Devil's Claw

Having just returned from two weeks in Tucson, this mystery hit the spot (and wrecked other weekend plans). The place names added a greater touch of credibility for me. I also just read a Fairstein and a Paretsky book, and much as I enjoy their characters and writing, the coincidences in their storylines become a bit absurd. Jance, on the other hand, weaves a well-connected plot in which everything is well meshed (like the Devil's Claw in basketweaving) without stepping over the line into fantasyland. The only thing a bit hard to fathom is how Sheriff Brady gathered what seems to be the country's best law enforcement staff in her somewhat remote area of Arizona (and one with pervasive budget problems, as documented many times throughout the book). If those characters are based on real life officers, that does it -- I'm moving to Cochise County when I retire!

J. A. Jance's Joanna Brady series is one of my absolute favorites. Probably helps that I got to have lunch (one on one) with J. A. Jance last year. Joanna Brady is a Sheriff in Arizona. She is also a widow and single mom. I like the way J. A. Jance has developed Joanna's 12 year old daughter. She has gone through a lot but yet isn't an obnoxious child, nor is she a wimp. Joanna has gone through a lot as well. In this book she is to marry Butch. Her neighbor and friend Clayton dies. He used to help her feed her animals after Joanna's husband was killed by drug dealers (in a previous book). She always has a lot to deal with -- running the Sheriff's Dept., taking care of her daughter, keeping peace with her mother (a full-time job), getting to know Butch (in the past books), and trying to solve various murders and crimes. Lucy has run away because her mother is getting out of prison. Her mother killed her father and Lucy has been living with her grandmother. She doesn't want to see her mother so she and her red-tailed hawk Big Red run away. I normally don't like books where it isn't told in first person, but this is one series that it works well for.I really enjoy this series and am always waiting for the next installment.

Sheriff Joanna Brady is preparing for her wedding to Butch Dixon. As usual, though, nothing is simple in the life of this working mother. Two homocides plus a runaway teenager make life difficult for Joanna in the week preceding the ceremony. Added to this are the complications of guests who are arriving, especially Butch's mother who rivals Joanna's own mother when it comes to tactlessness and nosiness. Through it all, Joanna manages to keep her composure, with the help of her soon-to-be groom. This book has all the elements of plot and character which make for a very good read. Jance has hit her stride in this addition to the series and it will be interesting to see how it progresses after Joanna and Butch are married.

I'm probably not going to get any of those "helpful review votes" here, but I just wanted to say that when I read the Joanna Brady mysteries, I picture the actress Sela Ward as Joanna and sportscaster Howie Long as Butch. (P.S. Well-I guess I really DO want those Helpful review votes after all, so here's a short critique of the book as well.) I really enjoyed Devil's Claw, as I have every book in the series so far. The mystery storylines were great; I'm starting to "know" all the secondary characters better, especially the detectives; Joanna was calm, cool and clearthinking, as usual (except when her horrible new mother-in-law pressed all her buttons!) and Butch is the biggest sweetie around. He's gonna make her a great wife, ooops! I mean husband! I love the slow, easygoing sundrenched atmosphere that pervades every book. Bravo, J.A Jance!

Joanna Brady is the sheriff of Chocise County, Arizona, but she is also a woman getting married in eight days. She is struggling to clear her calendar so she can enjoy a honeymoon. However, instead of a carefree time, Joanna is under siege in both her professional and personal lives.Her mother is driving her crazy with wedding details. Her daughter fears that Joanna will no longer love her. Joanna's own psyche fears that marriage will destroy a great relationship.A teenager, taking her pet hawk with her, has run away from home on the same night that the girl's mother is released from prison. She apparently observed someone murdering her mother and fled the scene with the computer disc that led to her mother's death. Joanna's next door neighbor dies and leaves the sheriff his ranch. The man's daughter is furious over the will and seeks evidence that Joanna killed her father. When another murder connected to the runaway occurs, Joanna knows she is up against a powerful adversary who will go to any length to make sure that past deeds stay buried.DEVIL'S CLAW is a great mystery as well as a heart wrenching family drama centering on a terrified teen with no one to turn to for help. In spite of being in a most harrowing predicament, the adolescent acts as a heroine with much inner strength. J.A. Jance does a brilliant job of showcasing Joanna as both a law enforcement official, a woman, and a mother. The three roles turn her into a delightful, vulnerable person just like you and me.Harriet Klausner