If you like your thrillers with a side of snark, A Dead Draw is your new best friend. Robert Dugoni’s latest takes you on a fast-paced ride through twists, turns, and some seriously sharp dialogue. The plot is gripping, and the characters are as flawed as they are lovable—think “I can't believe they just did that” moments, followed by “Oh, wait, I can believe they just did that” moments.

It’s like the perfect mix of suspense and humor with a dash of "how is this even real?" But here’s the thing: it’s almost perfect. Sometimes the plot gets a little too tangled for its own good, but overall, it’s a wild ride you won’t want to stop.

Rating: 4/5 Stars – Because who doesn’t love a good page-turner that doesn’t take itself too seriously?

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni is a thrilling, fast-paced mystery that hooks readers from the very first page. With a masterful blend of suspense, intrigue, and complex characters, Dugoni delivers a gripping tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The protagonist, Tracy Crosswhite, one of my favorite characters in all crime thrillers, is as sharp as ever, and the storyline is packed with twists and turns that leave you constantly guessing. Dugoni’s attention to detail and ability to craft realistic, emotional moments elevates this book to a whole new level. A perfect blend of crime, drama, and unexpected revelations, A Dead Draw is a must-read for fans of compelling thrillers.

After a mistake on the firing range fueled by her alarming interaction with a double homicide suspect who ignites memories of her sister’s killer, Seattle homicide Detective Tracy Crosswhite takes some time off and returns to her hometown of Cedar Grove where she must revisit the tragedy of her younger sister’s murder. This time, though, Tracy is the target.

Dugoni’s books are always well written with intriguing plots and good character development. This was another page turner that I didn’t want to put down. An avid reader of this series, I appreciated gaining more insight into Tracy’s background and psyche. Kudos for including a neurodivergent character and portraying her realistically.

While I did enjoy this, the eleventh installment, it wasn’t my favorite; too much about guns and competitive shooting. Do be sure, though, to read the author’s notes at the end where he discusses his background inspiration for aspects of this story.

A Dead Draw can be read as a standalone, but if you enjoy a good police procedural and this is your first Tracy Crosswhite novel, you will want to go back and read the earlier ones as well.

Book #11 of a of the Tracy Crosswhite thriller/crime series. I didn’t know it was part of a series when I requested it. It started out strong and then my interest dwindled. Overall it was just ok. Would be a good road trip/vacation read.

When requesting "Dead Draw" to review, I did not realize this was a series. This not the author's fault in any way. I miss the history behind the characters. However, this was my first book by Robert Dugoni and I felt the writing was great. This was a "slow" story in some parts but I thought it was a decent read overall. My opinion is mine alone and others should read the book for themselves.

Wow. I love this series so much. This one offered a deeper dive into Tracy as a character and I loved that!! It made the overall plot feel more personal because we all have points in our lives where things feel overwhelming. Seeing Tracy’s personal struggles and her fight to remain dedicated to her cases made me love her more as a character. Dugoni has a way of making things so descriptive that you can just imagine the screen right in your mind. I would definitely put this as top 3 in the series! From about chapter 7 I was unable to let myself stop reading. I’m sleep deprived but it was worth it!!

Love this series and this is an excellent next book in the series. I was on the edge of my seat while reading. this book, Great characters and a plot that keeps you guessing what Tracy Crosswhite will get into next. This is a can't put down book that keeps you reading till the last page. Looking forward to the next book.

Tracy Crosswhite is back in a thrilling, non-stop action story set in her hometown of Cedar Grove, WA. When a double murderer takes aim at Tracey's partner, Kins, Tracey and her husband and daughter take refuge in Cedar Grove to take refuge until the dust settles in Seattle. However, the killer tracks her home and taunts her with thrilling action all the way into the North Cascades. It's quite the gunslinging, fast paced story we love starring Tracy.

I've read all the Crosswhite books and have felt the last several were a bit bogged down with Tracy the homemaker. I much prefer her detecting to her mothering. This book assures me I'll be back for another!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this great book.

I really like the writing style of Robert Dugoni, and I love the Tracy Crosswhite series, so I was really happy to dive into this book.

The writing was really well done, as always. i was totally drawn into the story. I loved the plot - it was something different and interesting. I thought it was super interesting to learn about competitive shooting.

Now for the bad - there was too much detail about competitive shooting for me. From descriptions of revolvers, and pistols, and rifles. etc. Then what seemed like endless descriptions of the shooting range setups - I ended up skimming and even skipping pages. It was too confusing for me to visualize. I completely understand why it was in there - it was just too much for me personally. I think if you've ever been to a shooting range, you would like this much better than I did.

All that being said, I will still give this 4 stars. If 3 is average, then this is a 4, because I really did enjoy the story.

