It has been a long time since I last read a legal thriller and besides reading only a few John Grisham books I can't say that I have read that many. 'Her Deadly Game' was a great pick to get back to the genre. It was fast paced, to the point and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I liked how the game of chess was used as a mirror for the trial that Keera Duggan has to win at any cost to redeem her family's legal legacy.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Thomas and Mercer and the author for the e-Arc of the book. While I had the e-Arc, I managed to get hold of the audiobook as well and ended up listening to the book. The narration by Saskia Maarleveld was superb and perfect for the pacing of the book and it helped me finish the book faster.

A courtroom thriller that will keep you guessing. I loved the characters and really hope this is the first in a new series. Mr. Dugoni does not disappoint.
**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. **

This was a trial procedural that perfectly scratched an itch. Well researched, entertaining, and without any plot twists that took away from the story.

Great legal mystery…the lead is great and her family is interesting.. the case is interesting, with surprises along the way.. I would read more by this author.

I love a good twisty legal thriller, and this definitely didn't disappoint! I adore Keera--she's a strong, compelling character I know I'm going to want to return to again and again. I also loved the chess metaphor throughout. Keera's relationship to her father is complex, and I enjoyed navigating it with her. Fans of legal thrillers will love this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Robert Dugoni, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC.

A tense courtroom drama!

Keera Duggan started her law career as a prosecutor, but her relationship with Miller Ambrose ended so severely that she had to rethink her career path.

Her father, Patrick Duggan (known as Patsy.), warmly welcomed her into his criminal defence law firm. He had been struggling with alcoholism, so Keera was a welcome addition to the firm. Incidentally, both father and daughter were competitive, keen chess players.

The court drama centres around Vince LaRussa, a wealthy businessman accused of murdering his disabled wife. The prosecution is led by Miller Ambrose, whose tactics are aggressive, and he doesn’t disclose all the relevant details. He is determined to win this case by discrediting Keera.

I’ve read other novels by Robert Dugoni, and I always know that his writing is fast-paced and keeps you on your toes all through. I particularly enjoyed the chess moves, which mirrored the action in the courtroom. I also enjoyed Keera’s strong personality. The outcome left Keera with plenty to think about!

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

4.5 rounded up.
I love a good legal mystery! And this one is another great story by Dugoni that is set in Seattle (he's a local author from Tacoma) which I l also love- the story has good strong female characters, good family dynamics, twisty, AND a fabulous legal basis around a mystery. The solution is maybe a tiny bit convoluted, but I didn't mind because the whole rest of the book is amazing. Appears to be a standalone book, which is kind of nice - I don't have to get invested in yet another series.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #thomasandmercer for the advance copy - the opinions are my own.

Her Deadly Game is my first read from author and feel like I am living under the rock because never know about his legal thriller installment. I started this book without any expectations and end with yearning for more.

Keeran Duggan as prosecuting attorney was strong, calculative and smart. She successfully grabbed my attention since her first appearance. I am not familiar with the chess reference but it describes Keera and her way of thinks. She join her father's law firm with all her sisters. She need strong case to win to rebuild their firm reputation, such as Vince LaRussa one. The successful wealthy investment advisor become main suspect for murder his own wife.

The plotline goes from investigation, fierce courtroom drama also family issue. It is alot but the author capable to untangled the issues and the delivered the story with precision and intriguing readers to keep sit on the edge. I found my self really engaged with every aspect of the story and enjoyed all twist and turn.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for provided my digital copy. My thoughts and opinions always become my own.

I don't pick up many legal thrillers, though I did read quite a lot of John Grisham books during my teenage years and I remember enjoying them a lot. Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni kept me glued to it's pages and it's been quite some time since I eagerly waited for my work day to end, so that I could get back to my book- a good book brings that kind of anticipation. This is my first Robert Dugoni book and now I wonder why I haven't picked up his books before.

Keera Duggan was a promising prosecuting attorney but a relationship with a senior attorney that ended on a bad note, cut short her career in the PA's office. With not many options left, Keera joins her father's firm and along with her sisters, she tries to save her career and seeks to rebuild the legal firm's reputation. Keera gets a big case when a wealthy investment advisor, Vince LaRussa retains their firm to represent him in his wife's murder case. But the evidences in the murder of Anne LaRussa is nothing but complicated and Keera tries to untangle the web to reach to the truth. Keera, also a former competitive chess player, tries to stay a step ahead of her opponent, guessing their next move and strategizing her own. It doesn't help that the prosecutor in this case, is her ex-lover/stalker boyfriend Miller Ambrose, who is hell bent on defeating Keera and he'd go to any lengths to achieve it.

