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lavins's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars (rounded up)
This is the end of the road for me and this series and most likely this author.
For a short book, boy this felt long and boring and full of backhanded comments that were absolutely useless.
Also the book is extremely predictable, despite the fact that the detectives still had no clue who the murder was till the very end.
The narrator was pretty terrible too.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for allowing me to read this book!
This is the end of the road for me and this series and most likely this author.
For a short book, boy this felt long and boring and full of backhanded comments that were absolutely useless.
Also the book is extremely predictable, despite the fact that the detectives still had no clue who the murder was till the very end.
The narrator was pretty terrible too.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for allowing me to read this book!
ashley_books_cats_judo's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape for the advanced copy of the audiobook. When I requested the audiobook, the premise sounded right up my alley along with it being a detective investigation. I didn’t realize this was the 3rd book in a series.
I highly suggest reading the first two in the series to fully enjoy the book, it doesn’t work as a standalone and that’s my error. However, even though some of the plot and character connections were confusing without the backstory, the story itself was good enough it made me want to keep listening to see who had committed the murder and why.
I really enjoyed the twists even without having the proper background so I think if you read the first two this would be an excellent read/listen.
I highly suggest reading the first two in the series to fully enjoy the book, it doesn’t work as a standalone and that’s my error. However, even though some of the plot and character connections were confusing without the backstory, the story itself was good enough it made me want to keep listening to see who had committed the murder and why.
I really enjoyed the twists even without having the proper background so I think if you read the first two this would be an excellent read/listen.
bookslifeandeverythingnice's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
booklovinmamas's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
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.
tjkory's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A perfectly good, serviceable police procedural novel. Focuses more on Detective Nolan than the other characters compared to the last book in the series. Definitely worth a read, even if it’s not my favorite entry in the series it’s quite good!
lynguy1's review
4.0
This is the third book in the series featuring Los Angeles Police Department Detective Margaret Nolan. The first chapter grabs readers and pulls them into a police procedural that is full of murder, investigation, and the personal lives of the characters.
Margaret is competitive, hates to lose, loves her job, and has a sense of humor. However, she also isn’t sure where she wants her relationship with Detective Remy Beaudreau to go. She’s relatable and the secondary characters were very well developed. However, there are a lot of them. It might be easier to assimilate them if one has read the first two books in the series as some are reoccurring characters.
After the first chapter, the second chapter seemed somewhat out of place. It took a while for both chapters to fit into the story line. However, the novel is enjoyable and everything comes together well. The plot is twisty and the story gradually builds momentum, but the conclusion was slightly predictable. Despite this, I enjoyed the descriptive story that had a great mix of investigation and the personal lives of the characters.
The author balances the shocking and upsetting aspects of the novel with the personal lives of several of the main characters plus the ongoing investigation. With actors, police officers, talent agents, veterans, and musicians, there is a look at the life behind the scenes that many don’t see. Themes include death, murder, friendship, family, privilege, and much more.
Overall, this was a complex police procedural with compelling characters. With the several sub-plots, it kept me turning the pages. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. While this worked as a standalone novel for me, I believe the series would be best read in order.
St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and P.J. Tracy provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 17, 2023.
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My 3.86 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Margaret is competitive, hates to lose, loves her job, and has a sense of humor. However, she also isn’t sure where she wants her relationship with Detective Remy Beaudreau to go. She’s relatable and the secondary characters were very well developed. However, there are a lot of them. It might be easier to assimilate them if one has read the first two books in the series as some are reoccurring characters.
After the first chapter, the second chapter seemed somewhat out of place. It took a while for both chapters to fit into the story line. However, the novel is enjoyable and everything comes together well. The plot is twisty and the story gradually builds momentum, but the conclusion was slightly predictable. Despite this, I enjoyed the descriptive story that had a great mix of investigation and the personal lives of the characters.
The author balances the shocking and upsetting aspects of the novel with the personal lives of several of the main characters plus the ongoing investigation. With actors, police officers, talent agents, veterans, and musicians, there is a look at the life behind the scenes that many don’t see. Themes include death, murder, friendship, family, privilege, and much more.
Overall, this was a complex police procedural with compelling characters. With the several sub-plots, it kept me turning the pages. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. While this worked as a standalone novel for me, I believe the series would be best read in order.
St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and P.J. Tracy provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 17, 2023.
-----------------------------------------
My 3.86 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
judithdcollins's review
4.0
P. J. Tracy returns with the third installment in the Detective Margaret Nolan series with THE DEVIL YOU KNOW —where the author explores the underbelly of the Los Angeles area in her latest cop procedural with its celebrities, power, wealth, glitz, and glamour. Good versus evil.
LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan's latest case takes her to Hollywood to investigate the death of a well-known privileged actor Evan Hobbes.
A Disney actor is “filmed” in a compromising video, but it would appear that it’s a deep fake. Then before anything can be done, his dead body is found in a landslide.
Hobbes is found dead amidst the debris and rubble of a rock slide in Malibu after a fake video (having sex with a minor) was released to ruin his career and reputation. Hobbes had been among hundreds of well-heeled guests celebrating at a lavish party on the Baum estate.
Was it an accident, suicide, or murder?
The investigation expands to Evan's friends, family, and coworkers as police follow the baffling clues in the case. Those who attended parties and were closely associated were many.
Maggie Nolan is used to working cases for not only the rich and glitzy actors but the homeless and destitute.
Nolan and Detective Crawford find connections to the wealthy and privileged in LA, Hollywood, and Santa Barbara, whose lives intersect and intertwine in shocking ways.
(I love Santa Barbara and Ojai and enjoyed my extended visit there- beautiful!).
Meanwhile, Hobbes’ agent is dealing with damage control, his psychotic boss, and a woman he has scorned.
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 rich and famous.
Tracy keeps the reader guessing in this twisty fast-paced, complex cop procedural with a large cast of characters (you will need to keep a scorecard) as the bodies pile up. An intriguing murder whodunit mystery with unexpected twists for a satisfying conclusion.
Nolan is a likable, intelligent, strong, and capable female protagonist, and would like to have heard more from her and her partner and their personal lives.
Her descriptions of the area are vivid and will draw you in. Short chapters keep the action moving and there is a storyline dealing with Sam (army vet and a letter) —PTSD, grief, and the loss of a family member, which adds a personal balance to the crime investigation. He is a friend of the detective, a troubled Afghan War vet who suffers from PTSD.
I also enjoyed the Author's Note regarding her inspiration, where she drew from her family (grandfather/cousin) and PTSD in relation to Sam Easton's character.
This book is part of the Detective Margaret Nolan Series—[b:Desolation Canyon|57693506|Desolation Canyon (Detective Margaret Nolan, #2)|P.J. Tracy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634707153l/57693506._SY75_.jpg|90371685] and [b:Deep into the Dark|53138143|Deep into the Dark (Detective Margaret Nolan #1)|P.J. Tracy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603138934l/53138143._SY75_.jpg|79888649]. My first book in the series. It can be read as a standalone. However, I plan on picking up the audiobooks to listen to the previous ones in the series. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous two books.
Thanks to #MinatourBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted e-book ARC.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan's latest case takes her to Hollywood to investigate the death of a well-known privileged actor Evan Hobbes.
A Disney actor is “filmed” in a compromising video, but it would appear that it’s a deep fake. Then before anything can be done, his dead body is found in a landslide.
Hobbes is found dead amidst the debris and rubble of a rock slide in Malibu after a fake video (having sex with a minor) was released to ruin his career and reputation. Hobbes had been among hundreds of well-heeled guests celebrating at a lavish party on the Baum estate.
Was it an accident, suicide, or murder?
The investigation expands to Evan's friends, family, and coworkers as police follow the baffling clues in the case. Those who attended parties and were closely associated were many.
Maggie Nolan is used to working cases for not only the rich and glitzy actors but the homeless and destitute.
Nolan and Detective Crawford find connections to the wealthy and privileged in LA, Hollywood, and Santa Barbara, whose lives intersect and intertwine in shocking ways.
(I love Santa Barbara and Ojai and enjoyed my extended visit there- beautiful!).
Meanwhile, Hobbes’ agent is dealing with damage control, his psychotic boss, and a woman he has scorned.
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 rich and famous.
Tracy keeps the reader guessing in this twisty fast-paced, complex cop procedural with a large cast of characters (you will need to keep a scorecard) as the bodies pile up. An intriguing murder whodunit mystery with unexpected twists for a satisfying conclusion.
Nolan is a likable, intelligent, strong, and capable female protagonist, and would like to have heard more from her and her partner and their personal lives.
Her descriptions of the area are vivid and will draw you in. Short chapters keep the action moving and there is a storyline dealing with Sam (army vet and a letter) —PTSD, grief, and the loss of a family member, which adds a personal balance to the crime investigation. He is a friend of the detective, a troubled Afghan War vet who suffers from PTSD.
I also enjoyed the Author's Note regarding her inspiration, where she drew from her family (grandfather/cousin) and PTSD in relation to Sam Easton's character.
This book is part of the Detective Margaret Nolan Series—[b:Desolation Canyon|57693506|Desolation Canyon (Detective Margaret Nolan, #2)|P.J. Tracy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634707153l/57693506._SY75_.jpg|90371685] and [b:Deep into the Dark|53138143|Deep into the Dark (Detective Margaret Nolan #1)|P.J. Tracy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603138934l/53138143._SY75_.jpg|79888649]. My first book in the series. It can be read as a standalone. However, I plan on picking up the audiobooks to listen to the previous ones in the series. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous two books.
Thanks to #MinatourBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted e-book ARC.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
danubooks's review
4.0
A mystery full of scandal and Hollywood glamour confronts Detective Margaret Nolan in her third outing.
The career of Ethan Hobbes, former teen heartthrob and popular actor, is on the verge of destruction. A salacious video of Ethan with an underaged sex partner has been released, and the public is outraged. He swears its a deepfake, and while people like his agent Seth believe him, others don’t….including Seth’s boss, who wants Ethan cut loose immediately. The situation is resolved when, the morning after an A-list party at the home of a Disney head, Ethan’s body is discover amidst the rubble of a rockslide in Malibu. As Detective Nolan begins the investigation, it seems like it might have been a drunken misadventure….but then another body turns up. And another. All are from the highest levels of Hollywood influence, and so are the suspects. When you are investigating people who have risen to the top of the world of make-believe, it is almost impossible to know who can be believed. Nolan is going to need all the help she can get to find out who is behind this string of murders, and to prevent the body count from climbing.
From an author best know for the Monkeewrench series, this is a well-crafted mystery full of plot turns and a fascinating web of characters. You don’t need to have read the first two installments in the series in order to enjoy this one (I hadn’t, though I intend to rectify that). There are several characters who play a supporting role here that were introduced in the earlier works, but not knowing their full backstory doesn’t impede the reading of this one. P J Tracy has always presented well-developed characters and chronicled their relationships within the context of each novel, and the same is true here. I recommend The Devil You Know not just to fans of the Monkeewrench and Nolan series, but to lovers of a well-plotted whodunnit full of complex characters and to those fascinated by the lives and woes of the rich and famous. Many thanks to Sara Beth Haring of St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for letting me get a sneak peak at The Devil You Know
The career of Ethan Hobbes, former teen heartthrob and popular actor, is on the verge of destruction. A salacious video of Ethan with an underaged sex partner has been released, and the public is outraged. He swears its a deepfake, and while people like his agent Seth believe him, others don’t….including Seth’s boss, who wants Ethan cut loose immediately. The situation is resolved when, the morning after an A-list party at the home of a Disney head, Ethan’s body is discover amidst the rubble of a rockslide in Malibu. As Detective Nolan begins the investigation, it seems like it might have been a drunken misadventure….but then another body turns up. And another. All are from the highest levels of Hollywood influence, and so are the suspects. When you are investigating people who have risen to the top of the world of make-believe, it is almost impossible to know who can be believed. Nolan is going to need all the help she can get to find out who is behind this string of murders, and to prevent the body count from climbing.
From an author best know for the Monkeewrench series, this is a well-crafted mystery full of plot turns and a fascinating web of characters. You don’t need to have read the first two installments in the series in order to enjoy this one (I hadn’t, though I intend to rectify that). There are several characters who play a supporting role here that were introduced in the earlier works, but not knowing their full backstory doesn’t impede the reading of this one. P J Tracy has always presented well-developed characters and chronicled their relationships within the context of each novel, and the same is true here. I recommend The Devil You Know not just to fans of the Monkeewrench and Nolan series, but to lovers of a well-plotted whodunnit full of complex characters and to those fascinated by the lives and woes of the rich and famous. Many thanks to Sara Beth Haring of St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for letting me get a sneak peak at The Devil You Know