A fitting and satisfying finale to a beloved series!

A Dead Draw is another compelling entry in the Tracy Crosswhite detective series—and, in my opinion, the perfect way to close out what has been an exceptional run. Robert Dugoni continues to deliver tightly crafted thrillers with new twists and emotional depth, and this installment is no exception.

While the overall writing is strong, I did feel that the story started a bit slowly. I would have loved more early background on the cold case involving the girls, or even on Schmidt himself, to help anchor the emotional stakes right away. It might have added a chilling layer if Schmidt had mimicked House more physically, really amping up the psychological tension for Tracy and those around her.

That said, Dugoni does a fantastic job tying up loose ends and giving Tracy a grounded, satisfying path forward. The inclusion of her cowboy action shooting was such a fun and unexpected touch—it brought a unique and memorable element full circle from previous books.

A Dead Draw offers a blend of heart, suspense, and closure that fans of the series will appreciate. I’ll miss Tracy Crosswhite, but I’m excited to see what Dugoni writes next!

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite is reminded of her sister's murder when another murderer, Eric, with ties to him is let loose on a technicality. Tracy fails a shooting exercise and is given time off, so she and her family go to their cottage to spend some time. Once there she has to worry about whether Eric knows of her whereabouts.

DNF at 78%.

This book was soooooo boring for me. I read a book from this author's lawyer series and liked it so I figured I would give this detective series a try. I like detective novels and would love to get into a good new to me detective series. I am reading from some of the reviews that maybe this was a one off, but I don't know if I will be able to try another one. Granted I started at book 11, but nothing about this book was entertaining to me regarless of the whether I had read the other books in the series. There is endless content about shooting, which is the last thing I care about and it took up the first half of the book. By then I could not have cared less about what Eric was up to. I got to 78% and asked myself, why I was still bothering when I have so many other books to read and I finally called it.

4.5 stars ⭐️

First of all, I am a huge fan of this series - we ARE 11 books into the series at this point - so we have pretty well established the world at this point. With that being said, this book is a bit of a different in the fact that we seem to go back to the beginning. A lot of this series focuses on how the death of Tracey's sister so many years ago still affects her. We've seen this brought up many times in the past, but THIS book brings it seriously back.

The story starts off when a suspect is arrested, and the police discover that he had a gun in his possession that matched 2 murders from a couple of cold cases that Tracey is working on. When she goes into to interview him, he makes a couple of statements that lets her know that this guy was VERY good friends in prison with the man who murdered her sister. And not only was he friends with Edward House - he KNOWS specific details about Tracey and her sister. Things start from there.

This guy - Eric Schmidt - is able to get into her head and when he is released due to a procedural error, he makes it clear that he is gunning for her. Tracey didn't even know this man existed (he was just recently released from prison) and once she begins to look into his past- she realizes that he really is a threat - and he is coming after her.

This storyline takes us back to Cedar Grove, where Tracey and Dan grew up, and where Sarah was murdered. When she realizes that Schmidt was an EXPERT level competitive shooter, she realizes that her shooting skills have gotten rusty. Between her deteriorating mental state causing recurring PTSD, and the issues she has with the Shoot/No Shoot qualification, she decides to go back to the man who trained her and Sarah in Competitive Shooting all those years ago.

Yes, there is an awful lot of descriptive information on her shooting training. An awful lot. Was it too much? Maybe for some people - but I found it interesting. I especially enjoyed the introduction of the new character Lydia who is "on the spectrum" but was truly a breath of fresh air. She kind of bursts onto the page and breaks up what could be considered the many info dumps.

All in all, there is a sufficient build up to the climax that you just know is coming. I was actually a little surprised with what that climax was, but not disappointed. I will say that I hope we can see Tracey grow from this and finally be able to put that tragedy behind her - not to forget, but for it to stop taking such an important part of her present. She has so much to live for now and she has spent the majority of her life dealing with the murder of her sister. Granted, this situation was not of her doing, and couldn't be helped, but it might just be what she needed to finally have closure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on May 27, 2025.

I was thrilled to be able to read an ARC of Robert Dugoni’s “A Dead Draw,” the latest installment in his Tracy Crosswhite series. I had discovered the series at the start of the pandemic and have enjoyed the books. In particular, I’ve enjoyed the progression of Tracy’s personal and professional lives over the years.

