Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Keera Duggan #2)
by Robert Dugoni

Defense attorney Keera Duggan is now firmly seated as the lead attorney in her father's law firm due to his need to put his sobriety ahead of his career. Still, her dad has major input into the cases that the firm takes on and for several reasons he wants Keera to take on a client that Keera would do anything to avoid. Jenna Bernstein, CEO of a controversial biotech company, and her parents, have been known to Keera and her family since Jenna and Keera were classmates in elementary school. Even at a very young age, Keera knew what a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath Jenna was because she suffered under Jenna's cruelty first hand.

Three years ago, Keera's father successfully defended Jenna in a murder trial. Now, Jenna is accused of murder again and it's up to Keera to defend her despite Keera suspecting that Jenna is more than capable of murder. I really enjoy this series so far (two books and hoping for more to come) but feel very uncomfortable knowing that defense attorneys purposely don't want to know the truth of what their clients really have done. Here Keera is, defending someone she knows is a very bad person, and it seems so very wrong to do so. What makes this story so interesting is that not only are the prosecution and the detectives investigating this second murder but Keera takes it upon herself, with the help of a private investigator, to go the extra distance to find out what led up to this second murder.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this story. I figured out some things but it was only close to the end that I figured out the most tricky twists. I'm less of a courtroom fan than a fan of police procedurals so I was able to get my detecting fix via Keera's fact finding missions and also through the scenes of the investigators doing their jobs. I even enjoyed the courtroom parts of the story as Keera's chess playing skills come in very handily as she does her job according to the rules of the justice system but also manages to go head to head with a sociopath who just might have met her match. Past events tangle up with present events to make for a very complex but satisfying showdown.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC of Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni.

Keera Duggan, a now defense attorney is defending client, Jenna Bernstein, who is accused of killing her former partner and lover. Sirus Kohl was found dead on his living room floor and Jenna is the prime suspect Sirus had a plan to turn evidence into the state against Jenna so all it seems obvious why all fingers would point to her. Keera and Jenna have a long, and not so great, history dating back to childhood but Keera decides to take on the case anyway.

Dugoni does a fabulous job developing the main characters and taking the reader through an exciting and engrossing read. I really enjoyed this legal thriller and was sucked in immediately. I admit that I did not read the first in the series but I don't think it took away from my experience. I'm anxious to read more of this author!

TWO WHISTLEBLOWERS DEAD

ONE WOMAN ACCUSED OF KILLING BOTH


Three years ago, Keera Duggan’s father, Patsy (Known around Court as The Irish Brawler) successfully defended Jenna Bernstein when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief medical scientist, Eric Wei.

Although Jenna was found innocent in her first trial, the wunderkind CEO of PDRT (Ponce de Leon Restoraative Technologies) has since lost it all, and now she has found herself in trouble again.

But, Patsy is no longer trying cases for his family’s law firm-that task has fallen to his youngest daughter, Keera, who was once Jenna’s childhood friend. And, Keera knows that Jenna has had a mean streak since elementary school which only grew more manipulative in High School and College.

Keera knows that she will have to set aside her personal feelings towards Jenna if she is to provide her with the best defense possible.

Patsy always tried cases the way he played Chess-methodically, calculating and lethal-and his daughter is a Master Chess player who also plays the game and practices Law the same way. But, unlike her father, she isn’t going to coddle Jenna. She accepts the case but warns Jenna that it will be under her terms this time.

The story unfolds in TWO parts. The first 70% is the accusation and discovery phase of the case. (Police Procedural) And, the last 30% is the trial. (legal thriller part) Since I read Legal Thrillers for the “edge of your seat” TRIALS, I would have preferred part one to be a little bit more succinct so I could get inside the courtroom sooner, but overall, I enjoyed the second book in this series!

It can be read as a standalone as the author does a great job of filling in the blanks of what happened in book one without spoiling the details of it’s case and trial, but as always, when possible, I recommend starting at the beginning so you can get to know the characters and their relationships with each other fully.

This is a series that I will continue with if the author writes another.

AVAILABLE October 22, 2024

Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Right off the bat let me say that I really felt like the author listened to the constructive criticism that I provided about the first novel (about the chess jargon being too much for a non chess player to understand much less appreciate) as there were far less in-depth mentions of it in this story which I appreciated.

I also enjoyed watching Keera try a case of the magnitude that she did without (as she put it) "Patsy acting as a safety net". It was interesting for me watching all of the ways she used what she had learned from her father, but adapting it to her own style of trying a case. I feel like we got to see her character evolve in that she was making her own choices, and doing what she felt was the best course of action knowing it would anger her client. Her understanding of who and what Jenna really was worked will for this story-line as Keera made sure that Jenna did not go unpunished for the crimes that she did commit which I liked. She could have just as easily gone along with what Jenna wanted, hoping for the best and relying on the jury, but I'm glad that she didn't and that she pushed for the truth (all of it) to come out.

There were a couple of twists that happened along the way that I also enjoyed (and one that I was definitely surprised by), and although I feel like at least one of them was pretty obvious from the start, I still wasn't sure how (or if) Keera would be able to prove it. So once the narrative turned the focus on that particular thread, I couldn't have put the book down even if I had wanted to.

According to Amazon, there is one more novel in this series (although I am sincerely hoping it will end up being more), and I can't wait to read it to see what comes next for Keera.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

robert dugoni does it again 👏🏻

this book is the second in the keera duggan series, which is the story of one of the most up and coming defense attorneys in seattle. keera gets called back to the office during her staycation due to a super high profile case that she will be in charge of. her new client happens to be an old childhood friend, who wasn’t a very good friend to say the least. as an adult, she is infamous for being a bigwig at a medical tech company that basically is a sham - and this is her second time on trial for murdering former colleagues. keera must get to the bottom of her client and learn how to best represent her, regardless of her feelings.

i absolutely loved this book, i was hooked from the moment i picked it up. one of dugoni’s biggest strengths in his writing is definitely the characters he creates. he does a great job of following through with their storylines throughout their series where readers can see their growth and understand why they make the choices they do. i especially enjoyed seeing keera’s internal struggle with representing her old friend and trying to reconcile who the friend was in high school vs an adult.

i don’t have a lot of experience with courtroom thrillers, but i really enjoyed that aspect of this book. i was on the edge of my seat wondering what trick keera was going to pull out of her hat to try and get her client off their charges. i was super engaged by the interaction of the detectives and attorneys throughout this book, and was always looking forward to seeing more of the detectives.

i like how big of a focus family has in this book. the law firm is all ran/staffed by keera’s sisters and dad. it definitely creates a very unique work environment that dugoni cultivates remarkably well in this book specifically. as someone who used to work in an almost completely family operated business, the interactions between keera and the receptionist sister in this book are horrifically accurate.

i 100% recommend this book, but you need to read book 1 first. if you like thrillers or courtroom dramas, you’ll be sure to enjoy this series!

thank you to robert dugoni, thomas and mercer, and netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. all thoughts/opinions are mine alone.

This is book #2 in the Keera Duggan series which finds defense attorney Duggan defending a childhood friend who is accused of murdering her former lover and business associate, Sirus Kohn. The accused, Jenna Bernstein, and Keera were former childhood best friends until Keera finally realized what a self-centered, lying, manipulative person Jenna was. I did enjoy this book but not as much as I did the first book. I found this book to be kind of repetitive of the first one.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this interesting book.

I was thrilled to be approved for an ARC of Robert Dugoni’s “Beyond Reasonable Doubt” the second book in his Keera Duggan series. I had discovered his Tracy Crosswhite series at the start of the pandemic and enjoyed his first book about Keera Duggan. I enjoyed the legal thriller aspect of that first book about Keera entitled “Her Deadly Game” and was hoping it would turn into a series.

In this latest installment, Keera is asked to defend Jenna Bernstein, someone she knew from childhood. Jenna returns to Duggan & Associates because three years ago, Jenna’s father successfully defended her in a separate, but related murder trial. Both cases involved men who were part of a biotech company where she served as the CEO.

