Mysteries are one of the most read genre's in the book world. There are many author's and many tales to choose from. I've never given five stars, but if any book deserves it, this one does. My sister's grave is everything we crave in a mystery. Tracy Crosswhite, a Seattle detective has been fighting demons for two decades. When her younger sister disappears 20 years ago following a shooting competition, it shatters the lives of a family and a small, tight knit community. Tracy's father James, a we'll respected man in the small town of Cedar Grove Washington devotes his whole being to finding out what happened to Sarah, Tracy's sister. Roy Calloway, the sherriff of Cedar Grove, and a good friend of James Crosswhite believe they know who murdered Sarah. Edmund House, a convicted rapist has allegedly confessed to raping and murdering Sarah. There's just one big problem... they've never found her body. Questionable evidence ends up getting Edmund House convicted of the crime. His confession was never recorded, and to Tracy, a Seattle detective who quit her career as a chemistry teacher in Cedar Grove to become a law enforcement officer following her sister's disappearence, the evidence just doesn't add up. Now, 20 years later, after a dam is removed, hunters find the skeletal remains of Sarah in a shallow grave where a lake once stood. This puts into motion a complete revisiting of the case, with Tracy determined to find out who killed her sister. The story weaved by Mr. Dugoni is an incredible tale of love, deception, and how to reconcile both. I couldn't put this book down after the first chapter. As soon as you think you've figured out what's happened, you realize you haven't. The characters are real, the emotions raw. You'll find yourself convinced of one's wrongdoing only to question it later. This book is so we'll written, so engrossing that you almost don't want it to end. If you read only one murder mystery this year...make it this one. You won't be disappointed.
Seems like more often than not when I condescend to buy a Kindle book, I find that 25 pages in I think, "Well, that was another 2 bucks down the drain". So to say that I'm in heaven when I accidently come across an author who actually knows how to write a good book, is an understatement. What I want to know is why I've never come across Robert Dugoni before? This book has everything I'm always looking for--interesting characters, a page-turning plot, a tough, independent woman protanganist--the whole ball of wax. Plus, another example of secrets and lies eventually causing more trouble than they're worth. I've already ordered the next book in this series and fully expect to read all 5. If you like a book police procedural; you couldn't ask for more than you'll get with this book. And it only cost $1.99 instead of the $14.99 you usually have to pay for a really good read!
I love a series. Sometimes I find a character I like and buy all the other books to see how the character develops. Almost always the series starts with a mystery and, in a few books, it becomes personal. That's usually where the distraction begins. This one started with a personal issue. Fortunately, it did not detract from the story which we want to be "how the mystery is solved". Anyway, Crosswhite is a fully formed character at this point and likeable in her own way. She is the hero but subject to all the human conditions that make us relatable. I'm looking forward to seeing how she acts in the rest of the books.
I read reviews before buying these. There were some issues with the forward/backward timelines and some who thought that these "flashbacks" were a distraction and created confusion. Sometimes that is true, but I don't know if the story could be told in any different manner. And Dugoni is certainly a talented storyteller. If you are considering this book, it's a pretty good read.
I read, on average, 2-3 books a month. I have to say, this is the best book I have read in several years. The flashbacks along with current story lines makes the characters more complete. The story line involving the murder of Tracys' sister and the subsequent years of trying to determine the truth when an innocent man is sentenced for the crime and sent to prison. The twist and turns throughout the story made it move fast and kept me glued to the book to see who actually did it. When the conclusion arrived, I was floored by the reveal. I did not anticipate the ending. It wrapped everything up completely. It is a completely enthralling book that will grab and deep your attention for every page!!!
I've always enjoyed writing ... Erma Bombeck was an inspiration with her quick wit and ability to poke fun a the simple things in life which made me smile. Later, I moved on to a writing site on the Internet where your ability to post your own work was based on your willingness to critique others.. I've been an avid reader all my life and thought I was pretty good until I began to be nabbed and jabbed for common grammatical and writing errors ... passive voice, POV, and those little gnat-like words (such as had, that, etc.) I call these "stepping stones." It's much quicker (and smoother) to walk across a grass covered lawn than it is to step stone-by-stone before reaching your destination. Why am I telling you this? Because these are the things that went through my mind as I read this really great story and struggled with its lack of proof-reading.
Robert Dugoni is a great yarn spinner and I thoroughly enjoyed the story this book told, but the poor writing practices drove me to distraction time after time. Just for the fun of it, I began highlighting each use of "had" in a sentence. The results were unbelievable. One of the worse offenses was sentences using contractions. For instance ... she'd had. The contraction is a combination of she and had, so let's add another had to make it more dramatic. Remove the apostrophe and it reads, she had had. And believe me when I tell you there were actually instances where had had was used as a means to move the story along. It's a common flaw most writers experience, but if you're willing to make your living as a yarn spinner, you really should take pride in your work and make sure it's as slick as a newly frozen puddle so the readers can lose themselves in the suspense, action, and mystery and just go along for the ride.
As for the story, I found it compelling and well told (despite how it was written). With that said, I find it hard to give it a poor review, because it was a good book. I just wish aspiring authors (seasoned ones as well) would spend more time and take pride in their work. Not everyone is good with grammar. Some people find it too tedious to be bothered with, but an author who is selling books should be able to hire the services of a good proof reader.
I will be reading more of the Tracy Crosswhite books as well as others written by Mr. Dugoni in the future.
Feature Product
- Thomas Mercer
Description
The first book in the series that has garnered millions of readers across the globe, from New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House—a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder—is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers.
When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past—and open the door to deadly danger.
Gripping. Intense. Realistic. Had me hooked from page one and I didn't want to put it down!
