcella Weber, the old task force’s lead detective and now the head of the Violent Crimes Unit, Captain Johnny Nolesco, and cold case detective, Terry Crosswhite. They form, what I call, a triangle of animosity. Any reader of the last two novels in this series will understand this immediately. If this is your first read in this series, the reasons behind each of the characters animosity towards the other two are adequately explained. Since tackling 13 20-year-old cold case murders is a tall task, Crosswhite asks Chief Weber for the assistance of Vic Fazzio, who worked on the original task force. Weber assigned Nolesco. This is like putting two Betta goldfish in the same bowl and expect them to act nice to each other. This internecine working relationship added an interesting extra layer to the normal very cold and difficult investigation. My attention was captured immediately. It was an easy read, and I finished it faster than normal.

The background on Crosswhite is mainly provided in her interactions with Weber and Nolesco. All the events that make him suspicious of Crosswhite rise to the surface. Their investigative styles are very different, and Nolasco is senior to Crosswhite. Once he was her supervisor, but in this situation, she is the lead detective. How Crosswhite handles this delicate new relationship provides much insight into her character. This aspect also enriched my reading enjoyment of this novel.

For the aspects that stop readers, there are no intimate scenes. Vulgar language is very minimal. Rude language occurs more often but still not near being excessive. The violence is described in the less edgy after the fact. I didn’t see any wholes in this novel for things if you have not read The Last Line and What She Found, but reading them first will provide a richer and fuller overview of the characters in this novel.

I so thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel that I did not find anything that bothered me about this novel. There were no loose ends for the main storyline, but there are clear indications that the triangle of animosity is still simmering as it has been through the previous novels and hopefully in future novels. There are characters who still need to receive their comeuppance.

This author is one of my favorite and Must-Read authors. I have read 17 of his previous works. I have seen his next novel is due out in seven months, and I am eagerly waiting for it. I strongly recommend reading this novel and the previous two. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Book Review: One Last Kill (Tracy Crosswhite #10) by Robert Dugoni
Published by Thomas & Mercer, October 3, 2023

★★★★★ (5.0 Stars!)
Rave!

Seattle Police Department, present day.

Tracy Crosswhite, police detective, wife, mother, sharp-shooting champ, ten-year veteran of the SPD's crack Violent Crimes A-Team, and three-time recipient of the Medal of Valor, the department's highest award, is relegated to a lowly, nominal, low-priority operation ensconced in a glorified broom closet following a protracted case of PTSD (A Cold Trail, Tracy Crosswhite Book 7, 2020).

The Cold Case Unit.

A one-person spot set-aside for cops nearing retirement. Or, in her case, forced retirement.

But guess who's not about to be quietly led to pasture.....

// One Last Kill (Tracy Crosswhite #10) (2023) //

Seattle Police Headquarters
Justice Center
Downtown Seattle

Verdant "Emerald City" is besieged by social unrest.

Amid calls to defund the police, allocations are slashed. Violent crimes consequently spike. Retail shops are closed or moved away from King County. And top city officials and the SPD brass are under pressure to justify law enforcement budgets and expenditures.

In the maelstrom, Police Chief Weber finds out that the Seattle Times is planning to run a series of articles on the 25th anniversary of a notoriously unsolved serial killer case.

The "Route 99" case. The killings of thirteen victims between '93 and '95, with the failure to solve the case laid largely upon the competence of the police task force assigned to find the killer.

To preempt an inevitably ensuing public blackeye for the police, Weber orders her sole cold case officer, Crosswhite, to "...focus on the Route 99 serial killer cases".

All of them.

Dig deep into tomes of murder books. And work together with the lead task force detective then in charge during the period.

Who happens to be none other than Crosswhite's perennial nemesis.

Johnny Nolasco.

Captain of the SPD Violent Crimes Section. The bane of Crosswhite's ten-year stint with the A-team.

