The Trapped Girl

This was the most intense book so far. The case was riveting. Between jurisdictions being passed back and forth, dead bodies, fake deaths and money this was insane. And I loved every minute of it. I like Dan and Tracy - their romance is sweet but not overwhelming - it's a crime novel not romance. The mystery was crazy - every time I thought I figured it out there would be some other surprise development and I'd think it was someone else. The twists and turns were mindblowing.

I like all the characters and I love how each book seems to focus on different aspects. Like the first book had the point of view of the criminal. This one had a narrative of the victim/suspect/killer. Different cops in the team take the lead. Even though the books show more are subtly twisting the style and structure as the series progresses - it really works. Robert Dugoni is a very talented writer. This was the best book so far and I can't wait to read more. show less

I don't know why I wait so long between the books in this series. I suppose I consider Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite mysteries to be "sure things"-- books guaranteed to be good reads so they're saved for times when I need to recuperate from unsatisfying stories. Regardless of the reason, I once again find myself vowing to read them faster.

Tracy Crosswhite is the type of main character you can sink your teeth into. Her life was irrevocably changed when her beloved younger sister disappeared. Tracy gave up her teaching job and ultimately became Seattle's only female homicide detective. Her goal was to find out what happened to her sister. As the years have passed, her closed-off life has begun to change-- mostly importantly by being show more in a committed relationship. Her experiences with her sister have made her extremely sensitive to any case involving missing and murdered women she and her team are called to investigate.

The woman in the crab pot is definitely a compelling story. Readers hear The Trapped Girl's story from Andrea Strickland's point of view as Tracy and her team investigate. As facts being to emerge, readers will begin to question what Andrea is telling them. Is she telling the truth? Is she lying? Or is she just leaving a lot of things out of her story? Andrea is a sympathetic character with her tragic life and her bad choice of husband. She is so shy and introspective that it's no wonder she chose to live in Portland, Oregon. You see, all the rain means that she'll be free to stay home and read book after book after book instead of dealing with people.

With a riveting story involving a smart, determined, reflective victim and an equally intelligent woman determined to find out what happened to her, The Trapped Girl is almost impossible to put down. If you haven't made Tracy Crosswhite's acquaintance, I would suggest starting with the first book, My Sister's Grave, because of the character development. You're in for a treat! show less

Forty-three year old homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite is called to the scene when a young man illegally harvesting crabs in Puget Sound inadvertently snags a crab pot containing human remains. "The Trapped Girl," by Robert Dugoni, is the story of twenty-two year old Andrea Strickland, who had a traumatic childhood that left her lonely, depressed, and emotionally scarred. She works for an insurance company, but prefers to spend her free time immersed in her favorite pastime--reading. At least Andrea has the solace of knowing that she will come into a great deal of money, thanks to a trust fund set up by her late parents. After a whirlwind courtship, corporate attorney Graham Strickland proposes to Andrea and she marries him. Only show more later does she realize how little she really knows about her new husband.

This is a complex and cleverly plotted thriller. Tracy and her capable "A Team," Kinsington Rowe, Vic Fazzio, and Delmo Castigliano, must identify the aforementioned Jane Doe in the crab pot before they can find her killer. This case will be far more taxing than they had anticipated, especially since they face jurisdictional problems that could stymie their investigation. Departmental politics and an uncooperative supervisor do not deter Tracy, who has personal reasons for pursuing the perpetrator. She will not quit until she accomplishes what she has set out to do.

Dugoni's fast-paced, complex, and cleverly plotted police procedural has intriguing italicized passages in which Andrea provides background information and a unique perspective on a series of perplexing events that can be interpreted in various ways. As the mystery deepens, there are surprising developments and a final twist that may a bit too far-fetched to accept unquestioningly. Still, "The Trapped Girl" is engrossing, thanks to its lively prose, witty dialogue, colorful characters, wry humor, and picturesque setting. The author effectively demonstrates how challenging it is to outsmart ruthless, self-serving, and vicious adversaries who will do anything, no matter how repellant, to get what they want. show less

Poor Kurt Schill. All the kid wanted was to make a little money by setting a few crab pots in Puget Sound. After sneaking out one night to retrieve them, he thinks he may have hit the jackpot. One in particular has him struggling & when he finally gets it out of the water……is that a hand?

All together now….eeeewwww. Tracy & Kins feel the same way when they’re sent to collect the woman’s body. The autopsy provides clues that lead to her being identified as Lynn Hoff but there is surprisingly little else to be found.

Alternate chapters flash back to a year ago & introduce us to Andrea Strickland. She’s a young, bookish woman in a new relationship that progresses as she tells her story. She’s had a tough life & it’s about to show more get tougher.

In the present Tracy & her team have little to go on & what they do find doesn’t seem to fit. Just when they make some headway, another precinct swoops in & steals their case. Tracy is less than impressed for 2 reasons. First, she doesn’t feel like her boss (& old nemesis) Johnny Nolasco fought hard enough to keep it. Second, the lead detective from the other precinct is a middle aged burnout more interested in “investigating” any women in his vicinity than actually doing his job.

Boy, is this a snarly one. Just when you think you know where it’s going, another twist gets thrown out & the story heads off in a new direction. It’s an intricate plot where there are few winners & Tracy has to resort to some creative detecting to get the job done. It’s the kind of book where it’s important you don’t know too much ahead of time to fully appreciate the twists so that’s all I’ll say about the story. Except…thank God she’s maintained her sharpshooting skills.

Andrea’s story is compelling & chapters narrated in her voice become addictive reading. As events spiral out of control it’s easy to sympathize with this intelligent woman who yearns for a life very different from the one she has with her husband. All I’ll say about him is you’ll find his picture in the dictionary under “git”.

This is book #4 & one of the things I really enjoy about this series is the cast of characters that surround the MC. The other detectives are so well defined as individuals & it’s a pleasure to read a police procedural where the members of a team actually like each other instead of spending all their time looking for a back to stab. There are also developments in Tracy’s personal life that hint at more changes in the future.

It’s a smart, fast paced & well plotted story that will keep you on your toes while reuniting fans with characters that have become old friends. Can’t wait for book #5. show less

Another strong entry in the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni. This time around the murder is less of a cold case and more of a deep mystery. The identity of the victim, discovered by accident in a crab pot in the frigid water of Puget Sound, seems obvious after a bit of forensics. That also reveals an obvious suspect and their motives. But the clues never add up until the final chapters. Just following the investigation and getting to know the investigators on Tracy's team a little better make a wonderful story.

The author isn't satisfied with that story. He also weaves in the background story from the perspective of the victim. This both clarifies and confounds (in a good way) the reader's understanding of what's going on. There show more is misdirection all around. I can hardly wait for Mr. Dugoni's next entry.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. show less

The trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite Series #4
5 Stars

From The Book:
When a woman’s body is discovered submerged in a crab pot in the chilly waters of Puget Sound, Detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself with a tough case to untangle. Before they can identify the killer, Tracy and her colleagues on the Seattle PD’s Violent Crimes Section must figure out who the victim is. Her autopsy, however, reveals she may have gone to great lengths to conceal her identity. So who was she running from?

After evidence surfaces that their Jane Doe may be a woman who suspiciously disappeared months earlier, Tracy is once again haunted by the memory of her sister’s unsolved murder. Dredging up details from the woman’s past leads to show more conflicting clues that only seem to muddy the investigation. As Tracy begins to uncover a twisted tale of brutal betrayal and desperate greed, she’ll find herself risking everything to confront a killer who won’t go down without a deadly fight.

My Views:
I have read and enjoyed this series consistently since the first book, "My Sister's Grave". The characters continue to grow and develop with each addition. Robert Dugoni is an exceptional storyteller. He weaves the plot giving it texture with many twists and turns but doesn't waste time and space with story lines that add absolutely nothing to the plot and just fill space. Even though I constantly ROO this series needs to be followed in order to better understand the character of Tracy Crosswhite The one thing that I had to chuckle at with one of the main characters was that she was described several times as an introvert. Why was she an introvert?....because she read and collected hundreds of books. Seems she was never without a book. Well...hello to all my introvert friends here who are reading this:) show less

4.5 stars

The Trapped Girl is the fourth in a series by Robert Dugoni about a detective with Seattle’s Violent Crimes Section named Tracy Crosswhite. I have not read the first three but easily picked up the story line and thoroughly enjoyed this installment. As the story opens, a teenage boy illegally crabbing pulls up his crab trap and finds a woman’s dead body. The woman was shot before she was dumped in the Puget Sound so Tracy Crosswhite’s unit is summoned and subsequently commences the process of attempting to solve the murder. During the autopsy, the medical examiner determines that the victim had undergone substantial facial reconstructive surgery in an effort to conceal her identity. Initially, the victim is identified as show more Lynn Hoff, but quickly the team realizes that it may in fact be Andrea Strickland, an insurance agent who went missing on Mt. Ranier months previously while hiking with her husband. As Tracy continues her investigation, she discovers that the many facts and clues conflict and that something more complicated has occurred. She and her team must piece together every detail to ascertain what truly happened and who the mystery woman is.

The story is fast-paced and includes numerous twists and turns – most of which I did not see coming (I love that!). The plot takes Tracy from Mt. Ranier to Oregon in her quest to solve the identity of the dead woman and how she met her demise. The various settings made the tale so interesting. The Trapped Girl is a complicated and well-written story with a fabulous resolution that made sense and was believable (believability is something that is lacking in many thrillers today).

Learning about the various hikes on Mt. Ranier and other fun facts about the mountain was one of the highlights of the book for me. Another was the manner in which Dugoni chose to tell his tale. He alternates between Andrea’s journal entries and a standard third person voice for the rest of the novel. The result is outstanding. Dugoni also perfectly balances writing about the mystery plot line and Tracy’s personal life which makes the book such a great read. I am sure striking that balance is hard as an author, but when it does occur the story is so much better than when too little or too much focus is on the detective’s own life.

I highly recommend this wonderful mystery. Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. show less