Her Cold Justice, a review by Joanna

When chess prodigy turned state prosecutor turned criminal defence attorney Keera Duggan’s longstanding private investigator JP Harrison comes to her for help with his nephew’s case, she has no hesitation in representing him, despite knowing she will face a formidable opponent in court. Michael Westbrook is a young Black man who has been arrested for the brutal murders of a suspected drug dealer and his girlfriend. There’s little evidence and no good motive, and the arresting detectives are sceptical, including Keera’s potential love interest Frank Rossi, but prosecutor Kim Tran, who overcame a tragic past to become known as Batwoman for her relentless pursuit of criminals, is determined to proceed – and she never loses. Can Keera and the dysfunctional members of her family law firm save Michael from a terrible miscarriage of justice?

Robert Dugoni has written a number of other series, including one of my favourites, the Detective Tracy Crosswhite books, and the Charles Jenkins spy thrillers, as well as a number of more literary and historical fiction offerings, so I’m always surprised he’s not better known – and that no one’s adapting his books for TV! He’s a former lawyer and this shows in his courtroom scenes, which are often the best part of these novels – I have no idea if the tricks and traps that Kim and Keera set for each other are realistic, but they sure are entertaining, like chess grandmasters  – an ongoing metaphor in this series. I also enjoyed the progress in the dynamics of Keera’s family, especially her father Patsy, an alcoholic trying to redeem himself, and her bitchy elder sister Maggie. Some parts were rather predictable and I was expecting more of a twist – and for certain characters to get their comeuppance – maybe this will happen in the next book. Not my favourite, but still well worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. Her Cold Justice is available now.