Fall is the second book in the Detective Harriet Foster series. This can be a stand-alone read. I did not read the first one, but I never felt as if I was missing anything that might have happened prior.

Former Alderman Marin Shaw is released from prison after completing her time. Her attorney Charlotte Moore is waiting for her and ready to take her home. Marin wants to put everything behind her. she has missed the last three years without her daughter. Zoe is the most important thing right now.

Chicago PD is called to the scene of a suspected suicide in a parking garage. A few days later another Alderman is murdered in his office. The powers that be are highly motivated to find out who had anything to gain by killing these to people. Everything points to Marin. The killer is leaving 30 dimes, pieces of silver, at the scene of each murder. Again it points to Marin.

Det. Hari Foster partners with Det. Vera Li while investigating the murders. Hari doesn't feel as if Marin is guilty in spite of all the clues pointing in her direction. As they widen the circle, they keep Marin as a person of interest, but the pieces don't fit. But someone wants them to think Marin is responsible.

I really liked this story. Having lived outside of Chicago, it was easy to believe the corruption amongst the city officials. I thought the characters were strong and very likeable. This was a fantastic, intense, riveting drama which grabbed me right from the start. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Tracy Clark writes such accomplished mysteries that reveal corruption but also the will of people to do what's right. This story is incredibly compelling, and while it wraps up nicely, it still leaves a solid bit of room for a follow up. Harriet Foster is a complicated and wonderful character to follow.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an ex-Alderman in Chicago is released from prison, another Alderman is killed. Is it retaliation from the one who wound up in jail? Detective Harriet Foster and her partner Vera Li investigate.

4.5 stars.

I read the first book in this series and now this one and this is a series I look forward to reading more of. This is a solid police procedural with flawed characters and interesting backstory. This was a really good read.

Not long after Chicago city ex-alderman Marin Clark is released from serving a three year sentence for corruption, two of her fellow aldermen are killed. When Marin was convicted they were also suspected of being involved, along with two others including John Meehan, who expects to be elected the next mayor. Detective Harriet (Harri) Foster and her new partner detective Vera Li are investigating the deaths and Marin is high on their suspect list. However, she claims she went nowhere near them and just wants to get on with her life and reclaim her daughter from her vindictive husband, who will never forgive her for her conviction ruining <i>his</i> reputation.

Although, much of the evidence point towards Marin being guilty, Harri is not convinced and has other suspects in her sights, including Marin’s husband who would love to see her sent back to jail. The plot moves along at a steady pace with a lot of CCTV to be watched to pin down peoples movements. Through it all Harri and Vera are forming a good partnership and their banter with each other adds some light humour to the novel. Distracting Harri is an unknown person calling her and hinting that he had something to do with her previous partner Glynnis, who was believed to have committed suicide. It’s likely we’ll here more from this unknown caller and what he wants from Harri in the next book in the series. This engrossing character driven plot has some good final twists and a satisfying ending.

Fall is the second book in the Detective Harriet Foster series by Tracy Clark. I absolutely love this series and the strong female characters! Harriet Foster and partner Vera Li. I would recommend that you read the series in order to get the back story, but you could read this as a standalone. When Marin Shaw gets out of prison after serving 3 years, for taking money while working in politics, people start dying. Marin took the fall for the others and now someone is killing the others one by one. Marin's main regret is her daughter. Marin's daughter has been without her mom for 3 years and as a teenager that's very tough! Marin's husband never visited or let her daughter visit during her 3 years in prison. Her husband blames her for "ruining" his public persona and his business dealings. He doesn't pick Marin up the day she's released and tells her she'll need to stay in their condo, not their home. A nice warm welcome back into the real world.

The first body found is of a female alderman. She was found dead in her car in a building garage. It was made to look like suicide, but it was murder. There were 30 dimes in her stomach that she was forced to swallow. Foster and Li begin investigating and know that Shaw just got out of prison. Rumor has it that there were 4 others that were guilty with Shaw and this woman was one of them. Is Shaw getting her revenge now that she's out? She called this woman the evening she was murdered. Coincidence? A couple of days later another alderman is found dead in his office. He was stabbed 3 times and had 30 dimes left in his pockets. He was another in the group of 4 that Shaw took the fall for.

