Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni - Book Review

Series: Keera Duggan #2

Publication Date: 22nd Oct 2024 

Genre: Contemporary Courtroom Drama, Thriller 

4.5 Stars 

One Liner: Keera does it again! 

Seattle attorney Keera Duggan is back. This time, she is approached by her friend Jenna Bernstein, the CEO of a biotech company, accused of murdering her former partner and lover. This isn’t Jenna’s first touch with trouble. Keera’s father had handled a case for her three years ago and she knows just how manipulative Jenna can get.  

Still, Keera is determined to give a case a shot. As the investigation gets deeper, Keera must determine if her client is innocent or guilty. 

The story comes in the third-person POVs of Keera and Frank. 

My Thoughts: 

After reading the first book, I hoped it would be a series. Keera was too good to be limited to a single book. Imagine my delight when I saw this one! 

While the plot and the courtroom drama are not as intense as in the previous one, there’s enough to keep the reader hooked. That’s why I read the book on a Sunday and finished it in two back-to-back sittings. 

There are also fewer references to chess moves, which worked just fine for me since I don’t know the game. The courtroom scenes, especially in part two, were fab. They were not filled with tension but more like a waiting game to see what she planned. 

The book relies heavily on the FMC. Keers does a great job of carrying the plot. The opening scene followed by how she dealt with the afterward shows her character. There’s a touch of ruthlessness in her which is exactly what one needs to do the job right but within the boundaries of the law.

The family is less present but we get enough to remember how dysfunctional it is. Patsy also has a smaller role which allows the plot to move steadily without unwanted distractions. 

Frank Rossi is the second lead and a detective who gets the other half of the POV. Through him, we see the police procedural parts of the case. He is a reliable, stable, and rational narrator. While Frank and Keera don’t have many scenes together (they work on the opposite sides now), I like how there’s a lot of read-between-the-lines thing going on. The development is almost non-existent but I can see the foundation being laid. It will get interesting in the next books (can’t help it; I love a bit of romance as long as it is organic).

I could connect the dots and guess the way things would turn over sometime in the second half. That didn’t affect my reading experience. For me, knowing I read the clues right implies the author planned well and kept the readers informed instead of wanting to surprise them with a ‘twist’ or by hiding crucial information. 

Did I want a little more exploration of Jenna’s psychology? Yes! A bit more of cat-and-mouse games; yes! Still, no complaints about what I got. 

Also, I love this new trend of introducing new white characters as white. Keep doing it. 

To summarize, Beyond Reasonable Doubt is without doubt a solid continuation of the series and sets the tone for what’s come. I can’t wait to read book #3 and meet Keera (& Frank) again. 

There’s no author’s note in this ARC. Wonder why? The one in the previous book was lovely! 

Thank you, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #BeyondReasonableDoubt