Her Deadly Game introduces us to Keera Dugan, chess prodigy and former state prosecutor forced by circumstances, she was having an affair with her supervisor and ended it due to his alcoholism, to join her infamous father’s "just getting by"criminal defence practice. I will admit I was disappointed that one of my favorite fictional characters, Tracy Crosswhite, did not make an appearance, perhaps next book if Robert Dugoni decides to give us more Keera.

Keera is hired by Vince LaRussa, a wealth manager, accused of killing his wife. This case can help her firm and show her former lover, who is prosecuting, that she is a better lawyer.

Chess is an integral character in this novel. Keera applies her chess strategy to work out her defense. She begins playing an online game with someone, The Dark Knight, that adds to the mystery.

This is an excellent legal/mystery drama that I highly recommend. Keera is a well developed character and I would definitely like to see more of her. The supporting characters, her family, the Detective, convinced her client is guilty, are well written. The author an excellent writer, gives us some twists and turns that kept me engaged until the end. My only complaint was that the chess move descriptions went beyond my comprehension. It has been a few decades from my last game, and I was never more than a beginner.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

3.5~4★
“Keera couldn’t help but feel as though she’d been brought on board a sinking ship and handed a bucket.”

Keera Duggan is one of the three daughters of noted attorney ‘Irish brawler’ Patrick ‘Patsy’ Duggan, who has been drunk more often than not and losing his edge. Her two sister work for the firm in other capacities, but she's the one with courtroom experience.

This is part complex murder/suicide investigation and part lengthy courtroom drama. I could have used a little less of both, I think, but overall I enjoyed it. Keera doesn’t live at home anymore, but Sunday dinners with the family are a must, so we see how close she is to her parents and sisters, although there is some friction with the girls.

She takes on a wealthy client whose disabled wife has been found shot dead in the back of her head while seated in her wheelchair, looking out the kitchen window. A gun is on the floor off to the side.

The prosecuting attorney is Miller Ambrose, Keera's former boss and beau, which promises to complicate things, as he will be anxious to unsettle her. It seems the gun is a ghost gun, so-called because there is no serial number, making it untraceable.

“She didn’t trust Ambrose as far as she could throw him, and she wondered what else, besides the ghost gun, she’d have to deal with.”

She was a chess champion in her youth, taught by Patsy, and still plays online anonymously as SeattlePawnslayer. It’s a way of reminding herself to focus on the end game, and maintain a powerful position while luring her opponent into thinking they’ve got the better of her.

During the course of this story, she plays against Darkknight, playing a few moves now and then, Darkknight doing likewise. I don’t follow chess, nor does the author, he says, but he has a good friend who helped map this out. At first, I thought it was annoying, but I gradually enjoyed the short interludes which helped Keera concentrate on stabilising her thinking rather than wandering off mentally into wild conjectures.

As it turned out, some of the wild conjectures had merit, With the help of a hired private investigator and far too many late nights with Patsy (on the wagon), Keera and her sisters burn the midnight oil, to use a cliché, of which there are more than I’d like in this book. At one point, “Her mother waved off the praise like it was the bubonic plague”, a phrase I haven’t heard since I don’t remember when.

Still, it was an entertaining read with an interesting dilemma as the case went on. It isn't clear what happened or how it could have happened. Keera suggests to their private investigator that one of the witnesses might be lying.

“Harrison looked over at her. ‘The SODDI defense?' he said with skepticism. SODDI stood for Some Other Dude Did It. Often a defense of last resort.

Keera shrugged. ‘Need to create reasonable doubt.’ ”

When Keera worries that her client may be guilty, her father notices.

“ ‘You have that look,’ he said.

‘What look is that?’ Keera said, feigning ignorance.

‘That look young defense attorneys get when they realize the person they’re fighting so hard to get off is guilty. They wonder what the hell they’re doing, what kind of person they’re putting back on the street.’

‘You’ve experienced it’ Keera said.

Patsy smiled, rueful. ‘I have. And I can tell you it isn’t nearly as bad as that feeling you get when you know an innocent client is going to be convicted.’

“I’m sure it isn’t.”
. . .
Maybe . . . but I don’t think he’s innocent, Dad. I just don’t know what he’s guilty of.’ ”

She is not the only one confused. The tension and suspense continues to the last page. Dugoni fans will enjoy it, and I enjoyed learning a new term, SODDI. I can just imagine toddlers pointing to spills and crying “Soddi!”

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy for review from which I’ve quoted, so wording may have changed.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni is a very highly recommended procedural and investigative legal thriller.

