City of Secrets by P. J. Tracy is a captivating tale featuring intricately developed characters who grapple with their tumultuous pasts. Each individual is portrayed as deeply flawed yet undeniably human, facing the challenge of overcoming their haunting histories.

Book Title: City of Secrets
Series: Detective. Margaret Nolan #4
Author: J.P. Tracy
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press. Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: August 20, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up
Pages: 305

Maggie Nolan and Al Crawford her partner are called to the scene of a murder of a wealthy man in Culver City - an area near Los Angeles where one doesn’t want to get lost.
Was it a car-jacking gone wrong or perhaps he was on the hunt for drugs and/or sex?
Maggie finds out the man is Bruce Messane, the CEO of ‘Peppy Pets’ a successful pet food company that is about to be bought out in a mega million dollar deal realizes. The next day his partner’s wife – a woman whom has had an affair with Bruce is abducted.

Although a tad on the slow side it was still a rather quick read.
True I was somewhat warned that there were a lot of characters. They did keep me involved as I was trying to check as to - who was who and what was really going on. However most were unlikeable so it became difficult to care.
I live near LA and was hoping for something positive and less foul language.

Maggie Nolan is a detective with LAPD. She has worked cases that involved LA’s rich and famous as well as those living on the streets.

Author: P.J. Tracy is the pen name for the mother daughter team PJ and Traci Lambrecht. Unfortunately PJ died December 2016 but daughter Traci continued.
This is Book #4 in the Detective Margaret Nolan series. I read and enjoyed all the stories in this series: " Deep into the Dark", "Desolated Canyon" and "The Devil You Know".

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Book for granted me this early uncorrected Digital Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 20, 2024

This was an interesting story and a fast paced read. There’s a lot going on within these pages, along with a large cast of characters. The book mostly focuses on LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and her latest case, along with her love life. There are twists and turns all throughout and I ,was left guessing how everyone tied in, but the story comes (somewhat) full circle in the end. This is the first book I’ve read from the author and I was aware that it is part of a series. There is some backstory of other characters mentioned, though I am unsure if they are storylines in the previous books in the series. Either way, I found it easily be read as a stand-alone.

Detective Nolan and her partner, Al, try and solve the murder of a wealthy business man whose body was found on the wrong side of town. While investigating, they learn the wife of his associate has been kidnapped. Detective Nolan and her colleagues from various agencies work together to connect the crimes, but will they find the killer before it’s too late?

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC of City of Secrets by P. J. Tracy. This is the fourth book in Tracy's Detective Margaret Nolan series, but I was able to read and enjoy this just fine without having read the previous entries. I do think I'll go back and read them though. Tracy did a great job with City of Secrets and I find myself excited to read more of Tracy's work! I'm sure if you've previously read the earlier books in the series, your experience of reading this one would only be enhanced. But if you find yourself interested in this book specifically then in my opinion, don't be afraid to jump in here!

This book is perfect for people who love police procedural mysteries, but if you enjoy any type of mystery I think you'll be impressed by how well-done this book is! I found it very engaging and hard to put down. So many twists and turns and suspects and honestly everything you could hope to have in a crime mystery book! All around City of Secrets is a really enjoyable read!

I also personally loved the side plot of secret dating/ forbidden romance between Detective Nolan and her fellow detective Remy! They're part of the reason I want to go back and read the earlier books! These characters are great as individuals as well. Margaret Nolan is my favorite but there is no shortage of well-written characters in this story! And Tracy has done an awesome job bringing LA to life with this book. Definitely a mystery book I wholeheartedly recommend!

Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner are called to the scene of a fatal carjacking in a really bad part of town, right in front of Poppy's Garage. The officer on the beat grew up in the neighborhood and has a rapport with Poppy and he tells Nolan there was no reason for the millionaire owner of a big dogfood company to be in the area. Then Poppy is gunned down in a drive-by shooting, so Nolan is convinced there is more going on than meets the eye. Then, the wife of the former partner in the dogfood company is kidnapped and so is he. And where did the Mexican cartels start showing up? A lot of intrigue and plot twists keep this an entertaining read. I like Tracy's style, but I do miss the Monkeewrench Gang.

