I can't believe I read this incredible book in one day. I thought it was a fantastic read. I loved all the twists and turns. I had a hard time putting this book down, it was that hard to do.

Thank you net gallery for this incredible book. Great author and a great book

Good

The plot was excellent and the characters well-written. I hated the bad guy and loved the good ones (mainly good girls). Why only 4 stars? It was easily put-downable. I normally read a book in a few nights, less if it is really good. This took two weeks. I kept stopping to check the weather, check the progress on an expected shipment, etc. I was always happy to pick it up again, but after a few chapters was waylaid.

I like the author and, again, this was a good book, but it couldn't hold my interest for very long.

I am a huge fan of Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite Series. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read his latest book.

While this is not a Crosswhite series book, it does have a few characters from it in this book.

Keera was making a name for herself as a prosecutor when her relationship gone bad made her leave and go to work for her family law firm. Keera's father is a well known criminal defense lawyer. Unfortunately he is also an alcoholic.
When the firm is hired to defend a potential murderer, it's Keera's chance to prove herself and help save the firms reputation.

As the police and the lawyers research the case, more and more information comes to light. Is the accused innocent or guilty? Does it really matter to the lawyers? Will Keera be able to get him off?

A great Legal thriller that has some of the police drama that I enjoyed in previous series. It also discusses the parallels between the strategy of chess and being a lawyer.I hope this will be the beginning to a new series, I will read them if it does.

Many thanks to the author, netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advance copy.

A Legal Thriller

Keera Duggan is a defense attorney working cases in her family law firm. Being a former chess player and with the right moves, she hope to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father and her career. Her big chance to play in the big league came when Vince Larussa, an investment adviser was accused of murdering his disable and wealthy wife. As Keera follow the evidence, she soon faced a complicated and deadly game she hadn’t bargain for.

Told in a direct and concise manner omitting fluff or off the beat side bars Mr. Dugani’s cleverly knows how to pull his audience with a narrative that waste no time with extensive descriptions yet gives us enough details to let us imagine the setting and the characters with ease. I love how he offers clues early then pulls our attention away, springs a trap and creates out of the blue twists to derail us.

In my books, Robert Dugani is a master storyteller and an exceptional legal thriller writer. The narration has loads of momentum and his multi-faceted story keeps us captive and on the edge of our seats from the get-go. Set in Seattle “Her Deadly Game” explores a case of a wheelchair-bound woman found dead in her home where the husband is the prime suspect with aplomb.

Did Keera open a Pandora box looking into the case or will it be simply a slam dunk case.....And with a magic touch....they answer will come behind the words. Well said, well done.

Ok…

Let me start by saying that I’m a huge fan of the Tracy Crosswhite series. And it’s the only books I have read by this author. So I was really reluctant to read this because I wanted what I wanted. But that being said, I got approved for this and decided to try.

Holy Cannoli. I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down.

This author is a master storyteller. He has a way of creating these flawed brilliant female heroines. And the surrounding characters are always such great additions. It makes for a brilliant, unputdownable book. I literally could not stop reading this. I got to a point and was like…I. Need. To. Know. Now.

And it didn’t disappoint. Wow. What a crazy brilliant ride. I’m not usually a fan of legal thrillers. And honestly I am picky. But I will say it again. WOW.

I sure hope this becomes a series because I’m all in.

I am a fan of Dugoni’s writing, in particular, his Tracy Crosswhite police procedurals, so I was happy to receive an ARC of his latest legal thriller.

Keera Dugan, a former chess champion and now attorney, had worked for the prosecutor’s office until she broke off a romantic relationship with a supervisor and her career there dead ended. She left and joined her family’s law practice headed by her father, known as the Irish Brawler, but on a downward career path due to his drinking problem.
When an investment councilor contacts the firm to defend him against a charge that he murdered his disabled wife, Keera is up against her former paramour. As she investigates the case, she learns more than she really wants to know about the defendant and his history.

Dugoni weaves a good tale; I read the book in one day because I did not want to put it down! The book is cleverly and tightly plotted, with well developed characters. I particularly liked Keera and hope this may be the beginning of a new series. Since I don’t play chess, the references to an ongoing chess match were a bit lost on me, although I did appreciate insight into Keera’s strategy.

Be sure to read the author notes at the conclusion of the book.

