Review of "A Steep Price: A Tracy Crosswhite Mystery" by Robert Dugoni

In this 6th book in the 'Tracy Crosswhite' series, the Seattle homicide detective investigates the disappearance of an Indian woman, while her colleagues look into a murder. The book can be read as a standalone.



*****

Aditi Dasgupta and Kavita Mukherjee, both from Indian families, grew up in the same Seattle neighborhood and have been friends since childhood.



Having recently graduated from the University of Washington, the young women hoped to attend medical school. Thus they continued to share a Seattle apartment, got jobs, and started to save money for tuition. This was anathema to the girls' families, who demanded the girls return home and agree to arranged marriages - as was the custom in their culture.



Both girls refused, determined to fulfill their dreams.

The women's plans to be doctors seemed to be on track until Aditi went to India for two months - to attend a relative's wedding - and returned married to a London man chosen by her parents.



Kavita was shocked and dismayed, and left the apartment while Aditi packed her things. Later that night, Kavita vanished.

The police were notified, and Katie Pryor, a cop with the missing persons division, got a bad feeling about Kavita's disappearance. Thus Pryor asked her friend and mentor Detective Tracy Crosswhite - from Seattle's Homicide A Unit - to help investigate.

Soon Tracy and her partner, Kinsington Rowe (Kins), are involved with Kavita's case.



The homicide boss, Captain Nolasco, wants Tracy to drop the missing persons inquiry and help with a murder investigation.



Tracy's colleagues, Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio (Faz).....



.....are looking into the death of Monique Rogers, who was shot in front of her building. Del and Faz suspect that Monique - who spoke out against drugs and guns in her South Park neighborhood - was killed by gangbangers.



No witnesses will speak up, though, out of fear of Little Jimmy - the local drug pusher/gang leader.

In defiance of Nolasco, Tracy sticks with Kavita's case. This may spell bad news for Tracy, since she's hiding the fact that she's pregnant, and fears that Nolasco may replace her with a new homicide cop, Andrea Gonzalez, when she goes on maternity leave.

Faz and Del carry on with their murder inquiry, but Faz is distracted by additional concerns. His wife, Vera, recently learned she has breast cancer, and Faz is caught up in an officer-involved shooting that could derail his career. 😏

The suspense in the novel ratchets up as the dual investigations proceed, and the author tackles some interesting issues, including cultural expectations in Indian communities, and girls dating 'sugar daddies' from online sites.



In the course of the story, we see the affection between Faz and his wife, and get a glimpse of Tracy's home life with her husband Dan and their Rhodesian ridgebacks, Rex and Sherlock.



I got a laugh at the end of the book, when Faz asked Del if he had known Tracy was pregnant and Del responded, "I suspected, but I wasn't about to ask unless she gave birth in front of me. My luck she could just be putting on a few extra pounds since her marriage." Ha ha ha. 😁



I enjoyed the story but was disappointed with the resolution of one of the cases, which seemed mundane (to me). Still, I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy mysteries, especially fans of Tracy Crosswhite.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Robert Dugoni), and the publisher (Thomas and Mercer) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars