Review: ‘The Devil You Know’ by P.J. Tracy
The Devil You Know
by P.J. TracySeries: Detective Margaret Nolan #3
Published by Minotaur on January 17, 2023
SubGenres: Mystery, Thriller
Format: AudioBook, eBook
Pages: 329
Narrator: Abby Craden
Length: 7 Hours And 12 Minutes
Source: Everand, Library - Libby
Audience: 18+/Adult
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LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan returns in The Devil You Know, the next book in the series where P. J. Tracy “seems to have found her literary sweet spot” (New York Times Book Review).
Los Angeles has many faces: the real LA where regular people live and work, the degenerate underbelly of any big city, and the rarified world of wealth, power, and celebrity. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan’s latest case plunges her into this insular realm of privilege, and gives her a glimpse of the darkness behind the glitter.
The body of beloved actor Evan Hobbes is found in the rubble of a Malibu rockslide a day after a fake video ruins his career. It’s not clear to Nolan if it’s an accident, a suicide, or a murder, and things get murkier as the investigation expands to his luminary friends and colleagues. Meanwhile, Hobbes’ agent is dealing with damage control, his psychotic boss, and a woman he’s scorned. But when his powerful brother-in-law is murdered, he and Nolan both find themselves entangled in a scandalous deception of deadly proportion that shakes the very foundation of Hollywood’s untouchables.
I recently finished reading the third installment, The Devil You Know, in P.J. Tracy’s Detective Margaret Nolan series. This series was my first introduction to the author’s work, and I’m glad I decided to pick it up. It’s definitely helping me branch into reading different book genres this year, and I always love finding new authors.
In The Devil You Know, Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner are called to find out what happened to actor Evan Hobbes when his body is found in the rubble of a Malibu rockslide. This was the same actor who recently had a deep fake video of him that went public and potentially ruined his career. It’s up to Margaret and her partner to figure out if Evan had an accident, committed suicide, or if someone murdered him. Margaret and her partner are going with the later when they start interviewing his family/friends and even people that got to work with him.
I really enjoyed the storyline of this one and how it kept me engaged to find out what happened to the actor, Evan Hobbes. I didn’t know who it could potentially be until the book was getting close to the end, and everything was starting to be revealed. I definitely enjoy reading a book where I can’t figure it out right away, and it leaves me in suspense.
Like the previous books, though, I’m still struggling with the writing style a bit and it’s mainly due to how many POVs are introduced. I’m getting used to it and found that this book did focus more on Detective Margaret Nolan where I got to know her more. I’m also enjoying the character growth of the others that I have been following since book one. One thing I do enjoy from this book, as well as the previous books, is that P.J. Tracy writes short chapters that make the pacing flow fast, at least for me when I read it.
Overall, this was a good addition to the series, and I give it 3.5 stars. I look forward to reading the fourth book in this series soon.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially if you enjoy reading Mysteries and Police Procedurals.
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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.
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