Is Marin Shaw going around getting revenge after just getting out of prison? If not Shaw, who? Why would someone want others in the group dead? When Shaw is out walking in Chicago she is pushed into the street from behind as traffic is coming. She's injured, but not killed. Because she was pushed from behind she has no idea who did it? Is someone trying to kill everyone in the group, including Shaw or did she say she was pushed to take eyes off of her? Foster, Li, and the rest of the team have their work cut out for them. There are no easy answers and people keep dying. I thoroughly enjoyed Fall and rate it 5 stars. If you love a good mystery you'll love this book! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of Fall in exchange for a fair review. #Fall

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

I looked forward to more in the Detective Harriet Foster series. The setting is Chicago. Harry who has been on the force 17 years is adjusting to her new partner and team. She still struggles with the recent death of her partner and her son five years ago.

The corruption and deals with the city alderman are karma coming home to roost. It all starts when one of them is released from prison after serving 3 years. Shaw was the only one to be charged and refused to say anyone else was involved. Luckily, she has a best friend and lawyer who is keeping away the vultures.

Twists and turns and suspects are easy to find. All of these people are out to protect themselves and they'll sacrifice anyone for their own safety. Some of the cabal want to kill anyone who won't keep their mouth shut; others want to lie low until things calm down.

Shaw just wants to leave her cheating, greedy husband and get back to spending time with her daughter. She has family money and doesn't really need more. She has beat her alcoholism and wants a quiet life now. She seemed like a person who got caught up and has definitely reformed herself. I worried for her in this volatile world and wanting to protect her daughter from further upset.

In the end, I recognized the killer but wasn't sorry to see some of the corrupt die. The connection of the police team coming together in the end was satisfying. I enjoyed this one very much and would highly recommend the series. I'm really looking forward to Echo next December.

Fall by Tracy Clark is the second book in her Detective Harriet Foster series for Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint. I'm still a bit put-out that Clark's Cass Raines private detective series for Kensington seems to be put on ice, but the Foster books have been an enjoyable consolation prize and once I found the spoons to start reading I zipped through this in 24 hours.
Marin Shaw is getting out of prison after 3 long years. A former city alderman she was locked up for corruption, managed to get sober behind bars (she's an alcoholic) and she didn't take anyone down with her - which she most certainly could have. Marin knows where some bodies are buried. Needless to say her getting out is big news - to the press who smell blood in the water and to her fellow aldermen who are worried she's out for her pound of flesh. However all Marin really cares about is repairing her relationship with her young daughter and divorcing her sack of crap husband. Then, well, the bodies start dropping.

The first alderman is found shot to death in a parking garage. The second one, stabbed to death in his office. Found with the bodies are baggies filled with 30 dimes. Harriet Foster has caught the case and while both dead aldermen were connected to Marin it feels too neat. There's also the minor problem that they don't have a ton of hard evidence to make an arrest stick to her. The powers that be are at full froth and the pressure is on to make an arrest - but are the dead bodies tied to Marin's case or is it something else entirely the police aren't seeing?

Half the joy in Clark's books is that they're set in the city of Chicago, and she writes about the city well. However, rather unbelievably, this is the first of her books to really mine political corruption - which is about as Chicago as Irish cops, Chicago dogs, and Wrigley Field. Needless to say, I fell into the plot pretty hard and there was just enough political sleaze on the page to keep me invested. Normally I'm not a huge fan of politics in my entertainment because, hello, real life - but when political bodies are dropping, well I'm only human after all.

The mystery hums along well and while Marin is the obvious suspect the author takes the narrative on a few twists. That said, I did have a pretty good idea from the jump who our murderer was and it spins out to a climactic, albeit slightly unhinged, finish.