After ending an affair with a colleague in the prosecutor's office, Keera Duggan has joined her family's criminal defense law firm, Patrick Duggan and Associates. With her father's decline into alcoholism, joining the firm is a way to restore the family reputation. When Vince LaRussa needs a defense lawyer, Keera is the one on call and she rushes to meet with him. LaRussa has been accused of murdering his wife. There is little real evidence against him, but when Keera learns her former lover Miller Ambrose will be the prosecutor, she knows the challenges her family will face in the court battle facing them.

Keera's experience as a chess player will hopefully help her concentrate on the discoveries and the right moves she needs to make in her first homicide defense case. The evidence and the complications become much more complicated as a stranger, who seems to have additional information about the case, emails her and sends her down a trail looking into the clues and uncovering information hidden from her.

This is a well-written, excellent procedural and investigative legal thriller that will hold your attention throughout and keep you glued to the pages while anticipating the next clue or new evidence that is revealed. The case is fascinating and complicated. The fast paced plot and investigative phase followed by the courtroom drama is compelling and holds several shocking surprises. No spoilers here because being introduced to the case and then following the new information uncovered is part of what makes the novel so irresistible.

Keera is a strong, intelligent, well-developed character. Readers will be rooting for her as she tackles the case and puts everything she has behind investigating what really happened and preparing for the case. She has to face some hard facts about her family and herself that will only benefit her. Hopefully this is a new series because Keera is a wonderful character. It would be awesome to see her come up against Ambrose again and give him what he deserves.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the publisher Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Though I haven’t kept up with all of Dugoni’s books, I’ve read seven and been glad I did. In the case of Her Deadly Game, I love legal mysteries, so I was excited for the opportunity to read it.

Because of a relationship gone bad with her prosecuting attorney supervisor, Keera Duggan finds herself working at her father’s law firm and on the other side of the legal process. Surprisingly, her first case offers her the chance to defend a client against the prosecutor who happened to be her former boss. Naturally, both sides are intent on winning.

And the case is an interesting one. Vince LaRussa is accused of shooting his wife, Anne, who is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Keera works with her dad, Patrick Duggan, who is an excellent attorney when he’s not passed out drunk. But will Patrick he be able to stay sober and help his daughter, who is new to this side of the law, defend LaRussa?

This legal story is intertwined with mysterious correspondence and a chess game.

My Concerns
While legal mysteries are among my favorite genre, I have to say this one bothered me in that things were discussed, and then the same things were stated in court, which felt too much like a lengthy transcript. It felt repetitive.

Final Thoughts
Dugoni created an interesting story that is filled with secrets, family relationships, and courtroom drama.

Though I did have trouble with some of it feeling repetitive, the plot was interesting and the pages kept turning. I’ll be watching for his next book, and I hope this turns into a series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC to review.

Keera Duggan had no intention of practicing law in her father's law firm. No way, no how. Joining the Seattle DA's office was her chosen path until it went down in flames. Her relationship with Miller Ambrose, a DA, ended badly and she ended up joining her father to practice criminal law. Her first case turns out to be a real circus due to the fact that Vince La Russa, a very wealthy investment banker. He is being charged with murdering his wealthy wife. Can Keera create reasonable doubt to get him off or can she prove him innocent? One hurdle in the courtroom is the DA on the case is Miller Ambrose and he is out to destroy her.
Part police procedural and part court room drama (I enjoy both) with the added sub theme of chess (which I couldn't play if you threatened me) this was a great puzzle from an author who is one of the best out there. I would really like to find out that he will write more cases for Keera. I'm ready for more.
My thanks to the publisher Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

After a messy break up while working in the DA's office Keera Duggan reluctantly goes to work for her father's firm with him and her two sisters, Ella and Maggie. Patsy has a reputation for being an Irish Brawler in court but now he is viewed mostly as a drunk and the office is suffering. After Keera's return they get a case of a wealthy man, Vince Larussa, being accused of killing his disabled wife, Anne.

Dugoni is an author that never disappoints and this time was no exception. The family was a big Irish family and I loved the interactions but I wish I knew more about them, especially Ella and Maggie. Hopefully this is the first in a series and they will be fleshed out more. The police procedural was easy to follow but still there were surprises and I didn't see them coming. The only downside on my part was I know nothing about chess but I liked that Keera used on line chess as a way to decompress.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer was providing me with a digital copy.

I’ve enjoyed previous books by the author and I was excited to read this first in a new series. The epilogue and acknowledgment made so much sense and has me restless to read more in the future as legal fiction is one of my favourite subgenre in thrillers.

