TRACK HER DOWN by Melinda Leigh

 4.5* Another decent outing for Bree and the team, but slightly rushed towards the end.


Wow, I didn't see the reveals coming in this one. Yes, it might be book 9 in Bree's universe but each tale is very different, though with a lovely familiarity via the various side characters and snippets of Bree's family life. I'm not sure where it ties in with the 07/2024 collaboration with Kendra Elliott - Echo Road - but this feels pretty seamless with what's come before. You don't have to read the previous books to enjoy this one, but doing so will improve understanding of Bree's life and why she's the person she is. 


This one starts with a pretty gruesome event and there's reveal after reveal that tie in with a revengeful murder, with some decent detective work from the team, including a new female character who appeared in the collaboration tale, Zucco. I predict we'll see more of her, possibly in a romance with a side character who's intriguing and who pops up briefly in each book, that I'd love to learn more about. 


The tale progresses slowly at the start but there are enough red herrings to make it believable, and then, omg, come the reveals, which result in a bit of a dilemma for Bree, possible professional repercussions, as well as a thawing of relations with her nemesis, Jager. I liked this, as it showed how human and vulnerable she is, despite her toughness and compartmentalising of work vs home life. The only gripe is that everything felt a tad rushed at the end, with seemingly insignificant stuff turning out to be the motives for the murders, and a bit of a shocking collusion that despite it all, still made the victim a victim, and still a likeable one, too. But, ugh, the manipulation and actions were selfish and could have had serious consequences for one of the red herrings, and potentially may for Bree. Still, she's good enough at her job that she'll likely be fine, especially with Jager's thawing and her own reveals. That's an interesting change in their dynamic and it'll be interesting to see how they interact in future books and whether they're more allies than vague...colleagues? who don't see eye to eye. 


ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Montlake for my reading pleasure. 


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