Book Review: Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  Sarah Crosswhite's abduction weighed on her sister's mind for two decades. Leaving a teaching career and a husband behind, Tracy Crosswhite became a police officer in Seattle, Washington. As a Detective, she sought to bring her sister's murderer to justice after Sarah's bones were finally discovered in a shallow grave. Traveling back to her hometown, Tracy risked her life to stand toe to toe with her sister's murderer, and won. Now Tracy has returned to Seattle only to find that her nemesis, Johnny Nolasco (also her boss), has sent her homicide investigation of Nicole Hansen to Cold Cases in her absence. Little does Nolasco know, he was too quick with his actions. Because Hansen's killer is not finished yet.  

   Her Final Breath is book two in the Tracy Crosswhite series written by Robert Dugoni. It is published by Thomas and Mercer, an imprint of Amazon. Taking place directly after the events of My Sister's Grave, Tracy returns to Seattle to once again feel the pressure of the media (she and her team of detectives have come under fire for not solving the Nicole Hansen case). Her return also gains Tracy a stalker, an unseen figure that leaves a present for her at a police firing range: a noose. As the news crews circle for their pound of flesh, more dead women are discovered tied up in the same manner as Hansen was. Using a distinct series of knots, the killer hog-ties his victims in a way that if they straighten their bodies, the women strangle themselves. The serial killer is dubbed the Cowboy and he seems to be unstoppable. 

  The latest murders lead to a task force being assembled with Tracy as the lead detective. But Tracy is not just looking into the latest homicides. A case from nine years ago led by Nolasco and his partner has a stink about it. The evidence does not add up, and she begins to think that the murder of Beth Stintson is connected. If this is true, a man sits in prison wrongfully convicted, and the Cowboy was left to continue killing.  Tracy knows that if she personally pursues the Stintson case, the media and her superiors will say that she is trying to free another killer. She turns to lawyer and current boyfriend, Dan O'Leary, to investigate the evidence presented in the Stintson case. But Tracy is being watched by someone who seems to know a lot about her. And if he is indeed the Cowboy, Tracy may be his next victim.

  Her Final Breath was an enjoyable read. I grew to love Tracy's partner's Faz and Kins even more, with their constant bantering and sharp comebacks. Nolasco and reporter Maria Vanpelt proved to be an excellent foil for Tracy once again. There was tension and suspense that led the story to places that I did not expect. And Dugoni's skill at making everyone appear to be suspect was an excellent way to make the final reveal even more shocking. The novel hints at events from My Sister's Grave, deftly avoiding spoilers. However there are times that events are mentioned from book one that can be confusing to the reader that starts with this novel. I found that since I had already read book one, it made the references easier to understand. Plus there is a reveal near the end that directly ties to a scene from My Sister's Grave.

  I read Her Final Breath in part with the narration of actress, Emily Sutton-Smith. Once again she delivered a solid reading of the material, and added depth to much of the narrative. She continues to improve upon the characters as she reads them book to book. I love her reading of Faz and the disappearance of his coffee mug near the end of this novel, which made me laugh out loud. Once again Emily did a wonderful job.

  Her Final Breath in the end was a fun and adventurous who-done-it, with three dimensional characters and very tense moments. I am loving Tracy Crosswhite, and I have added her to my list of favorite literary detectives. I do recommend reading My Sister's Grave prior to this book to flesh out the references to it in this novel. All-in-all I gave this book three and a half stars out of five. It is a fantastic way to spend your Summer Reading time, and get started on a series that is quite adicting.  


  Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.

 
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