Robert Dugoni is at it again! Throwing out books for you to be on the edge of your seat and wanting more! I have read every one of his books and this isn’t the last! Loved it and can’t wait for his next!

4.25 – 4.5 STARS

Looking for a riveting legal thriller with plenty of drama in and out of the courtroom? Then look no further than “Her Deadly Game” by Robert Dugoni, one of my favorite “go-to” authors, who never, ever disappoints! He is truly the consummate storyteller, weaving complex and compelling story threads that will have you on the edge of your seat right up until the very last page. And despite a bit of a slow start, I found “Her Deadly Game” to be no exception.

Whether you are already a fan of Robert Dugoni's books as I am or discovering him for the very first time, “Her Deadly Game” is one book that should definitely be added to the top of your TBR list!

A thoroughly enjoyable, fast-moving legal thriller!
A familiar tale of legal battle versus former beau in the midst of a chaotic 'Irish' family environment all of whom happen to be in the family law firm. This trial brings the Duggan law firm and family back to normalcy while obtaining legal justice.
Truthfully, it took me a while to figure it out.....just as I like it.
I hope Robert Dugoni continues with Keera Duggan stories.

I’ve been a big fan of Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series, and am always happy to see he has a new book coming out. Then, seeing the story features an entirely new set of characters, I think “hmmm…we’ll see.” I received a copy of Her Deadly Game , which was sent to me (in exchange for my honest review) by Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, and I eagerly dove in!

First off, I still don’t understand how Dugoni writes about women so well. That sounds horribly sexist, and maybe it is, but Keera Duggan is up there with Tracy Crosswhite as a strong female protagonist and a woman to root for as she builds her life as a criminal defense attorney in Seattle. Keera’s back story is that she had built a solid reputation as a prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. She bailed on that and joined her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father (whose alcoholism is apparently the primary reason the firm is in trouble). Keera’s goal is to restore the firm’s (and her father’s) reputation, along with her legal career.

An uber-wealthy financial wizard named Vince LaRussa against charges of murdering his also-wealthy wife. To complicate things, she was confined to a wheelchair, they were just beginning the ordeal of a really nasty divorce, so Vince is facing life in prison. The prosecutor just happens to be Keera’s former lover, who apparently wants to totally destroy her in court – and did I mention this is her first murder case as a defense attorney?

A big plot component is the fact that Keera was a competitive chess player growing up, and an online game with a virtual opponent is a critical piece of the story. The well-crafted legal thriller may have a bit more chess than some readers are in for, but even though I haven’t played chess for 50 years and was never very good at it, I found it fascinating and that it added to the family dynamics as well as the plot. I’m looking forward to more stories featuring Keera and her family – and Rossi, the police detective who I am pretty sure will be a recurring character – I hope so! In the meantime, this book was EXACTLY what I needed to get my mind off the election, the pandemic, and my own trivial worries. Five stars again for Dugoni, who has become one of the reliable writers I love (Crais, Connelly, Harper).

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Dugoni’s other books and this one did not disappoint! Following Keera as she navigates her case had me sitting on the edge of my seat by the end of the book! Tie in the creepy e-mails and her tumultuous relationship with her family, and you’ve got one heck of a storyline!

Thanks to Netgalley for the early read!

My patience was being put to the test reading this book because I had to always stop reading in order to get on with my everyday work because it was very hard to put down.

This legal thriller has quite a modern outlook and promises to be a really smooth read. Set in 2023, the protagonist is shown to be anything but perfect and hence the whole story reads in a very relatable manner. It’s been a while since I read a book like that. And I’m glad I read this one.

This was a solid legal thriller with a strong female lead. Loved the embedded chess game that mirrored the action in the story. Dugoni does a great job of giving just enough clues to keep you guessing but still couldn’t figure it all out until the end.

This is an excellent legal thriller. Keera is the youngest of three daughters, all of whom work in their father's law practice. But their father is an alcoholic which leads to embarrassing courtroom behavior and tense family dinners. When a very wealthy man is accused of murdering his wheelchair-bound wife, Keera takes the case, a case that appears unwinnable based on the evidence.

The author has crafted a clever tale with unexpected twists and turns. He mixes in a chess game that mirrors the case along with dysfunctional family dynamics. The main characters, Keera and a police detective named Rossi, are likeable and relatable. The courtroom drama is gripping and realistic.

My one quibble has to do with the dad trying to stop drinking for the trial. While that is a lofty goal, I find it hard to believe that a man that has been an alcoholic for decades can quit cold turkey with no DTs.

Overall, an excellent read.

Not family friendly due to profanity and violence described after the fact.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni is an absolute must read!

