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Joanna Brady #8
Devil's Claw
A missing teenager and an octogenarian found dead of apparently natural causes are pretty run-of-the-mill cases in Bisbee, Arizona, where Sheriff Joanna Brady is focusing on the last-minute details of her upcoming wedding. In this latest outing in Judith Jance's Brady series, the connection between the two events is a thin one. In the author's capable hands, however, it's enough to drive this well-plotted mystery to a credible conclusion.
Fifteen-year-old Lucy Ridder dreads her mother's release from prison, eight years after she was convicted of killing Lucy's beloved father. Lucy is aware that her mother's priority is not a family reunion but the retrieval of a mysterious diskette entrusted to Lucy by her dad shortly before his death. After inadvertently witnessing her mother's brutal slaying by a stranger who's also hot after the diskette, Lucy vanishes. It takes most of the novel for Joanna to figure out that Lucy's disappearance is tied to her mother's murder, and for good reasons. Besides the distraction of her pending nuptials, the sheriff has been accused of killing her elderly, beloved neighbor for financial gain. Because the reader knows the truth of both situations very early in the game, Joanna's delayed awareness doesn't pack as much wallop as it might. The greater mystery is whether she'll strangle her wedding-obsessed mother before she and her too-good-to-be-true fiancé make it to the altar.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2001
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1387 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Jance
117 books4,195 followersJudith Ann Jance is the top 10 New York Times bestselling author of the Joanna Brady series; the J. P. Beaumont series; three interrelated thrillers featuring the Walker family; and Edge of Evil, the first in a series featuring Ali Reynolds. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.
Series:
* J.P. Beaumont
* Joanna Brady
* Ali Reynolds
* Walker Family
Series:
* J.P. Beaumont
* Joanna Brady
* Ali Reynolds
* Walker Family
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
March 19, 2017
This series has a lot of strengths, although just for a moment, I want to talk about one of the weaknesses - Jance's portrayal of most of the older women in the series is incredibly, endlessly, one-dimensional and irritating. Joanna's mother is a superficial hypocrite who needs to be bitch slapped into next week. We add Butch's mother to the mix, another older woman who seems to have been hit with the nasty stick more times than I can count.
Why is it that all of the older men get to be multi-dimensional characters whose flaws are balanced with fine, positive and at times even noble qualities, but every woman over the age of 50 doesn't work, has no real interests outside of being judgmental, and is a shallow bitch? Where is the local woman D.A. who has been a prosecutor for 30 years, whose been balancing work and family successfully for decades and whose children think she's amazing? Where is the female bank manager? Marliss Shackleford, the gossip columnist, is essentially all of the negative qualities that I mentioned, whose horribleness is subsidized for profit. Ugh.
So, Jance, this is bullshit. Fix it.
Why is it that all of the older men get to be multi-dimensional characters whose flaws are balanced with fine, positive and at times even noble qualities, but every woman over the age of 50 doesn't work, has no real interests outside of being judgmental, and is a shallow bitch? Where is the local woman D.A. who has been a prosecutor for 30 years, whose been balancing work and family successfully for decades and whose children think she's amazing? Where is the female bank manager? Marliss Shackleford, the gossip columnist, is essentially all of the negative qualities that I mentioned, whose horribleness is subsidized for profit. Ugh.
So, Jance, this is bullshit. Fix it.
March 28, 2021
I would give this book 3&1/2 stars if I could. I enjoy this series but this is not the best book in it. A little too much going on. But "all's well that ends well" so it turned out to be a good read. Recommended for fans of the series.
September 29, 2013
First book I read by this author, but I wouldn't recommend it. The action at the beginning was promising, but the middle was boring. Side story lines were uninteresting and really added no value to the book. Finally a little action at the end, but the capture of the killer is barely mentioned. Don't bother with this book.
November 5, 2018
The books in this series are quick, easy mysteries. The story/mystery is good but there tends to be a bit too much filler for me. Some of the most interesting aspect of this case seemed to happen off page and we got a quick some summary at the end.
April 30, 2021
J.A. Jance delivers another enjoyable Sheriff Joanna Brady mystery.
A high school girl goes missing; a woman is found dead in a culvert; the elderly neighbor (Clayton) who has been helping with the Brady animals is found dead; his daughter raises unholy hell when she discovers she is not about to inherit the family ranch; and, Sheriff Brady's wedding to Butch is only days away. Sounds like normal for Sheriff Brady.