I am a fan of Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series featuring a strong female protagonist who perseveres and is believable, so I was optimistic when I got the opportunity to review this book with another female lead character. My optimism was not misplaced. In Keera Duggan, Dugoni has created a convincingly strong woman in a realistic environment.,

Former chess prodigy and prosecuting attorney, Keera Duggan has switched sides and joined the family's small law firm. Struggling in the shadow of her larger-than-life father whose personal demons threaten the firm's livelihood, she has her chance to redeem herself and save the practice when she is retained by wealthy investment manager Vince LaRussa who is accused of murdering his wife. Not only is Keera battling for her client's acquittal, but she is also facing her former lover who would like nothing more than to see her fail. What's more, the evidence against LaRussa, while formidable, is not conclusive. There are too many unexplained details that bother Keera and make her question her duty to her client.

This is a riveting legal thriller that is fast-paced and twisty. The courtroom drama, intertwined with the case details, makes for a first-class read. Combine this with Keera's love of chess and her way of viewing life, and this case in particular, as a chess game and you have a cat-and-mouse story that is full of surprises. I am looking forward to this new series.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book. The publication date is March 28, 2023.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni is fantastic! It had me on my seat, striving to figure out what was happening before it was spelled out.

Will Keera figure out how Vince's wife died and save him from life in prison?

We have two points of view in this book, Keera, a defense attorney, and Frank, a Seattle Violent Crimes Detective.

I was immediately drawn into the story. Mr. Dugoni captivates his readers, compelling us to follow the clues along with the investigators. The characters, their complex lives, attitudes, and how they handle the situations that they are thrown into or created are so masterfully written that I felt like I was right there with them, experiencing the pain, joy, and amazement.

Keera Duggan
Our main character is Keera. She is a complex character, with her large family, professional aspirations, competitive nature, and draw to alcohol. Keera is highly intelligent and has been groomed by her father to follow in his footsteps in the legal arena. She, of course, fights against being like her father and starts as a prosecutor as opposed to a defense attorney. Circumstances require her to fall in line with her destiny and join the family law firm. This turns out to be a good move for Keera as it allows her to learn from the best and to become what she wants. The case of her life is actually what it becomes. It saves her family law firm and brings her, her dad, and her sisters back together. It also allows her to show Seattle who is the better attorney, Keera or Ambrose.

I love how Keera's mind works and how she realizes that she needs her family in her life. She is unique and yet also the same as the rest of us.

Other Characters of Interest
Frank Rossi
Frank is a detective in the Seattle Violent Crimes Division. He has a history with Keera and an extreme amount of respect. However, Rossi is no one's fool, and he is a good detective. He loves old cars, which I think is perfect for him. Frank is not a single-minded type of detective. He wants the truth more so than the prosecuting attorney on the case.

JP Harrison
JP is a private detective and a retired Seattle Violent Crimes Division detective. He is Keera's investigator on the Anne LaRusso murder. JP has an interesting pedigree and sensational style and is a confirmed bachelor. He also has lots of training in finding the truth and more contacts. I smile whenever he enters the room, as Mr. Dugoni's descriptions are spectacular.

Patsy Duggan
Patsy is called "the Irish Brawler," He tries to live up to the name, but he is more than willing to pass it on to Keera. He is also an alcoholic and has been for a while; this has hurt his reputation in the legal world. When he isn't drinking, though, his mind is still sharp, and he still has things to teach his daughters. I think he is my favorite character. He has grit, is smart as a whip, and knows how to spin a yarn.

Five Stars
I literally couldn't put this book down. I read through meals and whenever possible. The characters got into my mind and wouldn't let go. I continued to think about the twist. It was the first thing on my mind this morning. My rating for Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni is five stars. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone. Mr. Dugoni is a storytelling wizard.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

A lawyer trying to repair her reputation.
A financial manager and husband arrested for the death of his wife.
A deceased wife looking to send a message.
An anonymous account trying to change the course of it all.
As the book title suggests, the plot of this is very similar to a game, namely chess. Who moves where and when may determine the winner of it all.

Anne LaRussa's death was very suspicious. I didn't once think that it was as simple as her husband, Vince, killing her. But what really happened? That is up to his lawyer, Keera Duggan, to determine and prove to the court. I liked how Keera approached this case, keeping an open mind about the evidence as it is presented to her.

Is Vince a good guy? As the story builds, my opinion of him went downhill. But is he a murderer? As I said before, I had my doubts. And that puts me in the same place as Keera, who struggles with the case as she learns more. However, despite every obstacle thrown at her - an alcoholic Dad who could destroy the case, a vindictive prosecutor, and a creepy defendant - she does her job and does it well.

Overall, this was an intriguing courtroom mystery that kept me on my toes. If you like courtroom dramas, check this one out!

I love the Tracey Crosswhite series and The 7th Canon, and this new book sounded intriguing, and it was.