I literally could not stop reading... Dugoni kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn't want to put it down.
The characters are well portrayed and the plots are definitely a show stopper.
Keera was an amazing lead character. She kept me hooked and her story had me wanting more.
The detail and the crime was mind blowing. Very vivid descriptions.
The writing is remarkable so now I'm going to have to go through his backlist.
I look forward to reading more from this author.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thomas & Mercer,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I have read all of Robert Dugoni's books, this one is one of the most intriguing ones. I enjoy his courtroom stories, and this one was interesting. Love Keera as a defender, hope this is the start of a new series! This had some unusual characters with interesting backgrounds. I love the Tracy Crosswhite ones too, so keep them coming too! I highly recommend this book and all his others.

I've read all of Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite books, as well as The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and a couple of the David Sloane books. His new stand-alone novel, Her Deadly Game, isn't my favorite of his, but it's pretty good -- it's somewhere on the scale of "not as good as Tracy" but "better than David."

Keera Duggan is a former prosecutor who has joined the family defense firm and is defending her first murder case. There's plenty of courtroom drama, a little bit of police procedural, and a taste of Agatha Christie, so if you like those things, this book is for you. What there isn't is much character development. We're told a lot of things about Keera and her large Irish family, but I never got a sense of really knowing them all that well. Her dad, Patsy, is probably the most well-developed person in the book -- you get a little bit of a sense of what makes him tick. The rest are mainly stereotypes -- Keera is the daughter who is driven by demons we don't get a clear look at, her sisters are the bossy eldest and the underachieving middle kid, her mom is the longsuffering Irish mother who sees her problems for what they are and makes the best of them. There are a couple of brothers in there too, but I have no idea what their names even are -- we don't get to know them at all. The same can be said for the murder victim, the accused murderer and the victim's best friend. They're not people in their own right -- they're just filling their assigned spots in the story.

Even so, the courtroom drama is good -- a couple of twists and surprises, and a glimpse of what it's like for a good defense attorney to stand the prosecutor on his ear once in a while.

There's also a police detective who seems to have a past with Keera, and a prosecutor who definitely has a past with Keera. We don't learn too much about either of those, but if this book is the start of a new series from Dugoni, I'm guessing we'll learn more about those back stories as we go. In this book, though, we learn only that the detective and his partner are good cops, and that the prosecutor is a jerk.

Two things I didn't care for: first, there's a murder at the very beginning that I'd all but forgotten about that turns out to tie into the main story line. It would have been nice if Dugoni had reminded us that it happened so readers wouldn't be going "wait, what?" when it comes up again later. Second, Keera is a chess player, and we get a lot of reminders that her ability to win a chess match is a metaphor for her ability as a lawyer. But for me, there was WAY too much chess imagery. I don't play, and I couldn't care less about Keera's online game with her anonymous opponent. I didn't need a play by play of that game, and I didn't need to be hit over the head with the chess-as-law metaphor.

Some of the plot points in the murder case were obvious, but some I didn't see coming, and it's always a pleasant surprise when a murder mystery can still get a twist past me. Overall I enjoyed this book, and I'll read the next in the series as well (assuming I'm right that this is the start of a new series).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a sneak peek at this book!

Keera Duggan has moved to her family’s law practice after a bad romance at her previous law office. Her father, an alcoholic, has ruined his reputation, and the office is in trouble. However, when Keera is hired by a millionaire to represent him after he is charged with the murder of his disabled wife, Keera jumps at the chance to show her expertise and save the law firm in Robert Dugoni’s latest thriller, Her Deadly Game.

Keera has never defended a murder case, and needs help from her father; her sisters are also at the firm. While growing up, Keera had been taught to play chess from her father and actually competed for a time; her chess skills played a part in the ups and downs of the novel.

Dugoni is an excellent storyteller and it is amazing how his imagination works. He does his research and makes the story believable. He is a master of developing his characters. Keera Duggan is an excellent protagonist and hopefully will be featured in subsequent novels. The chess game gives the story a whole new twist, and it is nice to get a bit of relief from the details of the murder case.

Dugoni is a favorite author, and I love to pick up his new novels as soon as they come out. Her Deadly Game kept me on the edge of my seat, and it will do the same for most readers. This one is highly recommended; it is well-written, organized, and has enough twists and turns to keep the most discriminating thriller readers happy.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Thank you, thank you Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC of Robert Dugoni’s new book. Her Deadly Game is the tipping off for a new character and, hopefully, a new series featuring attorney, Keera Duggan. I was “jumping for joy” when I happened upon this ARC. I’m a big fan of all RD’s work.

Keera, an attorney, daughter of an attorney working in the family firm takes on a murder case representing Vince Russa. Vince is accused of killing his disabled wife. Keera is new in her career as a defense attorney. Couple that with a host of family issues - alcoholic father, jealous sister or two make Keera’s work even more difficult.

