10/22/24; 384 pages
Thomas & Mercer
Keera Duggan #2
Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni is an engaging, very
highly recommended legal thriller and the second book featuring lawyer
Keera Duggan. This can be read as a standalone, but both Beyond Reasonable Doubt and the first novel, Her Deadly Game, are excellent and worth reading.
Jenna Bernstein is accused of murdering her former business partner and lover Sirus Kohl. The word from Adria Kohl, the daughter, is that her father was
cooperating with the feds to bring a fraud charge against Jenna, so she had a motive to murder him. Jenna has to turn
to Seattle
law firm Patrick Duggan & Associates to defend her. Patsy Duggan previously successfully defended Jenna Bernstein and she was found
not guilty of killing Erik Wei, a researcher at the company she and
Kohl ran.
However, Patsy is no longer taking on trial cases so the case would go to attorney Keera Duggan. If she takes to case it will be up to Keera to defend Jenna, a woman she has known since they were both children. Keera knows Jenna is trouble. She is a liar, as well as a narcissistic sociopath. As a master chess player, Keera is very adroit at reading body language and instinctively seeing several steps ahead. She watched Jenna at the previous trial with her father and knows what she faces if she takes Jenna on as a client.
Leading up to the trial it is intriguing to follow both the investigation of the case by Detective Frank Rossi of the Seattle PD and the legal team investigation by J.P. Harrison. Both characters add depth and insight into the case and the discovery process. Keera is a wonderful, fully realized character. She is intelligent, has remarkable analytical abilities and shrewd courtroom skills.
The writing is exceptional in this fast-paced legal thriller. The plot is well thought out, with an intriguing mystery, interesting discoveries in the investigations, and tension filled courtroom scenes. This series should appeal to fans of mysteries and legal thrillers. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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