In the Clearing

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime.So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she’s made to the dead girl’s family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?

“Dugoni’s third Tracy Crosswhite novel (after Her Final Breath) continues his series’s standard of excellence with superb plotting and skillful balancing of the two story lines. ­VERDICT: New readers can enjoy this as a stand-alone; they and series fans will be captivated by the issues and foibles that drive Tracy and strengthen her resolve.” —Library Journal, Starred Review

“Tracy is a well-crafted character...Readers of the first two books will enjoy this one, and, because it can be read as a stand-alone, newcomers can jump right in.” —Booklist

“Dugoni has become one of the best crime novelists in the business...Dugoni brings humor, emotional resonance, and gripping prose to his entire cast of characters. Newcomers will seek out the previous two novels in the series, and readers of the earlier entries will love this one as well.” —RT Book Reviews, Top Pick

“[Robert Dugoni] tops himself in the darkly brilliant and mesmerizing In the Clearing, an ironically apt title for a tale in which nothing at all is clear...Dugoni, once known for Grisham-esque legal thrillers, continues to expand his considerable talents on a much broader canvas, staking out a claim to literary relevance established by the likes of Tony Hillerman and John D. MacDonald. Clearly not to be missed.” —Providence Rhode Island Journal

“In the Clearing is Dugoni’s third crime novel featuring the Seattle homicide detective. Tracy Crosswhite returns in a well plotted narrative that presents readers with a complex and engrossing story to keep them turning the pages to the last. Recommended for all fans of modern detective fiction.” —AuthorLink

“Not to be missed. The characters and case will draw you in and hold you til the last page.” —Night Owl Reviews