📖 Book Review: Echo by Tracy Clark 📖

Thank you to Thomas Mercer for granting me access to the ebook and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook via NetGalley! Tracy Clark has absolutely outdone herself with Echo, a gripping mystery set against the chilling backdrop of Hardwicke House and Belverton College. This story had me hooked from the first page to its brilliantly unresolved ending. I’m already counting down the days until Clark’s next book!

Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster is a force to be reckoned with, bringing determination and grit to a complex case filled with privilege, secrets, and tragedy. The dual threads of past and present crimes surrounding the elite Minotaur Society kept me guessing at every turn, while Harri’s personal struggles added depth to her character.

The narration brought the tension and atmosphere to life in a way that made me feel like I was right there in the eerie halls of Hardwicke. The exploration of wealth, power, and justice was thought-provoking, and I loved how the unresolved ending left room for speculation and a craving for more.

If you’re into mysteries with strong female detectives, morally complex characters, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, Echo is an absolute must-read.

💭 Do you love or hate unresolved endings in mysteries? Let’s chat in the comments!

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Both a procedural and a mystery. Detectives Harri Foster and Vera Li have an intriguing one on their hands when the son of a billionaire is found murdered in the same field where another student was killed 30 years ago. At the same time someone is stalking Harri, leaving messages. While whodunnit is quickly apparent in the murder, they still have to prove it. it's not clear at all who is harassing Harri. This is the third in a series and will work fine as a standalone. The Chicago atmospherics continues to be good (even if they weren't as key to the story as in the second book) and Harri is a strong character. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I started reading this trilogy last year and I enjoyed my first introduction to Harriet Foster and the rest of the team. While the second book wasn't quite as strong, I was still looking forward to see how everything would end... Especially after certain events in book two. Echo takes on a different angle though with it's vigilante/vengeance angle and there is again a lot of focus on politics and corruption; not a bad thing of course, but they are not exactly my favorite topics and as a result Echo didn't quite work as well for me personally.

Technically you could read Echo as a stand-alone, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. Not only will you be missing out on substantial character background as well as the dynamics between Foster and the rest of her team, but there is also a case personal to her that is spans all three books. Echo is in part quite similar to the second book with its focus on politics and corruption, and the pace was considerably slower than expected in certain parts. I wasn't a fan of how the vigilante/vengeance trope was incorporated into the plot... It just all sounded too political, which never works too well for me in stories.

Echo focuses on two cases: the official one with the vengeance/justice angle and the unofficial investigation into the apparent suicide of Harriet Foster's previous partner. Like I mentioned before, the second spans all three books, so read the books in order to avoid spoilers! The first I had mixed thoughts about... It's an intriguing topic, but I wasn't a fan of how it was developed. I never did warm up to any of the characters in play; the victims kind of had it coming, and the killers didn't really inspire empathy either. I think this was part of the reason why it took me longer than expected to read this story, because I simply didn't care about what happened to any of the players involved in the official case.

I can't deny that I was intrigued by the unofficial case though, and it is probably the stronger of the two in this book. Was I frustrated by certain actions? Most definitely. Did some twists lack credibility and were they too convenient? Also yes. But at least this final book gives some answers, although I can't deny that I was VERY frustrated by how Echo ended. Was it really necessary to conceal who actually killed the person behind the unofficial case? Maybe I missed a clue that revealed that identity, but I read the final chapters twice and I still don't know who did it.

All in all I ended up having mixed thoughts about this third and final Detective Harriet Foster book. On one hand, it finally gave some answers about the case involving Harriet's former partner, but I wasn't a fan of the official investigation. I also hate it when endings are ambiguous... It made finishing this series rather unsatisfying.