And, as they both run into obstacles and obstructions, parry threats to their personal wellbeing and watch each other's six, they mutually find out that dedication to the truth is not necessarily one's exclusive domain....

-----

In its tenth iteration, author Robert Dugoni brings his protagonists back in full circle.

The vilified police captain Nolasco is revealed as once having been, after all, a champion for justice in his own way. And, what's more, a sharpshooter sans pareil which, late in the book, proves to be significant.

He and Crosswhite find themself frustrated by the very factors that thwarted Nolasco's search for justice and retribution, decades removed.

Endemic graft and corruption, the scourge of power and greed. Where underlings and peons are sent to the slaughter by those ensconced in the public trust.

Do not expect righteousness and vindication in this episode.

-----

What's most remarkable about Robert Dugoni's writing is how he consistently straddles the edge of controversy as he remains true to his core values, showcased in his most notable, must-read bestsellers, "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell" (2019), and "The World Played Chess" (2021).

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Robert Dugoni, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always happy to reach for another Robert Dugoni novel, I am especially pleased when it is the Tracy Crosswhite series. Dugoni has crafted a strong collection of novels, sure to interest those who enjoy police procedurals, moving from active cases, to cold one, and now delving into a long-ago serial killer who may have re-emerged. Crosswhite has grown throughout the series, as Dugoni puts her in many awkward positions. This novel helps explore some of the backstory of a superior and sworn enemy, Johnny Nolasco, including how his past has come to help shape the bitterness. In a race to find a long dormant serial Killer, Crosswhite and Nolasco will have to put their differences aside in order to find that missing piece of evidence. Dugoni dazzles once more and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Seattle was facing major panic in the 1990s when the Rout 99 serial killer was on the loose. Thirteen victims appear to be attributed to him, though he left only a mark on their left shoulder, something that was never released to the public. Outrage boiled over when four women who worked in the mayor’s office were slain, when the SPD finally took notice. When they could get nowhere, the case was shelved and left to gather dust.

Tracy Crosswhite is tasked with reopening the investigation, pressured by a Chief of Police who remains bitter for some recent accusations. While she would love to work with one of her former partners, she is pushed to work alongside another cop who cut his teeth on the hunt and task force, Captain Johnny Nolasco, Crosswhite’s largest nemesis , who has brought her nothing but pain and misery since she joined the SPD.

Nolasco is not yet ready to let bygones be bygones and challenges Crosswhite to close the case once and for all. The two are forced to revisit old clues and follow-up on some reports from an investigative journalist who blew the lid on another SPD scandal before she was kidnapped and left for dead in California. When Crosswhite thinks that she has found a solid lead, she presses it and reveals the likely killer, who has been lying low for decades. When the man is taken into custody, a new murder with the same marking occurs, leaving many to wonder if they have the wrong man. The pressure of the accusation and the obvious mess-up by SPD has many thinking that the police have dropped the ball once more.

When DNA shines light on a new possibility, Crosswhite and Nolasco will have to act quickly, as someone appears to be haunting them and trying to use their anonymity to their advantage. A killer is out there, and appears ready for one final kill, as Nolasco finally sees Crosswhite’s detective work as pure gold. This will be one case that must be solved in order to bring some form of respect back to the Seattle Police Department. Dugoni proves himself once more and keeps the reader guessing.

There’s noting like a Tracy’s Crosswhite book to get the blood pumping. Dugoni has built up the series over a number of years, adding just the right amount of spice to strong story foundations. The narrative flow guides the reader throughout this piece, leaving little to chance in a series that never turns towards the dull. With great characters, Dugoni has been able to set the groundwork for strong development and, in this case, turning a minor character into someone whose backstory is quite intriguing. Plot points emerge throughout the story, providing some surprises for the reader and keeping the novel from being too linear. Many will ask, should the series be read in order? Dugoni builds on themes and makes references to past novels, making reading the books in order an essential. I am eager to see what Robert Dugoni has to offer in the coming years, as Tracy Crosswhite appears far from done her work with the Seattle Police Department.

