Book Review: ‘In The Clearing’ A Thriller By Robert Dugoni

Cold cases, or unsolved crimes, hold an interest to anyone who enjoys police shows, forensic files, and all the other types of work conducted in an investigative manner. In In The Clearing, by Robert Dugoni we follow Detective Tracy Crosswhite, a young woman who has dedicated her career to bringing closure to families who are victims of crime.

When she is asked to look into a case from forty years previous, she is intrigued. Her father, a detective at that time, was the investigating deputy and collected what evidence he could. A Native American high school girl died and her death was ruled as suicide. Tracy’s father thought otherwise, but was unable to find the proof necessary for justice. Pulling this cold case, Tracy feels she may have a great start, for she feels she will do well at deciphering her fathers collected evidence.

As she follows the leads and tries to stir the memories of a small town, she finds secrets hold their own allure. Can she find the answer to the suspicious death, or will she struggle to find the truth behind all the red herrings? Can she find the truth without raising old ghosts the could very well put her own life at risk?

Dugoni has created a stirring and grisly death, which had been passed off as suicide, even when the evidence showed otherwise. His characters are so real, and the small town atmosphere lends credence to the secrecy of those involved. The students and friends of the young woman who died seem reluctant to talk, and a few are dead themselves, as we are taken into the darkness of lies and secrets. There are those who will go to great lengths to keep the real story from coming to life. Tracy Crosswhite is a character who keeps you following her logic as she tries to piece her story together, and even as she stumbles, she finds a way to move on.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, thrillers, investigation, and cold cases this would be a terrific work for your library. There is just a bit of darkness and creepy tendrils of fear that run beneath the surface, keeping you looking over your shoulder as you continue your reading. Dugoni has brought us another thriller to had to your collection

This would be a great work for a reading group or book club.