A Dead Draw

Dugoni’s propulsive latest adventure for Tracy Crosswhite (after One Last Kill) finds the sharpshooting Seattle detective facing old demons after being transferred to her department’s cold case unit. Following a traumatic shoot-out with master criminal Ed House, who kidnapped and killed her sister, Tracy has been pulled from the SPD’s major crimes division. Her first cold case leads to the arrest of Erik Schmidt, a mentee of House’s, for the murder of two young girls. A technicality gets Schmidt released from jail, and he seeks revenge. Meanwhile, Tracy retreats to her hometown of Cedar Grove, Wash., to hone her marksmanship skills and protect her family. She discovers that Schmidt has followed her when he kidnaps her young friend and shooting instructor, Lydia, and demands a sunrise duel with Tracy in the ghost town of Silver Pines in exchange for Lydia’s freedom. Dugoni elevates the proceedings by fleshing out Schmidt’s psychology and smartly mixing western tropes into the action. It’s another solid entry in a reliable series. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)