Joanna Brady has settled into the role of Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona very well now. She has a much more smooth running department and the respect of those working for her, not to mention the citizens of Cochise County. There is a lot on her plate in this story but she is someone who has proven an ability to juggle many issues and cases at the same time. She has also proven an ability to see patterns and intuitively see solutions.
I continue to enjoy the mix of personal and professional that mix in the life of Sheriff Brady. Very enjoyable stories.
A high school girl goes missing; a woman is found dead in a culvert; the elderly neighbor (Clayton) who has been helping with the Brady animals is found dead; his daughter raises unholy hell when she discovers she is not about to inherit the family ranch; and, Sheriff Brady's wedding to Butch is only days away. Sounds like normal for Sheriff Brady.
Joanna Brady has settled into the role of Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona very well now. She has a much more smooth running department and the respect of those working for her, not to mention the citizens of Cochise County. There is a lot on her plate in this story but she is someone who has proven an ability to juggle many issues and cases at the same time. She has also proven an ability to see patterns and intuitively see solutions.
I continue to enjoy the mix of personal and professional that mix in the life of Sheriff Brady. Very enjoyable stories.
June 25, 2018
Joanna Brady is one of my favorite series characters. Tough when she had to be, the author still shows us her vulnerabilities. This was a very good mystery with interesting and mostly believable characters.
May 22, 2013
This wasn't my all-time favorite in this series. It was long on personal issues and short on the mystery part.
I give this one a C+
I give this one a C+
March 26, 2016
While maybe not fine literature, this was a fun read, especially with the location my "neighborhood!"
April 29, 2025
Good mystery and characters. I'm still not feeling the romance.
January 31, 2015
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
Lucy, a teenage girl whose only friend is a red-tailed hawk, knows her life is in danger after witnessing her mother’s death. She’s got what the killer is looking for. Not knowing who to trust, she’s on the run. Sheriff Joanna Brady has a lot on her plate. She’s looking for the missing teen and it’s suspected that the girl had killed her mother. It requires digging into the past and learning more about the circumstances around Lucy’s father’s death to catch the killer.
There’s great deal going on in her personal life as well. She’s getting married within the week and her overbearing mother is driving her nuts with details. The sudden death of her neighbor who has been taking care of the animals on Joanna’s ranch hits her hard, especially when Clayton’s estranged daughter breezes into town making accusations that Joanna killed him. Now she adds an interesting element! Joanna is about to meet her in-laws and just knows her house won’t be clean enough, and Jenny, while she loves Butch, does have some fears about what the change in relationship will mean to her.
The fast-moving story is packed with events and emotions. It contains all of the twists and twerks of the prior stories but I was really sorry to see what I believe was a missed opportunity. Lucy is friendless due to not only her heritage, but the fact that her mother had been in jail for the murder of Lucy’s father. Jenny and Lucy never get to meet and it would have been nice to see a non-adult accept her as she is which Jenny would have easily done. But, these stories are always realistic and the two had no reason to meet, especially since they don’t live close by. The hawk does add a nice touch.
Fifteen-year-old Lucy Ridder dreads her mother's release from prison, eight years after she was convicted of killing Lucy's beloved father. Lucy is aware that her mother's priority is not a family reunion but the retrieval of a mysterious diskette entrusted to Lucy by her dad shortly before his death. After inadvertently witnessing her mother's brutal slaying by a stranger who's also hot after the diskette, Lucy vanishes.
Joanna Brady is the sheriff of Chocise County, Arizona, but she's also a widow with a 12 year old daughter to raise. She also has to deal with the fact that her neighbor and friend Clayton Rhoades dies. Clayton helped Joanna with her animals while she was at work. Soon, she will marry Butch Dixon, and that brings along more challenges as well.
Not only is Joanna trying to get ready for the nuptials, she's having to deal with her over-bearing mother who wants more of a grand ceremony than Joanna desires. Her mother is overbearing at best. Not a very likable character in my opinion. But, I'm not sure who was worse, Joanna's mother, or Bruces parents from the Upper Midwest. Toss up!
Throw in Kristen, Joanna's secretary story, and her latest boyfriend, who happens to be part of Joanna's K-9 team and you've got pretty interesting story.
The thing about these stories I like, is that Ms Jance makes the characters more human by putting them into real world situations. Work, Family life, children, parents nagging, etc.
Lucy, a teenage girl whose only friend is a red-tailed hawk, knows her life is in danger after witnessing her mother’s death. She’s got what the killer is looking for. Not knowing who to trust, she’s on the run. Sheriff Joanna Brady has a lot on her plate. She’s looking for the missing teen and it’s suspected that the girl had killed her mother. It requires digging into the past and learning more about the circumstances around Lucy’s father’s death to catch the killer.
There’s great deal going on in her personal life as well. She’s getting married within the week and her overbearing mother is driving her nuts with details. The sudden death of her neighbor who has been taking care of the animals on Joanna’s ranch hits her hard, especially when Clayton’s estranged daughter breezes into town making accusations that Joanna killed him. Now she adds an interesting element! Joanna is about to meet her in-laws and just knows her house won’t be clean enough, and Jenny, while she loves Butch, does have some fears about what the change in relationship will mean to her.
The fast-moving story is packed with events and emotions. It contains all of the twists and twerks of the prior stories but I was really sorry to see what I believe was a missed opportunity. Lucy is friendless due to not only her heritage, but the fact that her mother had been in jail for the murder of Lucy’s father. Jenny and Lucy never get to meet and it would have been nice to see a non-adult accept her as she is which Jenny would have easily done. But, these stories are always realistic and the two had no reason to meet, especially since they don’t live close by. The hawk does add a nice touch.
Fifteen-year-old Lucy Ridder dreads her mother's release from prison, eight years after she was convicted of killing Lucy's beloved father. Lucy is aware that her mother's priority is not a family reunion but the retrieval of a mysterious diskette entrusted to Lucy by her dad shortly before his death. After inadvertently witnessing her mother's brutal slaying by a stranger who's also hot after the diskette, Lucy vanishes.
Joanna Brady is the sheriff of Chocise County, Arizona, but she's also a widow with a 12 year old daughter to raise. She also has to deal with the fact that her neighbor and friend Clayton Rhoades dies. Clayton helped Joanna with her animals while she was at work. Soon, she will marry Butch Dixon, and that brings along more challenges as well.
Not only is Joanna trying to get ready for the nuptials, she's having to deal with her over-bearing mother who wants more of a grand ceremony than Joanna desires. Her mother is overbearing at best. Not a very likable character in my opinion. But, I'm not sure who was worse, Joanna's mother, or Bruces parents from the Upper Midwest. Toss up!
Throw in Kristen, Joanna's secretary story, and her latest boyfriend, who happens to be part of Joanna's K-9 team and you've got pretty interesting story.
The thing about these stories I like, is that Ms Jance makes the characters more human by putting them into real world situations. Work, Family life, children, parents nagging, etc.
March 1, 2011
One of my goals this year is to better familiarize myself with the most popular mystery writers - so I'm creating a mystery bookshelf for this purpose. If this book is typical of a J.A. Jance mystery, I wasn't impressed. I prefer mysteries that unravel slowly, where the reader knows the guilty party and understands their motives. I like surprises, but ones which make sense as you look back upon the book. This really had neither - the murderer stayed out of the story until the last chapter or so, and got caught because of his stupidity; much of the book was about the main character's upcoming wedding, with a parallel storyline dealing with the death of a neighbor. I liked the writing but it just went on and on with little to keep me interested. Perhaps it was because I entered the Joanna Brady series at #8 - but I really found little to enjoy about this one. Suggested readalikes were Tony Hillerman, Nevada Barr, and Janet Evanovich - I guess because of story location or female main character, but I'd read all three of these authors again before reading another one by Jance.
May 11, 2018
I love Joanna Brady. It is like visiting old friends. The characters are so realistic. The overbearing mother, pushy reporter and adorable daughter. If you want a mystery with hardly any bad language and not too graphic this is a great series.
July 24, 2016
Part of the sheriff Joanna Brady series. I really enjoyed the interaction between Joanna, her future husband, and her daughter from her first husband who was killed in the line of duty. Also the dynamics between her mother, ex-mother-in-law, and future mother-in-law. And a disagreeable suspect, who was upset because her father did not leave her his estate when he died. Some of those distracted from the main mystery, which was an ex-con being released from prison ending up murdered. The drama among the families were just as interesting as the main story, maybe more so. That is not usually the case in one of these books, but sometimes the story line is not as strong as the J.P. Beaumont series. I keep reading though because I like the setting and the small town aspect of these stories.
September 11, 2016
A wonderful mystery about Joanna Brady and she has to cases to solve. Joanna is worried about her marriage to Butch in two weeks organized by her mother with Butch taking orders from his mother in law. Joanna's hired hand doesn't come to work so Joanna goes to see what happened. At his house, she finds him dead in his car with the motor running. It is found he has had a massive heart attack. The surprise is that he left her his ranch which his daughter is not happy about. She attacks Joanna. At the same time a young girl has run away because her mother is getting out of jail and she hates her mother. Her mother is found dead and the daughter is a suspect. The wedding is driving Joanna crazy, she doesn't like Butch's parents and her house has been destroyed, but she is still getting married on Saturday. Great mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2016
You know I'm going to like it, it's a J.A. Jance book. This one had some special qualities and characters I enjoyed even if I was compelled to read it on my desk top! it was worth it!
June 16, 2024
Fifteen-year-old Lucy Ridder is one of the most memorable characters in any book in this series. She both fascinated and intrigued me. Lucy is a Native American by birth and a complete loner at her school. She literally has no friends, and the only person who will speak to her is the bus driver. Her dad died years earlier, and her hatred for her mother has strengthened over the years. Her mom went to prison for killing her dad. Lucy is unique in a variety of ways. She is a decent student; she's not a druggie or a teenage drunk. Perhaps her genetics kick in here a bit, but she has come to love the remote wilderness near her home. (She currently lives with her grandmother.) On one occasion before the book begins, Lucy found a red hawk who had fallen from a nest and would have died had she not nursed it back to health. From that time forward, Lucy and that hawk have been great friends. It lands on her arm; it rides with her on the handlebars of her bike.
When Lucy learns that her mom is exiting the prison system, she determines she must escape. She does not want to live anywhere near where her mother is. With that in mind, she heads for the most remote portion of the Canyon she can find near her house. Her beloved hawk is with her on her bike. It is his careful vision and desire to help Lucy that saves her life the night her mom gets free from prison. Lucy watches from a hidden place as her mother and a stranger struggle to find what appears to be a floppy disk in a Tupperware container. What they don't realize is that Lucy had found the disk earlier and secreted it carefully away in her backpack. When the combatants come up with nothing more than an empty container, things get ugly, and Lucy's mom dies from a gunshot wound.
They're apostrophe SA great deal going on at the Brady house these days, too. Joanna is about to marry novelist Butch Dixon. The wedding will happen in mere days. No one is ready. When Joanna's neighbor, Clayton, doesn't show up to help feed Joanna apostrophes animals one day, she naturally becomes worried about him. To her horror, she goes to his house, finds his truck running in a closed garage, and 85-year-old Clayton sprawls across the steering wheel dead. Things get even more complicated when Joanna learns that she will inherit clayton's 322-acre ranch. Is hellcat daughter comes to town to stop the inheritance from happening and is among the most vivid and memorable characters in the book for all the wrong reasons.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series so far, and this was no exception. There are some weak parts here and there. I'm frankly sick of Joanna's mother and her overbearing old-age griping. Butch apostrophe yes parents are no less despicable in their behavior.
On balance, it may be best to read the first seven books in the series before you fling yourself into this one. But the writing is propulsive and compelling enough to keep you reading to the back cover. I enjoyed it immensely. I suspect you will as well if you decide to read it.
When Lucy learns that her mom is exiting the prison system, she determines she must escape. She does not want to live anywhere near where her mother is. With that in mind, she heads for the most remote portion of the Canyon she can find near her house. Her beloved hawk is with her on her bike. It is his careful vision and desire to help Lucy that saves her life the night her mom gets free from prison. Lucy watches from a hidden place as her mother and a stranger struggle to find what appears to be a floppy disk in a Tupperware container. What they don't realize is that Lucy had found the disk earlier and secreted it carefully away in her backpack. When the combatants come up with nothing more than an empty container, things get ugly, and Lucy's mom dies from a gunshot wound.
They're apostrophe SA great deal going on at the Brady house these days, too. Joanna is about to marry novelist Butch Dixon. The wedding will happen in mere days. No one is ready. When Joanna's neighbor, Clayton, doesn't show up to help feed Joanna apostrophes animals one day, she naturally becomes worried about him. To her horror, she goes to his house, finds his truck running in a closed garage, and 85-year-old Clayton sprawls across the steering wheel dead. Things get even more complicated when Joanna learns that she will inherit clayton's 322-acre ranch. Is hellcat daughter comes to town to stop the inheritance from happening and is among the most vivid and memorable characters in the book for all the wrong reasons.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series so far, and this was no exception. There are some weak parts here and there. I'm frankly sick of Joanna's mother and her overbearing old-age griping. Butch apostrophe yes parents are no less despicable in their behavior.
