2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Tracy Crosswhite is reopening the investigation into Seattle’s Route 99 serial killer. After thirteen victims, he stopped hunting and the trail went cold, stirring public outrage. Now, nearly three decades after his first kill, Tracy is expected to finally bring closure to the victims’ families and redeem the Seattle PD’s reputation. Even if it means working with her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco.

Lead detective of the original task force, Nolasco dares Tracy to do what he failed to: close the case. Forming an uneasy alliance, Tracy and Nolasco revisit old leads and pursue new evidence only to unearth high-level corruption and cover-ups as dangerous as the elusive killer himself. At the risk of being exposed, such deadly and powerful forces will go to extremes to stay in the shadows.

That’s just where Tracy and Nolasco are headed—to find the twisted truth behind a killer’s motives, his disappearance, and his chilling comeback.

Settings
Seattle, Washington

Prologue
39 Chapters
Epilogue

Character List
(view spoiler)[
Recurring Characters
Tracy Crosswhite: Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section A Team. She’s been reassigned to head Cold Cases. She’s married to Dan and they are the parents of 16-month old Daniella. Shes 44-years old, 5’10” with blond hair.
Dan O’Leary: Attorney and Tracy’s childhood friend. They’re now married and parents of 16-month old Daniella.
Kinsington (Kins) Rowe: aka Sparrow. Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section A Team. He’s Tracy’s partner and married to Shannah.
Vic (Faz) Fazzio: Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section A Team. He’s married to Vera.
Vera Fazzio: Faz’s wife, a superb cook. They are the parents of one son, Antonio.
Antonio Fazzio: Faz and Vera’s son. He runs a restaurant, Fazzio’s.
Delmo (Del) Castigliano: Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section A Team. Divorced from Norma. He’s 6’5” tall.
Ron Mayweather: Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section A Team. He’s the “fifth wheel,” responsible for the mundane tasks of investigative work.
Maria Fernandez: New Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section A Team. She replaced Tracy while she was out on leave.
Desmond Anderson: Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section B Team. He’s partnered with Lee Cooper so they’re called Anderson Cooper.
Lee Cooper: Homicide detective on the Violent Crime Section B Team. He’s partnered with Desmond Anderson so they’re called Anderson Cooper.
Katie Porter Pryor: Police officer who Tracy helped with her shooting. She’s now married with two children and in the Missing Persons Unit.
Andrei Vilkotski: Tech analyst in the Vice Unit
Billy Williams: Detective sergeant on the Violent Cime Section A Team.
Andrew Laub: Lieutenant over the Violent Crime Section A Team.
Johnny Nolasco: Chief of detectives and captain of the Violent Crimes Section.
Art Nunzio: Tracy’s predecessor in the Cold Case Unit.
Anthony Rizzo: Major Crimes Task Force sergeant.
Stephen Martinez: Assistant chief of criminal investigations.
Marcella Weber: Police chief.
Douglas (Sandy) Clarridge: Former police chief.
Jennifer (Jenny) Almond: aka Costco. Sheriff of Klickitat County, succeeding her father. Former police recruit who attended the Academy with Tracy. She was the only other woman in the class. She’s married to Neil and mother of their two children, Sarah and Trey.
Bennett Lee: Seattle Police Department public information officer.
Joe Jensen: Traffic Collision Investigation (TCI) sergeant.
Rick Cerrabone: King County prosecutor.
Celia McDaniel: King County prosecutor. She recently moved from Atlanta.
Kevin Dunleavy: Prosecuting Attorney.
Leah Battles: Dan’s new associate. She’s a former Navy lieutenant with JAG’s Defense Service Office (DSO).
Roy Calloway: Retired Cedar Grove sheriff. Married to Nora.
Nora Calloway: Married to Roy.
Finlay Armstrong: Cedar Grove sheriff. Married to Kimberly who was recently murdered in their home.
Amanda Santos: FBI profiler.
Kelly Rosa: Forensic anthropologist.
Peter Gabriel: Forensic consultant. His specialty is river patterns.
Stuart Funk: Medical examiner.
Michael Melton: DNA analyst at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.
Tim Lane: Runs ALS, a private lab.
Kaylee Wright: Senior CSI analyst known as “sign cutter” or “man tracker.”
Dale Pinkney: CSI sergeant in charge.
Sherri Belle: CSI lab technician.
Harrison Scott: Head of Independent Forensic Laboratories (IFL). Former head of the Washington State Crime Labs in Seattle and Vancouver.
Lazar Orlovic: Attendant at the Seattle Police Athletic Association shooting range.
Sarah Crosswhite: Tracy’s sister who went missing 20 years ago.
James Crosswhite: Tracy’s father, a former doctor, deceased.
Abby Crosswhite: Tracy’s mother, deceased.
Maggie Marcello: Del’s sister. She’s the mother of three children; Allie and twins Mark and Stevie.
Allie Marcello: Del’s 17-year old niece who overdosed on heroin.
Mark Marcello: Del’s 9-year old nephew. He’s Stevie’s twin.
Stevie Marcello: Del’s 9-year old nephew. He’s Mark’s twin.
Therese: Daniella’s nanny.
Lisa Walsh: Tracy’s therapist.
Ben: Tracy’s ex-husband.
Maria Vanpelt: Seattle television reporter.
Anita Childress: Newspaper reporter for the Seattle Times whose mother, Lisa, disappeared 24 years ago. She’s asking Tracy for help.
Bill Jorgensen: Anita’s editor.
Lisa Childress: Investigative reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer who disappeared 24 years ago on February 27, 1996.
Larry Childress: Lisa’s husband and Anita’s father. He’s now living with his wealthy partner, Annabelle.
Moss Gunderson: Retired homicide detective who was assigned to Lisa Childress’ missing persons case.
Nabil Kotar: The Cowboy serial killer who Tracy took down.
Roger: Tracy’s black tabby.
Sherlock: One of Dan’s two dogs, a Rhodesian and mastiff mix.
Rex: One of Dan’s two dogs, a Rhodesian and mastiff mix.
Santino (Sonny): Del’s dog, a Shih Tzu.