Keera Duggan has to go back to her father’s law firm and start a job as a buddy defence attorney. Not quite what she’s used to do but definitely something new to keep her on her toes throughout the process.
And by that I mean, I was on my toes as well because the author has created an intriguing story that kept me up way too late and I just couldn’t put it down until I found out the outcome for this fraud wizard.
There are a few secondary characters that I haven’t liked at all but they play great roles into the big picture. And there’s also some more private and insightful scenes that really made me love her so much more.

It’s addictive, thrilling and unmissable.

Keera Duggan had no desire to join the family law firm, but when a bad romance left her on the outs in the DA’s office she had nowhere else to turn. Her father has quite the reputation as the Irish Brawler in the legal circuit, but his drinking is about to bring down the whole firm. They need one big case to save the Duggan name as well as the firm. When billionaire, Vince LaRussa finds his wheelchair bound wife dead, he calls on Keera to defend him. The race is on to create reasonable doubt, but Vince is looking more and more guilty with each piece of new evidence. Battling against her ex in the court room, Keera is determined to find the missing link to free her client, but is he innocent? Dugoni weaves a police procedural/court room drama seamlessly together with a running background of a chess game leaving the reader anxiously awaiting the next move! Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

4.5 stars

I was excited to dive into the start of Robert Dugoni's newest series with Her Deadly Game.

The story follows Attorney Keera Duggan as she is hired to defend Victor LaRossa, who stands accused of brutally murdering his disabled wife. To make matters worse, the DA is a former lover of Keera's, adding a complicated layer to this trial. Pitted against each other made this a addicting and mysterious courtroom thriller. The plot was intricately woven.

What I appreciated here was the authenticity of the legal system portrayed, it wasn't bogged down with endless details but enough to feel real. The story delved into family dynamics, addiction, past secrets, and mayhem, all while keeping the focus on the courtroom drama. It was a well-written and captivating read that kept me flipping through my Kindle pages.

Her Deadly Game incorporated the chess board into it's pages, which was unique and fitting.

My thanks to Thomas Mercer for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Her Deadly Game is set to release on March 28th, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling legal drama.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of the author's Tracy Crosswhite series, so was excited to read this book with a new protagonist - and bringing a different POV as a defense attorney, rather than a police detective as in the Crosswhite books. Once again the author conjures a story that is engrossing and with twists and turns included. I loved the way the protagonist's personal life bled into her professional life, and the resolution she found in that. What I think of as the moral shading of life as a defense attorney - it's not black and white, but shades of gray - was portrayed with all the ambivalence that must be part of the job and the courtroom scenes were compelling. Overall: another great read, and who knows if this will remain a stand-alone, or become the beginning of a new series. Either way, I'm up for it!

*4.5 stars rounded up. 'The truth is rarely pure and never simple.' Oscar Wilde

In this stand-alone legal thriller, we meet Keera Duggan who joined her father's law firm a year ago, after resigning her position with the Seattle Prosecutors Office. Keera has yet to prove herself in the courtroom but snags a prestigious murder case: a wealthy man named Vincent LaRussa has been accused of shooting his wife, Anne, who had been wheelchair bound after a horse-riding accident. Keera had once played competitive chess and loves nothing better than outwitting her opponent--in this case, Miller Ambrose, the PA who was once her lover, and the reason she left that office.

Robert Dugoni is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. He has created a twisty-turny courtroom drama here and addresses some thorny issues. His characters are totally believe, i.e. flawed human beings. If you have known a bickering family, you will love these people. I am hoping this will be the start of a new series for Dugoni.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I am unabashedly a Robert Dugoni fan I loved his Sam Heill book and "The World Played Chess" is an all time favorite of mine. I consider them great literary achievements. "Her Deadly Game" is just as good in its own genre of mystery and legal thriller. It entertains, educates, and leaves the reader enthralled as each page opens up a new clue into what is going on. I love thrillers but can usually figure them out. This one challenged me and I loved that!
Keera a relatively new attorney in a family firm that has made its reputation on the father's ability to provide criminal defense is the heroine of the novel. She is tasked with defending a man from his wife's murder. She isn't sure he is innocent but tries desperately to unravel clues that the prosecution ignores. Along with her team, the book takes us on a journey that explores man cultural challenges of today's society. To say more would clue readers about this incredible plot, engaging characters, and storyline. Dugoni outdoes himself in exploring Keera and her family members' unique perspectives, opening up the world of criminal prosecution, and challenging reader's with a new heroine. I hope he follows this book up with more.about Keera's legal and personal adventures. Thanks to #NetGalley#HerDeadlyGame for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book.