In this new offering, two of Tracy’s cold cases has led to her identifying Erik Schmidt as a suspect. During the interrogation, Erik quickly begins taunting Tracy and establishing he knows a lot about her. The reason he knows a lot about Tracy and what happened to her sister, Sarah, is because he knew Edmund House in prison.

After Erik Schmidt is released from police custody due to a legal error, Tracy also makes a critical mistake during a newly established shooting exercise by the police department. Tracy and her family heads to her hometown of Cedar Grove to take some time off. However, based on how much Erik Schmidt knows about her, she is concerned he will be heading to Cedar Grove as well. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Schmidt and Tracy, as well as people she cares about.

The part I loved most about this book is how it was a nod to the first book in the series. It focused on Tracy’s shooting skills, but also reminded me of how far she’s come in the series.

Overall, I recommend this book. I hope the series continues for at least a few more books. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

There are uncanny similarities between Tracy Crosswhite's investigation in My Sister's Grave and her current one in A Dead Draw. Tracy's investigation into Erik Schmidt brings back unwanted memories of Edmund House, her sister's murderer. There are singular similarities between Schmidt and House that cause Tracy to come unglued. To get herself back into the right mentality, Tracy and Dan take the family back to Cedar Grove. There, Tracy decides she needs to refresh and enhance her shooting abilities if she's going to face Schmidt. She returns to train with her former shooting instructor, Mason Pettibone who pairs Tracy with his granddaughter, Lydia, whose speed and accuracy make her an ideal firearms instructor for Tracy. However, Schmidt has his own ideas on how he can avenge House. The tension and suspense builds and builds, ending with a dangerous, climactic encounter and a startling twist. There seems to be every indication that there will be more novels in this well-constructed police procedural series. Looking forward to reading more of Tracy's investigations as well as getting to better know her family and her police partners.

One of the best things about long-running series by talented writers is that they can explore different genres. Previous volumes were procedurals, whodunits and even creepy mysteries. At first, I thought that this would be a legal thriller, which is not my thing. I was still interested because I love these characters. Very soon it was clear that this was not limited to the courthouse, but that it was something darker and more personal for Tracy, leading to a final part that would make Gary Cooper proud. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that Tracy’s teammates are peripheral to this plot, and we get to see some characters that haven’t been around for some time. There is also a new cast member so fantastic, that it feels like I’ve known her forever. The plot is really, insanely suspenseful. I saw the final twist coming, but that didn’t take away its impact. Poignant, thrilling and insanely entertaining, this is what fiction is about. Five shining stars!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer.

One cold case, excellent. Two cold cases amazing. That’s great writing. We love Tracey C. And love R. Dugoni. Keep writing these amazing stories and more episodes of Tracey Crosswhite.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for providing the copy of A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni. This is book 11 in the Tracy Crosswhite series and it might be my favorite. I loved Tracy’s emotional resonance when she befriends the granddaughter of her former shooting teacher. I have always enjoyed reading about how Tracy changes throughout the series, and she really grew this time. I never thought I would be enthralled reading about shooting guns, but Dugoni made it so accessible I was glued to the pages. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, suspenseful book with characters that feel alive, this is the book for you. 5 enthusiastic stars.

In A DEAD DRAW, written by Robert Dugoni, Tracy Crosswhite is a Seattle detective who works cold cases. While Tracy is interrogating Erik Schmidt, he laughs and baits her regarding the death of her sister at the hand of Edmund House. The image of Erik Schmidt enters Tracy’s mind during her shooting test causing her to fail. I am intrigued and read on.

I immediately care about Tracy Crosswhite and want her to prevail over her psychological issues. I appreciate having access to Schmidt’s history and the possible effect it has on him doing such evil things. The plot is well-structured and leads to a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading the next Tracy Crosswhite book. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of A DEAD DRAW.

Robert Dugoni does it again! A Dead Draw is another fantastic installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series—full of suspense, heart, and twists that keep you hooked. Tracy’s journey just keeps getting better, and I loved every page. If you’re a fan of the series, this one won’t disappoint!

I enjoyed the book and the suspense and thrill of it some scenes or chapters were exciting

I would have liked less of the gun story Tracey going to training as it got dragged to long into the book
I would have liked more details of characters
apart from that it was good
can not wait for next book

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I enjoy this series and this was a great addition. I look forward to the next one!

