This time, Tracy Crosswhite is investigating the murder of a father who is going through a divorce. Unfortunately for the detectives, both his wife and teenage son confess to the murder. In addition, the mother's father begins serving as her lawyer. Meanwhile, a training center colleague, Jenny Almond, asks Tracy to read over a thick file that she found in her father's desk after Buzz Almond's death. He had been the sheriff in that small community, and Jenny is now the current sheriff. She is wondering if anything can be determined about what actually happened to Kimi Kanasket, a 17-year-old girl who disappeared on her way home from her waitressing job, and was found a week later drowned in the river. Buzz Almond, then a deputy sheriff, responded to the call from her father Earl Kanasket that she was missing. The death was ruled a suicide, but Buzz apparently never believed that is what happened, since he had kept the case files for 40 years. Tracy agrees to read the file and have some of her forensic friends look at specific things. He was focused on 4 senior football players who had taken their high school team to the state championship and won, but could never find enough evidence to bring the case back up. Tracy is still seeing Dan O'Leary, her childhood friend from the first two books. Tracy focuses on the Kimi Kanasket case while Kinsington (Kins) Rowe, one of her partners, takes the lead on the Timothy Collins murder case along with her other partners Vic Fazzio (Faz) and Delmo Castigliano (Del). ( )

Many thanks to publishers Thomas & Mercer Publishers for entrusting [b: In The Clearing Book: Tracy Crosswhite, #3|26214866|In the Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite, #3)|Robert Dugoni|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446943429s/26214866.jpg|46196139] to me. I received this free Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review.

"In the Clearing" is my first read of [a: Robert Dugoni|63650|Robert Dugoni|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1405264763p2/63650.jpg], it will not be my last. Many authors are good, but Dugoni has gifts.

I still have a book hangover from Sunday night to early Monday morning (this is Tuesday.) It has been difficult for me to move on. I cannot stop thinking about the characters.

This book possessed me. Sunday night after dropping off in mid read, in a dream state, I sat up in bed and yelled, "Don't worry, they are about to make an arrest. There are three good suspects..." - (not a spoiler) - This novel infiltrated my sleep and dreams - I want more.

I perceive [a: Robert Dugoni|63650|Robert Dugoni|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1405264763p2/63650.jpg]'s writing is a slippery slope for me. His writing moves me from reality, into the land of fiction. I could not be more pleased.

It is not everyday that an author can spellbind with words. While at it, dealing with the everyday world of homicide in a small town. Cold cases, new murders; intelligence hard at work.

This is #3 in a series, and stands alone. I have not read the first two yet, but I will be reading them soon. I am cruising over to Amazon to see what is available now. Robert Dugoni has a new constant reader.

I will recommend this author and his books for our library collection. ( )

One of my favorite things about Robert Dugoni is that he never writes the same book twice when he's writing a series. Another thing I love is that the characters and situations he writes are so vivid and captivating that you can't put the book down until you've reached the end. He's done it again with the third book in the Tracy Crosswhite series, In The Clearing. The first book was deeply personal to Tracy as she literally dug through the past and put herself in the crosshairs. The second book was more suspenseful because she was dealing with an active killer who seemed to be hunting her.

This is another cold case, like her sister's murder from the first book. Yet, it's completely different. This time, the small town is unfamiliar and there's the added tension involving football heroes and Native Americans. Dugoni weaves a fascinating tale of patient detective work as Tracy digs through forensic evidence, brings in experts and talks to witnesses with bad memories and personal agendas. She's not jumping to conclusions. But she eventually digs deep enough to get the killer's attention and put herself in danger.

There's a secondary murder investigation back in Seattle involving a domestic dispute. Of course, something that Tracy learns on the cold case will help her unravel the other mystery. Thankfully, it's not too distracting and it's fun to see the author, and Tracy, stay on top of two separate cases.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review. ( )

This series gets better as it goes. I love Tracy and her determination to solve cold cases and bring closure to the family. I enjoy reading as the mystery unfolds. I didn't see the twist coming - I was constantly re-evaluating and changing my mind about who was guilty. I liked the way the book moved through the different viewpoints of the characters - particularly the other members of the A team. I'm hooked. ( )

The series keeps getting better. ( )