“Never defend without a plan to attack.”

This is Robert Dugoni’s latest book with the potential to (hopefully) become a series.

It’s a legal thriller/locked room mystery about an Irish family’s struggling law firm, a daughter set out to prove herself, an investment advisor accused of killing his wealthy disabled wife, and a high stakes game of chess.

Dugoni can write a lot of genres very well. When I first started this book it felt a little slow, but once I realized it was more of a legal thriller than a suspense thriller I was able to settle in more and enjoy it properly.


As far as the mystery aspect goes, I didn’t have it completely figured out. I had generalities, but, based on his author’s note, he used a lot of outside help to develop the plot and it shows. There were definitely some complexities to how the wife died.

It was fitting for Dugoni to write around this quote:

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” — Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest


The mystery, the clues, the family dynamics, the legal drama— there is a lot to like in this book!


My only critiques are that I got tired of hearing about how uncharacteristically hot it was in Seattle, there was a little bit of hand-holding in describing some of the legal terms or proceedings, the overuse of the word ‘intimated’, and the fact that we didn’t get much information about the deceased until the end when we didn’t care as much.


Cast of Characters

Because I can see this becoming a series, let’s talk about the characters:

- Keera - main protagonist, former prosecuting attorney, now defense attorney working at her family’s firm in the wake of an ended abusive relationship; was a child chess prodigy; wishes she had a better relationship with her father, the selfish alcoholic she can’t depend on but has a lot of similar characteristics to him
(Also she eats carrots, salami, crackers, and a brick of cheddar cheese for lunch and that resonates with me)

- Patsy (Patrick) - a.k.a. The Irish Brawler, successful defense attorney well-known for his risky antics and out-of-the-box trial strategies; also known for his alcoholism which has hurt his reputation, his firm, and most importantly, his family
"In his day, Patsy had been fearless and unpredictable. Now, Keera feared he was just unpredictable.”

- Ambrose - the prosecutor and former boyfriend of Keera; determined to beat and humiliate Keera in court

- Rossi - detective for the prosecution; interested in Keera (will this relationship develop in future books?); stuck between working for a prosecutor he doesn’t respect and wanting to do the right thing

- Ella & Maggie - Keera’s sisters who also work at the firm; Ella is the smart, business-minded hard-working paperwork queen; Maggie is the self-proclaimed black sheep of the family who is good at playing the victim


Bonus: this crosses over with the Tracy Crosswhite series as two of the detectives put on the case are Vic and Del- The Italian Stallions. We could see some more interaction here in future books as well.

I think if this ends up being a stand-alone book I’ll be a little disappointed and feel like there wasn’t quite enough character resolution. But since I have high hopes for some others, I’ll let that slide!


Playing Chess Not Checkers

All the reality show players who use that phrase would enjoy the chess part of this story. Because we all know chess is a more complicated long game than measly checkers, right?

In his author’s note, Dugoni stated: “I wanted to create a protagonist who came from a dysfunctional family, but who had escaped by becoming a chess prodigy. Why chess? Because I knew very good trial attorneys who were also very good chess players… They told me in law and in chess you strategized not just your next move but for the many moves your opponent might make and how you might combat those moves.”

In this way, the chess aspect was a compelling addition.

Dugoni had Keera playing an ongoing online chess game with an unknown opponent named The Dark Knight. As the chess game progressed, the trial progressed. Keera’s defensive and offensive moves in the chess game represented her strategy in the trial, so we got a bit of foreshadowing as we saw the moves play out.

The downside to including the chess game was that it was a bit technical. It was a ‘pawn to h6,’ ‘knight to h2’ description throughout. Unless you’re very familiar with chess, it won’t make much visual sense to you. I think a lot of readers will skim over those sections and possibly be frustrated by them.

People who know how to play chess will probably enjoy them.

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve played chess. But if the chess game Dugoni included in there is one between two really good chess players, I’m tempted to go back through with an actual chess board in front of me and play the game out myself, maybe learn a few things!


Things I Learned

“Ghost guns were the bane of police officers, made from a kit that could be purchased online or at gun shows without the buyer providing identification and without a background check. They also did not have a traceable serial number.”