A Dead Draw is a great historical period drama including human interaction. It was a new prospective of WW2 in the Pacific awakening knowledge of another Inhumanity with totally wrong reasoning for the participation by those who were running the show. But on the other hand, redemption can also found. I enjoyed this complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another fast paced, unputdownable saga in the Tracy Crosswhite series!! I literally read this in a day. The storyline heavily ties in with My Sisters Grave, the first in this series. I really loved some of the new characters, especially Lydia.

A heart-pounding thriller where the hero and villain are equally relentless! The twists had me sweating—this book is insanely good!

A Dead Draw – Robert Dugoni
Pub date: May 27 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Series: Tracy Crosswhite #11
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Thank you! @netgalley @thomasmerceruk and @robertdugoni
For the ARC copy.

Description:

In A Dead Draw, the eleventh installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series, Robert Dugoni delivers another gripping thriller packed with suspense, psychological depth, and high stakes. Detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself confronting a chilling suspect, Erik Schmidt, whose connection to her past makes the case intensely personal. When a legal loophole sets Schmidt free, Tracy’s worst fears materialize—he may be coming after her family. As she battles her own trauma while being drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse, Tracy must rely on her instincts and skills to outwit a dangerous adversary before she loses everything she holds dear.

My Thoughts & Recommendations:

I absolutely loved Tracy, Dan,Theresa, and Lydia—especially Lydia, who was the true hero of the story. The encounter between Theresa, Danielle, and the villain had me sweating like I was right there with them. That whole episode gave me chills and nearly a heart attack!

And the final fight—OMG! I seriously couldn’t imagine how it would unfold. The twist was mind-blowing and executed so well.

The story starts off a little slow, but once it shifts to Cedar Grove, it becomes fast, gripping, and terrifying. This is my first book by Robert Dugoni, and I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series.

One of the best detective thrillers where both the villain and the hero are equally stubborn. I absolutely loved it!

If you love intense thrillers with strong characters and unexpected twists, this book is a must-read!

#DetectiveThriller #CrimeFiction #TracyCrosswhite #RobertDugoni #BookReview #ThrillerBooks #MysteryLovers #SuspenseReads #Bookstagram1l #MustRead #BookWorm #ReadingCommunity #Bestseller #ADeadDraw #NetGalley.

Anyone who is a fan of bestselling author, Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series, will want to immediately pick up the eleventh installment in the series, Dead Draw. Tracy, who works as a detective in the cold cases department of Seattle Police Department, is disappointed when the suspected murderer of two young women, Eric Schmidt, gets released on a technicality by a bad judge. Schmidt blames Tracy for his friend, Edmund House’s death and was in Prison with House before he died at Tracy’s hand in a previous novel. Tracy, who grew up competing in shooting competitions with her sister, Sarah who was murdered by House, messes up in her latest shooting exercise her latest shooting test and takes a bit of time off traveling back to her hometown, Cedar Grove to keep her husband, daughter, Daniella, and their nanny safe. Tracy contacts her old instructor to help her bone up on her shooting skills. Unfortunately, Schmidt turns up in Cedar Grove and threatens those Tracy loves the most.

Dugoni is a master storyteller and has earned his bestselling status. He keeps his readers on the edge and actually does enough research that the scenarios ring true. He builds suspense throughout this excellent novel, and readers will learn everything they need to know about shooting competitions; they may even look into competing themselves. There are, of course, twists and turns and a surprise dénouement at the end.

Those of us who have read the previous Tracy Crosswhite novels will be familiar with her and her developments, and will remember the history of her sister’s murder and her father’s suicide because of it. New readers most likely won’t fully understand her character fully without reading the previous novels. The story has well-developed sub-characters and they seem like real people. The story

All told, this is another winner. However, to fully enjoy this series, it is suggested that readers start with the first novel and read to the end. All of them are excellent, and this one will seem even better.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

With this novel, Robert Dugoni takes us back to the start of his Tracy Crosswhite series and the event that drove Tracy to become a detective - the disappearance of her 18 year old sister Sarah that has haunted Tracy for twenty years. Edmund House, was later convicted of Sarah’s abduction and murder, however new evidence led to an appeal and his release. Not long after, he was killed himself.

Now House’s prison mate, Erik Schmidt, recently released, is out to revenge Edmund, who has told him all about Tracy and her family. Tracy had once interviewed Schmidt while in prison and was convinced she was in the presence of a cold blooded psychopath. Now she has nightmares about both House and Schmidt and when she fails a police shooting test, decides to take some time off with her family in her home town of Cedar Grove.

There is a lot of fairly dry detail in this book about guns and shooting competitions which may not appeal to everyone, but rest assured this is for a good reason. As teenagers Tracy and Sarah were both state winners in Cowboy Action Shooting competitions and it was after such a competition that Sarah disappeared. In Cedar Grove, Tracy looks up her old mentor, Mason Pettibone who introduces her to his granddaughter Lydia, a highly intelligent teenager on the autism spectrum. She reminds Tracy of Sarah and shows Tracy a whole new way to train to become a better shooter.