Harriet Foster is flawed as we all are. She tries to be the best police office she can. Her past includes losing her husband, son, and father which has affected her tremendously. This story begins with a death at a university. A billionaire's son is found dead in a field. Is it just an accident or was it murder? This death looks like one that happened years ago. Are they related? Harriet also has been receiving phone calls and receiving message from someone unknown. Who is sending the messages and what do they want from her? These two cases run simultaneously throughout the book.
You will walk the tightrope with Harriet. The reader will feel the tension she feels on every page. This is an excellent mystery. I would recommend this series and look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #TracyClark and #ThomasandMercer for a copy of this book.
#Echo

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed the previous book in this series, Fall by Tracy Clark so was excited for this one. The book takes place fairly soon after the last one, with the main character Harriet (Harri) Foster still investigating the mysterious calls and photos she was receiving and had handed over to Internal Affairs but we see some growth as she actually loops in her partner and team as things progress.

The theme for the murder in this book? The sins of our father. This is very much a police procedural rather than a mystery. The reasons for the murders are explained as they happen and we know who is behind them fairly quickly. It is just a matter of investigating and seeing how far they will go in their quest for vengeance and justice before they are caught.

Harri is not only dealing with The Voice but with a billionaire’s son dead, pressure from above, the media and the wishes of those who want the past to stay there.

This was an enjoyable read, but while the actual plot is more interesting to me than the one in Fall, it didn’t grip me quite as much. You are left with a few niggling questions (maybe they get tied up in the next book but the crimes seem to be standalone). Clark does a great job of covering the stuff you need to know from the previous books though so you can definitely read this as a standalone book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advance copy for review.

It's February in Chicago and Detectives Harri Foster & Vera Li are investigating the strange death of Belverton student Brice Collier during a party at the private Hardwicke House. His billionaire father Sebastian owns the property and is a major school donor. Sebastian is also linked with another student's death 30 years ago. Are the 2 deaths connected?

Meanwhile, Harri is also dealing with a menacing figure linked with her late partner and her own family. Both storylines deal with justice, vengeance and past actions. This is the third book in the Harriet Foster trilogy and neatly ties the previous plot threads together.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer. All opinions are my own.

This book follows Detective Harriet ‘Harri’ Foster and her colleagues on the quest to discover the murderer of Billionaire’s son, Brice Collier. It is a copycat murder of an earlier crime, the death of Michael James Paget some thirty years ago. The running thread through this series appears to be the case of G, Harri’s ex partner who killed herself.

This is the first book by this author, and I won’t be rushing to read another. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the plot, the style of writing and characterisation is not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

The body of Brice Collier was found in a field near Hardwicke House and Belverton College where the exclusive Minotaur Society reigns supreme.

Coincidentally, or maybe not so, that it “echoed” somewhat an unsolved death from thirty years before. Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster and her partner Detective Vera Li land the case. Harri is a strong protagonist, but I really appreciated Vera’s wise backup support. I loved the way they bounced off each other.

The author builds the suspense slowly, dropping bits and pieces, supplying twists and turns for misdirection. It works. Interwoven with the main storyline is an unresolved plot line from a previous series installment. Essentially kept in the background, it doesn’t over-power the current storyline.

This is the third in the trilogy and apparently the end of the series although could be read as a standalone. The author writes strong but not infallible women within law enforcement. If you enjoy crime fiction, PI investigators, or women sleuths, you may very well enjoy her soft palate style of writing.

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

Harri Foster is back investigating a death at an old mansion on a college campus that appears to have happened 30 years after another strange death in the same location. She is also being threatened by the dirty cop her late father blew the whistle on.

I like this series. I think this was a good police procedural. I am getting more acquainted with the characters and more invested in the series overall. I will certainly read more.

3 stars
Publication date December 3, 2024


Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book in a series featuring Detective Harriet Foster. Harri is back to work at the Chicago PD after the death of her partner, and before that, the murder of her son. While investigating a high profile murder of a billionaires son, the past is also coming back to haunt her.

While this book was well written and interesting, it was not my favorite of the three. It did not grab and hold my attention. There was some character development that I really enjoyed, I just did not find the story itself gripping.

