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 defence 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 defence.
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.
Being a big fan of the author’s Tracy Crosswhite series and Charles Jenkins series, his new novel was hard to pass up.
Keera’s father, Patrick Duggan, is an alcoholic, as a result of which his law firm has suffered greatly. She needs this case to prove herself after her affair with Ambrose, and to bring Patrick Duggan and Associates back to its former glory.
Family dynamics play a key role with Keera’s eldest sister, Ella, now managing the firm, and middle sister, Maggie, tasked with admin jobs which makes her feel underutilised.
A former chess prodigy trained by her father, Keera uses the game to unwind as well as strategize. She plays online against anonymous opponents and as the game of chess is played out, each move planned, Keera applies it to her courtroom tactics to understand her opponent.
The trial in court lead by Keera, with Patsy Duggan in second chair, draws from the author’s own experience as an attorney. 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.
JP Harrison, the firm’s private investigator is one of those characters who immediately become your favourite with his sharp mind and confident style.
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.
Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni. Due to be published on 28th March 2023 by Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing. This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
Book 6 of 2023.
Aquamarine Flavours Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.
Available on Amazon*.
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Aquamarine Flavours 