Review: A Dead Draw (Tracy Crosswhite, #11) by Robert Dugoni

     

Print Length:  373 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (May 27, 2025)

From Goodreads.com: 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.

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My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

While this was another solid installment of the Tracy Crosswhite series, I don't feel as though it was as intense as the others have been. In fact, while there were subtle hints to the overlying threat of Schmidt hanging over her head, I feel like more attention was paid to the competitive shooting aspect of Tracy's life instead of her trying to alleviate the threat. Sure, she tries to justify it to Dan by saying that she wanted to brush up on her skills because she failed the shoot/no shoot testing required by her police department, but in reality she tells herself its because she has a gut feeling its all going to come down to a shoot out between herself and Schmidt. Sadly, I found these passages to drag down the pace of the novel, and as interesting as Lydia was, was playing first person shooter games really necessary? Sure, Lydia helps Tracy with her focus on getting through one level before worrying about the next, but I cannot fathom how clicking a mouse is meant to help her with her shooting. 

In fact, more than once I questioned things that Tracy did (or did not do). For example, I understand her not wanting to worry her nanny any more than she had to, but because Teresa was often left alone for periods of time with Danielle, I felt it would have been prudent for Tracy to warn her of the threat so that Teresa would know to be on the lookout and maybe would have reconsidered some of her own actions. 

There were also some things that happened towards the end of the novel (in the time leading up to the final chapters) that I found to be implausible at best, which was very disheartening considering one of the things I enjoy most about these novels is how close to reality they tend to be. However, I did enjoy the final showdown such as it was, feeling that it was a fitting end all things considered. 

If there will be more books in this series, I look forward to reading them. If there are not, I am sure I will read more from this author (I am also looking forward to more books in his Keera Duggan series as that is another favorite of mine).

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.