What didn't work so well for me was the introduction to a secondary plot thread planted, I suspect, for the third book in the series. Harriet's former partner committed suicide, leaving behind a husband and two sons. Harriet and her partner's widower start receiving threats, and whoever it is wants to leverage Harriet to do his dirty bidding (presumably fix cases, make evidence disappear etc.) in exchange for the safety of Glynnis' children. It doesn't go much of anywhere in this book and honestly takes focus away from the main storyline. Also, if I'm being honest, I'm still butt-hurt that this tactic was employed in the fourth book of the Cass Raines series and a fifth book has yet to appear - and likely won't for a long while (if ever). The Raines series was published by Kensington, and Clark now seems wrapped up in this Foster series for Amazon. So yes, I have baggage. On the bright side, as of the time of this posting, Amazon does have a listing for the third book in this series, slated for next December. Hopefully that release date will stick.

I didn't like this one as much as the first book in the series, but I still enjoyed it. The story was strong, the sense of place was dynamite, and Harriet is capable, smart, with underlying vulnerabilities that make her interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Final Grade = B-

I enjoyed reading this second installment of the series where the author gave us a well-developed story and characters that are different but work perfectly in solving the case. I eagerly anticipate the next installment of this excellent crime fiction series. Thank you, #NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

5/5

I loved the first book in this series, but I think this sequel was even better!! The main character, Detective Harriet Foster, is such an interesting character, and I adore her so much. I hope we get so many more novels of her solving crimes. I like that we get to see the perspective of a black woman on the police force and the inner (and outer) conflicts this often causes.

The case that needs solving in this novel had me absolutely hooked and I could not put the book down! I was glued to the pages. I thought I had it figured out but I was second guessing myself all the way along.

I also like that we got to see more and more into Foster’s personal life. I look forward to continuing to watch her grow, develop, and heal as a person.

I know book two isn’t even published yet, but I need book three immediately kthxxxxxxxx. 😅😅😅

Set in her hometown of Chicago, Fall by Tracy Clark (2023) is the second Detective Harriet Foster crime mystery thriller. Two city aldermen are found dead, with both having thirty dimes left on them, an apparent sign of a ‘betrayer payment’. Together with her detective partner Vera Li, Harriet must find what links these two deaths and any possible hidden connections or Council battles or alliances. As the detective team struggles to find the real motive or guilty party, another body is discovered, raising the pressure and stakes even higher. Meantime, Harriet is battling a change in her own circumstances that will rock her to her core. An engaging police procedural with a somewhat rosy ending and a three and a half stars read rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Great second “episode”. Love the interplay between the main character and her partner. Liked how the book worked around one storyline, while setting up a continuing storyline for the next book. Eagerly awaiting the continuing saga.

Fall is the second book in the Detective Harriet Foster series by American author, Tracy Clark. Is it a coincidence that, mere weeks after corrupt Chicago City Council alderman, Marin Shaw is released from her three-year prison sentence, two other aldermen in their guilty clique, who left her high and dry, are dead? Two violent deaths in a violent town, but Detective Harriet Foster and her partner, Detective Vera Li don’t believe in coincidences, and Marin has had three years to build up her resentment. Add to that the thirty dimes found on, or in, each of their bodies: thirty pieces of silver.

Thing is, there are several others with motives for killing Alderman Deanna Leonard and Alderman George Vasquez, not least of those being mayoral aspirant, Alderman John ‘Cubby’ Meehan, whose ruthlessness is well-known. Also, Marin’s priority seems to be getting custody of her now-thirteen-year-old daughter: would she jeopardise that to get revenge?

Distracting Harriet from the case is an anonymously delivered photograph, and a blackmail threat that relates to her former partner’s suicide some six months earlier. She is quietly determined to ensure that Glynnis Thompson’s reputation is not sullied, but a perceptive Vera Li stays on her case to share her troubles.

In a plot that features the team checking a lot of CCTV footage, various suspects having short-lived affairs, a stolen key, a missing overcoat, bribes to a doorman, quite a few selfish and/or self-centred types, and not a few dodgy alibis, there are twists and turns to keep the reader guessing right up to the point where one of those suspects begins to wonder about someone…

The banter between the characters is entertaining, and Clark is fleshing out the regular cast so they are a team the reader looks forward to encountering again, quite likely as a certain background issue is yet to be resolved. Readers will eagerly anticipate the next volume in this excellent crime fiction series.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

I read the first book of this series earlier this year and I really enjoyed my first introduction with Harriet Foster and the rest of the team. It's easy to understand why I couldn't resist adding this sequel to my TBR when it appeared on my radar... I've been looking forward to pick up Fall, and it turned out to be a solid enough sequel. Not as good as the first one for me, but then again a serial killer angle always wins it over politics and corruption for me... Fall is by no means a bad detective thriller though.