As the book progresses, Keera and the reader are left to wonder if Jenna, the adult, is as manipulative and sociopathic as when she was younger. Keera works to understand the circumstances surrounding the latest death, who was responsible for it, and determine how it may relate to the murder three years ago.

Overall, I recommend this book. I hope there are more cases for Keera Duggan to solve. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Legal Police Procedural Mystery Thriller that follows an attorney and a detective as they work opposing sides of a case against a disgraced wunderkind CEO accused of killing her former partner and lover

5/5 stars: This is Dugoni's second entry in the Keera Duggan series which is a Legal Police Procedural Mystery Thriller that features a master chess player and former prosecutor turned defense attorney and a homicide detective as they work opposing sides of a case against a disgraced wunderkind CEO accused of killing her former partner and lover. As the investigation gets underway and leads to a legal case disturbing questions arise, the lawyer will have to trust her client who three years earlier her father successfully defended at trial in the murder of her company’s chief medical scientist. If this is all just another devious game by the manipulative and controlling sociopath she's known since childhood she might be working to set a murderer free. With plenty of twists and turns, Dugoni writes a gripping tale that will have you on the edge of your seat right ip until the end. I really like how the Dugoni's plot unfolds and seeing both sides of the police investigation and the legal case. Written in dual POV, Dugoni's writing and character work is stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Keera's a great character and it's great to catch up with her and her family. I especially love her relationship with her father, Patsy. Rossi's a dogged cop and I really appreciate how him and his team work together. Oh and I really love how Dugoni weaves chess play through the story. Check out the CWs as Dugoni tackles some sensitive topics. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Her Deadly Game.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Keera Duggan : A legal thriller book #2

Even if this is the second book in the series I assure you if you pick this one you will not have any trouble getting into it, it stands well by its own.

Keera next case is defending disgraced CEO Jenna Bernstein, a master manipulator accused of murdering her former partner. Jenna is a childhood friend and knows her very well: what Jenna does or goes, trouble is not far behind. Five years earlier Keera’s father had successfully defended Jenna when her company scientist was found dead after he threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud..... déjà vu....all over again. Enjoy.

Mr. Dugoni knows how to pen a very complex and exciting plot for our entertainment and how to draw exceptional characters to play roles that will keep us glued by every movement they do. Jenna is really an unlikable character she will never tell the truth when a lie will do. She is a master manipulator that will play you like a fiddle and you will never know it that you been had. On the other hand Keera is smart, witty and tackles her case very strategically like a chess player would do. In legal sagas we need a strong and charming man, Detective Rossi plays the investigating role to a tee and along the way budding romance is in the books. Of course the courtroom shenanigan is top notch...

The story weaves through the mystery smoothly and gives us twists and clues to tease us till the conclusion. What a gripping and captivating story. I simply love Mr. Dugoni style and the stories he gives us...One of my favourite authors...

The second Keera Deegan mystery has Keera defending a woman who has been arrested for murdering her business partner and lover. Keera has known Jenna Bernstein since they were children and knows her as a sociopath and liar.

Her father Patsy has agreed to take the case since he feels he owes something to Jenna's parents. Also, he defended her before when she was accused of murdering her chief scientist after he told her that their groundbreaking medical procedure was much further from reality than she had been touting to potential investors. He managed to free her because he raised enough reasonable doubt that she didn't murder the man.

Keera isn't at all sure that Jenna was innocent of the first murder and she's not at all convinced that she's innocent of this crime either. She knows Jenna is a sociopath and a liar and can't believe anything she tells her. As she and her investigator look into the case, she is looking for the truth and finds lots of things that might or might not clear Jenna.

With Patsy finally agreeing to in-patient treatment of his alcoholism, Keera is on her own in defending Jenna. Hopefully her genius at chess with let her make the correct moves to get her client off. Finding out whether or not she's guilty would also ease Keera's mind.

This was another excellent legal thriller with an engaging cast of characters.

All Keera Duggan wanted was a short staycation - time to catch up on sleep, binge some TV and take a break after a grueling case. But she gets pulled into family turmoil and a new case defending Jenna Bernstein, a self-centred thorn who has been in Keera's proverbial backside since they were kids.

Jenna has always been a spoiled, toxic and manipulative person and she and Keera have baggage that rivals Samsonite. Patsy Duggan, Keera's father successfully defended Jenna who is, once again, the prime suspect in a murder. But with Patsy out of the picture for the foreseeable future, Keera begrudgingly takes on the case and uses her skills developed as a child chess prodigy to plan out the defense of her childhood nemesis.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt is the second book in the Keera Duggan series but could be read as a standalone. It's part legal thriller and part police procedural since readers are also privy to the POV of Detective Frank Derossi who readers will remember from the first book, Her Deadly Game. This time out, Keera's family is more in the background and the investigation took a while to gain traction, but the strength of this story is its legal scenes where Dugoni uses his experience as a former lawyer to write compelling, authentic and tension-filled scenes.

This is an engaging and compelling story which keeps readers on tenterhooks wondering along with Keera whether Jenna is finally telling the truth or is manipulating everyone once again. With a character readers will love to hate, subtle twists and a satisfying ending, this is a good addition to this new series.

Note: Robert Dugoni is my most read author and one of my favourite authors to recommend to my library customers (who have come back to tell me they love his books!). Dugoni has numerous series including his David Sloane series (legal), Tracy Crosswhite series (police procedural), Charles Jenkins series (espionage) and various novels including the amazing The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the publisher for this digital advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

Unsurprisingly this was another great entry by Dugoni. Having read his previous series, I gave the first Kerra Duggon novel, Her Deadly Game, a shot. After reading it over the course of three days (which is very fast for a Father with two toddlers!!), I proceeded to share the book with several family members. I also recommended it to several of my library patrons looking for some great courtroom drama sprinkled with spicy family dynamics and a dash of romance.

Suffice to say, I ripped through Beyond Reasonable Doubt for the very same reasons. With higher stakes, and the obligatory scene, setting and character development out of the way Her Deadly Game, Beyond Reasonable Doubt wastes little time jumping in to the middle of a high stakes courtroom thriller. Intertwining a decades long family story with some of the finest legal drama being written, Dugoni once again proves himself to be a highly underrated master of whichever genre he chooses to tackle.

He is a throwback in every positive conceivable sense to some of the prolific genre writers who once populated Bestseller list for the RIGHT REASONS!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Mr. Dugoni for providing me with an advanced copy. My library colleagues and patrons will now have to listen to me sing his praises lol

Beyond Reasonable Doubt is another great read by Robert Dugoni. Keera Duggan defends an old childhood friend whom she doesn’t trust to tell the truth. Tension, courtroom drama, family and relationships all add to this exciting read.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni is the second book of the Keera Duggan series. A twisty legal thriller, Dugoni weaves the story together by following Keera, the defense attorney, while some parts follow Frank Rossi, one of the detectives assigned to the case.

I really enjoy the strong female lead characters that Robert Dugoni writes. He also writes the Tracey Crosswhite series, a police detective series. Across both series, the women are very capable in their fields and respected. Keera and Tracey both feel very real to me and I’m happy to see that Keera’s story has expanded into a series instead of being a standalone. The obstacles they face professionally feel quite relatable as a female and I love rooting for them to prevail.

I like that the writing allows you to grasp the story from multiple angles. Starting with a flashback, it then expands into both the perspectives of the defense attorney and one of the detectives. I wish there was a bit more backstory and development of Frank Rossi, but I appreciate that his character doesn’t overwhelm Keera’s character.

The trial portion of the book had me on the edge of my seat and I read most of it in one sitting. It was fantastic and absolutely the best part of the book for me. The history that Keera had with the defendant when they were younger gave the story depth. The resolution did leave me wanting a bit more clarity though, so that did lower my overall rating a bit. Although this is not one of my favorite Robert Dugoni books, it is definitely worth the read.

