Dance of the Bones

Starred review from July 27, 2015
Bestseller Jance’s 51st novel brings together two of her popular series characters—Seattle detective J.P. Beaumont and Arizona sheriff Brandon Walker—in a highly entertaining plot that honors both of these now-retired cops. Grounded in the legends and lore of the Tohono O’odham people, the story also delivers a solid look at the vagaries of justice. In 1970, Walker arrested John Lassiter for the shooting murder of Lassiter’s foster father, prospector Amos Warren. Still in prison after all these years and suffering from MS, Lassiter refuses a plea deal that might release him. Instead, Lassiter wants Walker to find the real killer, using the work Walker does with Last Chance, a volunteer organization of retired law enforcement experts. When a link is found to an unsolved Seattle case, Walker gets in touch with Beaumont. The kidnapping of two boys ratchets up the suspense. Jance (Cold Betrayal) satisfies fans of both series with an energetic plot resplendent with believable twists, leaving readers eager for Beaumont and Walker’s next outing. Agent: Alice Volpe, Northwest Literary Agency.

Jance's mystery, with its Native American backdrop set in the West, demands colorful portrayals of its many characters, but J.R. Horne's narration doesn't deliver. There are two big issues: Men and women aren't differentiated at all. And personalities, which could be shaped by a narrator's deft touch, are a bit flat. A young person, various people in distress, and many others become embroiled in the plot, which is tied to a serious falling out between a pair of friends years earlier. All the characters are poised for creative voices, but the narration falls short. While sharp narration can perk up an average story, the opposite is also true. M.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

February 1, 2015
Having perhaps put away the wrong man, Sheriff Brandon Walker hunts for who might have really killed a local prospector many years ago. That leads him to rain-drenched Washington State and Mel Shames, adjusting to her new job as the police chief in Bellingham and already targeted by a gun-crazy madman. Thus do two of Jance's series leads come together; with a 150,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015

Having perhaps put away the wrong man, Sheriff Brandon Walker hunts for who might have really killed a local prospector many years ago. That leads him to rain-drenched Washington State and Mel Shames, adjusting to her new job as the police chief in Bellingham and already targeted by a gun-crazy madman. Thus do two of Jance's series leads come together; with a 150,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.