Mimi calls the owner of Peppy Pets, Bruce Messane, in the middle of the night asking him to meet her. The next morning he is found in a bad part of LA murdered in his car. Detective Margaret Nolan is called to the scene. The tires have been stolen off the car, and the man in a nearby store says a very well dressed woman came and went into the car and emptied his pockets. Nolan soon finds out that Messane's company had been for sale, and that Messane was a sex addict, and there may have been some financial shenanagans in the company's finances A few years before, Rome Bechtold, his former partner, had retired, and he is supposed to inherit the company if Messane dies. Shortly after learning about the death, Rome's wife is abducted. Nolan finally hears from the coroner that the single bullet to his head was not traceable, but, he had been beaten with something that tore and scarred his back deeply probably about 6 months previously, and never got treatment!

The book becomes very exciting as Margaret Nolan has her work cut out and a lot of help. I thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

P.J. Tracy's City of Secrets (Minotaur Books 2024), Book 4 in the Detective Margaret Nolan Series, involves a crime that is tougher than most for LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner to solve. It starts as a murder mystery--the wealthy founder of a company about to be sold for millions is killed in his car, but shortly after, the obvious prime suspect's wife--the partner set to inherit the company--is abducted and then, he too disappears. The trail is complicated with little that makes sense, but exactly the type of crime Nolan excels at.

The story has a lot of threads, each told well with enough detail and emotion to draw readers in. Tracy is a good storyteller, maybe over-impressed with her wordslinging skills which are excellent. So why was I underwhelmed? One reason: I was 27% into the book before any progress was made on solving the murder. Another reason: Each plot piece was enticing and could stand alone as a scene. That sounds good, but in fact, they became so separated from the rest of the story, I wondered how all those pieces would work together into the big picture. I was well over half way through the book before that started to happen.

Overall, a good read from a talented writer some claim to be "one of today's finest crime writers". I think many readers will enjoy it more than I did.

I will start off by saying that I have not read any of the other books in the series. I did feel I didn't know all the back story because of this, but it did not take away from the book too much for me not to know. The hardest part about reading the book was the use of last names, then switching to first names. It was really confusing when that was done. Overall, I did enjoy this book, and it was interesting to see how it all came together in the end. I would read another one in this series.

This is the second Margaret Nolan book I've read by P.J. Tracy. It was better than the last book I read, which is the one that precedes it in the series, although it still feels like there's too many cooks in the kitchen with too many orders to keep track of. The books are called the Detective Margaret Nolan series, but there are multiple other narrators in the story. She just happens to be the one the book follows most. In addition to multiple narrators, the book has multiple storylines going too. These tie together better than the ones in the last book did, but there's still a piece that feels either unresolved or meant to be some kind of red herring, and at least one character that disappears from the storyline. There's also a storyline that feels completely unresolved at the end, and I'm not sure if it's because Tracy just didn't do a good job of providing closure or she plans on continuing a storyline with some of the characters into a future book. The book centers around a CEO who ends up murdered and while Nolan and her partner begin investigating, the wife of his former partner disappears. The former partner who also happens to be family friends with a friend of Nolan. The pair are trying to figure out if the two events are connected while also trying to figure out if there's any connection to the rise of a cartel in the area that has everyone scared. I enjoyed this, but I still feel like there's too many moving pieces and too many narrators to make it really good. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great book by PJ Tracy. I have had a hard time recently getting into books. I read daily, but I'm easily distracted and not really interested in the stories. This book reminds me of why I like to read. I could barely put it down and picked up it any chance I had. When I was walking into work, I would read this book, leaving work the same. When I was making dinner I'd have this book nearby to pick up while waiting on something to finish. Get this book, you will not regret it.

City of Secrets is the 4th book in the Detective Nolan series but it can be read as a stand a lone which is good for new readers to the series. i enjoyed the mystery about the death of the CEO of the pet food company and how the different charcter's stories all ended up intersecting. Overall even if you haven't read the other books in the series, I would recommend reading this one.

City Of Secrets is the fourth installment in the Detective Margaret Nolan series by PJ Tracy. This reviewer hadn't read the earlier books in the series when I received an advance copy of City Of Secrets for review, but I was able to engage with the characters and delve into the story as a standalone. The earlier books would have provided more insight into the politics and nuances of the fictional relationships inside the LA police department, but I was able to enjoy this well-written mystery, nonetheless. I'll probably return to read book one for backstory.

Detective Nolan is a smart, capable, easy to like character with impressive problem-solving skills regarding a complicated murder. Her forbidden romance with another member of the department adds a touch of spice to the story. Readers of police procedurals will likely enjoy following this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of this book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Action packed, suspenseful and page turning. Maggie Nolan takes you on an exciting crime solving journey.