On balance, it may be best to read the first seven books in the series before you fling yourself into this one. But the writing is propulsive and compelling enough to keep you reading to the back cover. I enjoyed it immensely. I suspect you will as well if you decide to read it.
March 19, 2025
From the Amazon synopsis: A spellbinding story of life and death, rage and murder in the silent Arizona night from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance
In the desert, a Native American woman is dead—an ex-con once jailed for the murder of her husband—and her teenage daughter has vanished into the long shadows of the night-still canyons. A dedicated law officer, Sheriff Joanna Brady of Cochise County has suffered stoically through loss and pain—yet she has never wavered in her commitment to duty and the pursuit of justice. Now, as she stands on the brink of a new life and new happiness, death is summoning her once more, calling her down a twisted trail of hatred, greed, and devastating consequence to the black heart of the Dragoon Mountains.There is no respite yet for Joanna Brady—only a terrifying excursion into a world of passion and violence, where long-buried secrets are the best reasons of all to kill . . . or to die.
This was an interesting book and quite different from the Ali Reynolds book where we knew who the killer was from the start. In this one, I *thought* I knew what was going on only to find out I was way off base. Interesting characters (including at least one I couldn't stand) and a terrific setting. I'm not at all familiar with the Cochise County area since I rarely get out of Maricopa unless I have to, but it sounds pretty rugged.
The addition of Joanna's wedding plans, her neighbor's death and the situation regarding his will, all interspersed with the cases Joanna is investigating really add to the story.
In the desert, a Native American woman is dead—an ex-con once jailed for the murder of her husband—and her teenage daughter has vanished into the long shadows of the night-still canyons. A dedicated law officer, Sheriff Joanna Brady of Cochise County has suffered stoically through loss and pain—yet she has never wavered in her commitment to duty and the pursuit of justice. Now, as she stands on the brink of a new life and new happiness, death is summoning her once more, calling her down a twisted trail of hatred, greed, and devastating consequence to the black heart of the Dragoon Mountains.There is no respite yet for Joanna Brady—only a terrifying excursion into a world of passion and violence, where long-buried secrets are the best reasons of all to kill . . . or to die.
This was an interesting book and quite different from the Ali Reynolds book where we knew who the killer was from the start. In this one, I *thought* I knew what was going on only to find out I was way off base. Interesting characters (including at least one I couldn't stand) and a terrific setting. I'm not at all familiar with the Cochise County area since I rarely get out of Maricopa unless I have to, but it sounds pretty rugged.
The addition of Joanna's wedding plans, her neighbor's death and the situation regarding his will, all interspersed with the cases Joanna is investigating really add to the story.
November 21, 2021
devi's claw is just as an enjoyable read as any j.a. jance book i've read. appaarently im reading the books out of sequence. so now im going to try to start from the beginning of the series. but first, this book has a lot of twists and turns. sheriff joanna brady is getting married to author butch dixon, but first she has to solve a series of murders. first an ex con is found dead, and her young daughter's run away from home, so sheriff brady has to figure out what the connection is, then her caretaker for the farm is found dead, so she has to solve that while being accused of murdering the old man by the vengeful estranged daughter. its a quick read and very suspenseful. you dont want to put the book down.
April 17, 2021
Devil's Claw is the eighth in the Sheriff Joanna Brady series. A woman just released from prison is murdered by persons unknown. Little does Joanna know, the woman's teenage daughter witnessed the murder and is on the run with her tame hawk.
In this entry, the mystery really takes a back seat to events in Joanna's life, including her impending marriage. Readers picking this novel up out of order may wonder why it's categorized as a mystery. This would bother me more if I didn't find these books perfect audio reads for walks. I'm hoping the next book leans more on the policing side of the story although I expect we will always see a blend of domestic life and murder.
In this entry, the mystery really takes a back seat to events in Joanna's life, including her impending marriage. Readers picking this novel up out of order may wonder why it's categorized as a mystery. This would bother me more if I didn't find these books perfect audio reads for walks. I'm hoping the next book leans more on the policing side of the story although I expect we will always see a blend of domestic life and murder.
