Just keep digging
Author : Robert Dugoni
Title : Her Final Breath
Published : 15/09/2015
Pages : 424
Genre : Crime Thriller
Publisher : Thomas & Mercer
A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realises the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?
I was first introduced to Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite last year when I read my sisters grave. This was a book that I had enjoyed reading and had looked forward to reading the next installment in. But like so many times before I got lost in my to be read pile and it was only when someone reminds me of the book that I decided it was time to jump back into this series.
Much like the first book a lot of time is devoted to the actual mechanisms of how a police case unfolds. It is something that I think adds a great deal to the series. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of some of the European crime writers I enjoy so much. This is not the world of Hannibal Lecter think more green river killer or Ted Bundy. The realism of how they follow each lead and clue is one of the things that help the story jump off the page. Which is not to say that the story dragged at any point or get bogged down by showing it's inner workings. There is still plenty of drama both in Crosswhite's personal life and that of the politics of her station.
Once again Dugoni managed to bring me a captivating case. He builds intrigue with each chapter and took me on a trip into the hunt for a serial killer. This time he also adds the subject of stalker into the mix. I think in part it is down to his intestines research of the topics he chooses to write about that I find them creeping under my skin. The villain of this book is someone you could walk past on the street and not give a second thought to. And his choice in victims are people who fall into the high-risk category. This is something I have always found deeply disturbing that due to person profession they fell into certain likelihoods of serious harm or murder. They are also the case with the highest failure to solve rate and serial killers preferred choice of victims.
Much like a lot of my other favourite detectives Crosswhite is a broken woman. The events of the previous book are still haunting her. A past that will not let slipping dogs lie and one that continues to affect her judgement. But our heroine is a fighter and whatever the author throws in her path she manages to peace back to together to get to the truth of the case. It's one of the things I like about this character, She is intelligent and she uses it to think her way around her problems. She also has a great partner they look out for each other and I'm sure would probably take a bullet for if they had to. Couple this with an assortment of supporting police officers an F.B.I profiler and a layer boyfriend who I felt where given enough page time to not feel like strangers. Make for a strong cast to tell this story.
The author also gave me an insight into the legal side of the cases. He shows the fine line police walk every day. I think it was a strong choice to show the duality that a good cop can be caught up in a bad situation and lazy cop can cut corners in an attempt to close a case. I wouldn't say this has courtroom drama. As no one sets foot in one but it does cover the things that go on around it. I found it worked as a nice offset within the story.
When all these things come together I was left with a book that held my attention and got through on a rainy Sunday. Even with his attention to realism he gave me enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting. I felt that with the nature of the crimes I would not have been surprised to see them reported on the nightly news. And in doing this he created a story that felt very creepy and jumped off the page. Her final breath lived up to the previous book and I'm sure it will not be long before I pick up its squeal.
Much like the first book a lot of time is devoted to the actual mechanisms of how a police case unfolds. It is something that I think adds a great deal to the series. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of some of the European crime writers I enjoy so much. This is not the world of Hannibal Lecter think more green river killer or Ted Bundy. The realism of how they follow each lead and clue is one of the things that help the story jump off the page. Which is not to say that the story dragged at any point or get bogged down by showing it's inner workings. There is still plenty of drama both in Crosswhite's personal life and that of the politics of her station.
Once again Dugoni managed to bring me a captivating case. He builds intrigue with each chapter and took me on a trip into the hunt for a serial killer. This time he also adds the subject of stalker into the mix. I think in part it is down to his intestines research of the topics he chooses to write about that I find them creeping under my skin. The villain of this book is someone you could walk past on the street and not give a second thought to. And his choice in victims are people who fall into the high-risk category. This is something I have always found deeply disturbing that due to person profession they fell into certain likelihoods of serious harm or murder. They are also the case with the highest failure to solve rate and serial killers preferred choice of victims.
Much like a lot of my other favourite detectives Crosswhite is a broken woman. The events of the previous book are still haunting her. A past that will not let slipping dogs lie and one that continues to affect her judgement. But our heroine is a fighter and whatever the author throws in her path she manages to peace back to together to get to the truth of the case. It's one of the things I like about this character, She is intelligent and she uses it to think her way around her problems. She also has a great partner they look out for each other and I'm sure would probably take a bullet for if they had to. Couple this with an assortment of supporting police officers an F.B.I profiler and a layer boyfriend who I felt where given enough page time to not feel like strangers. Make for a strong cast to tell this story.
The author also gave me an insight into the legal side of the cases. He shows the fine line police walk every day. I think it was a strong choice to show the duality that a good cop can be caught up in a bad situation and lazy cop can cut corners in an attempt to close a case. I wouldn't say this has courtroom drama. As no one sets foot in one but it does cover the things that go on around it. I found it worked as a nice offset within the story.
When all these things come together I was left with a book that held my attention and got through on a rainy Sunday. Even with his attention to realism he gave me enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting. I felt that with the nature of the crimes I would not have been surprised to see them reported on the nightly news. And in doing this he created a story that felt very creepy and jumped off the page. Her final breath lived up to the previous book and I'm sure it will not be long before I pick up its squeal.
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