A Surprising Tale of Murder in the Desert
By J.A. Jance
Touchstone, $25.99, 293 pages
Ali Reynolds, a former reporter and TV anchorwoman and a police academy graduate, was drawn back into the midst of chaos when she received a call from Donatella, a friend from the academy. Another former classmate, Jose Reyes, now a deputy, had been shot while on duty and was in the hospital. When Ali responded to the hospital to help out with Jose’s young children, she met another friend, Sister Amhelm, who was there as a patient advocate for a girl who had been found naked and near death in the desert. As more killings are discovered, Ali is drawn into a complex path of drugs and murder where everyone involved faces danger.
J.A. Jance has written some wonderful novels over the years. Several are a series based on characters she has created, the latest being Ali Reynolds. Other favorites are the Joanna Brady mysteries and the J.P. Beaumont detective series which is set in Seattle. Jance is a New York Times bestselling author. She lives with her husband in Seattle and Bisbee, Arizona.
A long time fan of this author, I was nevertheless a little disappointed in this novel. While it is an enjoyable story peppered with surprises, it was the first Ali Reynolds book I had read. It was difficult to figure out who Ali was, and the brief references to earlier works failed to satisfy that need.
Reviewed By Fran Byram
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