My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

Author: Robert Dugoni
Publisher: Thomas Mercer
Date of publication: November 2014

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.

My Sister's Grave was a random pick from my library.  I had never heard of the book, but it looked like an intriguing story.  I ended up really liking it.  Tracy Crosswhite is a chemistry teacher turned homicide detective who had never been satisfied with the way the disappearance of her sister was "solved".  She knows that the man who was put away is an evil rapist, but she was convinced his conviction was fishy.  When her sister's body if found 20 years later, she decides to try to get to the bottom of the case and find out what really happened.

I thought this was a good solid mystery.  I was definitely surprised in the end so that was a bonus. I don't want to talk about the plot too much because I don't want to spoil the story for anyone. The story waffles between the present and 20 years earlier revealing details of what happened to Sarah at just the right moments.  I liked Tracy and couldn't blame her for not giving up on trying to find to what happened to her sister. We do also get a little bit of romance in the story so that was an unexpected bonus as well.

One of the things that I struggled with was the question of letting such a despicable man like Edmond House go free.  If he didn't do that particular crime, he shouldn't be in prison.  And will letting him out put other women at risk all these years later?  It left me with something to think about.  

I read in a Q&A with the author that this is the first in a series.  I look forward to reading the next book. This is the first book I have tried by this author.  I know I'll be seeking out some of his earlier works while I wait!