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Lena Jones Mystery #10
Desert Redemption
"In Jones's electrifying 10th...Scottsdale, Arizona, PI Lena is approached by Harold Slow Horse, one of Arizona's leading artists...[and] gets on a trail that leads her at long last to answers about her troubled past..." --Publishers Weekly
At the age of four, Scottsdale private eye Lena Jones was shot in the head and left to die on a Phoenix street. After her rescue, she spent years in the abusive foster care system, never knowing who her parents were and why they didn't claim her. When Desert Redemption begins, she still doesn't know her real name.
Lena's rough childhood--and the suspicion that her parents may have been members of a cult--keeps her hackles raised. So when Chelsea, the ex-wife of Harold Slow Horse, a close friend, joins a "new thought" organization called Kanati, Lena begins to investigate. She soon learns that two communes--polar opposites of each other--have sprung up nearby in the Arizona desert. The participants at EarthWay follow a rigorous dietary regime that could threaten the health of its back-to-the-land inhabitants, while the more pleasure-loving folk at Kanati are dining on sumptuous French cuisine.
On an early morning horseback ride across the Pima Indian Reservation, Lena finds an emaciated woman's body in the desert. "Reservation Woman" lies in a spot close to EarthWay, clad in a dress similar to the ones worn by its women. But there is something about her face that reminds Lena of the Kanatians.
While investigating, Lena's memory is jolted back to that horrible night when her father and younger brother were among those murdered by a cult leader named Abraham, who then vanished. Lena begins to wonder if either EarthWay or Kanati could be linked to that night, and to her own near-death. Could leaders of one or both shed light on what had happened to Lena's mother, who vanished at the same time as Abraham?
All these mysteries are resolved in Desert Redemption, the tenth and final Lena Jones case, which can also be enjoyed on its own.
At the age of four, Scottsdale private eye Lena Jones was shot in the head and left to die on a Phoenix street. After her rescue, she spent years in the abusive foster care system, never knowing who her parents were and why they didn't claim her. When Desert Redemption begins, she still doesn't know her real name.
Lena's rough childhood--and the suspicion that her parents may have been members of a cult--keeps her hackles raised. So when Chelsea, the ex-wife of Harold Slow Horse, a close friend, joins a "new thought" organization called Kanati, Lena begins to investigate. She soon learns that two communes--polar opposites of each other--have sprung up nearby in the Arizona desert. The participants at EarthWay follow a rigorous dietary regime that could threaten the health of its back-to-the-land inhabitants, while the more pleasure-loving folk at Kanati are dining on sumptuous French cuisine.
On an early morning horseback ride across the Pima Indian Reservation, Lena finds an emaciated woman's body in the desert. "Reservation Woman" lies in a spot close to EarthWay, clad in a dress similar to the ones worn by its women. But there is something about her face that reminds Lena of the Kanatians.
While investigating, Lena's memory is jolted back to that horrible night when her father and younger brother were among those murdered by a cult leader named Abraham, who then vanished. Lena begins to wonder if either EarthWay or Kanati could be linked to that night, and to her own near-death. Could leaders of one or both shed light on what had happened to Lena's mother, who vanished at the same time as Abraham?
All these mysteries are resolved in Desert Redemption, the tenth and final Lena Jones case, which can also be enjoyed on its own.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
328 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
28 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Betty Webb
24 books202 followersAs a journalist and literary critic for more than 20 years, Betty -- a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, where her detective Lena Jones also lives -- has interviewed U. S. presidents, Nobel prize-winners, astronauts who’ve walked on the moon, polygamy runaways, the homeless, and the hopeless.
Now retired from journalism to write full time, she also contributes the Small Press column for Mystery Scene magazine and teaches creative writing at Phoenix College.
In her writing, Betty makes liberal use of her own varied background. She earned her way through art school by working as a folk singer but eventually gave up singing to concentrate on her art career. At various times she has picked cotton, raised chickens which laid blue eggs (Speckled Hamburgs), worked in a zoo, been a go-go dancer and horse breeder, taught Sunday School, founded a literary magazine, helped rebuild a long-abandoned 120-year-old farm house, and back-packed the Highlands of Scotland alone.
In 1982, Betty moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where her Lena Jones novels are set, but her roots are in Hamilton, Alabama, where most of her extended family still lives. In 2000 she published The Webb Family of Alabama: Survivors of Change, which focused on the descendants of her half-Seneca, half-English great-great-grandfather, William Douglas Webb, who ran away to sea at the age of 16, then after 14 wild years, settled down to farm peacefully in Hamilton. Recent DNA testing, however, has revealed that her seafaring ancestor harbored a big secret: he might not have been a Webb after all, but the descendant of a New Jersey colonist family named Price. Betty is now working to unravel this real-life mystery: did William Douglas Price change his name to Webb. Was he on the run from the law? (As a mystery writer, she kinda hopes he was)
On her mother’s side, Betty can trace her roots back to the Barons of Riddell in medieval Scotland. The Riddells, friends and financial supporters of the poet Robert Burns, did not always enjoy the best of reputations. The opera, Lucia di Lammermore, about a young bride who decapitates her husband on their wedding night, was based upon a real life incident in the Riddell family. But the Riddells maintain that Lucy (her real name) merely scratched her bridegroom, and that he simply overreacted when he screamed out, "Murder!" Anyway, that’s the Riddells' story and they're sticking to it.
