Reviews

The Academy: A Short Story by Robert Dugoni

ingo_lembcke's review against another edition

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5.0

As expected a short read, still recommended, adds to the background of the Tracy Crosswhite series.
One of the characters pops up in the third book, it helps to know her, others in the second.
Fast food, no crime.
Hopefully still free, it is too short to pay for it.

lurker_stalker's review against another edition

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4.0

Good short. Very much enjoyed Tracy taking Nolasco down a few pegs and seeing their relationship from the very beginning. Man, I hate that guy.

lynguy1's review against another edition

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4.0

In The Academy, Robert Dugoni uses a short story to set up the Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series. This prequel introduces readers to Tracy and her reasons for wanting to eventually become a homicide detective. It also gives readers an insight into what some women have experienced when training to enter a job that is or has been largely held by men. While these experiences don’t happen all of the time, they do happen to some women.

Tracy quit her job as a high school chemistry teacher to pursue a career in the Seattle Police Department. The book starts with her interview and continues through her experiences at the police training academy in Washington and is set in 1996. Despite being somewhat over the top, including some stereotypes and being predictable, I enjoyed getting to know Tracy before she joined the Seattle police department.

With a strong, smart, tough and confident protagonist, Dugoni managed to give Tracy character depth for such a short introduction to her. She was a likeable character with an inquisitive nature that is also willing to help others.

Overall, this was a good introduction to Tracy and gives the backstory that should enable book one to fly. It had a great setting and was engaging, entertaining and well-paced. I’ve read one of the books in this series and I plan to read them all. I highly recommend this series to those that enjoy police procedurals, mysteries and crime novels and am looking forward to reading the first book in the series.

I purchased a digital copy of this prequel. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are not biased in any way. Publication date was September 9, 2014.

jareadforfilth's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

booksandbraids's review against another edition

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5.0

That was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I want more of her early days getting started in law enforcement. Fuck Nalasco. I hope he gets fired by the end of the series. 

socorrobaptista's review against another edition

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inspiring tense fast-paced

4.0

É sempre difícil para mulheres em qualquer profissão, mais difícil ainda em um mundo ainda visto como masculino, como a academia de polícia. Adorei a forma como a protagonista se posiciona e não se sujeita passivamente aos ataques sexistas. Muito bom.

wljr's review against another edition

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Counted this for both of the prequels.

kay_slayerofbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

Yup, Nolasco is a total dick. Surprise, surprise. This novella just proves how it got started. Tracy Crosswhite was still a complete bad ass back then. I LOVE IT!!!

booksbyheath's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5⭐️ & a hot start to sept! I’m locked in to this series already

otfjorden's review against another edition

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3.0

Quick read as a prequel to the Tracy Crosswhite series. I didn't find it a necessary addition to the series; Tracy and Nolasco's tenuous relationship is described often enough in the main books.

As for Nolasco's obvious SA of the female recruits, I found it a stretch to be realistic for the late '90s, especially considering he was allowed to continue working in the same position with pretty much zero consequences.