A Dead Draw is the 11th book in the bestselling Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni. It functions as an atmospheric, psychological thriller with distinct Western-style showdown vibes.

The book opens with Detective Tracy Crosswhite facing a severe crisis of confidence. During an intense interrogation of Erik Schmidt—a cold, malicious suspect linked to two unsolved murders—Schmidt deliberately taunts Tracy. Worse, he reveals unsettling connections to Edmund House, the man who murdered Tracy’s sister, Sarah.

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.