Kudos, Mr. Dugoni, for another great addition to the series that makes it even more enticing.

Tracy Crosswhite is always a good detective story! I enjoyed this mystery and how everything unraveled. Its hard to know who to trust and Tracy is just as skeptical throughout. I liked how this connected to other books in the series without re-living previous books on page here. The story is consistently moving forward here and makes it a quick, easy read. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

In this story, Tracy has just gotten to work when she is called to Webb's, the police chief, office and tasked with looking into the cold cases associated with the "99 Killer'. It so happens that a newspaper is going to be publishing an article that highlights the failure of the police to solve this case which happened 25 years earlier. Tracy tells Webb that she will need help and asks for Dez. She later learns that the person assigned to help is not Dez, but her Captain. Tracy and the Captain do not get along that well and the Captain was the task for leaer for the "99 Killer".

Tracy starts going through the boxes of files that were generated when the case was active. She also goes through the notebook of a newspaper reported who she found after she had disappeared during that same period. Reading through the book she discovered that there appeared to be a leak by someone in the task force. To make matters worse, the "99 Killer" struck again and the pressure to solve this became quite immense.

Read along as Tracy pursues the killer and learn what she goes through as she and the Captain struggle to get some sort of meaning. Learn what finally brought it all together and who the "99 Killer" was. This is a definite winner and well worth reading.

Tracy Crosswhite is back reopening a case of a dormant serial killer to try and bring peace to families. The Route 99 killer took 13 lives before he stopped killing and when Tracy is tasked to take a second look, it forces her to evaluate the activities and decisions of the original task force that was full of friends and one big foe, Captain Johnny Nolasco.

Tracy and Nolasco try to come to a temporary truce to review the case and explore other avenues and keep finding either dead ends or more dangerous implications of corruptions from well connected members in local politics and the police force. Will they find the killer and stop him before he kills again?

I loved how this book built on a previous novella and full novel, but still could be read on it's own (though I recommend reading them all!). It made the story feel really rich and deep and unputdownable!

Thank you to netgalley.com for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book to read and review!

This is the latest in Robert Dugoni's Seattle based series featuring Detective Tracy Crosswhite, looking into cold cases, living in Cedar Grove, settled with husband and daughter, Daniella. Knowing that the Chief of Police, Marcella Weber, is corrupt but unable to prove it, Tracy finds herself landed with a hot potato of a cold case, the unsolved murders of 13 women, approaching iheir 25th anniversary, the local press are planning a set of articles hostile to the police and its failures. She asks for Faz, who had served on the case early in his career to help her, but instead gets her boss, Captain Johnny Nolasco, not a fan of hers. Nolasco was the original head of the original investigation, an ambitious man then who subsequently saw his career and mental health tank.

Weber insists on having what Tracy feels are ill advised press conferences which may possibly incite the killer who had been dormant for so long. Tracy arranges to see FBI profiler, Amanda Santos, who suggests focusing on the victims who had at first been prostitutes, but the last 4 had been middle class women, but Nolasco is far from impressed with this advice. As inquiries progress, their uneasy relationship begins to slowly improve as Tracy becomes aware that Nolasco cared about the victims and their grieving families and begins to understand the off the scale pressures he had been under, losing weight, smoking too much, never at home so his marriage broke down. It is not long before there are dangerous indications that the slumbering serial killer is now back with a vengeance and killing with his unique MO, will Tracy and Nolasco catch him this time?

