Book 1 in the Tracy Crosswhite Series, a gripping and emotionally charged narrative that takes readers on a relentless pursuit of justice. Tracy, a seasoned homicide detective, has devoted her career to solving her sister Sarah's murder, convinced that the wrong man, Edmund House, was convicted. The discovery of Sarah's remains near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State reignites Tracy's determination to uncover the truth she has long sought. In her pursuit of the real killer, Tracy delves into hidden, ominous secrets that will permanently alter her connection to her past and expose her to perilous threats.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book.

This is the first in the popular Tracy Crosswhite series. It has been on my TBR for a very long time as I have read all nine others, but missed this one.

In this introduction to Tracy, she is a detective with Seattle police department. Twenty years ago, when she was a teacher in small town Cedar Grove, her younger sister, Sarah, went missing. Someone was arrested for her murder and is serving jail time. Because a body was never found, Sarah has always been unsettled about what really happened and even spent a lot of time doing her own investigation. When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered, evidence is revealed that is contrary to what was used to convict the alleged killer. Things just don’t add up and she contacts childhood friend, attorney Dan O’Leary, to request a new trial for the “killer” so that the truth can finally be uncovered. When the prisoner is unexpectedly set free, it unleashes secrets, danger, and perhaps a lasting relationship for Tracy.

This is one of my favorite series. Tracy is strong willed and has a mind of her own, which can often get her into trouble. Having read all the subsequent books, it was fun to see how Tracy has grown and changed a bit as the stories have progressed. What hasn’t changed, though, is that from the beginning, Dugoni writes a story that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until you finish.

If you like police procedurals with strong female MCs, and are not familiar with Robert Dugoni’s works, do become acquainted with them. The books work as stand alones as Dugoni does a good job of filling in background information in each one, but I think it is much more satisfying to read all of them now that I have.

I have had the first three books in this series on my kindle for awhile now. I finally read this first book and thought it was pretty good. Tracy Chrosswhite is a good protagonist. In this book the body of her sister is found 20 years after she went missing. Because of the circumstantial evidence presented at the first trial, she thinks the wrong man went to jail and she is determined to bring the true killer to justice.

The second half of the book becomes a courtroom drama. I had fun reading it and the ending was surprising.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Good murder mystery, kept me interested and unsure of who done it... Would definitely be interested in continuing the series.
Not my favorite genre, I found myself rethinking the crime and police thriller genre.
Recommended for fans of crime mystery.

You would find it very hard to read a better book , amazing from the start . Believable , realistic characters with a brilliant storyline from start to finish ! Gripping

First in the “Tracy Crosswhite” series. The main character is likeable and you want her to find out who really killed her sister. Kept me guessing!!

Meet Tracy – ex high school chemistry teacher turned Seattle cop. Tracy is haunted by the disappearance of her sister Sarah 20 years previously – an obsession which ultimately ruined her marriage and which she simply can’t put behind her: “She was a sister unable to get past her guilt and grief.”

Like Tracy, Cedar Grove has never completely recovered from Sarah’s loss. In the intervening years, both her parents have died – her father by suicide - leaving Tracy very much alone in her grief. As this story starts, Sarah’s remains are found in a shallow grave and Tracy is determined to find out the truth about what happened that day in 1993. A man – House -was convicted of her murder at the time, despite the lack of body, but Tracy has always doubted his part in the crime.

In re-opening the case, Tracy butt heads with Roy Calloway – the man who solved the crime last time and convicted House. A cop for 35 years, Calloway is married to his job and doesn’t take too kindly to Tracy questioning his handling of the case at the time. With the help of Forensics expert, Rosa Giesa, and lawyer Dan, Tracy endeavours to put the case to bed, once and for all.

This story sucked me in straight away. I loved the structure which alternated chapters between present day and the past – it worked really well and I didn’t predict the ending AT ALL! I’m super happy to have discovered it’s the first in a series of seven Tracy Crosswhite books and will definitely be getting the others! Highly recommended.

“It is better that ten guilty me go free than one innocent man be wrongfully convicted.”

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mystery/suspense novel with a romantic undertone. Tracy is convinced that the man in jail for her sister's murder isn't actually the murderer. The sisters were best friends up until Sarah's disappearance. That night shaped the rest of Tracy's life. This was my first experience with Robert Dugoni and I liked it enough to want to continue the series. Certainly not an original trope in this genre of fiction but still a good read.