Robert Dugoni is a master at character building, apparent in all his books. What happily surprises me is his ability to write female characters so well. He captures the strength and sensitivity of Kerra Duggan and Tracy Crosswhite, both. There’s something about Kerra that tells me we are only beginning to learn about her and her abilities. I cannot wait for the next book. Write fast Robert!

Robert Dugoni's "Her Deadly Game" is brilliant, engaging and thrilling. Keera Duggan is in recovery mode after a failed relationship that compromised her professional career as a prosecutor. Her only way out is returning to her family and working in her family's legal business. However, this solution comes with strings attached to looming and strained family issues with themes of addiction. Keera is cut from the same cloth as her father, the legendary Patrick "The Irish Brawler" Duggan and is out to prove herself as a worthy lawyer. The only thing is that Anne La Russa's case is a criminal one, her first time as a defence lawyer. The stakes have never been higher.

I loved and devoured this book for a couple of reasons. First, the plot was intriguing, and the pacing was fantastic. Robert is a highly skilled storyteller who lures you in from page one. The time jumps flow seamlessly, and the sub-plots relating to chess and the crossroads of decision-making from our secondary characters are beautifully presented and delivered. Multiple characters serve a purpose and complement the plot well. If you're a fan of the law, suspense, crime, court cases and thriller, do NOT skip this book. This is not my last book by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Vincent La Russa got home late from his lecture at the Four Seasons in which he was the keynote speaker. Entering the kitchen, he found his wife dead in her wheelchair.

The story is clouded by a history of Anne La Russa suffering from a car accident and terminal cancer. A prenuptial agreement prior to the La Russa marriage would leave Vincent penniless should he stray during the marriage. Evidence gathered by a private detective indicates that he might be guilty of such an indiscretion. He is arrested for the murder and Keera is hired to defend him.

Keera Duggan is the youngest daughter of Patrick “The Irish Brawler” Duggan of the legal firm Duggan and Sons. The author fully develops his characters with careful consideration of the family dynamic.

The novel contains a myriad of legal wrangling and would be a good primer for anyone considering law school. The prosecuting attorney, Miller Ambrose, was a former boyfriend of Keera’s and is determined not to lose to his former lover. The family in turn is watching Keera with a jaundiced eye to see if she has a chance of winning.

I found this book to be engaging and entertaining and the twists at the end very satisfying. Read and see if the ending catches you by surprise as well! 5 stars – CE Williams

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

an excellent story from one of my favorite authors, he has a great track record of really pulling you into the story

Robert Dugoni is one of my favorite authors because he has a way to pull you in so you feel connected to the story but it's almost impossible to figure out his masterpiece endings. Her Deadly Game (to be released March 27, 2023) is a legal thriller with wild twists you won't see coming. could not quess the ending. A millionaire, Vince LaRussa, has been arrested for the murder of his wife. The courtroom drama for a shocking murder trial was exciting but also having a mysterious person sending the attorney, Keera Duggan, on a secrect mission to expose some serious secrets gave it a side twist that was exciting and suspenseful. Someone was playing a game with her. The story was so engaging and kept me wrapped in it. I love Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series so it was fun to see a few characters from that series make an appearance too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer publishing for my ARC copy to read and review early! #HerDeadlyGame #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Her Deadly Game. What a great legal thriller! I loved how the chess game mirrored the trial and showed me Keera’s strategy and thought process. I also loved the family dynamics, which gave the story a human touch. I loved the book so much I alternated between never wanting it to end and wanting to know how everything turned out. I would love another book with Keera and Harrison!

I'm a huge fan of this author and this book shows why. It's an unputdownable legal thriller with compelling characters. It kept me guessing. It kept me engaged and invested. I really hope to see more of these characters. It begs to be another hit series!

I have truly become a fan of Mr. Dugoni and have enjoyed his many different series. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of one book I haven't liked. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review this ARC of his latest entry. It is set in a world that he has already created and built with some characters that we have met in the past that we get to see on the periphery, but it introduces us to a couple of brand new characters and better yet, the female MC's (Keera's) extended family.

Mr. Dugoni says he is going back to his roots in making a switch from police procedural/murder cases to a courtroom/legal thriller and I think he knocked it out of the park. Without going into spoilers, this story deals with an attorney who is part of a big Irish family which is - I'm not even sure if the correct description would be dysfunctional...or normal? Who knows anymore. Anyway, her (Keera) father is a legend in the Defense Attorney world, but is an alcoholic and as he gets older, things are beginning to slip through the cracks. For reasons, she leaves the PA world (she was a prosecutor) and ends up at her dad's firm. Then, a big murder case falls in her lap. She has never tried a murder case before, and it is a BIG one. So...that's all I'm going to say about the plot.

The story is intriguing. There is the family dynamic aspect, there is some interplay with the detectives, some history with the prosecutor, and as the reader, you are constantly trying to figure out if her client is innocent or guilty. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting.

I'm hoping this becomes a new series because, as usual, I'm hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.