Debbie B. (debs) -
Good continuation of the Joanna Brady series. Grips you from the start.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
It's been three long years since the last Joanna Brady mystery, Field of Bones, so I couldn't wait to pick up Missing and Endangered. J.A. Jance's series set in Cochise County, Arizona, is one of my all-time favorites and never disappoints. Jance grew up in Bisbee, and her setting is so true-to-life you can almost follow her descriptions like a road map. (Yes, I've been there many, many times and have followed those descriptions.)
Written over twenty-eight years, this series-- so far-- describes nine years in the life of Joanna Brady, from her first becoming sheriff to now when her eldest daughter is a college sophomore. Jance's smooth pace and narrative chops draw readers right into the story, and one of the things I admire most about it is how well it shows the daily lives of law enforcement in one sparsely populated county with an area larger than some states. We see how budget cuts affect the department, how the sheriff's office interacts with other law enforcement agencies, and what parts paperwork and the media plays in it all. Joanna has worked hard in her job as sheriff, gaining knowledge and experience, and one of the ways that experience pays off is in her networking skills. She may not know the answer to something but chances are one of her contacts does-- and she does it all while juggling an extremely busy family life.
One thing that I admire even more about this series than the way it portrays the daily life of a sheriff is the "people angle." As Jenny tells her mother, "Your job is about way more than just catching bad people; it's about helping good people, too, and about putting broken lives back together." You may be pleased to know that, in this series, Jance concentrates more on the good people and putting lives back together than she does on the criminals. In Missing and Endangered, readers can feel a sense of dread crawling up their spines at Beth Rankin's naivete. Their hearts can break over two little children who face becoming lost in a system of bureaucracy. But they can also rest assured that Joanna Brady is going to do everything in her power to make things right.
It was three long years since the last Brady mystery, but I found that I hadn't forgotten a thing. This is the type of series with the kind of characters that sticks with you. If you doubt you'll pick this book up because it's book number nineteen and you just don't want to invest that kind of time in a long-running series, well... as much as I want you to read all nineteen books, I will say that you can pick this one up and read it as a standalone. The subplot concerning an officer-involved shooting has Joanna thinking about many incidents from her past, so the backstory is there and you won't feel confused.
Missing and Endangered is vintage Jance, and now I'm back to cooling my heels until my next visit with one of my favorite sheriffs, Joanna Brady. But no matter how long, I know it will be worth the wait.
Written over twenty-eight years, this series-- so far-- describes nine years in the life of Joanna Brady, from her first becoming sheriff to now when her eldest daughter is a college sophomore. Jance's smooth pace and narrative chops draw readers right into the story, and one of the things I admire most about it is how well it shows the daily lives of law enforcement in one sparsely populated county with an area larger than some states. We see how budget cuts affect the department, how the sheriff's office interacts with other law enforcement agencies, and what parts paperwork and the media plays in it all. Joanna has worked hard in her job as sheriff, gaining knowledge and experience, and one of the ways that experience pays off is in her networking skills. She may not know the answer to something but chances are one of her contacts does-- and she does it all while juggling an extremely busy family life.
One thing that I admire even more about this series than the way it portrays the daily life of a sheriff is the "people angle." As Jenny tells her mother, "Your job is about way more than just catching bad people; it's about helping good people, too, and about putting broken lives back together." You may be pleased to know that, in this series, Jance concentrates more on the good people and putting lives back together than she does on the criminals. In Missing and Endangered, readers can feel a sense of dread crawling up their spines at Beth Rankin's naivete. Their hearts can break over two little children who face becoming lost in a system of bureaucracy. But they can also rest assured that Joanna Brady is going to do everything in her power to make things right.
It was three long years since the last Brady mystery, but I found that I hadn't forgotten a thing. This is the type of series with the kind of characters that sticks with you. If you doubt you'll pick this book up because it's book number nineteen and you just don't want to invest that kind of time in a long-running series, well... as much as I want you to read all nineteen books, I will say that you can pick this one up and read it as a standalone. The subplot concerning an officer-involved shooting has Joanna thinking about many incidents from her past, so the backstory is there and you won't feel confused.
Missing and Endangered is vintage Jance, and now I'm back to cooling my heels until my next visit with one of my favorite sheriffs, Joanna Brady. But no matter how long, I know it will be worth the wait.
