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.

This is the first Dugoni book that I’ve read, it will not be the last. This is an extremely engaging legal thriller. Tge protagonist is Keera Dugan, a Seattle lawyer. She is embroiled in a murder case, with the opposing lawyer being an abusive ex-boyfriend. Oh, not a dull moment in the story that moves quickly. It is filled with twists but like a great chess player (Keera is in fact one) she is always looking ahead to her next move and readying for tge strategy of her opponent.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to lots more cases with Keera. The intricate plot was carefully detailed. The characters were all well developed and not overwhelming.

This is just a great read that I highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC and providing an introduction to this great novelist.

Both personally and professionally, Keera Duggan faces challenges. She begins working for the family business with the goal of demonstrating to everyone, including herself, her superior legal abilities. Certainly on par with her chess skills. A wealthy man is accused of killing his crippled wife when she takes on a new client, but there isn't any concrete evidence against him. Will Keera succeed in his defense?

This is an easy-to-read book for anyone who enjoys family and legal issues. It addresses the subject of addiction, which is a significant one in the legal industry. The main character, who comes from a chaotic household, takes solace in her success at chess. The novel also shows a tremendous amount of interaction between detectives and prosecutors,

Enjoy the game within the game.

Good read.

3,5/5

I absolutely love the way Robert Dugoni tells a story. He has a magnificent facility with language and an absolute knack for characterization that are unequaled in contemporary fiction. This time he takes his detective story on from a courtroom angle, and I found it absolutely fascinating and delightful to read. I am a lawyer and don't often read courtroom procedurals, but I'd pretty much read his grocery list at this point, so I never had any qualms about diving into this one. I was not disappointed of course. The characterizations, the plot development, the pacing, the familial relationships, the twists and turns in the investigation - all were exactly as well-managed as I expected them to be. This is a fantastic read...

Thank you to #NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me an advance copy of Robert Dugoni’s latest novel, Her Deadly Game, in exchange for an honest review.

#HerDeadlyGame is a legal thriller about a criminal defense attorney who is forced to work for her family’s firm after a personal relationship interferes with her budding reputation as a Seattle prosecutor. With a former lover who seems to be hell bent on damaging her legal career and a family that is falling apart at the seams, Keera has no choice, but to step up the plate when a major investor hires her to defend him on homicide charges. I have not read anything written by the author before this novel, but from the reviews, it seems his work receives high praise across the globe. Unfortunately, for me, I will need to try another novel of his since this was not my cup of team.

I've read many books by Robert Dugoni and have enjoyed them all. This one was no different. Fast paced, and easy to follow along with characters I've come to know and love. His books grab you and keep you wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

I love Robert Dugoni!!!!
I am in total awe of his ability to create amazing female lead characters. Pure talent.

I urge anyone to read his Tracy Crosswhite series which will stay with me forever. "My sister's grave" narrated by Emily Sutton-Smith moved me so much, I will always remember stopping my weeding task at the time to simply cry with the emotion created in that book. Absolutely phenomenal!!!!!

Robert Dugoni has done it again with Keera Duggan, his new masterpiece creation.
This legal thriller will completely pull you in as Robert Dugoni has demonstrated many times his talent in writing legal thrillers (The 7th Canon is also fabulous and worth a read!).

I know you will enjoy the read, this is a given and do not hesitate reading the rest of his collection as this high standard of writing is not an exception but very much like his norm...

I loved every second of this. Its so cleverly written and just completely sucks you in. The characters and the plot are all so unique and just so realistically written that you can't help but get invested. An amazing thriller and must read for any fans of the genre

I have loved all of Robert Dugoni’s books and this no exception. If you like legal thrillers you will love this book. Great read.

I have now read several books by this author and he has never failed to impress and entertain me and this is no exception.

Well plotted with an original chess theme with characters who are both developed and credible.

This grabbed me from the start and is a thoroughly good book.

Totally recommended.

A gripping legal thriller with a fast pace and the characteristic punch of the author. The mode of death was really ingenious and I haven’t come across before. The suspense becomes obvious as Keera follows the bread crumbs but the why was explained lucidly. Another power packed thriller from this author. Hope he continues it as a series.