What do you think?
Ali Reynolds #19
Smoke and Mirrors
Not yet published
Expected 16 Mar 27The next installment in J.A. Jance's New York Times bestselling and heart-pounding Ali Reynolds mystery series!
A disgraced former TV anchor dies in a remote Nevada crash—but her family refuses to believe it was an accident.
When Holly Holbrook is killed shortly after pursuing a decades-old media scandal, her son Dave and grandmother begin digging for answers, uncovering evidence she was deliberately run off the road. Their search pulls in Ali Reynolds, a former anchor turned cybersecurity executive—and one of the last people to see Holly alive.
What starts as a suspicious death quickly unravels into something far a buried murder, a powerful network tied to drug trafficking, and a pattern of women silenced when they get too close to the truth. As digital forensics, old secrets, and relentless determination converge, the trio finds themselves facing a ruthless adversary who has spent years hiding in plain sight—and will kill again to stay that way.
Smoke and Mirrors is a high-stakes thriller about power, corruption, and the dangerous cost of exposing the truth.
A disgraced former TV anchor dies in a remote Nevada crash—but her family refuses to believe it was an accident.
When Holly Holbrook is killed shortly after pursuing a decades-old media scandal, her son Dave and grandmother begin digging for answers, uncovering evidence she was deliberately run off the road. Their search pulls in Ali Reynolds, a former anchor turned cybersecurity executive—and one of the last people to see Holly alive.
What starts as a suspicious death quickly unravels into something far a buried murder, a powerful network tied to drug trafficking, and a pattern of women silenced when they get too close to the truth. As digital forensics, old secrets, and relentless determination converge, the trio finds themselves facing a ruthless adversary who has spent years hiding in plain sight—and will kill again to stay that way.
Smoke and Mirrors is a high-stakes thriller about power, corruption, and the dangerous cost of exposing the truth.
- GenresMystery
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 16, 2027
About the author
J.A. Jance
120 books4,344 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
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: Ali Reynolds has just run into her past. Holly Holbrook used to work with Ali when they both worked at the news station. But that was many years ago. Now, Holly has recently gotten out of jail, and is supposedly writing a book about female anchors who were fired for being either too old or too much. When Holly ends up dead on the side of the road, her mother and son team up with Ali to find out who could have killed her. Can Ali control her curiosity? And does Holly's death have anything to do with who David's father is? Let's find out.
Dislikes: Russ was a monster. How can you play with women in the ways he did and not worry about the consequences? Even in the current timeline of the book, he was jet-setting to his mistress, while leaving his wife to face the ravages of her mind alone in the memory care unit.
Holly might have been our victim, but she had a huge problem with her ego. She actually thought that she was better than her mother, and simply because Mom wasn't as independent as Holly would have liked. There are many reasons that someone may not want to drive, so but out.
Likes: Mrs. Holbrook was a strong woman. Her willpower solved this case.
David had a great set of teachers in Mr. Gruber and his professors. They all helped him out whether it was for his mother's funeral or to give a shoulder to lean on.
Ashley was cute, and I enjoyed the way she let David see his home with new eyes.
Ali and B. have a good marriage. I loved how they both used Frigg to get the best results for their respective plans.
The trip to Disney from B. was wonderful. That's all that I'm saying about it.
Conclusion: This was a fun story. If you like Ali Reynolds, or suspense thrillers in general, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Overview: Ali Reynolds has just run into her past. Holly Holbrook used to work with Ali when they both worked at the news station. But that was many years ago. Now, Holly has recently gotten out of jail, and is supposedly writing a book about female anchors who were fired for being either too old or too much. When Holly ends up dead on the side of the road, her mother and son team up with Ali to find out who could have killed her. Can Ali control her curiosity? And does Holly's death have anything to do with who David's father is? Let's find out.
Dislikes: Russ was a monster. How can you play with women in the ways he did and not worry about the consequences? Even in the current timeline of the book, he was jet-setting to his mistress, while leaving his wife to face the ravages of her mind alone in the memory care unit.
Holly might have been our victim, but she had a huge problem with her ego. She actually thought that she was better than her mother, and simply because Mom wasn't as independent as Holly would have liked. There are many reasons that someone may not want to drive, so but out.
Likes: Mrs. Holbrook was a strong woman. Her willpower solved this case.
David had a great set of teachers in Mr. Gruber and his professors. They all helped him out whether it was for his mother's funeral or to give a shoulder to lean on.
Ashley was cute, and I enjoyed the way she let David see his home with new eyes.
Ali and B. have a good marriage. I loved how they both used Frigg to get the best results for their respective plans.
The trip to Disney from B. was wonderful. That's all that I'm saying about it.
Conclusion: This was a fun story. If you like Ali Reynolds, or suspense thrillers in general, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It appears to her family that Holly Holbrook got a little to close to solving a decades old media scandal and it got her killed. Of course, if you ask the police her death was just an accident. But things don't add up and her family strongly disagrees with the police so they set out on an investigation of their own, along with the help of cybersecurity executive Ali Reynolds. It's a case they plan to solve, no matter how dangerous things become!
Smoke and Mirrors is a thrilling page-turner that kept me on my toes the whole way through! Following Ali and Holly's family on their journey for answers was nothing short of amazing...I loved watching them chase down leads and uncover old secrets. Not having read any of the previous titles I was worried I'd feel a little lost, but that didn't really happen... if anything it made me want to read the rest of the titles in the series! Highly recommend this one, it's non-stop action and thrills on every page!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!
I have read a few of the Joanna Brady series written by J.A. Jance and I love the way that this author weaves the personality of characters along with the investigations as they unfold.
Ali Reynolds was a completely new character to me but she was very likable and I am very excited to go back and dive into the series from the start. I love when a series is able to be a stand alone.
This novel did just that-- instantly captured my attention from the prologue and then kept me rapt as I navigated through the novel. There were some elements of the story that I want to know more about-- I hope that the clarity could come from diving back into the series from the start.
I have read a few of the Joanna Brady series written by J.A. Jance and I love the way that this author weaves the personality of characters along with the investigations as they unfold.
Ali Reynolds was a completely new character to me but she was very likable and I am very excited to go back and dive into the series from the start. I love when a series is able to be a stand alone.
This novel did just that-- instantly captured my attention from the prologue and then kept me rapt as I navigated through the novel. There were some elements of the story that I want to know more about-- I hope that the clarity could come from diving back into the series from the start.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This appears to be the end of the Ali Reynolds series. A 17-year-old unsolved murder is finally put to rest after an automobile fatality that initially appears to be an accident raises questions and brings new evidence to light. Ali Reynolds is only tangentially involved in the new case, but she's nosy. And once the ties to the past appear, she has legitimate interest in the investigation.
Not as suspenseful as most of the series, but satisfying.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Not as suspenseful as most of the series, but satisfying.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
So many twists, I almost got dizzy. The story may have started a little slowly, but that was only to set the stage for the rest of the story. Ali is a great character, and it’s good to have her back knowing that her skills will be put to work untangling all the complications added to the story. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
October 4, 2026
I think I've read all the Ali Reynolds books. This one wrapped things up. It was good to have the series come to an end. I would recommend it if you like closure.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews