HER COLD JUSTICE

4 stars out of 5

This, the third book in the series featuring legacy hot-shot defense attorney Keera Duggan, hits close to home. Her firm’s investigator, JP Harrison, has learned that his nephew, Michael Westbrook, is the prime suspect in the double homicide of a Seattle drug smuggler and his girlfriend. Of course, Keera must do what she can to help, so she enrolls the help of the firm’s co-workers, her sisters Ella and Maggie, and even her semi-retired father, the legendary, even hotter-shot Patsy Duggan.

It is, as were its predecessors, an engaging story that’s easy to read. I suppose I would carp that it’s a bit too heavy on exposition than I like – what someone is wearing or the style of a house can be relevant, of course, but I really don’t care about all the accessories nor what color the shutters are. But more to the point, Michael – who does have a record of not exactly following the letter of the law – insists he’s innocent. When a couple of crucial pieces of evidence are found at his home, he claims the murdered guy – who he was helping with various chores – said they were gifts for his significant other that he didn’t want her to find before her birthday. Instead (oops), they contained illegal drugs.

Enter another hotshot attorney – Kim Tran – this time a prosecutor and likely candidate for a much higher government office and comes from a disturbing background. She’s nothing if not ruthless, as Keera’s father Patsy can attest (he’s gone head to head with her in the courtroom before). But that may be a plus, since he knows how she thinks and can give his daughter a heads-up when needed. Also enter detective Frank Rossi, with whom Keera has had a kind of arm’s length relationship that so far hasn’t gone much of anywhere. But he and his partner also get entangled with some of the questionable details of Keera’s current case – most notably the prosecution’s focus on incriminating testimony from two incarcerated “snitches.”

Early on, readers follow the progress of the trial – always a treat for me, at least, to get details of what happens in a courtroom – as well as the behind-the-scenes investigations to get to the truth. I won’t say the final revelation came as a surprise – I’d guessed it much earlier on, in fact – but from my perspective, getting it right usually trumps getting smacked in the teeth with a shocker ending. The fact that I stayed up half an hour past my bedtime to finish the book is telling as well – at my age, I need all the sleep I can get.

Bottom line? Another solid entry in the series, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to keep up with the action by way of a pre-release copy. Good job!

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, January 2026); 369 pp.

BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT

5 stars out of 5

Last year, I read the author's Her Deadly Game, which featured attorney and grown-up chess prodigy Keera Duggan. At the time, I hoped she was destined for a series but wasn't sure - and by golly, here she is again. This second installment is better than the first.

Living in the shadow of her hot-shot attorney father, Patsy, Keera has a place in his Seattle law firm along with a couple of sisters. Three year ago, her father successfully defended health-care entrepreneur Jenna Bernstein when she was charged with the murder of a potential whistle-blower. Now, Jenna's former company partner and lover has been murdered as well, and the evidence points to Jenna as the killer (if you haven't already guessed, the resemblance to a similar real-life incident that topped the national news in the United States is inescapable). Because of the earlier success, Jenna and her parents again turn to Patsy's firm to defend her.

Patsy, though, is fighting his own battles with the bottle and not actively participating in the firm's business. That leaves the defense job to Keera, but there's a hitch: Keera is well acquainted with Jenna from childhood, and let's just say Jenna is far, far from an upstanding, honest and trustworthy individual (the term sociopath is a more appropriate description). If Keera takes the case, she knows she cannot trust anything that Jenna says or does.

The story follows the investigation and trial as well as plenty of backstories about Keera, Jenna and Patsy - those who love courtroom action (like me) should be happy. It's a treat to read from start to finish, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, October 2024); 365 pp.

HER DEADLY GAME

4 stars out of 5

When it comes to mysteries and thrillers - my favorite category of books - I gravitate first to those with a legal and/or medical theme. Such is the case with this one, which introduces lawyer and grown-up chess prodigy Keera Duggan in her first big case for the family firm. I don't know if she's destined for a series or not, but if so, count me in as one who will be reading.

Actually, Keera is a reluctant addition to the family firm, led by her well-documented alcoholic father and three sisters. But she had little choice; fresh off a soured relationship with a heavy-hitting Seattle prosecuting attorney who's out to destroy her professionally every chance he gets, the only haven for her for now is in the arms of her more-than-a-little dysfunctional family. But then, the firm lands what could be the opportunity of a lifetime: uber-rich financial guru Vince LaRussa, who is accused of murdering his disabled wife Anne. He's got a reasonable alibi, but it's far from airtight; and turns out he's got a honker of a motive. To make matters worse, who do you suppose is the prosecuting attorney?

Constantly bickering with her sisters and concerned that her former top-tier attorney father, Patrick "Patsy" Duggan, will once again fall off the wagon, Keera gets help from likable cop-turned private investigator J.P. Harrison and hones her strategizing with a challenging online game of chess with a mysterious opponent. As she navigates the trial facing a prosecutor whose ethics are suspect and a judge who, let's say, isn't a Patsy fan, Keera digs in her heels deep enough to reach what just may be a very uncomfortable truth.

In particular, I enjoyed the courtroom activity; the chess back-and-forths a little less so, but that's simply because the few games I've actually played mostly made me realize I don't really want to play any more. More often than not, the transition from setting to setting seemed a little disjointed, but overall the story was intriguing enough that it didn't matter much and I'm sure that other fans of the author will be happy as well. As I said early on, I'm hoping this is the start of a series, because I'm looking forward to another one. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action with a pre-release copy to read and review.

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, March 2023); 396 pp.