(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I grew up in Washington in a tiny town that no one's ever heard of.  Except for mystery/thriller writer Robert Dugoni, apparently.  My sister mentioned that one of the books in his popular Tracy Crosswhite series, which is set in The Evergreen State, talked about not just our little village, but also referenced nearby ones like Pucker Huddle.  That was enough to get me to check out the series!  All in all, I'm glad I did. 

The first installment, My Sister's Grave, introduces readers to Tracy, a high school chemistry teacher turned homicide detective.  At 42, she's still haunted by the rape and murder of her younger sister 20 years ago.  Although the body has never been found, a man named Edmund House was convicted for the crime.  To Tracy, the evidence against him has never really stacked up, leading her to wonder if he's truly guilty.  

When the remains of Sarah Crosswhite are finally discovered, Tracy pushes her colleagues to reopen her sister's case.  While examining the details of Sarah's short life, the detective discovers long-buried secrets and lies, which cause her to see the past in a whole new light.  The more she digs, the more she finds, which puts Tracy in the crosshairs of a dangerous killer.  Can she figure out who killed Sarah before she becomes the next victim?

As you can tell from the plot summary, there's nothing super new or original about My Sister's Grave.  It tells a familiar story, but one that does offer up some twists and turns I didn't see coming.  The thriller gets a little long, true.  Still, it kept me reading.  Overall, I like the characters in this one enough to continue on with the series.  After all, I have to get to the installment that mentions the little Columbia River Gorge towns that I know and love (even if no one else does)!

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of lots of mystery/thriller novels, although no specific title is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, blood/gore, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find