Non Recurring Characters
Augustus Cesare: Police officer assigned to work with Gunderson on the task force. He’s now in HR.
Peter Rivers: Former potential mayoral candidate who Lisa was investigating for child sexual abuse.
Michael Edwards: Former Seattle mayor who was suspected to be corrupt.
Marilyn Edwards: Edwards’ wife.
Rick Tombs: Former head of the drug task force called The Last Line. He’s deceased.
Henderson Jones: Former drug dealer who left that world 24 years ago. He was charged by The Last Line but the case was dropped due to lack of evidence.
Route 99 Serial Killer: Name given to the serial killer who killed 13 women between 1993 - 1995.
Dwight Thomas McDonnel: One of the task force’s suspects.
Levi Bishop: One of the task force’s suspects.
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(hide spoiler)]

Spoiler Info
(view spoiler)[
From the last book
Lisa Childress was found alive, living in Escondido under the name Melissa Childs. She suffered amnesia, having no memory of her previous life except memories in her dreams of her daughter, Anita. She also speaks with an Irish accent.

Based on Lisa’s last memory of her attack, it was clear that it was Rick Tombs who killed Slocum and attempted to kill her. She just has an image of the scene and attack without context. Anita has decided to join her in Escondido.

Tracy uncovered enough information implicating Del and Faz’s involvement in the case to meet with them where both spilled the truth. Weber suspended Tracy because of her continued involvement in the Childress investigation against her direct order and her refusal to read a prepared statement that was a lie. Both she and Del had Anita write and publish the story in her newspaper in a series of articles. Both Del and Tracy’s suspensions were lifted because the department knew it looked like retaliation.

Henderson Jones revealed to Tracy that Marcella Weber was the person leaking information to Tombs about the drug dealers shipments. Her name wasn’t released in the articles but public opinion speculated on. She hasn’t lost her job…yet.

Moss seems to have emerged unscathed, even though Tracy could trace money to him and all those members of the task force. (hide spoiler)]

I have it on order from library.

Reading it now!

Me, too!

I received mine today. I plan on starting tomorrow.

I’m done. Loved it!

It was so good!

I loved it and so glad to hear he is continuing this series.