This was crazy to learn about! You can 3D print a gun. Technology is nuts. There are lots of opinions about gun control these days. I don’t even know what ‘gun control’ even means anymore. But I am glad that they added some restrictions to these gun kits that weren’t there before. Because the guns were not assembled, they had (prior) not been treated like real guns and thus anyone—even a kid— could order these kits. Definitely a problem.

But according to an NPR article in 2022 they are now treating these ghost guns like real guns: requiring background checks to buy them, requiring serial numbers to be put on in manufacturing and that existing ghost guns get serial numbers added to them, and not allowing criminals to buy them.

I think that is a fantastic rule change and I’m surprised they didn’t see the potential problems with these things when they first arrived on the scene!

And seriously… 3D printing is like magic to me. Can we just 3D print clones by now or something?!


They talk about Rainier Square Tower in the book and how it looks like a long water slide. So obviously I had to know what that looked like. If you Google images of it, you’ll see it does indeed look like a water slide.


There is a move in chess called ‘castling your king’ in which I have never heard of this in my entire life. Which isn’t entirely surprising but still… it blows my mind a little bit that move exists. I looked up more about it and it’s not quite what Dugoni described in the book. It’s not an exact switching of places, but the King moves two spaces and the rook then moves two spaces over the King. However— you can’t do this if the King or the rook has moved already in the game, if the King is in check or if the spaces he moves across would put him in check. Anways. Little fun chess fact that I’ll probably never use correctly in my life.

Another chess move: the fianchetto bishop. This is a thing. But I can’t explain any of it to you.


I have read a lot of legal thrillers. How am I just learning these phrases now?:

SODDI defense: Some Other Dude Did It.

‘voir dire’ which means “a preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel.”

Omnibus hearing: “An omnibus hearing is a pretrial hearing. It is usually held soon after a defendant's arraignment. The main purpose of the hearing is to determine the evidence, including testimony and evidence seized at the time of arrest.”

Case in Chief: “The portion of a trial whereby the party with the burden of proof in the case presents its evidence. The term differs from a rebuttal, whereby a party seeks to contradict the other party's evidence.”

[definitions from Wikipedia]


Recommendation

If you don’t like legal thrillers, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this book— there is a lot of courtroom drama and trial strategizing throughout the book.

As long as that doesn’t describe you, I think this book is worth reading!

I read it very quickly and was engaged the entire time wondering not only how this deadly game would play out, but would Keera and her father reconcile? Would her father pull through for her when she needed him the most?

Dugoni continues to be one of my favorite authors. He spins a good story, writes well and creatively, AND does it without all the swearing and sexual content other writers use.

Even if you don’t like legal thrillers, check out some of Robert Dugoni’s other books!

[Content Advisory: 2 f-words; 26 s-words; no sexual content]

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

4.5 Stars
One Liner: Super entertaining; Love it

Keera Duggan, the daughter of the reputed defense attorney Patsy Duggan, is making a name for herself as a prosecution lawyer in Seattle. However, she is back at her father’s law firm after ending a toxic relationship with her former boss. Things aren’t great with her family either, and Keera finds comfort in playing anonymous online chess and sharpening her skills.
Vince LaRussa, an investment advisor, hires Keera’s family law firm when he is suspected of his wealthy wife’s murder. Keera sees this as a chance to establish herself but soon realizes she has to use all her chess strategies to stay one step ahead and win the case. What’s more, Keera may have to make some tough decisions that could affect her family, the law firm, and her career.
With her former boss and lover as the prosecution attorney, Keera knows the stakes are higher than ever, and there may not be a second chance.