Riveting. Clark's sharp suspense and profoundly keen prose held me me to the page. She has made me care deeply for Detective Harriet Foster. I won't soon forget this book.

Sadly, this author is not for me.
This was the third time I picked up a book by this author, and for the third time it didn't work for me.
Clark's writing style and protrait of characters just don't clique with me.
Well, I've tried.
I'm sure other readers will appreciate this book.

In her third outing, Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster is assigned to investigate the death of a student at the local college. He’s not just any student; he’s the son of the school’s zillionaire donor, Sebastian Collier. As Harri investigates the death of this kid and a possible connection with a similar death long ago in the same place, the college and the family prove less than helpful. Meanwhile, a mysterious person keeps calling and threatening Harri for reasons she can’t figure out. This is a solid police procedural with a ring of authenticity in the mocking but caring relationships among colleagues on the force, the deep bond of trust Harri has with her partner, Vera, the demands of the higher-ups, and the richly detailed accounting of the day-to-day details of life in the station. Harri, still grieving the loss of her son and shaken by the death of her partner, now faces the failure of internal affairs to investigate the false accusations tarnishing her partner’s memory. The author writes with sensitivity about loss and Harri’s sometimes ways of handling it. None of this gets in the way of the investigation and Harris’ secondary quest to clear her late partner’s name. I look forward to the next book in this excellent series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital advance review copy.

When a young man’s body is found on the grounds next to Hardwicke House, home of the exclusive Beaverton College,it brought home reminders of a similar murder several years before.
Chicago Police Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster, one of the department's most demanding investigators, is sent to the scene to investigate. The victim, Bruce Collier, was the son of billionaire Sebastian, who owned Hardwicke and was a significant school benefactor. Harri’s investigation revealed that the mansion had a notorious past, and a hazing incident years before led to another student's death on the same grounds.
Harri and her partner Vera Li’ ran into a major roadblock in their investigation when nobody seemed to know how Bruce ended up dead on the grounds while a big party was going on at Hardwicke. It appeared that Bruce’s death could be connected to the hazing incident that occurred years before, but no charges were ever filed.
Determined to find the killer, Harri moves full speed ahead in the shadow of her grief for her partner's death a few years before at the hands of a killer who is now stalking her and threatening her life and the lives of her family.

"Tough job. Tough people doing it."

Detective Harriet "Harri" Foster is back again and hitting it hard on the streets of Chicago. It's February when the temperatures are still hovering around zero and the prime suspects rate about the same. Neither weather nor circumstances keep crime at bay,

Two young women attending Belverton College have come across a near frozen body in an empty lot in the wee hours. They huddle together claiming that they were just out for a walk when they noticed said corpse. Harriet and her partner, Detective Vera Li, are not quite buying what these two are selling. Facts float to the surface. There was a party next door at Harwicke House where the campus elite reside. Turns out that more unmentioned facts will thaw out over the coming days.

The deceased is Brice Collier whose billionaire father, Sebastian, has deep family connections to the college. What exactly happened to Brice at that party and how did it all lead to him being found dead next door? Add the coincidence of another body found in the same spot thirty years prior to this. Hazing gone wrong or something far more heinous than even that?

Tracy Clark knows Chicago. She's delivered time and time again with her stellar novels. I've particularly enjoyed this Harriet Foster Series with Hide #1 and Fall #2. Echo #3 reads as a perfect standalone, but get 'cha some crafty suspense with the prior two books as well. Harriet has the weight of her own personal life tiered up with someone who is stalking her in this one. Clark doesn't do middle-of-the-road boring. Her characters have depth and her storylines have bite. Check this one out. It publishes 12/5/24.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented Tracy Clark for the opportunity.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Tracy Clark’s Echo is the third installment in the Detective Harriet Foster series, and it delivers a taut, suspenseful narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Known for her ability to weave intricate plots with deep character development, Clark once again proves her mastery in the crime thriller genre.

