City of Secrets

P.J. Tracy (pseudonym of Traci Lambrecht) returns with the fourth police procedural crime novel featuring Los Angeles Homicide Detective Margaret “Maggie” Nolen. The complex and multi-layered plot has several threads that must be connected to solve the case. Can Maggie and her partner, Detective Al Crawford, put the pieces together?

Maggie is competitive, hates to lose, likes to be in control, loves her job, and has a temper. While she’s dedicated to her work, she and Detective Remy Beaudreau are also trying to determine where they want their relationship to go. Connecting with Maggie was effortless. She’s relatable and the secondary characters were very well developed. However, due to the number of them, it might be easier to assimilate if one has read the first three books in the series as some are reoccurring characters.

The book starts with three seemingly unrelated chapters. How the author weaves them into the story and builds the connections kept me engaged throughout. She balances the crime portion of the novel with a look at the developments in the personal lives of some of the main and secondary characters. This added another dimension to the story as well as helping readers relate more to the characters.

Filled with suspense, action, and various investigations, this novel has something for everyone who enjoys crime novels and police procedurals. The tension level stayed high throughout the story as I tried to put the pieces together along with Maggie and Al. Several of the last few chapters had surprises in them along with the action. This added depth to the story as well as helped to connect more of the facets of the investigation. The intriguing plot unfolded at a moderately fast pace and the world-building transported me to Los Angeles. There was always something new going on that kept me engaged. While the investigation threads were resolved, there were a couple of open items on the personal side for which I wanted more closure. Themes include murder, abductions, gangs, greed, friendship, family, and much more.

Overall, this compelling and gripping novel was a page turner with great characterization and a complex plot. While this series is best read in order, enough background is provided to allow this to be a standalone novel as well. Those who enjoy police procedurals and crime thrillers with a strong female lead will likely enjoy the series. I can’t wait to see where the author takes the next book in the series.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and P.J. Tracy provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 20 2024.