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Her Final Breath
Her Final Breath
Her Final Breath
Audiobook11 hours

Her Final Breath

Written by Robert Dugoni

Narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Tracy Crosswhite returns in the second book in the page-turning series by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life.

A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 15, 2015
ISBN9781501200380
Her Final Breath
Author

Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, which has sold more than four million books worldwide. He is also the author of the bestselling David Sloane series; the Charles Jenkins series including The Eighth Sister, the stand-alone novels The 7th Canon, Damage Control, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, for which he won an AudioFile Earphones Award for the narration; and the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post best book of the year. He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction and the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He is a two-time finalist for the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award. His books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages. Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com.

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Reviews for Her Final Breath

Rating: 4.4199999972 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My review could be wrapped up in short order: Her Final Breath is, quite simply, a pleasure to read. However, most people do expect more in a review. Dugoni has crafted a truly puzzling, well-paced mystery with a main character whom I'm learning to like more and more with each book in the series that I read.Tracy is saddled with an obnoxious boss, and Nolasco really has it in for her. The problem is-- like a cat-- he seems to have nine lives and to always land on his feet. I am really looking forward to continuing with this series because this character certainly deserves to have Karma slap him right upside the head.Dan, the attorney Tracy met in My Sister's Grave, shows up once again and does some very valuable research for her regarding The Cowboy. The rest of the supporting cast performs ably, especially the detectives who work closely with Tracy because they think the world of her but don't always like the way she behaves.Tracy Crosswhite herself is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. Give her a goal and she gets tunnel vision, not wanting to stop until the bad guy is behind bars. This may lead to some impulsive behavior from time to time, but she does use common sense and her heart is always with the victims and their families. (She's been in their shoes.) One of the many things I like about this character is that although her focus on the job is tremendous, she nevertheless takes the time to share her knowledge and expertise with other women trying to make their way in the police department.Characters and story. Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series has both in abundance, and I'm really looking forward to reading my way through this series.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having thoroughly enjoyed the first Tracy Crosswhite novel, I was really keen on reading Her Final Breath. Robert Dugoni did not disappoint with this sequel. Tracy is back in Seattle having to deal with her old boss when she becomes involved in the hunt for the serial killer named The Cowboy. The suspense builds up steadily in this one, and it kept me fully attentive all the way through. I particularly enjoyed Tracy's interactions with her colleagues in this one and thought it showed a different side to her compared to the first book. The characters are amazingly well developed, the entire plot is believable and so enthralling I found it hard to put it down once I started. Can't wait for the next one!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Her Final Breath by Robert DugoniLoved it. Engaging characters, a cleverly diabolical antagonist, tight plotting, and excellent writing. This is what a thriller should be. Dugoni’s at the top of his game in HER FINAL BREATH.DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Dub Walker and Samantha Cody thriller series
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni is a very highly recommended police procedural. Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite, who we were first introduced to in My Sister's Grave, is back with the Seattle Police Department's Violent Crime Squad and on a new investigation.

    When a dancer at a strip club is found strangled in a motel room, the case bears an uncanny resemblance to a previous murder of a dancer. In the previous case, Tracy's boss, Captain Johnny Nolasco, relegated it to the cold case files after only a month in an attempt to make Tracy look bad. The ongoing public outcry did nothing to help public relations. Tracy is even left a noose, which could be a message about the case or it may mean she is a personal target for someone.

    Now, after this second girl turns up dead, it is clear that a serial killer is on the loose. It appears he is targeting strippers and leaving their bodies in cheap motel rooms. He has been nicknamed "The Cowboy" because of his sadistic bondage method using rope. He hogties his victims with a noose around their necks, resulting in the victims eventually strangling themselves.

    Tracy is leading the task force to find the killer. Even as her team is following leads and trying to find the killer before another victim is chosen, her boss, Nolasco, is still out to see her fail. Tracy realizes that these new murders resemble one from 9 years earlier, one Nolasco and his partner handled. The suspected killer was convicted and is still incarcerated, but Tracy pulls up the file and secretly has her boyfriend, lawyer Dan O’Leary, investigate the case.

