Nothing Stays Buried

May 29, 2017
In Tracy’s enjoyable eighth Monkeewrench novel (after 2016’s The Sixth Idea), the members of Grace MacBride’s tech-savvy gang at Monkeewrench, a software game company, join forces with Minneapolis homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth. Grace’s team of outsized personalities—Harley Davidson, Annie Belinsky, and Roadrunner—travel to little Buttonwillow, Minn., to help Walt Gustafson find his missing daughter, Marla, who stopped her car one night to remove a large bag blocking the road. They also provide their services to Leo, Grace’s lover, and Gino, who are seeking a killer who leaves a playing card on the body of each of his victims. The two investigations collide when it appears that the same killer may be involved in both: forensic clues in Marla’s case point toward a Mexican cartel member, as does a DNA analysis in the police case. Complications include an escaped lion and ambitious reporter Amanda White’s pursuit of a story that leads her into danger. Tracy’s easy style keeps the action moving nicely to the satisfying conclusion. Agent: Ellen Geiger, Frances Goldin Literary Agency.