Book Review: The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  Taking the time to read a book series usually takes a lot of planning and time for me. But when a series is as good as the Tracy Crosswhite series, time seems to speed by as I become engrossed in each book. Some I read in under a day. With compelling stories and a great ensemble cast, I never have trouble coming out of each novel satisfied with how I have spent my time. With three books behind me, book four awaits. And to say I was not prepared for the twist at the end is an understatement.

  The Trapped Girl is written by Robert Dugoni, and is published by Thomas and Mercer, an Amazon imprint. In it we are introduced to Andrea Strickland, a beautiful book worm whose only ambition in life is to be left alone to enjoy her many novels. She has a job that pays the bills. And she fights daily to regulate the terrible memories of her troubled youth, including the death of her parents on Christmas Eve when she was thirteen. When she meets a handsome stranger at a an office party, she becomes involved with the man, named Graham. After four months they wed, and Andrea begins to see Graham for who he really is. 

  Fast forward many months later, to a terrifying discovery by a teenager who is illegally crabbing Puget Sound in Washington. Encased in a snagged crab pot are the remains of a woman, with a gun shot wound to the head. Upon further investigation it is found that she had recently had plastic surgery. When Tracy Crosswhite and her A Team of detectives take on the case, they begin to find more information on the woman. And from what they discover the woman appears to have been on the run. Soon Jane Doe's identity is revealed to be that of a woman named Lynn Hoff. But Lynn Hoff's face matches another woman that had been reported missing months prior during a hike on Mount Rainier... Andrea Strickland.

  To complicate matters further, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department has called jurisdiction on the case. Since Andrea Strickland went missing on Mount Rainier, they request a case transfer. And Tracy's slimy boss, Johnny Nolasco, is quick to hand off the case to the original detective, Stan Fields. But too many unanswered questions arise, and Tracy cannot let the case go. Behind Nolasco's back she continues her pursuit of the truth. How could Andrea Strickland disappear on Mount Rainier only to found in a crab pot over fifty miles away in Puget Sound? With Fields' original investigation having plenty of holes, Tracy knows that if she does not intervene, the mystery of Andrea Strickland's murder may never be solved. 

  The Trapped Girl was not what I expected at all. It presented what seemed to be a clear-cut case that soon proved to be more intricate and deadly than I had expected. Dugoni keeps the reader in the present trying to solve Andrea Strickland's murder. As the chapters continue we find personal entries from Andrea that season the narrative with kernels of clues and diabolical twists. Page after page Andrea takes what we have learned from Tracy Crosswhite's investigation and turns it all on its head. What I thought was true was made false, and what I thought was false was made true. Soon I began to lose faith in my own deductive skills as I read her entries. And when the reveal came at the end I was shocked.

  Robert Dugoni made this book quite the family affair with Tracy's boyfriend Dan O'Leary; teammates Delmo Castigliano, Vic Fozzio, and Kinsington Rowe; and their families included. But the biggest mystery would be: what happened to Tracy's cat, Roger? Not once was he mentioned in the book. I was afraid Dan's dogs, Rex and Sherlock, had eaten the feline. But Robert Dugoni assured me that Roger is alive and well.

  Emily Sutton Smith once again brought Tracy Crosswhite to life with her sound performance of the Trapped Girl. I always look forward to hearing her read the detective's adventures. This one was particularly an excellent reading, with all the twists and turns and many characters. I always knew who was being portrayed. Sutton-Smith did not disappoint.

  The Trapped Girl was a fun and often tension-filled four star novel with many surprises. I loved the character development (and the surprise event at the end). I found myself constantly talking about this book to friends, and recommending it even though I was only half-way through it. This was another fun and exciting crime novel by Robert Dugoni that filled my Summer Reading schedule with mystery and suspense.     

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

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  Because there is always time to read,
   Xepherus3 



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