It's no wonder that I will pick up any book that Robert Dugoni writes. He had me hooked with his David Sloane courtroom dramas, kept me going with the Tracy Crosswhite detective series, intrigued me with his Charles Jenkins spy adventures and pierced me to the heart with his standalone alone novels. Now he's back in the courtroom with a new lawyer and another impossible case.

This one is a classic locked-room mystery. A woman is shot. All of the clues say she must have committed suicide. Except she's an invalid and could not possibly have done it without help. The police are convinced that the husband must have done it. With a bit of circumstantial evidence and apparently strong motive, they arrest him and he's put on trial. Enter our lawyer, Keera Duggan. Everything is obviously stacked against her and her client. His life is on the line. But so is her reputation and the family law business. Dugoni knows how to pile on the complications and complicated relationships. Bit by bit, Keera and her team chip away at the evidence, uncovering the truth and some allies that may or may not be trustworthy.

The plot is complicated. But the writing is not. Dugoni keeps the reader grounded in the story and the characters at every turn, even when information is found that flips everyone's understanding of what happened. Recommended.

Quiet please…court is now in session!

Keera left the prosecutor’s office to join the family business. Her fathers’ criminal defense firm to be precise. And before the dust even settles, she learns her first big case will be a murder trial. (No pressure, Keera!) But hold on, there’s more…much more. The prosecutor assigned to the case just happens be an old flame that ended disastrously. Can they perform their duties professionally or will their behaviors jeopardize the case.

Vince LaRussa is on trial or killing his wife. He swears he’s innocent, but no one’s buying it. I mean, come on, isn’t it always the husband?💁🏻‍♀️

Does Keera believe he’s truly an innocent man? Can she cast enough doubt in the jurors’ minds to get a not-guilty verdict?

With equal amounts of courtroom and family drama, there was plenty to keep me glued to the pages.
I loved Keera’s family and their struggles growing up in a home with someone with an addiction to alcohol.
The courtroom scenes were riveting…including some good ole’ fashion, Perry Mason “Gotcha” moments!

To all legal thriller fans, don’t miss out! Though I wanted a bit more in the end, I would still recommend!

A buddy read with Susanne🤓⚖️

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

My favorite legal thriller reads are those that offer up a perfect balance of police procedure, courtroom drama, and well developed characters. Robert Dugoni’s latest standalone thriller, Her Deadly Game, delivers in all those areas and more.

The story follows Keera Duggan, a prosecutor in Seattle who has to leave her job for personal reasons. She ends up working at her family’s once successful but now failing criminal defense law firm. The family firm’s reputation has taken a hit since Keera’s dad’s alcoholism started to impact his performance in court. When Keera is retained by Vince LaRussa, a successful investment advisor accused of murdering his wife, Keera hopes that her return to the firm will help to restore its reputation, give her own career a jumpstart, and most importantly, help to repair her relationship with her dad, which has also become strained due to the alcoholism.

The LaRussa case itself was fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved following all elements of the investigation, from the crime scene unit gathering evidence at the scene all the way through to the courtroom action once the case goes to trial. All of these scenes were so detailed that I truly felt like I was there watching the case unfold in person. I’m also always a big fan of underdogs, so I was Team Keera all the way. Keera is up against not only the fact that in cases like this, the killer often is the husband, but also the fact that the prosecutor on the case is none other than her ex-boyfriend who would love nothing more than to take her down in court. There’s also an anonymous tipster that has Keera chasing down possible leads in an intricate cat and mouse style game.

As riveting and twisty as the LaRussa case was on its own, the complicated family dynamic of the Duggan family was what really made this book a standout for me. Patsy Duggan, the patriarch of the family, built his firm from the ground up, earning himself the reputation as ‘The Irish Brawler,” along the way. Now that his drinking has made him unreliable, it’s up to Keera and her two sisters to keep the firm afloat. The sisters of course love their dad, but there is definitely tension and resentment that they can’t count on him. Some of my favorite scenes were those where Keera and her dad were working together on the case, with Keera holding him to his promise that he wouldn’t drink or let her down. I became so invested in their relationship and was rooting for Patsy all the way to keep his promise and not let his girls down.

Her Deadly Game was my first time reading one of Robert Dugoni’s novels, but it definitely won’t be my last!

I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her Deadly Game’ by Robert Dugoni in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Vince LaRussa finds the body of his wheelchair-bound wife Anne at their home slumped over with a gunshot to her head. Keera Duggan is a defence lawyer working on behalf of her family firm Patrick Duggan & Associates and is retained by Vince to act on his behalf when he’s arrested for Anne’s murder, but as more evidence is produced Keera starts to question whether he’s as innocent as he makes out or an accomplished liar.

