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.

Her Deadly Game is a stand-alone novel by award-winning, best-selling American author, Robert Dugoni. When Keera Duggan takes on the LaRussa murder case, she’s only been with the family firm, Patrick Duggan & Associates for a year, and she’s never defended a murder case. But she’s the daughter of Patsy Duggan, the Irish Brawler, and no one should underestimate her, especially not her narcissistic, controlling ex, Prosecuting Attorney Miller Ambrose. He’s vindictive, but she vows that he’s not satisfying his grudge in this trial.

Wealth management multi-millionaire, Vincent LaRussa claims he came home on a June Sunday night from a charity do to find his wife, Anne, shot in the back of the head as she sat in the kitchen in her wheelchair. The ghost gun is on the floor beside her. SPD Detective Frank Rossi leads the case, and tries to keep an open mind, but Ambrose has already decided the husband did it and, even if he has to play dirty, he’ll prove it.

There are lots of little unexplained things at the scene, baffling bits of trace that seem to turn the whole thing into a riddle. Anne had two visitors before Vince returned home and, on that sweltering June night, the air-con had been turned off.

Each piece of information that Keera’s investigator turns up adds another wrinkle to an already puzzling case, and to complicate matters further, Keera is receiving anonymous emails that point her to bits of LaRussa’s history, facts that don’t put him in too favourable a light.

Then there is the allegation of infidelity, and a punishing pre-nup. Is Vince a devoted husband? Or is he a lying, cheating psychopath? Did Anne’s best friend and doctor cheat with Vince? Who else might have a motive to kill Anne LaRussa?

As well as the pressure from the PA, Keera knows she needs to win this one for the sake of the family law firm, suffering her ageing alcoholic father’s reduced performance.

Set in Seattle, there is some intersection with characters from the Tracy Crosswhite series, and Dugoni sets his story against the background of Keera’s online chess game, the tactics of which may appeal to players, and parallel the court case strategies. There are plenty of twists and red herrings, and the astute reader will keep in the back of their mind an unsolved earlier case. Another excellent read from the master of the legal thriller.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

Another excellent story from one of my favorite authors!
After an affair with her boss turns sour, Keera Duggan leaves the prosecutor's office and joins the family law firm, headed up by her alcoholic but brilliant father, Patsy, and her older, pragmatic sister, Ella. Keera gets the late-night call to meet a client at the police station, Vince LaRussa, who came home from a charity event and found his wife slumped in the kitchen, a bullet to the back of her head. LaRussa is not under arrest, but the detectives assigned to the case and the prosecutor (Keera's former boss) obviously think Vince killed his wife. If she can keep it, this case will be Keera's first murder trial, just what she needs to boost her reputation, as well as that of the firm. The crime scene is like a puzzle that Keera and her team will need to solve: a candle burning and a puddle of water on the counter and floor, singe marks on the oven door handle, the gun that killed LaRussa's wife discarded near the body. Vince declares his innocence and Keera assures him she will do her best, whether he is guilty, or not. What follows is a well written, many layered, sharp police procedural/courtroom thriller interspersed with Duggan family drama. The characters are well developed and easy to like, which is what I've come to expect from Dugoni as an author.

"Greed causes people to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do, and to turn a blind eye,” he said. “So long as people are making money, these types of scams will not go away."

Defence attorney Keera Duggan is prepared to play. But is she a pawn in a master’s deadly match?
When she is retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife, Keera and her team follow the evidence to uncover a complicated 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.

Keera's father is an alcoholic, as a result of which his law firm has suffered. She needs this case to prove herself, and to bring the law firm back to its former glory.

A former chess prodigy trained by her father, Keera uses the game to unwind as well as strategize her courtroom tactics to understand her opponent.

The investigation on the Vince LaRussa case and the unravelling of the mystery is thick with tension, the nail biting suspense steadily building up. I enjoyed the wild goose chase which, despite the many characters, the author ties up in a fabulous thriller.

You can see this is poised to become the next big Robert Dugoni series centred around courtroom drama. Seeing the familiar names from the Seattle PD team in the Tracy Crosswhite series, dare I dream of a Keera Duggan-Tracy Crosswhite cross-over?

Part courtroom thriller, part crime procedural, and part family drama, this has all the ingredients to hook you. And once you read a Robert Dugoni thriller, you’re always hungry for more.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

How could you not love a book by Robert Dugoni. This is just another one of his great stories and I highly recommend. I enjoyed the story and the characters all the way through the book. I will defiantly continue to read books from him.

This is a courtroom procedural and while it doesn't really present any surprises or suspense is a very pleasant read. Excellent beach or airplane book.

What a fantastic and unique legal drama by one of my favorite authors!

Keera Duggan has a passion for the law, its the family business, but she wanted to force her own path as a public defender. After a romantic relationship goes sideways and affects that role, she starts working at her family law firm despite all the stress and drama working with family brings.

The first major case with the family firm is defending Vince LaRussa who's been accused of murdering his wealthy wife. This is a challenging case given the lack of hard evidence, the compelling circumstances of a potential divorce, and the opposing council who is Keera's former partner, Miller Abrose.

Keera falls back on her experience playing competitive chess as a child by trying to anticipate Abrose's moves and come up with the best strategy while following the complicated and confusing evidence while still defending her client despite her increasing questions and doubts.

I loved this view of a legal drama including in the narrative how police detectives interact with prosecutors and DAs, the inner workings of trial procedures, and even a shout out to some Tracy Crosswhite characters. While not a chess player myself, I loved how playing chess was a backdrop to this novel. I hope that Dugoni writes more of Keera Dugan's story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for providing me with this ARC.

Keera Duggan was a Seattle prosecutor until her career was derailed and she ended up working for her family's failing defense law firm. She is also a chess prodigy who uses those skills to great effect in the courtroom.

Her Deadly Game is a delight of a read with plot twists, suspense, courtroom drama and intriguing characters. Keera works to defend their client, Vincent LaRussa, accused of murdering his disabled wife while at the same time she tries to keep her father, Patsy, from giving in to his alcoholic ways. In addition, Keera has the challenge of facing up to her former lover who is the prosecuting attorney in the case while using an online chess match against the Dark Knight to keep her going on the case.

I so enjoy Robert Dugoni's books and I recommend Her Deadly Game to fans of legal thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in return for an honest review.