Paradise Lost (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 9)

Disappointed??

If you love the Brady series, then get ready for the best of the bunch. Joanna Brady is juggling her new marriage and sheriff responsibilities in this well written tale involving a series of related, or possibly unrelated murders. Her own daughter, Jenny, gets caught up as a possible target in this one, adding to the suspense. There's something about J. A. Jance's style that captures me. The feeling of reading this book reminded me of the feel of a comfortable set of old shoes. The characters are very appealing, and I can't wait for the next entry to see them mature and progress, and solve crimes along the way. If you want a hard-boiled detective story, then you may not like this book, but for me, nothing beats the Arizona heat. Keep 'em coming Ms Jance!

to her heroine in the Joanna Brady series. Brady, the sheriff of Cochise County not only solves some pretty tough crimes with a lot of personal involvement in this novel, she has a new emotional mix to balance. With her new marriage and a "house husband" and a daughter who is just beginning the throes of teenage angst, Brady exhibits some of the emotional stress that comes with the territory of being a wife, mother and career woman.Jance once again treats us to the wild beauty of the deserts she was raised in, while giving us some reality of the tedium/political balance and danger that involves police work, particularly for women in management. Brady is drawn in a more complex faction, and Jance is wise to insure that she makes some mistakes and acts in ways that we shake our heads at from time to time. The supporting cast is also strongly drawn, and its nice to not like Jenny, Brady's daughter very much -- the writer gives a picture of a real teen, not just an accessory to the family. Jenny's personally involved in finding the first of three bodies in homicides that occur in a few days in Cochise County. The murders, which appear to be related, are, in a sort of "domino theory" way. In addition, the problems of meth labs in the wilderness, unregistered aliens and carjackings in southern Arizona are highlighted, helping the reader understand what a difficult piece of real estate Brady has inherited as sheriff. In this book, we actually get some insight and humanity from Brady's mother, Eleanor, for the first time! Eleanor's own second marriage is described in realistic terms, as is the infighting and small conflicts of the sheriff's troop.I'm always anxious to buy and consume a new Jance novel; her heroine has not grown stale and shows promise of more complexity and action-oriented stories in the future.Great read!

This is my favorite Jance series. I think with each book we see Joanna mature. And now with Butch, we see her struggle to be sheriff, wife and mother. He has to struggle to be a sheriff's spouse -- with all that comes with that. It was neat getting to see how she saw herself back as a child in how Jenny felt now. I think she needed to remember.The Arizonz scenery is great as always. Joanna's co-workers are maturing in each book as well. I feel she has a much better raport with them now. Which is how real life is, too. This is a well-written series. Great book.

When her daughter and a fellow scout find a corpse, and then the fellow scout is killed, Sheriff Joanna Brady springs into action. She means to protect her daughter no matter what and no sacrifice, even promises to her new husband, will get in the way. Brady goes after the killer(s) with dogged determination and all of the scientific help modern criminal labs can bring to the table.Like some of the earlier Joanna Brady mysteries, I did find some missing details here. Whatever happened to Maggie MacFerson, for example, after she threatened to destroy Brady's career? Because Jance does such a fine job in developing her characters and because she adds true emotional intensity to the involving mystery, I found I didn't mind.Jance does an excellent job interweaving the mystery with the emotional and personal lives of her characters. As Brady is losing the race with the murders, she is also losing her connection to her mother, her daughter, and her husband. The harder she tries, the more she risks everything she wants out of life. Resolution of these personal matters is every bit as important as the resolution of the mystery, and Jance does a fine job delivering a satisfying conclusion to both.

Reading the first paragraph of a J.A. Jance novel quickly tells you that a pro is at work. After penning over two dozen mysteries this author knows how to pace suspense, and when to surprise. Her characters are not larger than life but ones to whom readers can easily relate. As if this weren't enough she spins a topnotch yarn. With "Paradise Lost" the sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, Joanna Brady, attempts to track down a ruthless killer. But this time it's more than just sleuthing as usual because the murder victim's body was found by Jenny, Brady's 13-year-old daughter. In one of thrillerdom's greatest mismatches, Jenny has been paired with Dora Matthews for a weekend Girl Scout campout at Apache Pass. While Jenny is guileless, innocent, Dora is a pregnant young girl with an absentee father and an out-of-touch drug addicted mom. When the girls take an after lights out walk they find the body of a Phoenix heiress. It is not too long before tragedy also befalls the unfortunate Dora. What more does Brady need to realize that a whacko killer is on the loose, doing in any potential witnesses, perhaps her own daughter? Jance shines with descriptions of the stark Arizona terrain, and excels at drafting pedal to the metal suspense.