Beyond Reasonable Doubt

All Keera Duggan wanted was a short staycation - time to catch up on sleep, binge some TV and take a break after a grueling case. But she gets pulled into family turmoil and a new case defending Jenna Bernstein, a self-centred thorn who has been in Keera's proverbial backside since they were kids.

Jenna has always been a spoiled, toxic and manipulative person and she and Keera have baggage that rivals Samsonite. Patsy Duggan, Keera's father successfully defended Jenna who is, once again, the prime suspect in a murder. But with Patsy out of the picture for the foreseeable future, Keera begrudgingly takes on the case and uses her skills developed as a child chess prodigy to plan out the defense of her childhood nemesis.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt is the second book in the Keera Duggan series but could be read as a standalone. It's part legal thriller and part police procedural since readers are also privy to the POV of Detective Frank Derossi who readers will remember from the first book, Her Deadly Game. This time out, Keera's family is more in the background and the investigation took a while to gain traction, but the strength of this story is its legal scenes where Dugoni uses his experience as a former lawyer to write compelling, authentic and tension-filled scenes.

This is an engaging and compelling story which keeps readers on tenterhooks wondering along with Keera whether Jenna is finally telling the truth or is manipulating everyone once again. With a character readers will love to hate, subtle twists and a satisfying ending, this is a good addition to this new series.

Note: Robert Dugoni is my most read author and one of my favourite authors to recommend to my library customers (who have come back to tell me they love his books!). Dugoni has numerous series including his David Sloane series (legal), Tracy Crosswhite series (police procedural), Charles Jenkins series (espionage) and various novels including the amazing The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the publisher for this digital advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Robert Dugoni

Genre: Suspense

Series: 2nd in Keera Duggan series

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

First Published: October 22, 2024

Read: Sept 12 - 16, 2024

Book Description from GoodReads: A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court—she’s Jenna’s childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.

Three years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief medical scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.

As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.