What I Like:
The book takes time to set the stage but does it very well. We already know how Keera’s mind works by the time the actual case is introduced. This makes it easy to read fast and enjoy the developments too.
As a legal thriller, the focus is on courtroom scenes and the backend work lawyers do. The police work complements the case instead of overshadowing it. And I got strong Adaalat vibes (one of the crime shows I binged on telly). Am I right or am I right? ;)
I really like how the author writes women. I was impressed by Tracy Crosswhite’s character though I read only one book in the series. Keera Duggan is also etched to be real and relatable.
The family dynamics also get some importance in the book. Given how the law firm is run by Patsy and his daughter, this move to present them as a dysfunctional yet loving family enriches the plot and characterization.
Chess is an integral part of the book (I skimmed the scenes as my knowledge of the game is the bare minimum) and shows the importance of using one’s mind and wits to fight a case in court. Turns out the author doesn’t even play chess. Very impressive!
Patsy’s alcoholism, its impact on the family, and the subsequent changes in the family dynamics during the case have a natural arc. Patsy isn’t just an alcoholic lawyer. He is a father who loves his children. Never did I expect to like an alcoholic character this much. He made me root for him.
Despite being a legal thriller, it doesn’t get heavy on the jargon. Only the necessary terminology is used, and some of them are explained in a natural flow. There’s even a Powerpoint presentation in one of the scenes. Nothing more fun than reading about a systematic approach to things (I love lists).
Miller Ambrose may seem like a stereotype, but he nails it on the head. He’s a character readers would love to hate. I wish Keera beats him in more cases.
I could guess the murder case and the connection halfway through. However, I enjoy the process of logically revealing the information to readers. I also think the author didn’t try to prevent the reader from connecting the dots b deliberately misleading them or ‘pulling the rug’.

What Could Have Been Better for Me:
Well… nothing much for me to rant about. But I still got a couple of issues to talk about…
While repetition is expected in courtroom scenes, the same seems unnecessary during the climax reveal. The conversation gets a bit too long, with one character repeating information that has been already presented multiple times. Since I figured out almost all of it, I just wanted to get to the ‘how’ and ‘what next’ part of the story.
A certain diagnosis (for the lack of a better word) doesn’t seem to be necessary. The character has already been established. This didn’t add anything to it. In fact, I like it when characters can be who they are without some sort of medical diagnosis to support it (trying hard not to reveal spoilers).

To summarize, Her Deadly Game is easily one of the best legal thrillers. It is entertaining, intriguing, and fun to read. I hope the author turns this into a series. All main characters have the potential to star in multiple books, especially Keera, Rossi, and Patsy.
Oh, the author’s note is one of my favorites. It’s a letter from the author to the readers, and that’s how it is written. Beautiful!
Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Forced to leave her job as a Seattle prosecutor, Keera Duggan takes a job at her father’s small law office only to find herself instantly thrown into a murder case. While it wasn’t the most original courtroom drama, it sucked me right in. I will definitely be reading Robert Dugoni’s backlist! Thanks to Netgalley for a chance to read and review this book.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni

Keera had just ended a bad relationship with Ambrose Miller at that time she worked in the PA's office. She felt like she needed a change. So, she asked her father for a job working for him at Patrick Duggan & Associates. She swore that she would never work for him. Her father had a drinking problem and needed a lot of help.

Keera is trying to have a better relationship with her Dad. She gets a big case defending Vince Larusso who is an investment advisor and is accused of murdering his wife who is very wealthy. Larusso is facing life in prison. The prosecutor is Ambrose Miller, Keera's former lover, who wants to destroy her. Keera also is an excellent chess player and is playing chess with the Dark Knight when she is not in the court room.

I just love Robert Dugoni's writing and they thrillers he writes. Robert Dugoni has done it again he wrote a great legal thriller. I recommend this book if you like legal thrillers it will keep you flipping the pages. I like the detail and the reality of the courtroom drama. Will Keera get Mr. Larusso off or will he go to prison for the murder? To find out pick up this up and enjoy the well-developed characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free copy of Her Deadly Game for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In a Nutshell: A fast-paced and entertaining legal thriller with great characters. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Story Synopsis:
Keera Duggan was an up-and-coming prosecutor until her romantic relationship with a colleague Miller Ambrose ended badly. Now she is forced to work in her family’s criminal defense law firm, which itself is struggling after her father’s repeated alcohol-induced misbehaviour. For Keera, who has always been an overachiever and a chess prodigy, this is a big comedown.
When wealthy businessman Vince LaRussa, who is arrested on the charge of murdering his wife, approached Duggan’s firm to represent him, Keera knows that this is the chance to get everything – career, family, business – back on track. But there are many challenges as well, not least of which being that the prosecutor handling the case for the state is Ambrose himself.
As Keera handles the defense side while navigating through some tricky leads, she realises that she is in a far more dangerous game than she had bargained for.
The story comes to us in the limited third person perspective of Keera and another key character, Frank Rossi, who is the lead detective on the LaRussa case.