Dugoni paints a picture of corrupt and untouchable powerful Seattle politicians and cops, where the truth is buried, not always for reasons that made sense to me, and certainly not when there is such a desperate need for justice, although perhaps this merely is meant to mirror contemporary realities where justice can be so elusive. It is always great to become reacquainted with Crosswhite, although I did wish there was more substantial appearances by Del and Faz. I look forward to seeing how Tracy and Nolasco's relationship develops in the future. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite is assigned the job of going through the cold case files involving the Seattle Route 99 serial killer. These included victims from over 25 years ago, some prostitues and the last few were regular women. They all had a distinct pair of angel wings carved into their back near their shoulder blade. Det. Crosswhite was assigned to work with her former nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco who had previously worked on the original team investigating these crimes, but that team failed to solve the crimes. This is another exciting page-turner in the Tracy Crosswhite series, book 10, by Author Robert Dugoni which is a favorite series of mine.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this exciting book that kept me up way too late at night.

I can't believe this is the tenth book in the Tracy Crosswhite series and that I've been a fan since the beginning, eagerly awaiting each new installment. The series just keeps getting better and better.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite is still the sole member of Seattle's cold case department and often clashes with Chief of Police Marcella Weber as to what direction she should take. She is blindsided when Weber orders her to reopen the decades-old Route 99 serial killer cases in advance of a series of newspaper articles on them beginning on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the last killing. Not only that, Weber orders her to partner with her nemesis and boss, Captain Johnny Nolasco, who was head of the task force investigating the crimes when they first occurred. Nolasco and Crosswhite immediately disagree on their approach to solving the cases and things go downhill from there.

As the investigation proceeds, Tracy begins to see connections between these cases and another case she just solved involving the disappearance of an investigative reporter that occurred at the same time as the serial killings. The more Tracy and Nolasco dig, the more the evidence leads them to powerful people, both past and present, who may not want the duo to solve the murders or continue at a cost they may not be willing to pay.

This book can be read as a standalone, but the reader is missing out on some excellent books by not reading the series. I especially liked how this book dovetailed with the storyline from Dugoni's last book, What She Found, and I can see where characters from both books could feature in future books. As usual, Dugoni's plotting, pacing, and writing are exceptional. The reader is also treated to perhaps the thawing of the relationship between Nolasco and Crosswhite., or at least an uneasy truce in their working relationship that is promising. I highly recommend this book and this series in general if you enjoy character-driven police procedurals.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is October 3, 2023.

In the 10th book of the popular series, Tracy is tasked with solving a 25 year old cold case involving the Route 99 serial killer. She is partnered with Nalasco, her long time adversary, and together, they use their intelligence and experience to find the killer. I liked how Dugoni continues/connects this case back to his last Crosswhite series book (although this can be read as a standalone). Releases October 3, 2023! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this novel.

Tracy is still working cold cases and in this 10th installment, she is forced to re-open a 25 year old case. She has also been assigned a partner, her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco. Well written, gripping and hard to put down.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. **

With the anniversary of a serial killers rampage coming up, a newspaper intends to publish an article about the task force that tried unsuccessfully to catch him or her, twenty five years ago.
Tracy Crosswhite, recently successfully caught the Cowboy killer, and is assigned to look over the old cases with fresh eyes. Bye her boss, with whom she currently has a difficult relationship with.
Ultimately, Tracy finds a thread of information to work with and she and her team attempt to catch the killer….
Very good story line. Lots of turns, highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC.

Another great addition to the excellent Tracy Crosswhite series. A police procedural series that goes beyond just solving the whodunit and delves into the politics behind police funding, city hall, and the daily impact on the rank and file. Great characters and a fast paced plot kept me turning pages until I had read it straight through. This is the 10th book in this series but also the third book in a kind of trilogy within the series. "One Last Kill, follows "In Her Tracks" and "What She Found" as Tracy begins working in the cold case unit. This can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend starting with the first Tracy Crosswhite book, "The Academy" and reading them all. If not, at least start with "In Her Tracks" to get the full measure of the trilogy. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced reader copy.

thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced copy

a fantastic thriller that kept me guessing

Another page turner by Dugoni! A serial killer and a team effort (including the original detective of the unsolved crime). Always entertaining!