    It always nice to see strong, well-written female leads and Tracy Crosswhite fits that description. Dugoni has done an excellent job with character development, bringing Tracy to life. Even more importantly, Dugoni has done an exceptional job in plot development too. Her Final Breath is a police procedural/mystery that kept me totally engaged from beginning to end and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I'll be looking forward to the next Tracy Crosswhite novel.


    Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer for review purposes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni is the second book in the Tracy Crosswhite series. In the first book they mentioned the case of Nicole Hansen, a young woman that was killed in a motel. The person had hog tied her so that if she relaxed, she strangled from the rope around her neck. The A-Team of the Violent Crimes section was unable to solve the case (Tracy was working on her sister’s murder case at the time) and after a month their boss, Captain Johnny Nolasco moved the case to the Cold Case Unit. Now Tracy Crosswhite and her team have another victim. The killer is escalating. Tracy is also having trouble with her boss, Johnny Nolasco. He is determined to get rid of Tracy while making himself look good (he has carried this vendetta for twenty years)! He is setting Tracy up for failure with The Cowboy Killer case (as this guy has been dubbed). Tracy is enjoying her relationship with Dan O’Leary. He is still living in Cedar Grove, but he frequently drives to Seattle to spend time with Tracy. Dan also gets involved in the Cowboy Killer case. They have a case that was closed nine years earlier that could be related (Beth Stinson). It was closed by Captain Johnny Nolasco and his partner who were known for cutting corners (and working the evidence to frame who they believed was the guilty party). Tracy cannot work the case at work because of Captain Nolasco (he will not like it). Dan starts questioning the witnesses and Wayne Gerhardt (who was convicted of the crime). Can they find the killer in time? How many more victims will there be before they catch the Cowboy Killer?Her Final Breath was a good book. It has a lot of twists and turns on the road to finding the killer. However, the killer was very obvious. I knew who it was from the moment the character was introduced (I avoided descriptive pronouns so there would not be a spoiler). The writer did provide some great clues and wrote a good mystery. I felt that Her Final Breath was a little long (it is longer than the first book and twice the length of a cozy mystery). I think there could have been some editing to make it a better novel (a lot of descriptive paragraphs). I give Her Final Breath 4.5 out of 5 stars (since I was able to solve the mystery). Robert Dugoni is a very skilled writer and I look forward to his next book.I received a complimentary copy of Her Final Breath from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the Seattle police force after the retrial of her sister’s killer. While she was gone, Captain Johnny Nolasco had one of her investigations sent to the Cold Cases department after only a month. It was the murder of Nicole Hansen, a performer at Dancing Bare. Before long, another exotic dancer's hogtied body is found. All of the victims are noted to have had no signs of having being raped. As more victims are discovered, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a ten year old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, would prefer to keep buried. Tracy Crosswhite is a very dedicated, compassionate and capable police officer. She has a mind of her own, and when she believes she is right, she dives ahead without regard of what the action might do to her career. The characters are vividly drawn and the story line is written in such a way to focus on each of their strengths. Once again, Robert Dugoni keeps you on the edge of your seat with his twists and surprises. Her Final Breath is a terrific police procedural and the intricately developed and detailed plot makes for an intense read. While this is the second book in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I'm looking forward to reading the next book featuring Tracy, In the Clearing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story line. You don’t necessary have to read the first book before this to follow along. I read it awhile back and while it’s nice to follow the detectives story, it’s not necessary. Kept you engaged the whole time.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Solid plot and well developed characters for the most part made Her Final Breath a quick two-day read. Enjoyed this second book in the Tracy Crosswhite series just a little less than the first one. All in all a good effort and will read more from this author.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A decent police procedural, great narrator. I’d had hoped they would have edited out the ‘end of CD 1’ commentary though ?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Pretty good book, based in Seattle where detective Tracy Crosswhite is assigned the "Cowboy" murders. Not as interesting as in the first book and the narrator gave at least one of the characters a New York accent; not all cops are from New York, so the flavor of Seattle never came through. There's also some drippy intra-cop politics and Tracy is left with a dweeb of a boss. Maybe next time, he'll get his comeuppance! The title isn't evident until the final part of the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm really loving this series. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit and this one even more. I was torn between 4 and 5 stars but couldn't justify the fifth because of some of the same issues as the first - repeated info, words, and phrases - so I'd go 4.5.