Technically you can read Fall as a stand-alone, although I wouldn't advice it as you will be missing out on substantial character background of the main character as well as her dynamics with the rest of the team. This sequel did seem to have a different feel than the first book, and the pace was considerably slower than expected in certain parts. I guess this was part of the reason why it took me longer than expected to read this story... The fact that I guessed who was behind it all very early on didn't really help either.

The plot itself focuses a lot on politics and corruption, which is never my favorite angle. Add the fact that there is a whole lot of cheating going on by multiple characters, and there was plenty motive for me to grow my dislike for this sequel. I can't deny that I was intrigued by the whole case though, and I kept hoping that I was wrong about the killer and that there was going to be a big twist at some point. Did I guess the full truth behind their motive? Not exactly. But I did feel like the identity was too poorly disguised to help add proper suspense to the plot.

As for the characters... Once again, I liked Vera Li so much better than our actual main character and partner Harriet Foster. She is growing on me a little, but there is just something very cliche about her and some of her actions can get really frustrating. That whole mess with her former partner also distracted considerably from the main case, and I kind of wish it wouldn't have been there. I did like the banter between the detectives working on the case, and I enjoyed following them around as they try to solve the puzzle.

All in all I can't deny that I preferred the first book, but Fall was still worth the read for me. I will probably still read the next book as well to see how the whole personal situation will unfold... Although part of me hopes the main focus will be on a new murder investigation instead.

Fall, a Detective Harriet Foster Thriller is the first book I have read by Tracy Clark; it will definitely not be the last. Fall is an intriguing story that immediately captivated my interest. Detective Foster, of the Chicago Police Department, is stiill bitter and grieving the murder of her 14 year old son Reg. Senselessly killed over trying to prevent a young thug named Terrell Willem from stealing his new bike, Reg was the bright light in Harri's life. As the book begins she gives a statement regarding Willem's length of sentence; shre does receive some satisfaction in that that he has been ordered to serve the maximum sentence, 99 years and 1 day.
Marin Shaw, a rising political star, former Chicago Alderman and attorney is released from prison that same day after serving 3 years for corruption. She realizes her political life is in ruins; all she wants to do is reconnect with her 13 year old daughter Zoe. Shaw's husband did not feel it was appropriate for Zoe to visit her mom in prison so they had a great deal of time to catch up on, in order to rebuild their relationship. Shortly after Marin's release, a former colleague and friend, Deanna Leonard, was found dead in a municipal parking lot. There had been quite a bit of speculation that Leonard and others had been involved in the corruption, resulting in Marin's incarceration. Could jealously have driven Marin to murder?
Harri and her relatively new partner Vera Li are assigned the case, and as it involves a representative of Chicago government, the pressure is on to solve it quickly.
I have just set the tone for all that follows in this complex, multilayered case.. I recommend that you read this book as it is an engrossing, well -developed, character- driven story that will keep you on the edge of your seat,
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer Publishing for an opportunity to read an ARC of Fall, that in no way impacted my review. 4.5 stars.

Wow what a ride that was.
Fall by T. Clark, published by Thomas & Mercer, is the second book in the Detective Harriet Foster Series. The previous book is Hide. For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order.
The second case leads Detective Harriet Foster and her team, together with her partner Detective Vera Li to two city aldermen who found dead.
A thriller 7 mystery of its finest. The story grabs the reader with both hands and doesn't let go anymore. An enthralling, fantstaic, outstanding read that gives all the feels.

In the 2nd book of the Detective Harriet Foster series, Harriet and her partner find themselves caught up again in a multiple murder investigation.

Two books in and I'm really loving this mystery series! I jumped at the chance to read this one early because I enjoyed the first book so much (Hide is book number one). Happily enough, I found myself pulled into this one just as easily as I was with the previous book. Harriet is a determined and focused detective - she is just one of those characters that you can't help but root for. I just want to see her succeed in everything that she does. What made this book extra interesting (and stressful) was a storyline that began in book one relating to her former partner - that played an important role in this book. That's all I can say without spoiling anything. Just know that you should definitely read book one, then this one, and then come talk to me about both if you love this series as much as I do. It's going to be a long wait for book three but I have no doubt it will be completely worth it!

Readers who enjoy mysteries, fans of detective fiction, and fans of Sue Grafton (this author gives me similar vibes) need to give this series a try. It's so good! Four stars.

CW - Grief, suicide

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Honest thoughts are my own.

Fall is book 2 in the Detective Harriet Foster series by Tracy Clark.
After reading Fall ice got read book one Hide.
This protagonist is likable, tough and relatable.
I liked the plotting, it kept me gripped till the very end. Gripping, tense and kept me reading way into the night. The intricate details, the connections and the masterful story telling kept me hooked.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

This is book 2 in the Detective Harriet Foster series and I feel you definitely need to read the first book in order to really grasp who Harriet is as a character and all she has been through in her life.
In this instalment of the series, Harriet and her partner Detective Vera Li are called out to the scene of a suspected suicide of a Chicago city alderman (alderwoman actually). But the suicide scene seems odd. Why would the victim swallow coins before their death? When another alderman is found murdered in their office, it becomes clearer to Harriet and Vera that somebody in the city has a problem with politicians. Is it the former alderman who was just released from prison on corruption charges? Or is somebody else going after high profile political targets.
I found ‘Fall’ to be a very solid police procedural book that captured my attention and had me finishing the book in a few days. I think Harriet is a compelling cop heroine character and with all the trauma she has in her past, and is still suffering from, I was just cheering for her to come away with a win and solve the cases, to prove to herself she can still go on and keep functioning. A really great read, 4 stars.

“Every betrayal has a cost.”

Detective Harriet Foster returns in this follow-up sequel to 'Hide', the propulsive series opener. Fall is also set in the dark underbelly of Chicago with a serial killer on the loose, but this time, the killer is stalking the city's public servants.

Readers are taken to the bitter and chilly February streets of Bronzeville and Little Village where someone is killing corrupt aldermen and leaving 30 pieces of silver on their bodies - a betrayer’s payment.

Can loyalty and discretion really be bought by a couple of twenties slipped into a pocket?

In Clark’s setting, 121 N. LaSalle, Chicago’s City Hall, is full of public servants who have a track record of betraying the trust of their people, their own ideals, and aligning themselves with evil. With so few clues and nobody willing to divulge anything, detectives have a tough job pulling back the curtain on what’s happening at City Hall and in the private lives of the city’s politicians. It’s imperative they determine who could be trapped in this betrayal web, who could be the next victim, and who could be out for revenge "before somebody else dies a horrible death … or dimes get scarce in town.”

Clark writes with purpose, has an eclectic investigative team, a lapel-grabbing plot and is able to hook readers immediately with her writing style. She’s definitely written a spectacular sequel that leaves readers anxiously awaiting a third book.

I particularly enjoyed the interplay between Detective Vera Li and Detective Harriet Foster. They are polar opposites in so many ways, “yet were the same where it counted.” Learning to become mutually dependent is tough and Clark makes it interesting by sharing the backstories that brought them to this place. They work together so well and Clark uses each character’s strengths and weaknesses to bind this formidable team. I equally enjoyed Medical Examiner Dr. Olivia Grant’s character and hope to see more of her in book three.

It was good to be reminded of the tragedy of putting our careers ahead of family, of keeping secrets from those we rely on, and that ‘karma’ or social justice, if you will, has a way of catching up with us.

I appreciated the lesson on the composition of dimes, too.

I was gifted this copy by Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Detective Harriett Foster and her partner Vera Li find themselves trying to untangle some dark secrets in this fast paced novel that takes good advantage of its Chicago setting. I missed the first book so this was a standalone and I appreciated that Clark provides the key back stories especially for Harriett. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The crimes might be a little over the top but that doesn't mean this isn't a page turner.