‘Her Deadly Game’ is a compelling courtroom drama that’s exceptionally well written by an accomplished author who knows his way around a legal setting and is fast becoming a favourite of mine. The plot is perfectly conceived and intricate in every detail with likeable characters that I can relate to and want to read more of. Keera’s connection to the game of chess gives an added dimension to the story and with the drama of the courtroom, the suspense and twists and turns, this is a thriller that from page one has had me hooked and I’ve been unable to put down. It’s thoroughly enjoyable to read, highly rated and worth more than five stars, and I’m hoping in the future there’ll be another thriller with Keera and the Duggan family.

3.5 stars rounded
Overall this book was good. It left you wondering who did it and if you were guessing along the right track.
I felt like the story drug in places though and I didn't appreciate the ongoing chess game. I didn't feel it added anything to the story and was just there to add pages.
Thank you netgalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Keera in court as 2nd chair to her father. Keera is put on the spot since her father did not return and he was to do the cross-examination. This now fell to Keera and she did a good job which resulted in their client being found not guilty. A few days later, Keera had gotten home from dinner at her parent's house. She received a call from the answering service because she was the one on call. It seems that a wealthy individual's wife had been killed and he had been brought down to the police station for questioning. She told him not to answer any questions and she would be right down. Initially he was not charged, but later the arrested him for murder. The firm was then hired to defend him. Ella, the managing partner said that this would help them get business if they were to win.

Once Keera and the rest of the team got into business looking for information that would prove him not guilty. There was virtually no evidence they could find that would clear him. They soon got email from a mysterious party identified as John Worthing which provided them leads. Patsy, Keera's father and JP her investigator pursued and visited the individuals identified in the email. The information they gathered put a different spin on their client's character. The trial commences and soon the prosecutor completed its' case and it then was the defense teams turn. Things looked bleak until Keera received information which then had her change the approach that she was going to use to set her client free. Keera had a thought regarding what the evidence depicted. She had JP prepare a video that Keera would use to show how the death of the wife happened.

To discover who was sending the mystery emails, what information Keera came into which shed a light on the killing and how the case came out in the end, then you need to read this book. You won't be disappointed.

Her Deadly Game is an intense legal thriller.

Keera Duggan is a former prosecutor and now works for her father's firm. Her father is a famous defense attorney with a reputation as the 'Irish Brawler'. After a failed romance with the senior prosecutor, she is working on building a new reputation and trying to help rebuild the law firm. Keera's father might be famous for his skills as an attorney, but he is also an alcoholic which has caused them to lose many clients.

Keera gets her chance when the firm is retained by Vince La Russa, a wealthy investment banker. His wife was found shot to death in their home while he was at a charity event, with many witnesses. In spite of that he is arrested shortly after the funeral.

As she investigates and interviews former colleagues, and other individuals, it becomes clear that all of the people have nothing nice to say about La Russa which does not mesh with the image he has presented.

Keera and her father have been playing chess since she was young. She uses the strategies from the game when she is in court to her advantage. She also begins to receive emails from someone who is aware of her Chess playing. “Jack Worthing”, is sending her emails with clues to follow, which may help with the case or cause her to doubt her client's innocence.

There are many characters in this story, but all are well developed and easy to keep them all straight. The relationship between the family is very believable and entertaining at the same time.

This was a fantastic story. It held my attention until the surprising twist that I did not see coming.

I really enjoy the writing style of the author. It is full of information and does not drag the reader along. It thoughtfully and patiently leads the reader while it builds the drama slowly and surely. I hope that this book could be a steppingstone for what could easily be made into a series. I have read many of Robert Duggoni's books and look forward to each and everyone.

Part police procedural and part courtroom drama, Her Deadly Game is also a puzzle. Keera Duggan is working in her family’s law firm after a relationship soured with her senior colleague, Miller Ambrose. She picks up a phone call from Vince LaRussa, asking for a lawyer after his wife has been found murdered.

Tensions increase when Keera realizes that the lawyer prosecuting is none other than Ambrose. At the same time, she’s being led to incriminating evidence of her client. There’s a series of odd occurrences and emails from an unknown named Jack Worthing who is leading Keera on a possible goose chase.

I enjoyed this courtroom drama/ suspense novel and the family dynamics of the Duggans. Keera’s dad is an alcoholic lawyer with a “brawler” reputation that made his legal firm one of the best in Seattle. Keera tries to cover for him while we see him struggle. I didn’t mind the chess playing throughout the book because it seemed like it helped Keera evaluate her case as defense attorney.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for this eARC. Her Deadly Game comes out on March 28th, 2023.