A riveting read with a fascinating heroine - review of ECHO

ECHO by Tracy Clark (Thomas & Mercer, Dec 2024)

Reviewed by Craig Sisterson

Hardwicke House, home to Belverton College’s exclusive Minotaur Society, is no stranger to tragedy. And when a body turns up in the field next to the mansion, the scene looks chillingly familiar.

Chicago PD sends hard-nosed Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster to investigate. The victim is Brice Collier, a wealthy Belverton student, whose billionaire father, Sebastian, owns Hardwicke and ranks as a major school benefactor. Sebastian also has ties to the mansion’s notorious past, when thirty years ago, hazing led to a student’s death in the very same field.

Could the deaths be connected? With no suspects or leads, Harri and her partner, Detective Vera Li, will have to dig deep to find answers. No charges were ever filed in the first case, and this time, Harri’s determined the killer must pay. But still grieving her former partner’s death, Harri must also contend with a shadowy figure called the voice—and their dangerous game of cat and mouse could threaten everything. 

Edgar and Anthony Award nominee Tracy Clark returns with a tense third instalment in her acclaimed series starring Detective Harriet ‘Harri’ Foster that raises questions about the ongoing impact of trauma and loss, and the fine line between justice and revenge. 

On a frigid February morning, two college girls discover a near-frozen body of a young man in an empty lot, leading to Harri and her Chicago PD colleagues investigating tragedies present and past at Hardwicke House, the home to Belverton College’s exclusive Minotaur Society. Matters quickly become complicated, as the victim is Brice Collier, the scion of billionaire Sebastien Collier, who owns Hardwicke House and is a major benefactor to Belverton College. An absent father, who still wields plenty of power.

What does it mean that Brice’s death looks a lot like a student hazing gone wrong, 30 years before? 

As she navigates the lies and obfuscations of many involved, Harri must also deal with a shadowy figure who taunts her about how corruption led the way to her former partner’s suicide, and seems to want to play a dangerous game that threatens to upturn Harri’s work and personal life. And with the police department refusing to further investigate her partner’s death, Harri is left frustrated. 

Dangerously ready to boil over. 

Clark crafts a very good read; a riveting tale that quickly lures you in and then has great narrative drive throughout several twists and turns, as well as plenty of substance. Harri, the only black female detective in a male-dominate police force, is an intriguing series heroine, with plenty to unpack along the way. Talented and determined, with a stubborn streak that could cause issues. 

Clark doesn’t shy away from the impact of police work on Harri and her colleagues as they face dark deeds on a daily basis. The constraints, the policies, the stresses and pressures and power plays that can derail or shackle investigations. There’s a growing ensemble feel too, as others in the squad and surrounds have key roles to play, and bring added depth rather than being mere foils for Harri. 

Overall, Echo is an excellent read in a strong series that may leave many readers, like me, wanting plenty more of Detective Harriet Foster and her colleagues and friends. Recommended.

Craig Sisterson is a lawyer turned writer, editor, podcast host, awards judge, and event chair. He's the founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards, co-founder of Rotorua Noir, author of Macavity and HRF Keating Award-shortlisted non-fiction work SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME, editor of the DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER anthology series, and writes about books for magazines and newspapers in several countries.