My Sister's Grave (Tracy Crosswhite Book 1)

Great book.. Kept me interested but a lot of description of unnecessary stuff. Hate that in a book. But that's just me..

This feels very much like a standalone story - and a good one. I didn’t realise until I finished that there are at least 8 more in the series - I’m delighted! The story is very American with shooting as a hobby and and people in Stetson hats. It’s is a nice change from UK based crime stories plus a very engaging female protagonist.

As kids Tracy and her sister were renowned as very good shooters.Tracys sister gets abducted and killed. 20yrs later Tracy learns. the truth behind her sisters murder. The tale ends with her returning to shooting, but is their also romance on the skyline

I enjoyed the plot and the writing. I read the book in one go and while I thought I had everything guessed, I was actually only half right. So for me it was a page turner. The characters were believable, if a little stereotyped. The storyline was good, allowing for some suspension of disbelief as to why nobody said anything about what was going on, the explanation given was a bit thin. But what annoys me of these books is this: it must be Detective/FBI training 101 that says “when you are hunting a psychopath, make sure that you follow him alone at night, especially if you are female, down to the remote shack where he lives and especially if you know there is no mobile cover and/or your mobile is dead”. Please! A more original ending next time!

Please note that while I have reported to Amazon that my review of Robert Dugoni novel 'My Sister's Grave' also appears under his novel 'Her Final Breath', I have been told the books are linked and so I cannot leave separate reviews for each book. As a result, I provide a review of 'My Sister's Grave' first and follow it with a review of 'Her Final Breath'. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you.Review of My Sister's Grave:Headline: A brilliant, police procedural & legal thriller that is deceptively easy to read & one that you'll find hard to put down.When I was at school I remember some teachers of English literature asking me what a book was about and I would say (for example) "It's a story about a murder and the search for the murderer" ... to which they would reply (much to my annoyance), "Yes, Paul, but what is it REALLY about?". Reading this terrific story reminded me of those school days as on one level this is a relatively straightforward story about a police investigation into a cold case and the courtroom drama that follows. However, there is so much more to this story than that. This is a story about relationships, guilt and the search for justice.'My Sister's Grave' is a very well written book. The setting is very atmospheric; set in winter in a small town in the United States, it focuses on the ramifications following the accidental discovery of the body of Sarah Crosswhite, some twenty years after she had disappeared. Tracy Crosswhite, her older sister, has never got over feeling responsible for the disappearance of Sarah, to whom she was devoted. It affected her life, her marriage and her subsequent choice of career. Now, on hearing the news that her sister's body has been found, Tracy hopes that the police will be able to find the real killer as she is convinced that the man who had been convicted for her murder had been convicted on hearsay and somewhat questionable evidence. The story follows Tracy, now a detective, as she returns to her hometown to follow the investigation and to participate in the court hearing regarding whether or not the original sentence should be quashed. It also explores the ramifications that the discovery has on those residents who, while still alive today, were involved in the original investigation.The story flits between the past and the present but it is not difficult to follow. There are a few red herrings and a number of moments of high drama and tension as the story unfolds, with the courtroom scenes being particularly dramatic. In this respect the story is riveting and once 'hooked' I just could not put it down.But for me, this story is more than just a police procedural and legal thriller. The author has captured a sense of the emotional bond that can exist between siblings (or sisters in this case) and the lasting impact and feelings of guilt that an action for which a person holds themselves responsible, has on their life. It also questions the relationships between the police and the judiciary. It examines how different people react when faced with a possible miscarriage of justice and a need to 'put things right'. And it also raises the issue of whether it is possible to trust oneself to become emotionally attached to another person following the experience of a marriage that had not survived a traumatic event.So while one can really enjoy this story as a relatively straightforward police procedural and legal thriller (and with a hint of romance thrown into the mix), for me it went much further. It has certainly left me wanting to read more of the books in the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni.Review of 'Her Final Breath'Headline: A terrific crime thriller that has a gripping plot and great characterisation.'Her Final Breath' is a brilliant follow-up novel to 'Her Sister's Grave', but it is not essential to have read the first book in the series as there are sufficient references to it in this novel to ensure one understands Tracy's back-story and why she reacts to certain situations in the way she does.The main aspects of this novel that impressed me are (1) its writing - a real page turner of a story that is easy to read and follow; (2) the characterisation - all the characters are totally believable, including the bad guys and (3) the plot - very dramatic and increasingly so as it nears its dramatic climax.One thing to be aware of is that the story contains a lot of characters and a number of possible suspects for the crime ... this should not be a problem if you have a good memory!The plot follows Tracy's efforts to find a serial killer. It has plenty of twists and turns and 'false leads' and some shenanigans by her boss just to add further complexity and tension.In short, this is a terrific story and it has resulted in my buying the next book in the series!

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The story was captivating, the characters are interesting and I thought the narrator was superb.If you like crime novels, with some suspense and a bit of human interest thrown in, this might be the book for you.

Very impressed with this book & absolutely thrilled that it's the first in a long series... Tracy Crosswhite is my new obsession...There is definitely a difference in male crime writers compared to female ones especially when the protagonist is female & I'm loving the realistic, relatable way Dugoni portrays Tracy... He's given her depth, character & emotions that I thought only a female author could truly excel at...The descriptions for each scene were vivid but not overly detailed; I felt drawn in like I could picture everything but he didn't have to use flowery waffle to do so - a true skillThe plot itself was intriguing & I loved the slow reveal of the ending & effortless intertwining of current scenes with flashbacksGreat book but only 4 stars because there's always room for improvement... Personally I didn't like the fact that we didn't get a conclusion to her Seattle case, also I need to know that her & Dan have a future - it was too open-ended for me... But other than that, fantastic book - just about to download the next in the series!

I really enjoyed this book I felt sorry for Edmund being imprisoned for Sarahs murder the ending was brilliant didn't see it coming great twist wasn't what I was expecting worth reading Susan