Where the book worked for me:
♛ Let’s be honest. No one reads legal thrillers wondering if the lawyer/character we see will win the case. Of course, they will! What we want is to see a brilliant legal battle unfurling inside and outside court, one that keeps us on our toes and challenges many assumptions. On that count, this book is a big winner. The courtroom scenes were fascinating.
♛ That said, some parts of the ending did take me by surprise. I appreciate how the author didn’t push too hard to ties all ends neatly. A few things are left unsaid, with just enough for us to know what might transpire.
♛ Keera Duggan makes for a compelling lead character. While she does meet the standard portrayal of having a prodigious intelligence and a competitive streak, she is also not shown as a superwoman who can handle everything alone. I love how the author showed her as a team player.
♛ I think this is the first time ever that I have ever counted an alcoholic character as among my favourites. Patrick Duggan, Keera’s dad, is so well-written! He shines not just as a lawyer but also as a dad. His addiction to the bottle is also depicted well in the story. I appreciate how alcoholism is portrayed not as a choice but as an illness.
♛ Through Keera’s big family – two brothers, two sisters and parents, we get a great glimpse of a dysfunctional family’s dynamics. The sibling relationships across the three sisters are especially spot on.
♛ A book with many strong women characters, none of whose portrayals are sexualised and none of whom are perfect role models but *almost* regular humans - this deserves credit, all the more coming from a male writer. A further plus point for not forcing a romantic track into the book.
♛ The story is well-paced, with the action ranging from fast to medium but never slow. Perfect for a legal thriller.
♛ The last time I read a satisfying legal thriller must have been when John Grisham was in his heyday. So to return to this genre after so many years gave me a nice glimpse of modern-day legal proceedings, complete with PowerPoint presentations and videos. The author’s being an ex-lawyer is a huge advantage, because there is a ring of authenticity to all the scenes.
♛ There is plenty of chess in the book, and every reference is used intelligently. I don’t play chess, but I know the pieces and the basic moves. So while I loved the references to the game coming through various characters and situations, I speed-read through the paras detailing an online chess game Keera was playing with an online opponent. What surprised me most was that the author doesn’t play chess, as he reveals in his final note. After the way he incorporated chess seamlessly into the narrative, I sure didn’t see that coming!
♛ On that note, the author’s note – one of the best I’ve read. Well-detailed, and providing the perfect background to the story and the events therein. Loved it!


Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
♞ As an ardent fan of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, I both loved and hated the way the play was used in this story. Also, I beg to differ, Keera, but ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ is NOT similar to Wilde’s play!


Where the book did not work for me:
♟ Sorry, minor spoiler here.
I am a bit tired of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) being brought up in reference to criminals. DID doesn’t automatically indicate psychopathic tendencies. In this story, the mention of DID wasn’t even necessary. Simply portraying the said character as a sociopath or a psychopath was enough to make us understand his motivations. Why was the DID reference shoved in? ASPD would have made far better sense.



All in all, you can see from the skew of my feedback that this was a great read for me. After a long while, I have read a legal thriller that IS a legal thriller and not a dressed-up crime thriller or police procedural.
I hope the author plans to turn this into a series, because I would love to see more of Keera Duggan and Frank Rossi, not necessarily together. Could we please have more of Pan and Ford in the next installment? And do bring back Harrison as well. Oh, and Patrick Duggan too! Heck, just make sure every good key character returns, dear author!!

This was my first Robert Dugoni work, and it won’t be the last!

4.5 stars, happy to round up in the hopes that the author will be convinced to write a sequel!

