Her Final Breath

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.

Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the Seattle police force after the retrial of her sister’s killer. While she was gone, Captain Johnny Nolasco had one of her investigations sent to the Cold Cases department after only a month. It was the murder of Nicole Hansen, a performer at Dancing Bare. Before long, another exotic dancer's hogtied body is found. All of the victims are noted to have had no signs of having being raped. As more victims are discovered, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a ten year old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, would prefer to keep buried.

Tracy Crosswhite is a very dedicated, compassionate and capable police officer. She has a mind of her own, show more and when she believes she is right, she dives ahead without regard of what the action might do to her career. The characters are vividly drawn and the story line is written in such a way to focus on each of their strengths. Once again, Robert Dugoni keeps you on the edge of your seat with his twists and surprises. Her Final Breath is a terrific police procedural and the intricately developed and detailed plot makes for an intense read. While this is the second book in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I'm looking forward to reading the next book featuring Tracy, In the Clearing. show less

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

Pretty good book, based in Seattle where detective Tracy Crosswhite is assigned the "Cowboy" murders. Not as interesting as in the first book and the narrator gave at least one of the characters a New York accent; not all cops are from New York, so the flavor of Seattle never came through. There's also some drippy intra-cop politics and Tracy is left with a dweeb of a boss. Maybe next time, he'll get his comeuppance! The title isn't evident until the final part of the book.

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.

A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Talented, Robert Dugoni returns from My Sister’s Grave, Tracy Crosswhite Series #1, with the second in the series, HER FINAL BREATH, featuring tenacious Seattle homicide detective, Tracy Crosswhite. This time around with a serial killer,and a stalker on her trail—The Cowboy, who likes more than riding horses and wearing cowboy boots; preferring, sadistic bondage, strippers, and seedy motels.

If you read the first book in the series, we learned of Tracy’s quest to find her sister’s real killer, when she returned to her hometown of Cedar Grove, WA. Growing up in the small town her passion was the sport of shooting, and the top show more competitor in the Washington State Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) Championships --A three fun action sport utilizing a combination of pistols, rifles, and shotguns for showcasing and measuring shooting quickness and accuracy.

Twenty years ago, just after a CAS Championship when Sarah, was kidnapped and murdered, her body was never found, but a local man on parole for rape was arrested and convicted of the crime. Tracy never believed he was the real killer.

We also met Dan O’Leary, in the first book; a well-known attorney and one of Tracy’s childhood friends who works with her, trying to free Edmond from prison and reopen a case with a retrial. Now, Dan her boyfriend, once again is at her side, in book 2, supporting her with another investigation. Fighting off the bad guys.

Tracy has rejoined the Violent Crime Squad and a dancer at the Pink Palace was strangled. She thinks the case may be connected to another older cold case. Things get complicated, and appears someone is targeting Tracy, and she is pulled from the task force. (of course, this has never stopped her before).

Hot on the trail The Cowboy and a stalker? Are they one in the same? A copycat? Or an obsession of love/hate? Are they after one or two? Dozens of photographs lining the wall, a collage with a black X over Tracy’s face—along with diaries, scrapbooks, and articles of each of the four killings with words and paragraphs highlighted.

Dan wants her to go back to Cedar Grove, so he could protect her and keep her safe. He is concerned about Tracy since she has not fully dealt with Sarah’s death, nor had the time to do so properly, with the events in the last six months. Then when she returned to Seattle, she was thrown immediately into more insanity with the deaths of the dancers. Dan suspects she sees those victims as she saw her sister – her responsibility— and he is worried about the stress that guilt creates.

Nolasco, her boss, a bully with an ego, and a complete ass, does not make things easy for Tracy and continues to put her in harm’s way. What if they have the wrong guy? She makes it her mission to track down The Cowboy before he strikes again.

Wow, as with his last book, Dugoni delivers a mystery suspense thriller with well developed, top-shelf characters. He keeps you guessing and all the while, you have to love Tracy and her team; her tenacity fighting against all odds. I also appreciate Dugoni’s attention to detail and references to his research, which I find fascinating. A good mix of crime, cop procedural, mystery, and suspense thriller.

If you missed Third Watch, A Tracy Crosswhite Short Story 8/15/15, a great way to catch up with the character (prequel to My Sister’s Grave). For an earlier account of Tracy and her sister, another short story, The Academy 9/9/14. I missed these short stories and just grabbed them on Kindle Unlimited. Highly recommend, the series for those who enjoy sharp, kick-ass female crime fighters, with a personality.

Look for In the Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite Book 3), coming 5/17/2016! Cannot wait to see what’s next. Will she retire? Doubt that will ever happen. Maybe a legal twist? A huge legal/crime thriller fan. show less

[Her Final Breath] by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite series Book #2
5★'s

From The Book:
Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation show more that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

My Thoughts:
This, the second book in the Tracy Crosswhite series is just as good, if not better than first...[My Sister's Grave]. Robert Dugoni is fast becoming one of my favorite authors....and Tracy Crosswhite one of my favorite characters. The action is well paced and suspects are everywhere. Just when you think you have it all sorted out...the focus changes. There are also plenty of the "good guys" that are less then they should be and you can spend some time hoping they "get what's coming to them" also. Anyone that enjoys a good suspense thriller needs to add this to their collection. The story flows smoothly without anything to take you away from the characters. Several are easily liked while others are easily despised. A well earned 5 stars. show less