    For the second time in two books, I wasn't able to pick out the bad guy. Dugoni is really good at surprising me!

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Even so, I ended up getting it from the Kindle Unlimited program so I could listen to the audio book in addition to the ebook. The narration isn't great but I didn't have a lot of eyeball reading time and didn't want to stop reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni is a 2015 Thomas & Mercer publication. A superb thriller!This second installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series gets off to a very sinister start, when someone leaves a noose hanging at the shooting range, a message specifically meant for Tracy. Despite that, Tracy is assigned as the lead detective in serial killer case, in which several dancers have been killed. The killer has already been dubbed ‘The Cowboy’ because of the way he leaves his victims tied up. But, when Tracy sees a link between these crimes and another murder which took place years earlier, things really get sticky. Tracy’s boss, really doesn’t want Tracy taking too close of a look at the older crime, plus a man is already in prison for that murder, having confessed to killing the victim. But, Tracy is convinced the two cases are linked, and it’s not only possible, but quite likely that she’s in the killer’s crosshairs. I enjoyed the first book in this series, which made a good impression, so I’ve been dying to see how things developed from there. As usual, I’m running way behind, but this second book, only solidified my feelings about the series. The plot is dark and twisted, as most serial killer tropes are, but this story combines a little office politics in with some well timed surprises which was very smart and kept the story from becoming too formulaic or predictable. The plot is intricate, but the author did a fantastic job of connecting the threads, giving the reader a lot of bang for the buck. There are several very stressful, sweaty palm, like moments and some surprising developments that make this a very intense story!I like Tracy, whose character has a chance to develop a little more, and we get a chance to see her doing her job without the intense personal stakes she had in the first book. She’s a consummate professional, tough, but not over the top with the sarcasm or ball busting. She’s just the type of person I’d want on my team. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for her in the coming chapters of the series.But, until then, this book was as impressive as the first, showing development, along with clever plotting, and top notch suspense. 4 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Taut, well-written serial killer novel, the 2nd in his Tracy Crosswhite series. Believable procedural descriptions, good dialogue, and a satisfying ending. What more can you ask?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent police procedural book. No glaring issues that stood out in the first Tracy Crosswhite book. Highly recommended…SLT
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dugoni's first two Tracy Crosswhite books have been two of my favorite reads. He is currently one of my favorite authors. This series is set in Seattle, where Crosswhite is a homicide detective who works with a great set of partners, as well as a sexist (and fairly evil) boss. The storytelling is fantastic and the books are part mystery, part thriller. Will she catch the killer? In this case, will she catch a serial killer who is preying on exotic dancers? I especially appreciate Dugoni's development of a strong female character, as well as his positive attitude toward the value of women in a male-dominated field. Third installment comes out in May and I am looking forward to it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Solid! Love the plot twists. Love Dugoni and Crosswhite. 5 stars
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The second in the Tracy Crosswhite series and if I was questioning at all after the first if I'd like the series, I am 100% on board now. Crosswhite just got back to work on the Seattle PD Homicide Squad after everything that happened in book 1 (I'm not going there - you gotta read it, and yes you really need to read these in order) and has to pick up where she left off chasing a serial murder, The Cowboy, who is killing erotic dancers. As with the first novel, the characters are likable and interesting. Well except for her Captain, but that's as it's supposed to be. Crosswhite makes for an interesting main character similar to DD Warren of Tess Gerritsen fame. She's smart and tough, but we get to see a little bit of her softer side with her relationship with Dan O'Leary. The relationship takes a very backseat and no one will confuse this book with a romance. The plot is engaging with a number of viable suspects and the occasional insight into the killers mind. No real surprise twists but I was entertained and engaged throughout. I listened to the audio version narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith who did a great job with it. Off to Audible to get the next installment....
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    [Her Final Breath] by Robert DugoniTracy Crosswhite series Book #25&#9733'sFrom The Book:Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?My Thoughts:This, the second book in the Tracy Crosswhite series is just as good, if not better than first...[My Sister's Grave]. Robert Dugoni is fast becoming one of my favorite authors....and Tracy Crosswhite one of my favorite characters. The action is well paced and suspects are everywhere. Just when you think you have it all sorted out...the focus changes. There are also plenty of the "good guys" that are less then they should be and you can spend some time hoping they "get what's coming to them" also. Anyone that enjoys a good suspense thriller needs to add this to their collection. The story flows smoothly without anything to take you away from the characters. Several are easily liked while others are easily despised. A well earned 5 stars.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Tracy is a homicide detective in North Seattle. Tracy is still dealing with the emotions from the trauma of her sister's murder which we learn about in the first book in this series. She is a no nonsense detective, but not damaged like some other police detectives in other series I have read. She has a boyfriend, Dan O'Leary who is a lawyer and is well-liked by the other officers she works with. Unfortunately for her, her captain, Johnny Nolasco does not feel the same way. He will only be happy when she is no longer an officer with the Seattle P.D.