I just finished reading A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni. It is now 1:00 am. I had to stay up and finish it. It seems like we haven't seen Tracy Crosswhite in a while. I love her character and her stories. She sure gets injured a lot but considering all the risks she takes it is not surprising. This was an excellent book. Very fast paced and the unexpected happen in this story. I enjoy her family and her love and protection she has for them. I will buy this book for my sister. She will enjoy it too. I like the way Robert Dugoni writes. He is one of my favorites. Keep the Tracy books coming and I will keep reading them.

Another fast paced thrilling book in the Det. Tracey Crosswhite series. Familiar characters with the introduction of new characters that are interesting & hopefully will appear in future books. The story line follows the usual formula of Tracey chasing the bad guy at considerable risk to herself and those she loves as ever however it is another thrilling page turner.

This book was a disappointment at best. The first of the book was exceeding slow and the second half picked up some, but not enough to salvage the rating. While the book can work somewhat as at stand alone novel, it will be helpful for any reader to read the prior novels in the series to get a better feel for the storyline.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

Not my favourite book of this series. I found this one slow going and a tad boring. Most of the action happens in the last 10-15%. I'm just not a fan of authors who milk one storyline over numerous books.

A killer seeks revenge on Tracy Crosswhite
Erik Schmidt is a suspect in two unsolved murders, but he also has ties to the man who murdered Tracy Crosswhite’s sister years ago and whom Tracy herself ultimately killed. Questioning Schmidt touches off memories so disturbing to Tracy that she takes a break from work and goes with her husband, daughter, and nanny to the family retreat but finds neither peace nor safety as danger follows them.
Exciting as it sounds, the plot was to me the weakest part of the book. It started slowly, seeming to focus too much on her past trauma. A Dead Draw is more of a people story than a thriller. It is very character-driven. Tracy and her family seem very genuine, and I liked the way the various law enforcement people were depicted as human and caring. There is also Lydia, a young woman who is on the autistic spectrum and reminds Tracy of her murdered sister. Tracy takes an interest in her, and Lydia responds.
Another aspect of the book that can be interesting to some readers but that detracts from an emphasis on the plot is the discussion and description of marksmanship as both a professional skill and a hobby of Tracy’s. It was fun to read how Lydia shows Tracy a way modern technology can help improve your shooting skills!
Actually, one of my favorite sections of the book is the Acknowledgments, where author Dugoni talks about what inspired this particular book, including local news, his family background, and the influence of friends who are gamers and recreational shooters.
Although you can enjoy this book without having read the previous ten books in the series, you will enjoy it much more if you have read the first, My Sister’s Grave, because the events in that book are very important to A Dead Draw.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

A Dead Draw is the 11th book in Robert Dugoni's series of books about Seattle police detective Tracy Crosswhite. I've read all of the previous books in this series, as well as Mr. Dugoni's other series and stand-alone books, both fiction and non-fiction. His writing is consistently excellent, captivating, well-researched, and soulful. A Dead Draw is absolutely as exciting and enjoyable as the previous 10 books in the series, with well-drawn, very relatable characters and a believable, fast-paced plot. I will admit that by mid-way through the book, I had guessed how it might end (and who the hero might be), but it was still fun to see if I was correct, and how it all played out. This book can certainly be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend that if you have not read the previous books in the series, that you do so, to learn more about the characters, their lives, and how their relationships have developed. Kindle Unlimited subscribers will be happy to know that all of the Tracy Crosswhite series (and almost all of Mr. Dugoni's other books and series) are available to borrow with your KU subscription.

A big Thank You to NetGalley, the publisher, and author Robert Dugoni, for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book to read and review. It was a pleasure to do so!

This book is a great addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. It has a great cast of characters, I particularly like Lydia, along with a good plot. There is a twist at the end of the story that caught me by surprise. This book is part of a series and all of them are worth reading but it could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
Sent from my iPad

5 stars for the next book in the Tracy series. What a great level of suspense and unexpected ending. I love Robert Dugoni's books for exactly those reasons. You can't wait to turn the page, you can't wait to get back to the book if you had to stop reading....I already can't wait for the next one!
I feel like I need to go back to the book that dealt with the House and Tracy showdown, because I didn't remember a lot of the details and it was referenced so much in this book.