Judgment Call

June 11, 2012
In bestseller Jance’s satisfying 15th novel of suspense featuring Cochise County, Ariz., sheriff Joanna Brady (after 2009’s Fire and Ice), Brady’s 15-year-old daughter, Jenny, discovers her high school principal, Debra Highsmith, shot to death in the desert near their family home. Jenny phones Brady, who hops on her horse and rides to the crime scene. Who might have wanted to kill the extremely private Highsmith, who appears to have had no friends and no next of kin? When a second murder follows within as many days, Brady really has her hands full, especially since important intel about the crimes is hitting the Internet even before she can begin lining up suspects. Meanwhile, Brady’s trying her best to juggle the life-or-death circumstances of her job with a private life. Jance smoothly intertwines the threads of multiple subplots, complete with a red herring or two. The solution to a 25-year-old mystery surrounding the death of Joanna’s father is a bonus. 10-city author tour. Agent: Alice Volpe, Northwest Literary Agency.

Sherriff Joanna Brady is shaken when her teenaged daughter, Jenny, discovers murder victim Debra Highsmith, her high school principal--and then uses her smartphone to take a photo, which goes viral. Narrator Hillary Huber's unique husky voice may come as a surprise--but she's a master at storytelling. Huber takes the listener on a fast-paced hunt for the killer, perfectly portraying the various characters, especially the slightly whiny teen. The plot is exciting and unpredictable, filled with up-to-date technology and interesting details about Joanna's life, past and present. Even though this is a long-running series, new listeners can join right in. Fans are sure to enjoy discovering new secrets about Joanna's father's death. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

December 1, 2012

This title is the 15th in the series featuring Cochise County, AZ, sheriff Joanna Brady. Though new listeners will enjoy the police procedural details, fans will find comfort and familiarity in returning to Joanna and her family, community, and colleagues after a few years. Here, Joanna's daughter discovers the body of her high school principal while out on an early morning ride. The investigation stalls for a while as police can discover little about the victim's background. Reader Hillary Huber does a great job with all characters, especially the steady and resourceful sheriff. VERDICT Recommended for Jance's fans and for mystery collections.--Kristen L. Smith, Loras Coll. Lib., Dubuque, IA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

No matter how hard she tries to keep her 15th case strictly professional, Cochise County sheriff Joanna Brady (Damage Control, 2008, etc.) just can't keep it all from coming back on, and to, her family. Joanna's latest case begins on an uncomfortably intimate note with a phone call from her daughter Jenny, 16, saying that she's found a body while she was out riding her horse up High Lonesome Road. And not just any body: The bullet-riddled corpse, already savaged by buzzards and coyotes, is that of Debra Highsmith, the principal of Jenny's high school. To Joanna's consternation, Marty Pembroke, a student who protested his suspension by adorning his Facebook page with a photo of Debra labeled, "DIE, BITCH!," has been able to post a photo of her corpse tagged "BITCH DIES" because Jenny snapped it while waiting for Joanna and sent it to Cassie Parks, the best bud who'd been snubbing her, and Cassie sent it to everyone else in Arizona. How can Joanna ask her archenemy, columnist Marliss Shackleford, to keep the victim's identity confidential till her next of kin is notified when (a) her own daughter has been responsible for plastering the image all over the Web and (b) Debra doesn't seem to have any next of kin--her emergency contact is her secretary, Abby Holder, and she's left no paper trail to speak of in her time on earth? Another murder in an unexpected venue will shed so much light on the case that Joanna will confront the forgettable killer with 60 pages still to go. It's not until after the perp's arrest that the tale really hits its stride, with a series of revelations that turn most of the story into so much prologue. As usual, Joanna's domestic problems are more interesting than her caseload. This time, however, fans of the franchise will be rewarded by seeing the two come together with a satisfying jolt. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.