The story is part family drama and mostly a legal thriller but overall a highly enjoyable book. If you do read many thrillers, then probably you'd guess the "how" part of the murder(I did and I'm mostly clueless in many of the thriller books I read) but the mystery still kept me guessing because there were a few questions that the plot resolves towards the end. I have definitely put Robert Dugoni's books into my To-Read pile and hope to read more of his books.

I enjoyed this one. I did find that Robert Dugoni repeated himself a few too many times (ie, Keera says she's going to do something, does it, then tells someone else that she did the thing) and I would have appreciated a little less of that.

But the mystery itself was intriguing. Who knew what? Who did what? How did all the events really happen? Did the husband actually do it? And how did that first murder scene fit in with the whole story?

I'd say the ending was satisfying, if a little complex, but definitely and interesting read. I enjoyed trying to figure everything out as I read the book, didn't manage it, then kicked myself when it was revealed because all the pieces were there!

Worth a read, but it wasn't a new favourite for me.

To me, it's a 3 star, because I found it far too easy to put down and not come back to for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Keera Duggan, the protagonist, had her world turned upside down - her fault, bad judgment call and her world tumbled. Vindictive former colleague has her twisting in the wind, while her newest client is providing the wind that could bring her kite down in a nano second. She is caught in the middle of a triangle pulling her apart - Pawn e2 to e3. The best trial lawyers are strong chess players and Keera is among the best, evaluating before reacting, strategizing and thinking three moves ahead. She is going to need all her cunning and finesse to get through everything that is stacking up against her. Family issues, courtroom drama, sabotage by people who are supposed to support and support coming from surprising places and people.

Dugoni is a master at crime and drama but this one dragged a bit. Good story, challenging plot, always great writing maybe a distraction or two that threw it off for me. Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for Keera a copy.

This is a courtroom procedural which I love. Another solid and enjoyable book by Robert Dugoni. You can’t go wrong reading this.

EXCERPT: June 4, 2023
Seattle, Washington

Keera left her house for Sunday dinner before she lost track of time and missed the monthly event. Tempting, but Ella and Maggie would skewer her, and her mother would inflict Irish guilt - similar to Catholic guilt, which her mother was adept at inflicting, and just as insidious.
She picked up a blueberry cheesecake from the bakery in Madison Park and minutes later pulled to the curb at the base of her parents' sloped driveway - in case she needed to make a quick getaway. She didn't want any late-arriving lunatics blocking her in, though a quick car inventory indicated she was the last lunatic to arrive at the asylum.

ABOUT 'HER DEADLY GAME': Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense.

As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.

MY THOUGHTS: I have never been a big fan of the legal thriller/courtroom drama, but Robert Dugoni certainly kept me glued to the page with his latest thriller. Her Deadly Game is so much more than a legal thriller. There's a wonderfully absorbing family drama woven through this, along with multiple twists and turns, and an extremely puzzling death.

The pace is fast and tension filled as Keera battles to prove the innocence of her client. The characters are complex and compelling in their roles, especially that of Keera. She's strong, she's determined and she approaches the case the same way she does the chess games she loves. I was sorely tempted to pull out my neglected chess set and replicate the game she plays against her unknown opponent.

I also appreciate Keera's relationship with her family. While she loves them, she doesn't always like them.

Legal thriller, family drama, who and howdunnit, this is an exciting mix of genres with an unexpected ending that left me hoping that Robert Dugoni is going to develop this into a series. I definitely want to read more of Keera Duggan.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#HerDeadlyGame #NetGalley

I: @robertdugoni @thomasmerceruk

T: @robertdugoni @AmazonPub

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #friendship #legalthriller #mystery

THE AUTHOR: A writer turned lawyer turned writer.
Robert Dugoni was born in Idaho and raised in Northern California the middle child of a family of ten siblings. Dugoni jokes that he didn't get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University, receiving writing awards along the way, and majored in communications/journalism and creative writing while working as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro Office and the San Gabriel Valley Office of the Los Angeles Times.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I am a huge Robert Dugoni fan from way back, following the first Tracy Crosswhite release. I then went back and picked up the first David Sloane. I have followed through on all but the last Tracy book and have not read Sam Hell yet. That being said, I was curious about Her Deadly Game. I am not a chess player (failed miserably at getting the hang of it years ago) so I didn't have interest in those parts of the story, but I do love a police procedural and a legal thriller. This plot keeps the readers on their toes to pay attention.

Keera Duggan is a young attorney who switched teams from prosecutor to working at her father's failing defense attorney firm. While defending a flamboyant investment advisor who faces possible life in prison, she is confronted by the prosecutor, a former lover. I always enjoy how spot-on that the author writes strong female characters. Good plot, good storyline, and always entertaining.

This is another winner for Mr. Dugoni, who continues to put out one quality book after another. Recommended!