March 16, 2020
Joanna is planning her wedding and trying to get away for a honeymoon. A runaway girl who may have killed her mother takes Joanna all over. When her house is destroyed an her wedding dress ruined it puts a real damper on her wedding, when she has no time to take care of it going deep in the past to solve the crime.
September 11, 2020
Best one yet
Wow, I was shocked at the twists in the end of this one. This is, by far, my favorite of this series.
Wow, I was shocked at the twists in the end of this one. This is, by far, my favorite of this series.
December 17, 2020
Two-haiku review:
Teen girl runs away
Her mother gets out of jail
Trouble for them both
Still enjoying books
Characters growing nicely
On to the next one
Teen girl runs away
Her mother gets out of jail
Trouble for them both
Still enjoying books
Characters growing nicely
On to the next one
August 8, 2023
A Joanna Brady novel. An elderly neighbor is found dead, a teenager is missing, and Joanna is preparing for her wedding. Always enjoy these novels.
July 11, 2025
lots of drama and melodrama with everybody having extreme family issues. I have to agree with the reviews that there is very little of the actual case
July 10, 2013
Cozy mystery (loosely) meets a procedural. Meet Sheriff Joanna Brady from a small village in Arizona.
And we get a cozy not-so-much-of-a-procedural.
Crime is my main bread and butter for entertainment, and I know this series by J.A. Jance is very popular. This was my first Jance book, and I tried to keep the interest to see if it would get better, and to find what the popularity of the series is all about.
Most of the book was about Joanna obsessing about her upcoming wedding.
Most characters in the book were just flat and exaggerated (yet they might work if this was made as a TV series). Both Joanna's and her boyfriend's mothers are monsters. Joanna is horrified about the idea about her nearly twelve year old daughter having a basic understanding about how the reproductive parts of human biology work. Gasp! Maybe I'm in the wrong audience? This estrogen-laden book's hero (i.e. Sheriff Brady) seems like someone who should have stayed in the 1950s. The winner of the characters is however Reba, the daughter of Joanna's old neighbor. I can't think of another as flat and black-and-white supposedly-super-evil person in books of which the target audience isn't YA or children.
The plot was about as good. A floppy disk does not survive readable in a tupperware container buried in an Arizona desert even for a year. Big Bad Secrets wouldn't even be just on a floppy drive as the internet has been widely around a few decades now. The "hacker" and the technological swiss cheese would have been passable if this would have been written 10-20 before it was. Then we have the actions ofCruella De Vil Reba. Quite something I would expect to find a Nancy Drew story. Or not even there.
Enough. It didn't get any better. I did like the hawk in the book though. 1,5 *
You might like this... if they would rewrite this (and the rest of the series) as a TV series, perhaps? Maybe as its best it could work as well as Longmire.
You might like this... if you are over 60 and like Nancy Drew and harlequins.
Or if you just need any mystery for a beach read, to be enjoyed after sufficient amounts of alcohol.
If you like this... you might like the books by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. Her Icelandic "hero" reminds me quite a bit of Joanna.
And we get a cozy not-so-much-of-a-procedural.
Crime is my main bread and butter for entertainment, and I know this series by J.A. Jance is very popular. This was my first Jance book, and I tried to keep the interest to see if it would get better, and to find what the popularity of the series is all about.
Most of the book was about Joanna obsessing about her upcoming wedding.
Most characters in the book were just flat and exaggerated (yet they might work if this was made as a TV series). Both Joanna's and her boyfriend's mothers are monsters. Joanna is horrified about the idea about her nearly twelve year old daughter having a basic understanding about how the reproductive parts of human biology work. Gasp! Maybe I'm in the wrong audience? This estrogen-laden book's hero (i.e. Sheriff Brady) seems like someone who should have stayed in the 1950s. The winner of the characters is however Reba, the daughter of Joanna's old neighbor. I can't think of another as flat and black-and-white supposedly-super-evil person in books of which the target audience isn't YA or children.
The plot was about as good. A floppy disk does not survive readable in a tupperware container buried in an Arizona desert even for a year. Big Bad Secrets wouldn't even be just on a floppy drive as the internet has been widely around a few decades now. The "hacker" and the technological swiss cheese would have been passable if this would have been written 10-20 before it was. Then we have the actions of
Enough. It didn't get any better. I did like the hawk in the book though. 1,5 *
You might like this... if they would rewrite this (and the rest of the series) as a TV series, perhaps? Maybe as its best it could work as well as Longmire.