The story begins with the discovery of Brice Collier’s body in a field next to Hardwicke House, a mansion with a notorious past. Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster is called in to investigate, and she quickly realizes that this case is eerily similar to an unsolved death from thirty years ago. As Harri and her partner, Detective Vera Li, dig deeper, they uncover a web of secrets involving the victim’s billionaire father, Sebastian Collier, and the exclusive Minotaur Society at Belverton College.

Clark excels in portraying complex, relatable characters. Harri Foster is a standout protagonist, grappling with her grief over her former partner’s death while navigating the challenges of a high-stakes investigation. Her resilience and determination make her a compelling character to follow. Vera Li, Harri’s partner, provides a strong counterbalance with her analytical mind and unwavering support. The dynamic between the two detectives adds depth to the narrative, making their partnership one of the highlights of the book.

The author’s writing style is crisp and engaging, with a perfect balance of action and introspection. Clark’s ability to build suspense is evident throughout the novel, as she skillfully unveils twists and turns that keep readers guessing. The atmospheric descriptions of Chicago and the eerie setting of Hardwicke House enhance the overall sense of tension and mystery.

Echo explores themes of justice, power, and the long shadows cast by past actions. The novel delves into the impact of unresolved trauma and the lengths individuals will go to protect their secrets. Clark’s exploration of these themes adds a layer of psychological depth to the thriller, making it more than just a straightforward crime story.

Overall, Echo is a gripping and well-crafted addition to the Detective Harriet Foster series. Tracy Clark delivers a story that is thrilling and thought-provoking, with characters that stay with you.

Fans of crime thrillers and detective fiction will find much to enjoy in this latest offering.

Picking up where "Fall" leaves off, Detective Harriet Foster is on a mission to prove her deceased partner, Glynnis, wasn't a dirty cop when a billionaire's son is killed. As it becomes apparent that the crime echoes one from the past, the whole squad races to figure out who the killer is as bodies keep dropping. The voice on the phone keeps taunting Harri about Glynnis' death as she gets closer to his identity and motivation. Despite the intensity of the concurrent cases, Harriet discovers she's making emotional progress in grieving her son's death and gets a glimpse into a future where moving forward might be possible. One significant twist was fairly obvious early on, but a cliffhanger ending keeps the reader guessing until next time. One of my favorite series and I can't wait for book #4!

It's February in Chicago when Detective Harriet Foster is called to Hardwicke House, a private house on the edge of Belverton College. Two girls found a body in a field nearby, the body of Brice Collier, son of the house's owner. The autopsy shows Brice died when alcohol was forced down his throat, not a surprising death at a party house. What is a surprise is the connection to a body found in that same field thirty years earlier. Although Brice's father won't cooperate, Foster and her partner, Detective Vera Li, suspect Sebastian Collier was involved in the earlier death, but nothing was ever proven. Now, though, Brice's death is followed by two more that appear to be suicides. While Foster and her team investigate, she's also taunted by a voice on the phone. She suspects that voice is connected to the death of her earlier partner, G, a death written off as suicide, although Foster won't accept it. She's wearing herself down investigating two cases with echoes from the past. Clark follows Fall with the third in the series featuring a complex Black police officer haunted by multiple violent deaths in her life. Characters are well-developed in this hard-hitting police procedural that examines justice, and who metes it out.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. A college senior is found dead one morning. It will take everything Harriet has to solve the case. This book grabbed my attention from the start.

When a young student is found frozen to death near his on-campus home - which happens to be a mansion for members of an exclusive college society - Detective Harriet Foster gets the case. It soon appears to be the work of a pattern killer. In addition to trying to solve this mystery, Detective Foster is also trying to solve another mystery of sorts - the suicide of her partner and why she chose to end her life in the district parking lot. The seemingly separate storylines are woven together seamlessly at one point. I personally live for books with mansion settings, secret societies, and police department intrigue. I highly recommend this and the author’s previous books in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC for my review consideration.