In Her Tracks (Tracy Crosswhite, 8)

In Her Tracks is the eighth book in the Tracy Crosswhite series by best-selling award-winning American author, Robert Dugoni. After an extended period of leave, Seattle PD Detective, Tracy Crosswhite finds her position in the Violent Crimes Section has been assigned to a newly promoted female detective, and Captain Johnny Nolasco gives her the option of retirement or taking over the Cold Case Unit. Tracy's husband, Dan wonders if Nolasco hopes to pressure Tracy into burnout.

Not yet ready to resign, Tracy's chagrin at letting Nolasco get his way is overcome by the prospect of improved hours and a degree of autonomy. The confidence that retiring Cold Case detective Art Nunzio has in her dedication to the victims, and a brief glance at pending cases seals the deal. But before she can start on the disappearance of five-year-old Elle Chin, ten years earlier, her VCS partner, Kinsington Rowe asks for her help with a missing persons case.

A recent arrival from Los Angeles, nineteen-year-old Stephanie Cole fails to return after a run. Her profile is nothing like that of two missing prostitutes whose files Tracy has glanced at in the Cold Case Unit, but all seem to have disappeared from the same area without trace. When she and Kins canvass the area where Stephanie was last seen, they come across the decidedly creepy Sprague brothers. There is scant trace evidence at the likely scene, but sign-cutter Kylie Wright advises that Stephanie was probably removed to a neighbouring property.

During her downtime with the missing persons case, Tracy reviews the files on Elle Chin's disappearance from a corn maze while on an access visit with her father, SPD officer Bobby Chin. His acrimonious divorce and his ex-wife's new relationship serve to complicate matters, but Tracy is diligent in her questioning of the main players in the incident. Will she turn up something new?

Once again, there is some excellent detective work done under challenging circumstances, and Tracy's lateral approach to bypass Nolasco's obstructions is most pleasing. While Elle Chin's fate supplies the element of mystery that many readers crave, awareness from the start of Stephanie's location and potential fate will have the reader mentally urging Tracy and her team to discover clues and make the necessary connections. But if the reader thinks they know all of what's going on, they're not counting on the jaw-dropping twist.

Both of the cases in this instalment remind us that outward appearances can often be misleading. With this one concluding at the tail end of 2019, it will be interesting to see if Tracy has to deal with COVID the next time we see her. There's a delightful scene towards the end where Tracy gets her own back on Nolasco in a minor, but extremely gratifying manner. Excellent crime fiction, once again.

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer.