Exit Wounds

Other reviewers have discussed the plot. Sheriff Brady is called to the scene of a woman's murder. Detectives discover seventeen dogs in the woman's house, all of whom suffocated to death. The dead woman turns out to be Carol Mossman, who has held a series of low-paying inconsequential jobs before ending up in this trailer owned by her grandmother. Jance, a seasoned best-selling author, plays fair with the readers while delivering a page-turner. We look over Sheriff Brady's shoulder as she investigates. Two newswomen were murdered in the same style: is a serial killer loose? What was Mossman trying to keep quiet? And what is the role of her definitelydysfunctional family?Although the mystery holds attention, the real action takes place in Sheriff Brady's personal life. By marrying her off to a novelist who does the housework, author Jance has avoided the fate of most married detective heroines: losing their edge. Husband Butch cooks great meals and raises teenage daugher Jenny, while her mother continues to disapprove of whatever Sheriff Brady does, on or off the job.And early in the book, Joanna Brady gets a surprise that will create interesting subplots in volumes to come.Jance's novel goes down as smooth as a good scotch. She's a real pro even when she delivers a searing message. As a dog-lover, she must have had a hard time writing about the way dogs suffer, and it's not surprising that the Brady household acquires more dogs during hte course of the action. I think the author's heart was touched as much as her heroine's.I'm not surprised by the number of women who appear here: a female sheriff, a minister, and more. It's not uncommon to experience women in those roles. By creating a superman husband, Jance allows her heroine to focus on her sheriff role, bypassing traditional female obligations.The characters don't have the staying power of other heroines, such as Anna Pigeon or Bennie Rosato. The focus is on action, no-nonsense and get-the-job-done. This approach may be anchored in the author's southwestern roots, where tough women work on ranches, ride horseback and do their jobs. Jance herself comes across as tough and straight-shooting (I saw her sign books in Tucson). Sandra Day O'Connor is cut from the same cloth. Heroine Joanna Brady would probably find a soul sister in Shirley McClintock, heroine of the series by B. J. Oliphant, or Texana Jones, Allana Martin's heroine . You may not agree with their southwestern values, which remain conservative in many ways. But you have to respect their grit and determination to get the job done. And you have to respect the skill of author J. A. Jance, who makes it look easy.

Sheriff Joanna Brady has her hands full with an election campaign, unexpected pregnancy, and her house-husband Butch's frustrating career as a novelist. But when a woman is killed and her seventeen dogs die in the woman's non-air-conditioned trailer, Brady is plunged into mystery. The first murder is followed by two more--with the same weapon signature. But the deeper Brady digs, the uglier she things look. The dead woman was already a victim--of child abuse so severe it made her incapable of holding a steady job and turned her into a hoarder for dogs. Brady swears she'll find the killer, but can any punishment be enough for what has happened? Author J. A. Jance writes a compelling and exciting mystery shot-through with authentic visions of the desert mountains of Arizona. Brady is well developed as a character--with a rich but complicated family life and the drive to serve as sheriff. A subplot involving a SUV crash that killed a number of undocumented aliens being smuggled across the border from Mexico deepens the story and adds emotional depth. J. A. Jance has written a series of novels featuring Sheriff Joanna Brady and EXIT WOUNDS may be the best I've read so far. I couldn't put the book down and was practicaly out of breath when I finished it. EXIT WOUNDS may be read independently of the other books in the series.

Though she is pregnant and struggling with morning sickness, Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady feels she still can campaign for reelection. Though stuffing her face makes her vn more nauseous, she runs from one hot dog event to another as she seeks votes while constituents celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.However, her reelection bid goes on the backburner when Joanna learns that a homicide occurred. Someone shot and killed Carol Mossman in a mobile home amidst seventeen dead dogs that were victims of the cruel summer heat. Later ballistics proves the weapon used in the Mossman murder was also used in the killing of two females in New Mexico. Joanna begins to look into the life of the victim in her jurisdiction and she finds a link that ties Carol's father to the Brethren cult that is under investigation because of allegations made by the Lobo State victims. This is a strong entry in one of the better police procedural series on the market today. In many ways, the tale will remind the audience of Fargo, but with the added issue of running for office. The who-done-it is cleverly designed and Joanna is learning the hard way how difficult it is to work while throwing up. J.A. Jance further humanizes one of the better-fictionalized law enforcement officials in this top rate tale.Harriet Klausner

We'll admit we're big fans of JA Jance, having read every novel she's written, some two dozen to date. This tenth book (or so, depending if you count "Partner in Crime" featuring both her fictional stars) in the Sheriff Brady series sees Joanna incredibly busy with an unfortunate murder of a lonely poor woman surrounded by 17 dogs; a horrific car crash filled with 20-some illegal aliens; and family issues in abundance including morning sickness! Deaths of two reporters, a bigamist cult, and a dysfunctional family filled with incest only add to the headaches and heartaches. Joanna tends to be a workaholic anyway, personally doing much of her detective's leg work or attending trouble calls at all hours of the day and night. If you're wanting to read about a highly competent, driven law enforcement officer, you need to look no further. Plus author Jance not only develops her plot carefully, with plenty of character work to get you hooked on the people involved (as is out leading lady), but also spins the story with enough complexity to keep you guessing 'til the end.An ulterior motive with this book is to describe a mental illness called "hoarding", in which usually an unbalanced loner starts accumulating far more animals than they can begin to feed or care for properly. Using the ploy that the county Animal Control operation has recently been turned over to the sheriff to manage, she and we learn about the difficulty in placing animals for adoption and the surprising number being put to sleep every week. Pictured on the back cover with two dogs, it's clear Jance makes a compelling case for more awareness of the issues and the funding such shelters really need.With a realistic cast of characters hard not to like, with family tensions and murders galore, it's hard to put down the latest Joanna Brady. Enjoy!

Sheriff Joanna Brady's first husband, Andy was running for Sheriff in Cochise County, Arizona when he was shot by drug dealers. Joanna ran and was elected Sheriff. She and Butch, her new husband, and her daughter Jenny are adjusting to their new lives. They have just built and moved into a new home.Carol Mossman is found murdered in her trailer. Her 16 dogs are also found dead in her hot trailer. Joanna makes sure she is involved in every homicide investigation and is called out to this one. While there, it is discovered that somehow one puppy was still outside in the pen and survived. She takes it home with her. Recently one of their dogs, Sadie had died. Jenny loves having a new puppy to look after. Joanna goes out to the Animal Shelter to speak with Animal Control Officer Jeannine Phillips who has lodged a complaint that Joanna didn't follow procedure with the puppy. Recently Animal Control has come under Joanna's control. She finds out that if animals aren't adopted in 72 hours, they are euthanized. She finds a blue-eyed Australian shepherd that is about to be "gone" and adopts her. Later she finds out the dog is afraid of men. This proves to be interesting when she takes her home to meet Butch.A speeding Suburban full of illegals overturns killing many of them. Joanna is involved in searching for the driver and bringing him to justice. She is appalled by the number of people that had been riding in the suburban.The air conditioning in the local jail isn't working. Joanna gets people in place to be able to bring all the prinsoners out to the yard while they get the a/c working again. Something goes wrong and one man is found dead. There is an investigation to find out exactly what happened.This is an election year and many factors play into Joanna's decision about running. Throw in her meddling mother and Joanna has more than she can handle at times.This series is terrific. I enjoy reading about her many escapades. Joanna always gets down to work and with the help of her staff finds the guilty parties.This new installment in this series is a book you will not want to put down. I read it in 24 hours!J. A. Jance has done her research. The plot, characters and setting are all well-written and very alive. I am glad to find this book only having Joanna Brady. I enjoyed the last book that paired her up with J. P. Beaumont (from the other series she writes), but I prefer them in separate books.I highly recommend this book and the whole series.