This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, crime thriller. It has an intelligent, strong and capable, likable female protagonist, wit, a touch of romance, murder, mystery, intrigue, kidnapping, twists and turns, and a surprise ending. I especially liked the short chapters. This is the fourth entry in P.J. Tracy's outstanding Detective Margaret Nolan series, and it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. Ms. Tracy's loyal readers will appreciate the nod to her other series. St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, P.J. Tracy, and NetGalley kindly provided me with an ARC of this fantastic novel, and this is my honest opinion.

This was a very complex story, multiple murders, a kidnapping and drugs. The author led you on a chase trying to figure out who was guilty of what. There was plenty of suspense to keep you engaged with a few twists and turns along the way. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I’ll admit a lot of my enjoyment of PJ Tracy’s mysteries comes down to her style of writing. I just really enjoy her way with words which includes a healthy dose of humor.
In the fourth of the Margaret Nolan series, Margaret is called in to investigate a murder of a wealthy man in a dicey part of LA. Is it a carjacking gone wrong? Or was the man on the hunt for drugs or sex? But the very next day, his ex-partner’s wife is abducted. Given the man’s company was about to be sold for big bucks, things got convoluted very quickly. The book moves at a quick pace and there aren’t any down moments. The story is complex but doesn’t rely on OTT scenes. I especially liked that Margaret doesn’t take any stupid risks to put herself in danger (something that has been rampant in other books I’ve recently read). While the series is named for Nolan, chapters include POVs from a variety of main characters which allows for a variety of ongoing cases at the same time. The mix of professional to personal lives of her characters is just the right mix.
Tracy seems to have a real feel for the city of LA and it adds a real depth to her books.
This works best if you’ve read the prior books in the series, although I guess it could work as a standalone. Be prepared that Tracy doesn’t spend a lot of time on her characters’ back stories.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

City of Secrets is a Margaret Nolan Mystery but can be read as a standalone. There are references to previous events but it is not distracting to the story.
A body is found in a bad part of town and a wife is kidnapped. How are they related and will the police figure it out in time? There are a lot of twists and moving parts which add to the suspense. It is a complicated, compelling thriller. Well worth reading. I like the characters very much and plan to read the series.

First I have to say this was the first book in this series that I read from this author, while I was able to follow along just fine, I have already decided to go back and read the first three books of the series as I want to know more about the characters. Which to mean is a sign of a great series and writing!

A man is dead in his car with a bullet hole to the head in a very bad part of town and there are no witnesses. Turns out the man is Bruce Message and he is the CEO of a famous pet food company, Peppy Pets. There is no lack of twists and turns in this book and it will make you want to keep turning the page. While there is a lot of information found, you are not sure if they are clues to the murder or something else going on in this sinister part of town. There is deceit, murder, drugs and kidnapping that all take place in this story and it is written so well. I felt for each of the characters and was rooting for Decective Nolan and Remy. (Their background is one of the reasons I NEED to go back and read from previous books to find out how they got into the relationship they have now).

Two things happened at the end that I didn't see coming at all and loved how I was surprised. Not too many books can do that to me anymore.

Definitely a must read when it is released in August 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the mystery within the novel —that of the successful entrepreneur and his wife, the miraculous business turnaround and the question of who is out to kill them. It was a tight, well-developed whodunnit.
Unfortunately, the parallel love story of the two cops who are dating in secret was less interesting. It felt to me like an unwelcome distraction. But based on other reviews I’ve read, I am in the vast minority in feeling that way!
The ultimate solution to the mystery was satisfying. I would read more of PJ Tracy, and recommend other mystery lovers check out this book.
My thanks to Net Galley for an advanced galley for review.

In City of Secrets, you are introduced to the characters and a slice of their life and not sure how it all fits together. Soon, the stories mesh and you are hooked. Nolan of the LAPD is assigned what appears to be a drive-by shooting, but the pieces just don’t fit together. The murdered man is the head of a pet food company which he is about to sell in a major deal; valuable items were left on the body. And who was the mysterious woman who was seen? The victim has an unsavory secret life, but is that the reason he was killed? Or could it be something else?
I enjoyed this mystery and watching as the detectives pulled the various threads together. This was a tense and enjoyable story with interesting characters.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.