You might like this... if you are over 60 and like Nancy Drew and harlequins.
Or if you just need any mystery for a beach read, to be enjoyed after sufficient amounts of alcohol.
If you like this... you might like the books by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. Her Icelandic "hero" reminds me quite a bit of Joanna.
May 5, 2014
Like many other reviewers, I really enjoy this series. I always enjoy good mysteries or police procedurals (and these books fit in both genres), and Jance always makes her books interesting. But more than that I enjoy the fact that I can go grab one of these books, and not be exposed to constant bad language, or a lot of needless sex in order to make one of these books 'real'. I get very irritated when I pick up a recommended book and it isn't an enjoyable read because of gratuitous sex and foul language.
In this book, Joanna Brady is dealing with the murder of a woman who had just gotten out of prison for killing her husband. Not only does she have that to worry about, but the daughter of these two people has run away from her grandmother's house, along with her pet hawk. Joanna is very concerned, as she delves further into the background of the murdered woman, since there is a very real possibility that the people who murdered the woman may now be after the daughter.
Along with all this Joanna is dealing with her upcoming marriage to Butch, and her daughter is feeling a bit concerned about the changes that are coming. Plus her overbearing mother is continuing to drive her crazy about the wedding, and Butch's parents are almost as bad. Trying to handle everything in a limited amount of time is making Joanna very anxious...like most single mothers.
I will continue to read this books, just for the break they give me from the more serious books that I read, and the classes I teach to nurses. I have to do something for fun!
In this book, Joanna Brady is dealing with the murder of a woman who had just gotten out of prison for killing her husband. Not only does she have that to worry about, but the daughter of these two people has run away from her grandmother's house, along with her pet hawk. Joanna is very concerned, as she delves further into the background of the murdered woman, since there is a very real possibility that the people who murdered the woman may now be after the daughter.
Along with all this Joanna is dealing with her upcoming marriage to Butch, and her daughter is feeling a bit concerned about the changes that are coming. Plus her overbearing mother is continuing to drive her crazy about the wedding, and Butch's parents are almost as bad. Trying to handle everything in a limited amount of time is making Joanna very anxious...like most single mothers.
I will continue to read this books, just for the break they give me from the more serious books that I read, and the classes I teach to nurses. I have to do something for fun!
February 3, 2011
Fifteen-year-old Lucy Ridder dreads her mother's release from prison, eight years after she was convicted of killing Lucy's beloved father. Lucy is aware that her mother's priority is not a family reunion but the retrieval of a mysterious diskette entrusted to Lucy by her dad shortly before his death. After inadvertently witnessing her mother's brutal slaying by a stranger who's also hot after the diskette, Lucy vanishes.
Joanna Brady is the sheriff of Chocise County, Arizona, but she's also a widow with a 12 year old daughter to raise. She also has to deal with the fact that her neighbor and friend Clayton Rhoades dies. Clayton helped Joanna with her animals while she was at work. Soon, she will marry Butch Dixon, and that brings along more challenges as well.
Not only is Joanna trying to get ready for the nuptials, she's having to deal with her over-bearing mother who wants more of a grand ceremony than Joanna desires. Her mother is overbearing at best. Not a very likable character in my opinion. But, I'm not sure who was worse, Joanna's mother, or Bruces parents from the Upper Midwest. Toss up!
Throw in Kristen, Joanna's secretary story, and her latest boyfriend, who happens to be part of Joanna's K-9 team and you've got pretty interesting story.
The thing about these stories I like, is that Ms Jance makes the characters more human by putting them into real world situations. Work, Family life, children, parents nagging, etc.
Joanna Brady is the sheriff of Chocise County, Arizona, but she's also a widow with a 12 year old daughter to raise. She also has to deal with the fact that her neighbor and friend Clayton Rhoades dies. Clayton helped Joanna with her animals while she was at work. Soon, she will marry Butch Dixon, and that brings along more challenges as well.
Not only is Joanna trying to get ready for the nuptials, she's having to deal with her over-bearing mother who wants more of a grand ceremony than Joanna desires. Her mother is overbearing at best. Not a very likable character in my opinion. But, I'm not sure who was worse, Joanna's mother, or Bruces parents from the Upper Midwest. Toss up!
