Deep into the Dark: A Mystery (Detective Margaret Nolan #1) by P.J. Tracy Book Review

Title: Deep into the Dark: A Mystery
Author: P.J. Tracy
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: January 12, 2021
Pages: 352

Sam Easton—a true survivor—is home from Afghanistan, trying to rebuild a life in his hometown of LA. Separated from his wife, bartending and therapy sessions are what occupy his days and nights. When friend and colleague Melody Traeger is beaten by her boyfriend, she turns to Sam for help. When the boyfriend turns up dead the next day, a hard case like Sam is the perfect suspect.

But LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan, whose brother recently died serving overseas, is sympathetic to Sam's troubles, and can't quite see him as a killer. She's more interested in the secrets Melody might be keeping and the developments in another murder case on the other side of town.

Set in an LA where real people live and work--not the superficial LA of Beverly Hills or the gritty underbelly of the city--Deep into the Dark features two really engaging, dynamic main characters and explores the nature of obsession, revenge, and grief.

P. J. Tracy is known for her "fast, fresh, and funny" characters (Harlan Coben) and her "sizzling" plots (People); the Monkeewrench series was her first, set in Minneapolis and co-written with her mother. Now with Deep into the Dark she's on her own—and it's a home run. 

Pre-order it on Barnes & Noble or Amazon

My Thoughts

**Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review!**

The characters weren't perfect in the beginning because of what happened in their lives before, but it's what makes the novel interesting to read. Instead of seeing perfectly shaped characters, I got to see them with their flaws and how they grew in the book.

Sam Easton has been struggling with PTSD ever since he returned from Afghanistan. Melody Traeger, a former singer, works at the Pearl Club with Sam. Because they both have their struggles, they are more understanding with each other and eventually become great friends. 

Melody’s abusive boyfriend, Ryan Gallagher, is found dead inside his apartment by his housekeeper, Consuela Ortiz. While the LAPD are investigating, they find out that Melody confided to Sam about Ryan. Soon the prime suspect turns to Sam, another thing added on top of his stress and PTSD.

His speed startled her and she couldn’t duck fast enough. Suddenly, she was fifteen again, semiconscious on the filthy floor of her father’s trailer in eastern Coachella Valley. 

LAPD detective Margaret Nolan is one of the detectives investigating Ryan's case. She comes across Sam during questioning, but her gut feeling tells her he didn't murder Ryan. Margaret's brother was killed overseas a couple of months ago, so she feels sympathy for Sam though her detective partner, Al Crawford, doesn't agree.

He watched her walk away, a woman from a warrior clan after all, wounded in a different way than he was but wounded all the same. He'd made a connection with her, just like he'd made connections with Katy and Rolf, and yet the red letters hadn't appeared on her forehead.

This book is portrayed as a "darker" side of LA and it gave insight into how Hollywood isn't as glamorous as you think. Ryan's death just set off a chain of murders that hit too close to Sam and Melody. It only continues to get worse from there.

The plot was suspenseful.

Star Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3)

This mystery is unlike the other ones I tend to read because it was more serious and dark. The author did a good job creating a darker mood for the usual sunshine and bright LA city, so I enjoyed that part of the book.

I prefer reading mysteries like Nancy Drew where the setting wasn't so dark because I'm kind of a scaredy-cat when it comes to horror and scary things, but it was a good book. I just don't think it was the best fit for me. One thing I thought the author could have done was included more was the story from Margaret's point of view. In the synopsis, I thought it sounded like more of the book would be based on Margaret and Sam while Melody would be more of a side character, but overall I still liked the book.

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About the Author

Traci Lambrecht spent most of her childhood riding and showing horses. She graduated with a Russian Studies major from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she also studied voice. Her aspirations of becoming a spy were dashed when the Cold War ended, so she began writing to finance her annoying habits of travel and singing in rock bands. Much to her mother’s relief, she finally realized that the written word was her true calling. Together, they had a long, prolific career writing together in many genres until PJ’s passing in December 2016. Traci continues to write like a maniac, with PJ’s spirit sitting on her shoulder, cracking wise.