She Treads Softly: Her Cold Justice

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Her Cold Justice

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni
1/27/26; 380 pages
Thomas & Mercer
Keera Duggan #3

Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni is a very highly recommended legal thriller of suspense and courtroom drama. This is the third book in the Keera Duggan series.

When a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend are murdered in their Seattle home, circumstantial evidence leads to a young man named Michael Westbrook being charged with the murder and possession of drugs with intent to sell. Michael's uncle is JP Harrison, the investigator for Duggan and Associates, and Harrison contacts Keera Duggan to defend his nephew. Ruthless prosecutor Anh (Kim) Tran brings in two prison informants to ensure Michael is convicted. Keera needs to dig deep into Tran's history and uncovers much more than expected.

As expected this is a excellent, well-written mix of a legal thriller, procedural, and courtroom drama, as well as a great addition to the Keera Duggan series. The fast paced, well-plotted narrative is full of tension, twists, and drama, including compelling courtroom scenes. For those who enjoy courtroom dramas, approximately half the narrative is set in the courtroom. Although this is part of a series, I think it could be enjoyed as a stand alone novel. The characters all work well within the plot to help create an entertaining novel.

Her Cold Justice is a great choice for those who enjoy 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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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.