Review: ‘Desolation Canyon’ by P.J. Tracy
Desolation Canyon
by P.J. TracySeries: Detective Margaret Nolan #2
Published by Minotaur on January 18, 2022
SubGenres: Thriller
Format: AudioBook, eBook
Pages: 401
Length: 7 Hours And 55 Minutes
Source: Everand, Library - Libby
Audience: 18+/Adult
Add to Goodreads
Purchase at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
P.J. Tracy “seems to have found her literary sweet spot” (New York Times Book Review) with her dazzling new series, and in Desolation Canyon, fans get a deeper look into the complex characters who call Los Angeles home.
LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan is struggling to move forward after the death of her brother in Afghanistan and taking a life in the line of duty. Her stoic parents offer little support – they refuse to address anything difficult, and she’s afraid their relationship is eroding beyond the point of recovery.
The days off are the hardest, because they give Margaret time to think. A moment of weakness leads to cocktails with a colleague—an attraction she knows could be dangerous —at the luxurious Hotel Bel-Air bar. A stroll through the grounds leads to a grim discovery beneath the surface of Swan Lake: the body of a successful attorney who made his fortune in international trade.
It initially appears to be death by misadventure, but the case is anything but straightforward. As a series of shocking revelations emerge, Nolan finds herself confronting a sinister cabal that just might destroy her and everyone she loves.
I’ve been switching up what I read this year, especially when it comes to genres, so I don’t end up in a reading slump. I’ve always enjoyed watching mysteries and thrillers on TV, so I’ve been diving into more mysteries and thrillers. I read my first book by P.J. Tracy early this year and decided to continue reading her Detective Margaret Nolan series. Desolation Canyon is the second installment in P.J. Tracy’s Detective Margaret Nolan series. It’s another fast-paced book with short chapters, which means it shouldn’t take long to read.
This book focuses on Detective Margaret Nolan a little more, unlike the first book, which I thought focused on Sam Easton. Rest assured, if you liked his character as I did, he shows up again in the second book and plays an intricate part in the storyline. I felt for Margaret in this book because she’s grieving not only the loss of her brother but she’s dealing with the fact she killed someone in the line of duty, and she’s trying everything to get over the guilt of it.
P.J. Tracy touches on how losing someone impacts people in various ways, and in this book, Margaret’s mom is taking it extra hard. Margaret’s mom wants help and decides to go to a religious retreat that ends up being at the center of an investigation, especially when another mother and her daughter escaped the facility. Father Pual, who is behind the retreat, is a man who is well-known and respected in the community, but unfortunately, he’s hiding some dark secrets that no one knows about.
I loved that Margaret’s character was developed more in this book, which I appreciated since I wanted to know more about her. Sam is still my favorite of the characters, and I love how he uses his military skills to help with the cases. I also loved how he has gotten close to Margaret’s father, which means he’s finding family and support after what he endured in Deep into the Dark.
My issue with this book, which is the same as the first book, is how many POVs there were in the story. It may just be how P.J. Tracy writes her books, which is fine, but it can be overwhelming at times. There was also the issue with everything that was happening as far as the bad guys and it being over the top. Other than those two issues, it was an okay police procedural that was full of mystery and action-paced scenes, especially at the end, but unfortunately, it didn’t grip me like other mysteries/thrillers I’ve read. I’m still determined to find a book I love from this author. I may check out her other series since I’ve heard good things about it. I give this book 3.25-stars and will still recommend it to readers who have read this author’s books before.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.
About P.J. Tracy
PJ Tracy is the pseudonym of mother-daughter writing duo P.J. and Traci Lambrecht, winners of the Anthony, Barry, Gumshoe, and Minnesota Book Awards. Their ten novels in the Monkeewrench series, MONKEEWRENCH, LIVE BAIT, DEAD RUN, SNOW BLIND, SHOOT TO THRILL, OFF THE GRID, THE SIXTH IDEA, NOTHING STAYS BURIED, THE GUILTY DEAD, and ICE COLD HEART have become national and international bestsellers. PJ passed away in December 2016, and Traci started a new series set in Los Angeles, featuring Detective Margaret Nolan. DEEP INTO THE DARK and DESOLATION CANYON are availabe now, and the third in the series, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, will be released in January 2023.
Related Posts
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
- Happy Release Day + Giveaway: ‘Bracing The Storm’ by J.C. Reed - May 27, 2025
- ARC Review: ‘Restless Hawke’ by Gwyn McNamee - May 26, 2025
- ARC Review: ‘From Drummer to Gamer’ by Emberlynn Raine - May 25, 2025