A Steep Price by Robert Dugoni @robertdugoni @esuttonsmith @BrilliancePub

the setup…

While Seattle Homicide Detective Tracy Crosswhite is doing court duty, she’s contacted by her friend in Missing Persons for help with a new case involving a university graduate student. Kavita Mukherjee was reported missing by her former roommate and even though it’s only been 24 hours, there’s sufficient cause for concern. Meanwhile, fellow detectives in her unit Vic (Faz) Fazzio and Del Castigliano are investigating the murder of Monique Rodgers, a community activist who they suspect was killed by the gang whose activities she was focused on. Tracy and Faz were also dealing with personal issues that create distractions: Tracy’s pregnancy and Faz’s wife Vera’s new health threat.

the heart of the story…

Tracy’s case eventually takes a heartbreaking turn and is complicated by cultural issues that separated Kavita from her family. Her fight for independence and pursuit of her goal to attend medical school caused friction with her parents who wanted her to follow the more traditional path of an arranged marriage and children. While it may seem arcane to others, I was impressed at how it was presented, challenging me to think about the practice with a fresh outlook and a having better appreciation of it. Faz’s case goes all kinds of sideways when Del gets injured and newly hired detective Andrea Gonzales goes with him to interview a suspect. It doesn’t help that Tracy thinks Gonzales was brought on by their captain rather suspiciously to replace her, even though she’s not announced her pregnancy. Faz is also thoroughly shaken by Vera’s cancer diagnosis and the emotional toll on both of them was sensitively and realistically portrayed.

the narration…

My admiration for the narrator moved up another notch if that’s possible, as there were a host of voice distinctions required in this story and they all sounded authentic. It was a great performance and her storytelling skills continue to be wonderful.

the bottom line…

There’s a lot going on in this story, tackling so many issues both personal and cultural. But the brilliance is reflected in how they’re woven so seamlessly and discussed so relevantly, feeling like real life as these detectives are everyday people trying to balance work and life issues. Even though I figured out most of the mystery surrounding Kavita, there were a few twists I didn’t foresee. Faz’s situation deteriorated so quickly it made my heart race. There were some truly scary moments that kept me riveted. I’m so impressed with how this series continues to offer not only interesting cases to sink my teeth into trying to solve but fleshes out the characters in a way that makes them feel like friends important to me. Their lives are just as compelling as the mysteries. It’s become one of my most favorite series.

Book Info

• Release Date: June 26, 2018
  
• Series: Tracy Crosswhite #6
• Narrator: Emily Sutton-Smith
• Audio Length: 10 hours, 9 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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