Review by Booklist Review
In the third Margaret Nolan mystery (following Desolation Canyon, 2022), the LAPD detective investigates the death of a Hollywood star. It's a complicated case: before he died, the actor saw his career and life ruined by a fraudulent video, and the cause of death was, of all things, a rockslide. Accident, murder, or suicide? Nolan gets an in-depth look at the world of fame and privilege, and at the dirt behind the glitz. This is a fine series from the coauthor of the Monkeewrench novels (P. J. Tracy was the pen name of the mother-daughter writing team of Patricia and Traci Lambrecht; Patricia died in 2016). Margaret Nolan is a strong, intelligent, and aggressive investigator, a cop who won't stop until she finds the truth. The author, who has also continued the Monkeewrench series as its sole author, proves once again that she is an efficient storyteller. There is no excess weight here; every scene has a purpose, and there's no conversational time-wasting. Here's hoping there are many more Margaret Nolan mysteries to come.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Plausible characters and continually shifting potential motives and clues lift bestseller Tracy's strong third police procedural featuring LAPD Det. Margaret Nolan (after 2022's Desolation Canyon). When a scurrilous video pops up on the web showing beloved Disney actor Evan Hobbes having sex with a minor, the star's career implodes, despite his fervent denials and claims that the video must be a deepfake. The following day, his battered body is found at the bottom of a cliff behind the home of Disney executive David Baum. Hobbes had been one of hundreds of well-heeled guests celebrating at a lavish party on the Baum estate. Was his death an accident, suicide, or murder? The displays of colossal Hollywood egos and Nolan's reaction to them make her interviews with potential suspects and witnesses highly entertaining. Adding personal interest is Nolan's ongoing friendship with Sam Easton, a troubled Afghan War vet who suffers from PTSD. Great atmosphere, vivid characters, and an intricate fair play plot that surprises as it twists its way to a satisfying resolution make this a winner. Fans and newcomers alike will have fun. Agent: Ellen Geiger, Frances Goldin Literary. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
LAPD detective Margaret Nolan's third outing (after Desolation Canyon) involves the suspicious death of actor Evan Hobbes, a Disney star who, hours before his death, had been targeted with a deep fake video portraying him as a pedophile. Initial speculation of suicide gives way to murder as evidence of foul play surfaces. As Maggie and her partner Al pursue their investigation, they cross paths with heavy-hitting Hollywood types interested in the impact of Evan's death on business as well as those who appear genuinely devastated by the murder, including Evan's agent, Seth, and Seth's sister Essie, one of the last people to see Evan alive. When a double murder in Santa Barbara appears to be connected to their case, the detectives' pursuit of leads intensifies, as does their frustration. The murder of their prime suspect leads Maggie to wonder if this time someone will get away with murder. While the first two books in the series add background, this book reads easily as a stand-alone. VERDICT The series protagonist is a wonderfully complex and likable character, as are the supporting cast. Tracy's ability to weave multiple plots into a satisfying story makes this a must-read for mystery lovers.--Julie Ciccarelli
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In LAPD Det. Margaret Nolan's third case, her personal demons finally take a back seat to the demons battening on a gallery of Hollywood types. Disney star Evan Hobbes insists that the photos showing him in seriously compromising positions with young fans are deepfakes. The good news is that he's soon proved correct: They've been produced by Brianna Cornish, who took $5,000 to sink his career. The bad news is that by the time the fakes are traced to her, Hobbes has been found dead in a rockslide following a party given by Disney exec David Baum and his wife, Essie, whose brother, Seth Lehman, is Hobbes' agent. Things get worse for the Baums with the news that Hobbes, who richly deserved to die for earlier, less explicitly documented sins, was choked to death, and worse still when David is killed along with Kira Tanner, an aspiring actress in possession of a thumb drive that carried a good deal more blackmail material. It's all business as usual for Lehman's boss Rebecca Wodehouse, the Dragon Lady who presides over Wodehouse International Talent with such imperious hauteur that you'd never guess the agency her father launched will go broke unless they can replace soiled clients like Hobbes with the likes of A-list actress Daphna Love, who's found her way back to the embraces of Sam Easton, Nolan's friend and informal consultant. Tracy dishes enough dirt on her characters' sordid pasts to make killers like Nolan and Easton seem tame. So many cast members come across as repellent that the big reveal is something of a letdown since they don't all turn out to be guilty. Who needs movies anyway when you have books as laden with dirty secrets as this one? Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