There is a slow build up in setting the scene for this game of cat and mouse as Schmidt plays the long game and Tracy, as always, is stubborn and adamant that she can handle anything that comes her way, to the point where some of her decisions seem reckless. Mid way through the book, the tension accelerates and danger crackles off the pages generating a feeling that this is not going to end well.

The ending is packed with suspense and tension, building to an explosive climax and a truly wicked twist. Lydia is a wonderful new character, who I feel sure we’ll see more of in the future. Both enjoyable and shocking, this an excellent and worthwhile addition to the series, focusing on Tracy’s ongoing life and career, delving deeper into her character, her roots and what drives her and should not be missed by fans of the series. Hopefully, the resolution will also allow Tracy to finally shake off the demons from her past and put her PTSD behind her so she can focus on her career and what she does best.

This is the next instalment in the Tracy Crosswhite series, book 11. I love how Robert Dugong continues to entertain us with her character.

Tracy is now investigating cold cases, and this brings her back face to face with a ruthless but very conniving killer, Eric Schmidt. This is a particularly challenging scenario for Tracy as this cold-blooded killer convicted of two vicious murders has a known association to her sister’s murderer, Edmund House.

Tracy faces a shooting challenge that all officers must pass but during this, the normally hot shot shooter is unable to focus and fails the test, she keeps seeing images in her head of Schmidt and it becomes all consuming.

With everything around her falling to pieces, Tracy moves the family back to her hometown of Cedar Grove but the family she adores are soon threatened when her nanny out with her daughter are set upon by a daunting figure, one they believe to be Schmidt, sending Tracy a message that he can get to her anywhere. Tracy calls upon the man who taught her all she knows about shooting a gun and develops a relationship with his autistic daughter Lydia, a young woman who will end up playing an influential role in the inevitable showdown with Schmidt, only the smartest will survive.

The book did start off a little slow, but the author purposely provided back story regarding the character of Erik Schmidt and believed this was essential for any reader coming into the series late.

Another book in this series that I really enjoyed, and I look forward to the next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

Tracy Crosswhite is back, and Robert Dugoni has hit it out of the park, with this return to Tracy's roots. In many ways, A Dead Draw feels like a sequel to the original My Sister's Grave that started it all. Tracy has returned to Cedar Grove. And we are brought back to the story of Edmund House and her original backstory - a champion competitive shooter with a sister who as even better than she was. The book move quickly. The pace is engaging, the story is incredibly interesting, and while I kind of guessed the conclusion, we were introduced to new characters, and just a great novel. Robert Dugoni is a master at his craft. A Dead Draw does not disappoint. Thanks to Thomas Mercer./Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

Robert Dugoni has done it again. Another great addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series. This one has Tracy revisiting her past as she deals with a predator obsessed with her sister and the man. Who killed her. Tracy and Dan do everything they can to protect their family .we are introduced to Lydia, a great character who i hope appears in.future books
This book kept me up way past my bed time.
Definitely recommend

Mr. Dugoni you've done it again! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟! Tracy never disappoints with keeping you on the edge of your seat and your portrayal of Lydia was perfect and I respect you so much for her character. Run and grab this beauty for your collection!!

Thank you @amazonpublishing for an ARC!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: A Dead Draw (Tracy Crosswhite 11)
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Robert Dugoni
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: May 27, 2025
4⭐️

✨ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ✨
This is one of my favorite female detective series! I have been reading the Tracy Crosswhite books for years and love that I can read ARCs of them! Dugoni is always fantastic at writing Police Procedurals!

I don’t know how Dugoni comes up with more stories for Tracy, but this one is an interesting dive back into Tracy’s past, her sisters death and the fallout of that, and Tracy’s history as a competition shooter. Dugoni was really creative in his introduction of Tracy’s shooting mentor from her high school days, and a new character Lydia, who is the granddaughter of her instructor.

I enjoyed the history of Tracy’s hometown of Cedar Grove being dug up some more, with history behind her family’s house included. The bad guy in this book had an interesting back story and it felt like a different twist or vibe from some previous bad guys that Tracy has been up against!

I hope to see more of Tracy stories in the future, I will never tire of her and coworkers, family and friends!

✨ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
▪️ Police Procedurals
▪️ Strong Female Detectives
▪️ Past and Present Mysteries
▪️ Western/Cowboy Shooting Competitions

Holy crap, I absolutely adored Robert Dugoni's newest installment in the Tracy Crosswhite series. A Dead Draw, which releases in May 2025, follows Tracy in a cat-and-mouse game with Eric Schmidt, a suspect in double homicide cold cases. Schmidt easily gets under Tracy's skin when she learns he has ties to the man who murdered her sister Sarah. Tracy is so off her game that she leaves Seattle and takes her family home to Cedar Grove in an attempt to keep them safe,
There was so much about this book that I loved. It kept me on the edge of my seat and we got to meet some amazing new side characters like Lydia. While the ending was a tad predictable I have never picked up a Robert Dugoni book that I didn't love and this was no exception.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.