I really liked Keera and her somewhat dysfunctional family. I found it interesting how the law firm was set up with Keera, her father, and her sisters. There is also a chess aspect occurring that enhances the plot. The story is engaging and keeps you guessing right until the end. I really liked the “cameo” of the Italian Stallions from the Crosswhile series. When I read their names, I had to check my download to see if I had the right book.

I hope we hear more from Keera and her family in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Robert Dugoni for the eARC.

I have enjoyed all of the books that I have read by Author Robert Dugoni. I love a good courtroom drama and investigative thriller and this book delivered on both. The characters were well developed and stress level was mind numbing. Excellent. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

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.

I highly recommend reading this book! It was well worth reading! The storyline was very interesting, it sucked me in and had me glued to my Kindle! Definitely don't miss out on this one! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

A thriller that can make me tear up at the end, definitely gets a high rating from me. Her Deadly Game is a legal thriller that also incorporates police procedural, family drama, fraud, and corruption.

When I first read the summary of this book and saw that the main character Keera was a chess prodigy, I hesitated about reading it since I know nothing about chess and don't find it interesting. However, the small parts of chess in the book didn't distract from my enjoyment.

I was fully captivated in the legal drama surrounding the case Keera was defending - a wealthy man is accused of killing his disabled wife. Keera is a very likeable character - she's a smart woman that also has a lot of faults - she once dated the prosecutor, she's on the outs with her family, her father is an alcoholic, she is also probably an alcoholic, and she's not an experienced defense attorney.

I love a good legal thriller that gives me some insights into court room drama, including things that go on behind the scenes. There is a good twist, and it is action packed and fast paced until the end.

Police procedural + courtdroom drama = 3.75 stars!

I had trouble getting into the story for the first 25% because there were many repetitions. After that, the rythm picked up and I really enjoyed my reading time!

The parts about chess didn't hold my interest, but at least, they weren't too long.

There were nice twists along the way and Dugoni achieved to surprise me! Some parts were a bit far-fetched, but not too much. Overall, it's a book I recommend, the best part being the last one (the trial).

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC (at the moment I downloaded the file, it was available to ''read now'').

Pub date: 28 March 2023

What a spectacular, spell-binding read this book is! This book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Keera Duggan is a lawyer who returns to her father's law firm to practice law after a split from her former lover, Prosecutor Miller Ambrose. Their first big case is defending Vincent LaRussa, a wealthy investment counselor, whose wheel-chair bound wife, Anne, was murdered in their home. Keera is a master chess player and defends this client if she was playing a championship game of chess.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this phenomenal book. I really hope that there will be more books featuring Keera Duggan and her law firm. Author Robert Dugoni hit the ball out of the park again with this book.

One of my favorite authors/series. He's a HUGE hit at my library! I really enjoyed this title!!

5 out of 5!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Robert Dugoni, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Robert Dugoni, master storyteller and legal thriller writer extraordinaire, is back with a standalone novel that will have readers on the edge of their seats. Set in his usual Seattle, Dugoni explores a case in which a wheelchair-bound woman is found shot in her home and the husband is the prime suspect. Keera Duggan is ready to work the case, but it will take all her efforts, both to defend the husband and show her family that she can play in the big leagues. A great story that could easily be the opening salvo in a new series. Dugoni at his best and just what fans need to tide them over.

Keera Duggan has a great future as a prosecutor in Seattle, but some personal choices made that path all but impossible. She’s back working in the family law firm, serving as a defense attorney, and trying to keep her alcholic father away from the bottle. Her past as a competitive chess player keeps her memories somewhat positive, though Keera is ready for a new challenge and wants to leave the shadow of her siblings’ disappointing views.

When Keera takes the call of Vince LaRussa, she thinks that she may have found a way to rebuild her career and help the firm rebound to its successful past. LaRussa is an investment advisor who has been accused of murdering his wife, whose wealth is the only positive she has left. Wheelchair-bound after a freak accident, Mrs. LaRussa has been biding her time, but made mention to her closest friend that she may be ready to divorce Vince. This motive, tied with the fact that she was shot in the back of the head, is enough for Seattle PD to begin pulling out all the stops to determine how Vince may have committed the crime. With her former lover serving as the lead prosecutor, Keera is fired up and hopes to make her mark.

While prepping for trial, Vince shows honest sadness for his wife’s murder and hopes that the killer can be found. Keera uses this and a series of cryptic emails to better understand her client and his past. Soon, Keera and her team uncover a complex situation that could better explain the crime scene and those who came to visit the victim in the hours before her death. While Keera follows the path, she learns that there is more to her client and the day of the murder than she first presumed. While it could be a slam dunk to help her win this tense case, it could also open a Pandora’s Box to larger and more troubling things. Dugoni weaves a story of legal loopholes, deception, and a lawyer’s attempt to claim the prize she feels will help her build the family back up once more.

Robert Dugoni is a master at writing stories that will pull the reader into the middle of things and keep them entertained. His stories are always multi-faceted and provide quick development, as the plot thickens and the narrative gains momentum. Dugoni knows what he’s doing and provides a roadmap for the reader to follow. Pulling on past experiences and surely significant research, Dugoni dazzles with each new book he publishes, be it a standalone or one of his highly-acclaimed series novels featuring Tracy Crosswhite. I cannot wait to see where things will go from here and whether Keera Duggan will be back again soon.

Dugoni’s narrative style is one in which the reader is subsumed with ease as things progress around them. A strong foundation helps guide the reader along and adds depth to an already great piece. Strong characters emerge throughout, hinting that Dugoni might want to bring them back for future Seattle adventures, while allowing the reader to decide if they are curious to discover even more. Plot lines develop throughout and build on one another, offering the reader a better insight into the case, Keera’s past, and what could be the real story behind Vince LaRussa. I can only hope that other readers will be as excited as I was when they plunge into this one, sure to keep them flipping pages well into the night.

Kudos, Mr. Dugoni, for proving yet again that you have that magic touch.

This novel tells the remarkable stories of a prosecutor turned defense attorney, her defense of a man accused of murdering his wife, and her many doubts about the man she represents innocence.
The story is fascinating because there are so many twists and turns that alternatively leave you convinced of the husband's innocence and of his guilt.
Further complications in this novel are issues with the defense attorney's fathers' drinking and differing feelings about the accused from his children.
This one will leave you hanging until the very end, loved the book, which is no surprise from a great writer like Robert Dugoni.

What is this about?
Keera has joined her father’s firm after leaving her previous one thanks to an asshole ex who made life difficult for her. A new case is a chance to make her mark, however, she finds herself across the court from said ex and a case that gets more puzzling by the second.

What else is this about?
It’s an introduction to Keera and her very complicated family — which proved to be more interesting in some ways than the case.

I have read Robert Dugoni before and was ready for Her Deadly Game to have a compelling case at its centre — which it does — but I didn’t expect Keera and her family.

Keera is — was — a prosecutor, building a career for herself and away from her father’s law firm and his name, before it all imploded thanks to her ex, Miller Ambrose. He’s a fellow prosecutor and as Keera discovers, a misogynistic ass to boot as she discovers. She leaves the prosecutor’s offce to get away from him and goes to work with her sisters at their father’s firm.

Their father, The Irish Brawler, Patsy has a reputation in the courtroom as well known as his reputation for being an alcoholic. Dugoni introduces Keera’s family in the book — her sisters who work for the firm and their mother who have all figured out how to live and work with their father. Dugoni shared enough for me to be intrigued by their relationship with each other and how they worked and lived with their father: Ella and Margaret are part of their father’s firm, but they’re also his caretakers in the office and in court, used to covering for him, while Keera is the one that escaped and managed to make a career and a life for herself outside of the family.
The resentment simmers underneath their reactions to each other, but so does Keera’s claustrophobia when it comes to her family when we first meet her — she always wants to have a plan to escape them, even if all she’s escaping is a family dinner.

Their father, Patsy, makes promises he can’t keep and everyone knows he can’t keep them. Once — and to some extend still – an excellent lawyer, he knows his career is over but he also knows he needs to make things right with Keera, which makes for a lovely secondary story to the case and everything else happening. It’s this family that makes me wish this was the first in the series, but as I understand it, this is a standalone.
Now the case: Keera is hired to defend Vince LaRussa, a very successful investment advisor who is accused of killing his wheelchair-bound wife, Anne. As Keera begins to investigate the case, she finds out more about Anne and her client thanks to an informant who could very well be setting her up by dropping clues and witnesses linked to her client. Keera has no choice but to follow as more secrets are revealed — about Anne and about Vince. It’s the sort of peeling back of the layers of these two characters specifically that I can’t add spoilers for, but had me wondering what Dugoni was going to throw at readers next!

All in all, Her Deadly Game, was utterly engrossing for more than just the case at it’s core — and those are the best kinds of mysteries!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I have been a big fan of the author's Tracy Crosswhite series, and although this was more of a legal thriller, I really enjoyed this for a different reason. For men my age, often our identities get so tied up in our work, which I find to be so unhealthy so I had a real connection with father of the protagonist. I am also curious to see if there is a possible sequel in the works for this one as I found the characters to be very compelling. I will be looking into the author's other standalone books as this was a 5-star book for me.