    In this story a serial killer leaves his victims hog-tied in cheap motels where they strangle themselves. He's given the nickname of "The Cowboy". Tracy and her team are assigned to the task force to track and to capture this psychopathic murderer. Of course, they are not given enough officers or money and someone is leaking information to the press. The Cowboy leaves no clues behind and is meticulous in exiting his crime scenes. Tracy begins to see similarities to a case closed 9 years earlier by Nolasco and his partner. Along the way, someone is leaving ominous messages to Tracy as well. Will they catch this killer? Will Tracy become a victim? Will Nolasco be successful in drumming her off the force?

    Tracy's abilities are honed by practice. The cases in the book take their toll on her. She is tough, determined, seems to have a sixth sense, and normally works well with her team. Her workload is heavy and the crimes she deals with are awful. The killer is a monster. He is slick, smart, almost invisible, friendly and a very sick individual. Dugoni does an amazing job of creating this psychopath. The rest of the characters in the story all play an important role in getting to the bottom of this string of murders. It starts out slowly, letting the suspense build and build until the ending explodes. Once you get into the story, it is hard to put down.

    I can't recommend this series enough. I have been thrilled with both stories in this series and am ready to go with the next one. If you enjoy thrillers and suspense along with a crime to solve, then pick up this book, you will not be disappointed.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    When Deirdre's sister, Caro, dies, Deirdre is crushed. But, when she receives a cryptic message from Caro that her husband, Theo Thraxton, is responsible for her death, Deirdre is confused. But, she can't ignore Caro's last request, which is to stop Theo and make sure their son, Teddy, is safe. As Deirdre investigates, she finds that everyone is hiding secrets, and the Thraxton Hotel business is also not what it seems. The family saga story was good, but I didn't like the gore in certain scenes. I found it hard to believe that Deirdre could unravel the story the way she did. If this had been a bit more believable, it would have earned another star.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this book hard to follow and sometimes confusing. Written in the first person from alternating characters, I sometimes had to pause and refocus to keep the thread of the plotline straight in my head. The story begins with the suspicious death of Caroline Thraxton, but quickly morphs into a desperate quest for Caroline's family and friends to rescue her three-year-old son, Teddy, from his murderous, self-destructive father and corrupt grandparents. As the plot thickens, I realized the child needs to be rescued from everyone in the book, as all of the characters are completely despicable, even those that, in the end, we are led to believe are going to make completely unrealistic lifestyle changes for the better. I wish them luck but I'm not holding my breath that they will pull that off.