This is the tenth volume in the series, and the last of a trilogy that started with the short story “The last Line” and that sees Tracy sidelined to cold cases and away from her usual A Team. I hope that maybe in the future she’ll be back, since I still miss Kins and their usual banter, but the author clearly knows what he’s doing. I really enjoyed this one. Tracy gets paired up with the last person she expected, and it made me see that character in a new light. Everything that has happened in the previous 9 books now makes more sense. I loved that part, those dialogues and how Tracy finds common ground with a surprising ally. The story can be read as a standalone, but it will make more sense for longtime readers. The plot is as suspenseful as usual, and the last part had me at the edge of my seat. It’s nice to see that, after so many volumes, the author is still able to surprise his readers. I will keep following Tracy wherever she goes, please keep them coming!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Thomas & Mercer!

It's hard to believe this is the 10th appearance by Seattle Police Department cold case detective Tracy Crosswhite - especially, perhaps, since it seems over the years her actions, even when she was in the right, have alienated just about everybody around her except a couple of loyal former partners, her husband Dan and their daughter Daniella. In this one, though, she gains at least one ally (or comes as close as she can given their former misgivings - and no, I'm not gonna tell).

This time out, Tracy - the sole member of the cold case task force - is taking another look at the so-called Route 99 serial killer, whose spree inexplicably stopped after 13 victims around the mid-1990s. The police chief, who shall we say is not a Tracy fan, assigns Tracy's old nemisis, now Captain Johnny Nolasco, to work with her instead of one of her former partners. Chapters shift from the events and investigation of the 1990s to the present. Back then, five potential suspects were identified; but once the killing stopped, so did the investigation.

It makes sense, then, to re-look at those who remain alive. In fact, some new evidence leads to a conclusion - but one with which Tracy isn't totally comfortable. Rather quickly, it becomes pretty clear her instincts are on the money, but that doesn't mean she and Nolasco will close the case - on which Nolasco worked 25 years ago - any time soon. In fact, some very powerful people are standing squarely in the way, desperate to protect secrets they still plan to take with them to their graves. And if the killer is still out there, how will he or she react to the renewed effort to bring closure to the victims' families?

It's another fast-paced adventure that series fans won't want to miss (although I admit to growing a bit weary of the near-constant emphasis on who feels wronged by Tracy and still carries a grudge). But I enjoyed it all the same, even to the point of taking it to bed with me to finish (something I rarely do). I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy, and now, as always, I'm looking forward to the next one.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. One of the most intense edge of my seat books I have read in a while. I will be going back to book one of the series to read the rest!

One Last Kill is the tenth book in the consistently compelling Tracy Crosswhite series, about a Seattle homicide detective who now works cold cases. While technically this could be read as a stand-alone, everything will make a lot more sense if you have read the earlier books, particularly the novella “The Last Line” and the preceding book What She Found. While not my favourite from the series, this was another excellent read, in particular for the way Tracy’s relationship with her nemesis, Johnny Nolasco, is handled.

Tracy is handed a poisoned chalice when the Chief of Police announces to the media that she is to reopen the investigation into the Route 99 serial killer, who murdered thirteen women 25 years earlier, then inexplicably stopped. Her Captain, Nolasco, led the task force back in the day, and his career never recovered from his failure to catch the killer. Now he appears to be back, and Tracy must work with Nolasco in spite of their mutual animosity, but with corruption tainting the system, can they find the truth before he strikes again?

One of the reasons I love this series is Tracy is so refreshingly grounded, but not too perfect. Throughout the series, Nolasco has been the obnoxious thorn in her side, so the way Dugoni gradually reveals another side to him was very clever. The mystery was OK - I guessed the killer’s identity too early, but was wrong about what I expected to happen, and a bit disappointed by the ending. I’m glad to hear that the series will continue, although hope that he’ll give up on the serial killer plot lines now - that’s enough for one detective’s career! Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. One Last Kill is published on October 3rd.