A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni

Item: A Dead Draw
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted August 18, 2025 by BaronessMom in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Dead Draw

by Robert Dugoni

Series: Tracy Crosswhite #11
Series Rating:

Published by Thomas & Mercer on May 27, 2025
Setting: Washington
Genres: Police Procedurals Mystery
Pages: 373
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: A Cold Trail

An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

A killer fueled by revenge. A detective haunted by the past. They are headed for a high-stakes showdown in this bone-chilling new Tracy Crosswhite novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite isn’t one to lose her cool. Until her interrogation of the taunting and malicious Erik Schmidt, a suspect in two cold case killings. Schmidt also has unnerving ties to the monster who murdered Tracy’s sister, stirring memories of the crime that shaped Tracy’s life. After a critical mistake during a shooting exercise, Tracy breaks.

Haunted by nightmares and flashbacks, Tracy heads to her hometown of Cedar Grove to refocus. Just a peaceful getaway with her husband, her daughter, and their nanny at their weekend house. But Tracy’s sleepless nights are only beginning. A legal glitch has allowed Schmidt to go free. And Tracy has every reason to fear that he’s followed her.

Forced into a twisted game of cat and mouse, Tracy must draw on all her training, wits, and strength to defeat a master criminal before he takes away everyone Tracy loves.

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni is excellent. I totally loved it.

Will Tracy finish the game first or die?

Tracy Crosswhite

Tracy is back, and this time she is the target. Okay, so she’s often the target, but this time she didn’t expect it. After being told to go home because she is too close to the event in question, she packs up her family and heads back to Cedar Grove for some time to regroup. I liked picturing Tracy at home with her family, enjoying their life and doing things together. It felt like we got to see a side of Tracy that she doesn’t usually let most people see.

In this installment, Tracy must confront her past, limitations, and expectations before she can move forward one level at a time. The mystery is well played, and even though we know who the culprit is, catching him isn’t easy. Tracy tries to leave it to others, but our bad guy is determined to make her pay no matter what. Mr. Dugoni doesn’t make it easy for Tracy, but with the help of her friends, she makes it to the next installment.

Supporting Cast

It was fun to get to meet some new people in the series. I like the way that Tracy handles her relationship with Lydia. She was respectful and loving. It was so refreshing to see Lydia wanting to do more and trusting Tracy enough to help her.

Then there is Faz and his wife, who take in and protect Tracy’s daughter, Daniella, and Therese. Tracy has truly loyal friends, such as the Cedar Grove police chief, who knew her growing up and continues to protect the town.

All of Mr. Dugoni’s characters are meaningful and unforgettable. They truly make me stop and think about how I am living and whether I am being true to who I want to be.

Five Stars

My rating for A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni is five stars. I loved it and I highly recommend it. Fantastic read.

Tracy Crosswhite Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni.

Until the next time,

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About Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Best Selling Author of The Tracy Crosswhite series, My Sister’s Grave, Her Final Breath, In the Clearing, and The Trapped Girl. The Crosswhite Series has sold more than 2,000,000 books and My Sister’s Grave has been option for television series development. He is also the author of the best-selling David Sloane series, The Jury Master, Wrongful Death, Bodily Harm Murder One and The Conviction, and the stand-alone novels The 7th Canon, a 2017 finalist for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for best novel, The Cyanide Canary, A Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and several short stories. He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction, and the Friends of Mystery, Spotted Owl Award for the best novel in the Pacific Northwest. He is a two time finalist for the International Thriller Writers award and the Mystery Writers of America Award for best novel. His David Sloane novels have twice been nominated for the Harper Lee Award for legal fiction. His books are sold world-wide in more than 25 countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages including French, German, Italian and Spanish.

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