Keera Duggan deserves a break after the tough case she just cracked and won (read 'Her Deadly Game'). But her staycation will have to wait because she's called back into the office to hear about a new situation involving long-time clients and family friends and their daughter, Jenna, Keera's childhood nemesis. There's been a murder, the second one involving Jenna's tech company, and what little circumstantial evidence there is points to Jenna as the murder, again. Can Keera cut through Jenna's crap and get to the truth? Is she actually guilty this time? Was she last time? If not, can they uncover the real killer? Or will Keera have to rely on reasonable doubt, again, to keep Jenna out of prison?

When it comes to courtrooms and legal drama, Dugoni knows his stuff. I didn't feel as much tension in this story as I do in most of his other books. But events and discoveries and interpersonal issues keep things moving along to a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to Keera's next case.

Definitely a book for library purchase. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Keera Duggan has switched from prosecutor to defense attorney after her father had to step back from taking cases due to a drinking problem. A former childhood "friend" of hers, Jenna, is suspected of killing her former lover and business partner and Keera takes the case even though she never really liked Jenna and isn't at all sure that she is innocent.

4.5 stars.

This was my first Robert Dugoni novel and I don't know how that can be. This was a really well written legal courtroom drama, which is a genre I really enjoy. I didn't read the first in the series but I think I will circle back before #3 comes out, because I will definitely be reading it.

The Keera Duggon Series does not disappoint! This title will appeal to all patrons, not just mystery lovers! Can not wait for the next installment!

Keera Duggan and her legal prowess is back.
In ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’ Keera Duggan is hired to defend her childhood friend Jenna Bernstein, the CEO of a biomedical startup, kind of like an Elizabeth Holmes type of character, from her second murder charge in as many years. Problem for Keera is, she knows exactly who Jenna is after having had a such a tumultuous friendship with her as young girls. She knows Jenna is extremely capable of murder. It’s up to Keera and her team at Duggan & Associates to make sure Jenna receives the best defence possible while also getting to the truth.
‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’ has a smart, well constructed plot and interesting characters. A great read for fans of legal courtroom books. If your anything like me you’ll be rooting for Keera to come up with a way to best her childhood nemesis at her own game.
A classic Robert Dugoni book, you won’t be disappointed. 4 stars

Beyond a simple legal thriller
Keera Duggan’s law partner and father Patsy Duggan once successfully defended Jenna Bernstein on a charge of murdering the chief scientist at her high-tech firm, but now a former partner in the firm has been murdered, and again Jenna has been charged with the crime. If Jenna did not kill her former partner, who else might be a reasonable suspect? As Keera develops her case, she delves into the complicated relationships, professional and personal, in the biotech company and also revisits her own troubled relationship with Jenna Bernstein, whom she knew when they were growing up.
Legal thrillers are one of my favorite entertainment genres, and Dugoni scores highly on that scale, but the reason I grab his books with special excitement is that they offer even more for my enjoyment. There are many features of the writing that are especially well done.
First of all, Dugoni does not create characters; he introduces us to human beings. For example, we first meet Seattle detective Frank Rossi, who had worked with Keera when she was a prosecutor in the Seattle DA’s office, as he is driving up to the scene of the murder. He “mentally prepared for what awaited him. He would never allow arriving at a suspected homicide to become routine. If it ever did, he’d retire, and at just thirty-eight, he hoped he had many more work years ahead.” It was a good introduction, and it also made me think a bit about what it must be like to have his job! On a lighter level, it is enjoyable to see Keera, a chess prodigy, indulge in chess-style thinking as she approaches her work.
There are many nice aspects to the way the story is told. Frank Rossi working on the state’s own case, and it is fun to read about him considering the same aspects as Keera but from the prosecution’s side. In addition to Keera’s chess-style thinking affecting her legal work, there are other nice comparisons and analogies . One I especially enjoyed was Keera’s listening to classical music (via Alexa) and her feeling that the composition of a classical work was much like the composition of a good opening and closing argument.
Much as I enjoy these features in Dugoni’s writing, I did get a bit impatient that the character development, family history, and case preparation took up the first two-thirds of the book, I and was eager to get on with the trial. Once it began, though, Keera and her clever legal maneuvers did not let me down. Neither did Robert Dugoni. I look forward to reading about Keera’s next case!
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.