Her Final Breath

I am finally getting to read the earlier installments in this series that I missed. Her Final Breath filled in some of the questions about the recurring characters and further solidifies his protagonist. There was some well placed distraction to keep you on edge. As most of Dugoni’s Books in the Tracy Crosswhite series this can easily be read as a standalone. His writing was great from the get go and it keeps getting better.

I had high expectations for this after reading the first book in the series, My Sister's Grave and I wasn't let down. Maybe there's a little less adrenaline rush in this one but the gritty behind-the-scenes look at a police manhunt for a serial killer more than made up for it. Like the first book there were enough twists that the culprit's identity was a surprise without it getting all convoluted and confusing. Another good thing was that it ended without an annoying hook for the next in the series, just a strong cast of characters that I look forward to reading about again.

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni is a 2015 Thomas & Mercer publication.

A superb thriller!

This second installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series gets off to a very sinister start, when someone leaves a noose hanging at the shooting range, a message specifically meant for Tracy.

Despite that, Tracy is assigned as the lead detective in serial killer case, in which several dancers have been killed. The killer has already been dubbed ‘The Cowboy’ because of the way he leaves his victims tied up.

But, when Tracy sees a link between these crimes and another murder which took place years earlier, things really get sticky. Tracy’s boss, really doesn’t want Tracy taking too close of a look at the older crime, plus a man is already in show more prison for that murder, having confessed to killing the victim.

But, Tracy is convinced the two cases are linked, and it’s not only possible, but quite likely that she’s in the killer’s crosshairs.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, which made a good impression, so I’ve been dying to see how things developed from there. As usual, I’m running way behind, but this second book, only solidified my feelings about the series.

The plot is dark and twisted, as most serial killer tropes are, but this story combines a little office politics in with some well timed surprises which was very smart and kept the story from becoming too formulaic or predictable. The plot is intricate, but the author did a fantastic job of connecting the threads, giving the reader a lot of bang for the buck. There are several very stressful, sweaty palm, like moments and some surprising developments that make this a very intense story!

I like Tracy, whose character has a chance to develop a little more, and we get a chance to see her doing her job without the intense personal stakes she had in the first book. She’s a consummate professional, tough, but not over the top with the sarcasm or ball busting. She’s just the type of person I’d want on my team. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for her in the coming chapters of the series.

But, until then, this book was as impressive as the first, showing development, along with clever plotting, and top notch suspense.

4 stars show less

Back in Seattle, Tracy Crosswhite's investigation into the death of stripper Nicole Hansen is derailed by her boss, Johnny Nolasco, deciding it was a cold case. When additional strippers start dying in the same heinous manner, involving self-strangulation with a noose and Rophynol, Tracy is named to head the task force to find the serial killer, nicknamed Cowboy. Lots of suspects, and Nolasco is systematically undermining the investigation while Tracy finds a ten-year old case, with obvious similarities, which Nolasco "solved." Cowboy is elusive, calculating, and carries a major grudge, but makes one small mistake, helping Tracy bring him to justice. The one nit is the dizzying, improbable acceleration of the plot from Tracy being show more benched to the ending. show less

I'd heard of this author but avoided him because I thought he wrote Police Proceedurals with gore or horror. I was wrong. If you like this genre, you should read these. He gets it all right: plot, pacing, character, and the ending is NEVER what I am expecting but makes perfect sense. If I ever get published, I want his team to do my covers and titles. He's similar to Michael Connelly, esp. introducing the twist at the end, but much better.

Tracy Crosswhite is on the trail of a Seattle serial killer, nicknamed "the Cowboy" because of the way he ties women (usually exotic dancers) up. Unfortunately, he's clever enough to leave few clues and the detectives are led in various directions. Is it the killer or a copycat who is stalking Tracy?

My thoughts: You can read the summary elsewhere, but it's a great complicated plot with appealing detectives and fascinating bad guys (plus an irritating boss and TV reporter). It was definitely a page-turner and a great puzzle. 4.5 stars.

I didn't read the first book in this series, My Sister's Grave, but will go back and read it now to find out more about Tracy's backstory, her boyfriend, Dan, and her hometown.

Dugoni's first two Tracy Crosswhite books have been two of my favorite reads. He is currently one of my favorite authors. This series is set in Seattle, where Crosswhite is a homicide detective who works with a great set of partners, as well as a sexist (and fairly evil) boss. The storytelling is fantastic and the books are part mystery, part thriller. Will she catch the killer? In this case, will she catch a serial killer who is preying on exotic dancers? I especially appreciate Dugoni's development of a strong female character, as well as his positive attitude toward the value of women in a male-dominated field. Third installment comes out in May and I am looking forward to it.