Tracy Crosswhite has spent the last twenty years obsessing over the disappearance of her sister. Never truly believing that the man pegged for the crime was guilty, Tracy became a Seattle homicide detective, motivated to track down killers, including her sister's.
When Sarah's body is finally discovered, so too are facts and inconsistencies that make Tracy even more determined to find the answers that she seeks which puts her in harm's way as she uncovers secrets that were never meant to be unearthed.
Told between present day events as well as flashbacks, this story reads exactly like a thriller movie with the courtroom scenes reading like a Law and Order episode. It was absolutely engaging and enthralling and sucked me right in.
This story was intelligently told yet easy to follow. Dugoni did not create an overly complicated crime that made it hard to keep track of all the moving parts but he told a compelling story that kept me hooked until the very end.
I was very impressed with "My Sister's Grave" and I look forward to reading more of Dugoni's work in the future.
I have had this book on my to read list for over a year. It looked interesting and I think it was free on Kindle ( or like $1.00) But I kept passing it up when I chose a new book to read. Probably because it is the first book in the series and there are like 6 books in the series and I really did not want to get sucked into another series. But this year I have been trying to read a book that has been on my to read list for a while, and then a couple newer ones, and then back to an old lol
And I must say I am so glad I finally read this. This book was so good.
Tracy Crosswhite's sister Sarah disappeared 20 years ago. Convicted rapist Edmund House was convicted of her murder. Tracy has felt guilty for leaving her sister the day she disappeared and has spent the last 20 years trying to figure out what happened to Sarah and questioning the evidence that they had.
Tracy is now a homicide detective in Seattle and after 20 years Sarah's remains are finally found. And the evidence that is found in the grave with Sarah makes Tracy really question what happened and if Edmund House is really guilty. With the help of her childhood friend Dan (who is now a lawyer) Tracy sets out to open the case again and get the answers that Sarah deserves. But she may not like what she finds.
I loved the relationship between Tracy and Sarah. They were best friends. When the book opens it is 20 years later, but through flashbacks to their childhood we get to see their relationship.
I don't really want to say to much to spoil anything. But I will say that this book grabbed me from the beginning. It was fast paced, had me on the edge of my seat and even had tears at times (during the flashbacks to Tracy and Sarah). And the twist it took. Wow! Didn't except that at all.
Once I get myself caught up on my to read list (or semi caught up lol) I am definitely going to continue this series. I liked Tracy. I thought she was a touch cookie and cannot wait to read more of her.
This is one of the better books I've read recently. The writing flowed, the grammar was correct except where dialogue demanded that it not be, and the characters were complex and well-written. Being a story of a woman who helps get a new trial for a criminal thought to be her sister's killer, you knew going in that her sister's true killer would come after her at some point. It's all-but guaranteed, right? But the when and the how was astonishing; the depravities of a sick mind were not at all predictable for me, and I've read an outrageous number of "these books". I plan to read many more of Robert Dugoni's books, and especially the ones about Tracy Crosswhite. This author does not just fall back on the schlocky romance cliches for his female lead character. It's a rare pleasure to not know from the beginning whom she might fall in love with, and exactly how the book(s) will handle someone moving in with or marrying someone else. As a woman in law enforcement,she may be surrounded by men, but she doesn't need rescuing by any of them.
After watching a video of one of Dugoni's author events, I knew I had to read one of his books, so I downloaded My Sister's Grave. I'm glad I did because Dugoni's fast-moving story kept me riveted from first page to last. One of the things I liked most was the author's decision to let readers know very early on that there is some sort of conspiracy surrounding Sarah's death. This really ups the suspense and keeps readers wondering how many people are involved, their identities, how much they can be trusted (if at all)-- and just what exactly that they're covering up.
There were a couple of things that I didn't particularly care for: a romance for Tracy that wasn't really necessary, and all the drama coming to a head in the middle of a snowpocalypse, but these were minor annoyances that really didn't prevent me from turning the pages as fast as I could go.
Dugoni's characters come very, very close to stealing the show from his story. These people are not cardboard cutouts, even the murder victim whose light is just a brief shooting star in the night sky. Tracy can be admired for her dogged determination to find the truth and to demand justice, but how is she going to handle herself if any of her theories are wrong? Almost every single character is shown to have multiple facets, and that gives so much depth and power to a story.
Now that Tracy has finally solved her sister's murder, I'm looking forward to continuing this series. I have to know what's next for such an intelligent, stubborn woman.
I thought it was a decent story, a bit far fetched but good at making you suspect everybody. It is fiction, so I don't expect it to mirror reality. A bit typical police stereotype for the female detective's boss. Lawyer doing a tough case who doesn't do these type cases. The weather made me wonder if it was Washington state or Montana.. The future, past tense back and forth was handled well enough and added interest without being confusing. Although the way they used generators was confusing to me.
I read it in a day while down with a cold and found it kept my attention. It could have been a longer book and more developed I think. But then, I do like long books. I like that it wasn't a "happily ever after" run off and get married/have baby books. I mean is that all women fiction writers think we gals want? A man wrote this with a female protagonist. I think the ending mostly worked well and it HAD an ending which so many books don't have. This one didn't sum it up in 2 pages, it developed and finished.
There were a couple of editing errors that stood out. Early on she said Sarah yada yada, Sarah said. She meant.. Sarah, yada yada, Tracey said. Over use and incorrect use of the word "seen" toward the end. Nothing else glaring in my copy as others have noted in theirs, maybe it has been updated, that does happen. I'm not the grammar police looking for problems like some people, but I am well educated and well read, so like many find glaring ones ultra annoying.
I did enjoy the book and would read another from this author.