4.5
This was a really clever courtroom drama. Keera has reluctantly joined her family's law business after a relationship gone bad at her previous workplace. Her newest client is accused of murder, and the case will be prosecuted by her former lover. This was a quick paced, entertaining drama. I liked the characters and though I figured out a chunk of the twist, it was well crafted and came together well.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Robert Dugoni's books are always thrilling and fast paced. Her Deadly Game did not disappoint. The characters, the plot, the suspense and the courtroom drama made this book so captivating. Loved the dysfunctional dynamics of the Duggan family. Made it so relatable and believable.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Robert Dugoni for a copy of "Her Deadly Game" in exchange of an honest review.

Chess represents life. At least the life of a trial attorney who is doing her best to fight for her client, a husband arrested for the murder of his wife all the while dealing the coworkers at her firm (who happen to be her alcoholic father and 2 sisters). The story comes at you from two sides. The legal drama which in and of itself is fascinating with a jaw-dropping twist of the evidence. The client has a past that proves he's a jerk and a thief but did he really kill his wife? I had questions that I wish I could have asked but I was at the whim of the author and I couldn't stop reading long enough to go ask him if I could.

The other half of the story is a family story. Siblings all trying to prove that they are adults who are more than capable if others would just let them show what they can do. And an alcoholic father whose reputation as both a drunk and one of the best defense attorney's in town does both harm and good.

I loved this book and I will continue to follow this author. He writes in a variety of genres and I have to say that I've liked them all. But I'm always a sucker for a good courtroom drama.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer & NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC of this novel. I give this honest review voluntarily.

Sometimes when you haven't read an author's work in a while and then you come back and read a novel by that author you can be amazed with how well that author writes. Well, it was that way for me with this novel. It was like discovering Robert Dugoni's writing all over again. It is at it's core a legal thriller. Something along the lines of a John Grisham novel, though I suspect any author doesn't necessarily enjoy being compared to another author though I do this only to try and describe the '”feel” of the book because it has been a while since I've read a legal thriller. Robert Dugoni is a talented writer in his own right. I really really like this new main character, Keera Duggan, and I hope this is the start of a series featuring her along with her father and sister's as supporting characters. I particularly like that Keera was a child chess prodigy. I'm very much a beginner but I love the game of chess. I find it so fascinating and cerebral. This novel is a very engaging read and the pages seemed to turn themselves. Before I knew it I was close to the end. And what an ending it is---awesome! I highly recommend this novel and give it 4 ½ stars.

I liked this legal and courtroom drama novel. Dugoni has done a good job of combining preparing a defense case with personal drama. Keera is a capable attorney and has a good team behind her. The part of the novel building up to the courtroom was engaging on two fronts. One was the actual work she was doing, the other was the drama in the family business. Dugoni mentions in his afterward that he wanted to bring into the plot the personal family aspect and he has done that well. Alcoholism and sibling rivalry both show themselves. The chess aspect was interesting too.

Two issues really caught my attention. One was the action that might be taken to win a case. Here we see nefarious action on the side of the prosecutor. We see how desperate one might be to gain political power.

The other issue was the concern of successfully defending an accused murderer yet being unsure of his innocence. Dugoni did a good job of keeping tension going as we do not know for sure, not only the outcome of the court case but also the actual innocence or guilt of the defendant.

Overall, a good legal investigation and courtroom drama novel. I hope there will be more featuring Keera.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Being a big fan of Robert Dugoni, this book did fall short of what I was expecting, so I'm going to start with those reasons first.

To begin with, I am not a chess player. So while I can appreciate that chess was a big part of Keera's life, all of the passages between her and her (at first) mysterious partner were lost on me. I was interested in the murder case being tried, not all of the chess jargon as Keera played. Cool, it helped her concentrate and gave her an outlet, but it just took away from the overall story for me. I think it would have been easier had Keera reflected on the game without the technical terms such as pawn to whatever.

I also found the final whodunit to be a bit too unrealistic. I mean, heck, it was a good twist, don't get me wrong, but it seemed ridiculously far-fetched.

Now aside from these things, I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed following Keera and company along as they followed the trail of breadcrumbs left to them by the mysterious Jack Worthington. The scenes inside the courtroom, while a little long and repetitive for my tastes, seemed very true to life, and it was interesting watching Ambrose and Keera battle it out knowing of their past relationship and the current issues between them that stemmed from it. It was also fun to see some familiar names from the Tracy Crosswhite series pop up.

I will say that there were a couple of other twists that I felt were better done than the one surrounding the perpetrator of the crime, and I did thoroughly enjoy the ways that those plot lines were executed.

On the whole, if the author decides to continue on and make this a series, I would read more. I don't think we have seen the last of Keera or her "The Irish Brawler" father, and I look forward to seeing how these two (along with Ella and Maggie) continue to grow. I would definitely read more from this author!

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.