Throw in Kristen, Joanna's secretary story, and her latest boyfriend, who happens to be part of Joanna's K-9 team and you've got pretty interesting story.
The thing about these stories I like, is that Ms Jance makes the characters more human by putting them into real world situations. Work, Family life, children, parents nagging, etc.
February 19, 2012
Of the books that I have read so far in the Joanna Brady series, I enjoyed this one the best. For one thing, I learned something, some positive associations with the extremely irritating item of vegetation known as a Devil's Claw. When I was a child, these were much more common in this area than they seem to be now. I have memories of attending a birthday party as a small child in a strange house where we were seated at a long table for the cake eating. Somehow, while I was sitting there, a Devil's Claw attached itself around my ankle in its turned-down nylon sock. Now, of course, I suspect that one of the older boys was behind the trick, but then I had no idea what the painful thing was that had grabbed on around my whole foot! That was my introduction. Later on in the 1950's, ladies crafted the pods with their curly stickers into flamingos by attaching stick legs and gluing on pink feathers. However, I never learned anything about the use of this motif in Native American patterns of baskets and of its symbolic meaning to the Apache, a use that forms the pattern that begins and ends this book.
The plot of the book, actually plots, are intriguing. Set against the time pressure of Brady's impending wedding, solving the problems of an outsider who has it in for Joanna and an extremely complicated situation involving a teenager, her ex-con mother, a murder in the past, and a murder in the present, kept me reading.
The plot of the book, actually plots, are intriguing. Set against the time pressure of Brady's impending wedding, solving the problems of an outsider who has it in for Joanna and an extremely complicated situation involving a teenager, her ex-con mother, a murder in the past, and a murder in the present, kept me reading.
June 19, 2012
I've loved J. A. Jance's books for years and this 12 year old paperback given to me by a friend is certainly no disappointment. It's part of the series starring Sheriff Joanna Brady of Bisbee, AZ. In this one Brady and her boyfriend Butch are nearing their wedding date when a 15 year old part Apache girl, Lucy, and her pet red-tailed hawk disappear. That same night Lucy's mother is murdered just after being released from prison where she had been because she confessed to killing Lucy's father.
As if that isn't enough, neighbor Clayton Rhodes is found dead and Brady learns to her surprise that he has left her his large ranch, and his only surviving child is a woman who is a handful to say the least.
Lucy is a sympathetic character. She loved her father and after his murder she was sent to live with her grandmother. She has no friends other than her hawk and so she leads a lonely life as she suffers bullying from her classmates. She is also a very brave girl whose journey in this book is something not many 15 year old girls could accomplish.
Joanna's extremely critical mother is a character you would just like to smack around, but in this book she actually does some nice things, and Butch's mother turns out to be made of the same cloth. Oh boy, Joanna is in for quite a wedding! All the regular characters are part of the story making Devil's Claw a suspenseful but also fun read.
As if that isn't enough, neighbor Clayton Rhodes is found dead and Brady learns to her surprise that he has left her his large ranch, and his only surviving child is a woman who is a handful to say the least.
Lucy is a sympathetic character. She loved her father and after his murder she was sent to live with her grandmother. She has no friends other than her hawk and so she leads a lonely life as she suffers bullying from her classmates. She is also a very brave girl whose journey in this book is something not many 15 year old girls could accomplish.
Joanna's extremely critical mother is a character you would just like to smack around, but in this book she actually does some nice things, and Butch's mother turns out to be made of the same cloth. Oh boy, Joanna is in for quite a wedding! All the regular characters are part of the story making Devil's Claw a suspenseful but also fun read.
January 24, 2017
I listened to this audiobook. Joanna Brady is the sheriff in a large county in Arizona. She is a widow with a 12 year old daughter. In this story Joanna is getting ready to marry Butch Dixon. The wedding is fast approaching, so Joanna is juggling her duties as sheriff with her family obligations. A young girl has gone missing on the same day her mother is released from prison. The mother has served 8 years for manslaughter for killing her alleged abusive husband. When the newly released mother is found murdered, the search for the missing daughter intensifies. Another complication for Joanna is that her elderly handyman is found dead of natural causes. He has a vindictive estranged daughter who blames Joanna for her father's death. Joanna must solve the cases while fighting off the angry woman, planning her wedding, and meeting her soon to be in-laws. It is a good story. Joanna is a strong minded woman who tries to keep her life in balance while chaos swirls around her.
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