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the DRC of “Her Deadly Game”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The book is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Her Deadly Games by Robert Dugoni is a gripping and intense thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. This is the second book in the series featuring Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite, and it does not disappoint. From the very first page, the tension is high and the stakes are even higher.
The novel centers around a serial killer who is targeting high-profile women in the Seattle area. As Tracy and her team race against the clock to catch the killer, they uncover a web of lies, betrayal, and corruption that threatens to derail the investigation. The plot is full of twists and turns, and Dugoni keeps readers guessing until the very end.
Overall, Her Deadly Games is a fantastic thriller that is sure to satisfy fans of the genre. With a compelling plot, well-drawn characters, and important themes, it is a must-read for anyone looking for a fast-paced

Keera Duggan is going through a rough patch. She had a romance with a senior colleague that ended badly. Unfortunately, it also tarnished her reputation as a prosecutor, and she left her job and returned to work at her father's law firm. Her father is well-known attorney Patty Dugan, but the firm's reputation has lost some of its shine recently. Keera hopes to improve her own reputation and that of the firm.

An opportunity arrives when a man accused of killing his wife wants them to represent him in his murder case. This will be a tough case as the wife is in poor health, and in a wheelchair. The jurors will naturally be more sympathetic to the frail wife than her healthy, active husband. There is also a great deal of money involved.

The investigation was fascinating as Keera and her team did not rely upon the police reports as fact, but meticulously verified every point. I've always been a fan of police procedurals. This is a legal procedural, and it was fascinating to see how the legal team shaped their defense.

I received an e-arc from the publisher Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

I'm a big fan of Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series and hoped this book would be as good. I wasn't disappointed. With another strong female protagonist, a thrilling courtroom drama, a brilliant analogy of chess strategy and courtroom strategy, and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, I read late into the night to finish this book in just over a day. Highly recommended

The solidly impressive writing skills of Dugoni loom throughout this book, with a smart new female character who is immersed in an intriguing murder mystery. Keera Duggan joined her family's defense law firm when her career as a prosecutor fell apart. Her romantic relationship with a colleague ended terribly. She is called in to defend an investment advisor when his disabled wife is found dead.

Her Deadly Game is set amid the investigative and judicial frameworks in beautiful and bustling Seattle, Washington. It is a first-rate mystery thriller about a tense criminal case. The game of chess, as an element of the book, embeds problem solving and strategic thinking skills within Keera's work as an attorney.

Dugoni ties in the relationships and complexities of his characters to the wholeness of his stories. I had an instant connection with Keera, just I did in Tracy in Dugoni's exceptional Tracy Crosswhite series. It's exciting to know that Keera now has a new book series herself!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

I have enjoyed Robert Dugoni's books from the first one I read and now I wouldn't think of not reading all his new ones. Her Deadly Game is the first in a new series, Keera Duggan . The setting is Seattle, as some of his other series. In fact, it is the same world, as we see Del and Faz very briefly. There are also some CSI people I recognized.

Kerra is one of three sisters and a lawyer. Her father is a well-known criminal defense attorney. He played chess with her since she was a child and encouraged her to think ahead. Keera leaves the public defender's office after an affair with her boss goes south and joins her father's firm which has its own issues.

She's on call one night when a big case comes up and she handles it. I loved the legal strategies and how smart Keera is with questioning witnesses. All throughout the case, something feels wrong. She is up against her ex and he is making it as difficult for her as possible.

The evidence on her client is circumstantial. She doesn't think he could have committed the crime. There are a bunch of pieces of evidence which don't fit. Keera and her investigator try to make them work together to explain what happened. Keera also investigates her client as she keeps learning unfavorable things about him.

I liked Keera. It was fascinating to see her make the change from prosecution to defense attorney. Everyone deserves a good defense but how does she feel about the client not murdering his wife, but not being a good guy? I loved all the shades of people with their flaws and strengths. I can't wait for more Keera and her family, and the legal trials.

Over the years I’ve read about a dozen book by Robert Dugoni, and he’s never disappointed me. I’m pleased but by no means surprised to say his latest, Her Deadly Game, is another winner. Whether he’s writing about homicide detectives (the Tracy Crosswhite series), a former spy (the Charles Jenkins series), or lawyers (the David Sloane series) Dugoni crafts complex/believable characters involved in incredible stories. His newest book is legal suspense/thriller featuring yet another wonderful character. Keera Duggan is a former prosecutor who is now taking on a major case as a defense attorney for her father’s failing law firm. Something she never thought she’d do. It’s a high profile murder case. In typical fashion, Dugoni weaves a intricate multi-layered story that completely hooked me. There is so much going on in this one, the murder case is only part of the drama. There’s also the complex relationships she has not only with her father but with the prosecutor she’s going up against. This will definitely appeal to fans of Grisham. I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Her Deadly Game.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R19U4MW8R3MDR2/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Another fantastic thriller from master storyteller, Robert Dugoni!

Keera Duggan wanted to make a name for herself on her own, so she set out in the Seattle prosecutor’s office and worked her way up until a complicated relationship with a colleague messes it all up. Now, Keera goes to work in the family law firm with her father and sisters. When she is hired by Vince LaRussa, she has the chance to show the rest of her family that she has what it takes to try the big crimes and win. Going against her in court is Miller Ambrose, Keera’s ex who wants nothing more than to take Keera down in court. It will take all Keera and her team have to win the case and keep anyone else from getting hurt.

Robert Dugoni is one of the best thriller writers around and this newest addition is further evidence of that. The characters and storyline flow freely with great tension that kept the pages flying and my attention until the last page. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the storyline and characters after the many books in the Tracy Crosswhite series and loving every one of them.

I have found after readomg many books by Dugoni that his writing style is one that readers will find relatable and easy to read. There is something about the way he writes that makes me know with every story I am going to find characters that will be engaging and make me want to see them come out safe and sound by the end of the story. Keera is a great strong female protagonist that I have come to love from Dugoni books. Even when I thought the story was finished there was another fantastic twist that made me smile and know I was reading a book I could easily pull from the shelves anytime and enjoy. I recommend this book to those that love suspense thrillers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Mercer and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is my first Robert Dugoni which follows Keera a prosecutor who has drama of her own. She had to return to her family's failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. she tries to make a mark in the legal world by taking on Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife . The intrigue, the characters, the plot and the twists were amazing. I highly recommend it if you need a legal thriller

REVIEW
This is the first book I got approved for on Netgalley and I'm reviewing it now because I prefer posting reviews on the publication dates or close to the dates. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
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I love Legal Thrillers, so it's not a surprise I loved this, and Keera was a lovely character, she just let go of her job as a Prosecutor and was itching to making a name for herself as a Lawyer.
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I really loved the storyline and I'd have loved an ending where the perp got punished and didn't just die, but I'll accept it.
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I loved the dynamics between the Duggans, the father, an alcoholic has a law firm and his three daughters work alongside him. So, I loved how they mended broken fences and worked together.
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While I loved Keera, I don't like her kind of lawyer, I prefer fictional lawyers to defend lily white clients and not morally grey client.

Robert Dugoni's books are almost always good and this was no exception. A lot of courtroom drama plus police procedural and family intricacies all rolled into a great read. This centers around Keera who works in the family law firm with her Dad, Patrick (Patsy), who unfortunately, is now an alcoholic. His alcoholism has started causing issues with his cases. Keera steps up to the plate to defend an investment advisor accused of killing his wife - a big case - with her Dad. The prosecutor is Keera's former boyfriend/lover, who wants nothing more than to show her up and humiliate her.

Keera is an accomplished chess player, and plays chess online with someone called the Dark Knight when she is not working on the case. She doesn't know his identity, but he's pretty good. Keera's court strategy is influenced by her history as a chess player.

This book is full of twists and turns and surprised me a few times. I loved the courtroom drama as well as the family interactions. Keera was a good character and I liked her work ethic.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on March 28, 2023.

An up-and-coming young prosecutor’s career hits a wall when her relationship with a colleague ends and she finds herself at the one place she never wanted to be: working at her father’s troubled criminal law firm, along with her sisters.

When she is hired by an investment advisor accused of murdering his wealthy, disabled wife, she sees this as her chance to show her family that she is capable of handling a homicide defense, but quickly learns that her former colleague and lover is the prosecutor on the case, and he is willing to do anything to crush her in court.