Book one spans a twenty year period of Seattle Homicide Detective Tracy Crosswhite’s life. She return to her home town; her sister disappeared 20 years ago, and she’s always felt responsible. Now sister’s body’s been found in a shallow grave. Tasking herself to investigate for her sister‘s killer; Tracy does NOT believe they’ve charged the real killer and endeavors to prove this. The character development in these two females draws you in, demanding your loyalty. Fantastic killer thriller!

This is a book i've been meaning to read for a long time. I have most of the books in the series so far, so was keen not only to start this one, but also then get all the others read.
Book 1 - My Sisters Grave, is a enjoyable read.
​Tracy Crosswhite gave up her job as a Chemist to become a Homicide Detective with Seattle PD. She has spent 20 years carrying around a guilt surrounding her sisters disappearance. This is what prompted Tracy to want to become a Detective.
Tracy has also never believed the man found guilty of her sisters murder was the correct person.
When sarah's remains are finally found near their hometown, Tracy is determined to finally get her answers.
I feel this book is just the start of what I believe is going to be a great series of books. An interesting read, will keep you guessing and wanting.

Tracy Crosswhite has been waiting for twenty years to get this call. A grave has been found and all indications are that her sister's body lies within it. Her sister Sarah disappeared twenty years ago after a shooting competition they both competed in. Tracy left with her boyfriend to go to dinner and Sarah left in Tracy's truck. The truck was found on a remote road but no sign of Sarah was ever found. The entire town searched for weeks with no result. A man was tried and convicted and has remained in prison for years but he refused to tell anyone where Sarah's body could be found. Tracy changed her life afterward. She gave up a career as a teacher to become a police officer and is now a homicide detective.



Tracy doesn't believe that the man in jail for Sarah's murder is the real criminal. She has investigated the case for years and believes that Edward House was falsely convicted due to his reputation and being an ex-con. When the body reveals new clues, she is more convinced than ever that she is correct. At Sarah's funeral, she meets up again with a childhood friend who has returned to their small town and is a lawyer. Together the two plan a way to free House and start the investigation again to find the real killer. But plans like this are full of pitfalls and as the case progresses, secrets that have remained hidden for decades start to emerge. Will Tracy regret her decision?



Robert Dugoni is the author of several popular mystery series. This novel is the first in the Tracy Crosswhite series. He has won numerous awards for his work. His exploration of the fallout from a murder, not only in the family but in the entire town and his twists of the original investigation make this novel a page-turner. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House—a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder—is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers.
When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past—and open the door to deadly danger.

Let me say from the outset that I have given this three stars based on potential alone. I feel like there is enough evidence in this book for me to know that there is a really good book by this author just around the corner - as long as he gets past some of the following issues:

* A police officer with a missing/dead sibling who wants the case reopened is a bit of a cliché, really.
* The need of a decent editor would be paramount. I don't know if this is the failing of the author or the publisher, but there were a number of issues (spelling, wrong word choice and grammar in particular) that really did detract from the story-telling.
* The characters need to get past the "Law and Order" vibe. Felt really copy/pasted from other series and TV shows. I guess it must be hard to come up with something completely original but these didn't feel like I was reading anything new.
* Dialogue was pretty terrible. Clunky and awkward, I felt like the author knew all the words but just wasn't sure how to say them - or who had to say them...

However, having said all of those negative things, I will definitely read the next book in the series (at least) and see how things have progressed - I am sure there is a good book here somewhere!


Paul
ARH

I haven't reviewed this on my blog because I only review those with 3 or fewer books published and Mr. Dugoni has written more. Although it has been some time since I read this book, it resonated with me. I love a good mystery and thriller. This is both. The main character is very well-developed and the conflict is apparent from the beginning. I have purchased the following books as well because I loved this one so much. I have recommended this book and other books by this author to friends and on Facebook.

This book has been on my TBR shelf for awhile and I am so glad I finally got to it. I will not have to read the rest in this series. Tracy Crosswhite has been living with guilt for the last 20 years. After a shooting competitions, Tracy went with her boyfriend to dinner and Sarah drove Tracy's truck to go home. She was never seen again and everyone believes she is dead, however, her body has never been found. A paroled rapist in the area was arrested and convicted of killing Sarah, but the evidence never measured up for Tracy. She just wants to know what happened to her sister and where her body lies.