This got off to a bit of a slow start for me, and I figured out the “how” of the crime early on, but I see all the makings of a great series here, so if this were to become another series like the author’s popular Tracy Crosswhite series, I’d certainly be interested in reading future installments!

Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Her Deadly Game, is fast-paced, with lots of action and intrigue. A prosecutor with a vindictive desire, an old lawyer trying to keep his wits and his excessive drinking under control, a family business that may fall apart if the youngest daughter doesn't reach expectations, a virtual chess game, and messages leading to new clues that will bring a great surprise at the end. I loved reading this book which is a must-read for lovers of this genre.

I love Robert Dugoni and this was so unexpected after the last two I read from him were Sam Hell and The World Played Chess.

Really enjoyed this legal thriller and loved the wit of the main character. It was great to have an all star heroine kicking butt in the courtroom.

I didn’t see any of this unwinding the way it did, so I’d say Dugoni does a great job of keeping readers guessing. I was just interested and engaged the whole way through.

Her Deadly Game is a fascinating thriller and court room drama. Robert Dugoni is a masterful writer and he doesn't disappoint with this novel that combines chess moves and legal strategy. Keera Duggan has left the prosecutor's office and recently joined her family's law firm. Her first case will be to defend millionaire Vincent LaRussa who is accused of murdering his wheel chair confined wife in their home. Dugoni's writing is precise as he leads Keera through her investigation and her chess moves with a virtual opponent. She tries to keep an open mind when anonymous messages lead her to troubling clues about her client's past. The character's are interesting and Keera's family plays an important role. To make the trial even more compelling, Keera faces off against an unsavory senior prosecutor who is her ex boyfriend. Dugoni has created an entertaining novel that is interesting and unique.

Switching From Prosecution To Defense Was Not Easy

Seattle Violent Crimes Detective Frank Rossi responds to a call at the old Pioneer Building. His partner, his sergeant, paramedics, and uniforms were already there on the fourth floor in the office of Cliff Larson Accounting. Cliff Larson was in his office with his head beaten in long after he died. Then, the timeline shifts to the present time of the novel, with Keera Duggan waiting in court for her father to return from lunch to conduct cross-examination. Unfortunately, her father had taken his usual excessive liquid lunch. She recently left the District Attorney’s Office where she was a competent prosecutor to join her father’s defense law firm. From this start, this legal thriller, which appears to be a Gordian Knot to solve, emerges.

The main storyline of this novel is centered on the pre-trail and trail of Vincent LaRussa, owner of a high-end Wealth Management company, for the murder of his wheelchair-bound wife. The story is presented from the aspect of the defense team with Keera Duggan being the main narrator. Tension is created as Duggan had an affair with the prosecuting attorney in this case who wants to humiliate her first major defense attorney case. Her father and sisters are not sure that she is ready for such a case. Much of the evidence, especially motive, seems to point to a slam-dunk case for the prosecutor. Lastly, Duggan starts receiving e-mails pointing her to character witnesses that support the prosecution’s and not the defense’s case. All the twists and turns seem only to make the defense’s hole even deeper. I did root for Duggan and wanted to see how she was going to turn this case around.

The major thread of the B-storyline was how to integrate successfully into her father’s renowned law firm. Even the judge in the case wants her father there in court with her even though even the judge knows that drinking has seriously tarnished his legal skills. Her start at the firm seemed more adversarial that required different approaches for each other character in and out of the firm. I do like the how the author has woven this storyline virtually seamlessly into the main storyline. The solid B-storyline made it easier to root for her in the story.

For the aspects that can turn off some readers, there isn’t much. The level of objectionable language is low and is much more rude than vulgar. Violence is described in the less edgy after the fact. Lastly, there are not any intimate scenes. For most readers, these aspects should not be a problem.

There was only one minor aspect with which I had a problem. It concerned some crime scene evidence that the defense team misinterpreted its origin at the start. I did enjoy the antics of Keera’s father, the patriarch of the family and the legal firm. All the loose ends were tied up by the end. Even the evidence I just mentioned above was interpreted properly at the end. The ending for me was both sad in some respects and very satisfying in others. This novel kept me reading late into the night, and I recommend reading it. I am eagerly waiting to read further books by this author. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based only on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.