Tracy, who had married and become a high school teacher, gave up teaching to become a homicide detective in Seattle. She wanted the tools and knowledge to investigate and find new evidence. When Sarah’s remains are finally found she is determined to use new evidence to have the case reopened. Tracy knows that the man in prison was convicted on faulty evidence. When Tracy goes home for the funeral service for Sarah, she runs into childhood friend Dan, who is now a lawyer. After looking at all the material Tracy has gathered, he agrees to file for an Evidentiary Hearing. Between dodging reporters, one she dislikes in particular, being hassled by the sheriff and dealing with budding feelings for Dan, Tracy is adamant that she is right. This book kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next. It is a combination legal thriller and crime suspense. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who likes thriller, mystery, suspense, crime stories.

Simply wonderful. I'd love to read this author's other works

Unfortunately, although I felt that this book had a lot of potential and parts of it were enjoyable, I struggled to finish it.

Tracy Crosswhite has been searching for answers about her missing sister Sarah for twenty years. One evening after a shooting competition when the girls were driving back Sarah disappeared never to be found again. This incident changed Tracy’s life forever and she changed her career from a chemistry teacher to a homicide detective. Now after twenty years Sarah’s body is found and Tracy feels the man convicted for the crime may be innocent after all. Tracy with her childhood friend Dan, who is now a lawyer, embarks on the journey of finding the true killer.

This is my first book by Robert Dugoni and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great police procedural/thriller, strong well-developed character’s with a romantic twist. I especially loved Tracy Crosswhite who is a strong female protagonist and cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

The first book in the Tracy Crosswhite series, it goes into the murder of Tracy's sister. Edmund House is already serving a sentence for her murder, but Sarah's body is missing even after 20 years. Tracy becomes a cop , and her life continues to revolve around her dead sister. When finally her remains surface - the buried secrets surface with it. Tracy is convinced that the wrong man was framed , and is determined to bring justice to her sister.
The book takes one through the lead character's journey of obsession with her sister's death. The book is fast paced and reveals secrets like the blossoming of a flower. The mystery is laced with emotions as the crime is very close to the heart of the investigator.
As I read the other books in the series first, I had a different , and a wonderful experience of reading this book - it was like discovering a person , first observing them through the fringes and slowly getting to their core.
The book is fast paced , doesn't beat around the bush and shows the genuis of the Author. Research is surely Dugoni's forte , and the book proves so once again.
The last bit of the book is so vivid in details and full of unexpected twists - that it unfurls like the scenes of a gripping movie.
Am a little sad that am already done with all the books in the Crosswhite series so far🙆 and can't wait for the others ! He sure has turned out to be one of my most favourite discoveries of 2016 !
Overall, a great read ! .

Fabulous, I am only sorry I didn't read this author sooner. Great writing and characters. I can't wait to read more.

A thriller, what is actually thrilling - finally!

20 years ago Tracy Crosswhite's beloved sister went home alone. And this was the last moment Tracy has seen her.
Now her body was found.
Tracy, driven by guilt, became a police detective and has never stopped working on her sister's case, but without the body everything is just a speculation. Now there are reasons to doubt the results of then-investigation and to challenge the imprisonment of the suitable offender, previously paroled rapist Edmund House.
Who really killed Sarah? What is the reason that Edmund House has been imprisoned?

I enjoyed (almost) every second of reading this. The pace is fast&furious, so to say, but this is not just about the investigation. It is also about a lot of heart - the heart of an older sister who has not been able to protect the younger one - no, about the the one who has not protected her most beloved person in the world. Tracy has never recovered from the pain and the same happened to the entire small city where they lived then. Sarah's disappearance is still present, still imprisoning them.
Now there is time to let the justice be done. Or is it? And, really, what is the justice here?
I loved the questions the novel is offering. Honestly, I loved the sleuthing and the judicial parts because are they are better than just well-written, but the moral and ethical questions are what makes this novel to stand above just the "good, well-written" thriller.
And the ending has a cliffhanger I has not suspected.

Now I am off to read the second installment and I can´t wait! really, there is a quite big amount of the good books - but just a few who offers the full-bodied pleasure to read.