"The impact of my unusual family upon my life has been profound," Betty says. "That's why I thought it would be intriguing to create a detective who had no idea of where she came from or who her parents were. Creating the orphaned Lena Jones has helped me appreciate my own ancestral heritage - both the good and the bad." About the recent DNA testing results, she adds, "All this time the Webbs were keeping an even bigger secret than the Riddells -- and they didn’t even know they were! How could I not have become a mystery novelist."
(from http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/bio....)
Series:
* Lena Jones Mystery
* Gunn Zoo Mystery
Now retired from journalism to write full time, she also contributes the Small Press column for Mystery Scene magazine and teaches creative writing at Phoenix College.
In her writing, Betty makes liberal use of her own varied background. She earned her way through art school by working as a folk singer but eventually gave up singing to concentrate on her art career. At various times she has picked cotton, raised chickens which laid blue eggs (Speckled Hamburgs), worked in a zoo, been a go-go dancer and horse breeder, taught Sunday School, founded a literary magazine, helped rebuild a long-abandoned 120-year-old farm house, and back-packed the Highlands of Scotland alone.
In 1982, Betty moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where her Lena Jones novels are set, but her roots are in Hamilton, Alabama, where most of her extended family still lives. In 2000 she published The Webb Family of Alabama: Survivors of Change, which focused on the descendants of her half-Seneca, half-English great-great-grandfather, William Douglas Webb, who ran away to sea at the age of 16, then after 14 wild years, settled down to farm peacefully in Hamilton. Recent DNA testing, however, has revealed that her seafaring ancestor harbored a big secret: he might not have been a Webb after all, but the descendant of a New Jersey colonist family named Price. Betty is now working to unravel this real-life mystery: did William Douglas Price change his name to Webb. Was he on the run from the law? (As a mystery writer, she kinda hopes he was)
On her mother’s side, Betty can trace her roots back to the Barons of Riddell in medieval Scotland. The Riddells, friends and financial supporters of the poet Robert Burns, did not always enjoy the best of reputations. The opera, Lucia di Lammermore, about a young bride who decapitates her husband on their wedding night, was based upon a real life incident in the Riddell family. But the Riddells maintain that Lucy (her real name) merely scratched her bridegroom, and that he simply overreacted when he screamed out, "Murder!" Anyway, that’s the Riddells' story and they're sticking to it.
"The impact of my unusual family upon my life has been profound," Betty says. "That's why I thought it would be intriguing to create a detective who had no idea of where she came from or who her parents were. Creating the orphaned Lena Jones has helped me appreciate my own ancestral heritage - both the good and the bad." About the recent DNA testing results, she adds, "All this time the Webbs were keeping an even bigger secret than the Riddells -- and they didn’t even know they were! How could I not have become a mystery novelist."
(from http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/bio....)
Series:
* Lena Jones Mystery
* Gunn Zoo Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 30, 2018
Lena Jones will encounter cults, red herrings, malnutrition deaths, contamination of the water. deprogrammers and runaway tweens in the tenth and final installment. Interface with the present are spurts of scenes from the past.
Bodies are being dumped near or on the Pima Reservation Lena discovered one of them. Two are known as the Unicorn woman and the Reservation Woman. None of the bodies had any identification in them Lena didn't want them to be buried in a pauper grave began to look for their identities. She discovered the Kanati group who were living a luxury life and the Earthway commune. The Kanati organization is headed by Adam who sees very few people. Mother Eve is the head of Earthway and has her disciples using well water and selling it. On one her trips to Kanati she sees Adam and when their eyes met there is an immediate recognition. I like the ending. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Edelweiss and Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
Bodies are being dumped near or on the Pima Reservation Lena discovered one of them. Two are known as the Unicorn woman and the Reservation Woman. None of the bodies had any identification in them Lena didn't want them to be buried in a pauper grave began to look for their identities. She discovered the Kanati group who were living a luxury life and the Earthway commune. The Kanati organization is headed by Adam who sees very few people. Mother Eve is the head of Earthway and has her disciples using well water and selling it. On one her trips to Kanati she sees Adam and when their eyes met there is an immediate recognition. I like the ending. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Edelweiss and Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
March 11, 2019
“Desert Redemption” by Betty Webb is the tenth and final installment in the “Lena Jones Mystery” series. Regular readers will anxiously read for the wrap up of several backstories. New readers should not be discouraged; “Desert Redemption” can be enjoyed on its own, and Webb has included all the background information necessary to follow along with the exploits of Lena and Jimmy.
Lena Jones and Jimmy Sisiwan are living in an Airstream on the wild expanse of the Salt River Pima / Maricopa Indian Reservation with their horses and cats. Jimmy is building a house, a three-bedroom house, just for them. Lena and Jimmy are partners in Desert Investigations. Lena, like most former foster kids, does not handle the change well, even when the change is for the better, but she is devoted to Jimmy.
The story is character driven, and the action is presented in Lena’s first-person narrative. Readers learn about people she meets and places she goes through her conversations and observations. In alternating chapters, she recounts dreams, memories, and nightmares from thirty-five years earlier. It is now time for Lena to face her past, and she finally retrieves the cardboard banker’s box of childhood memories that had been temporarily shoved away.
Every day, Desert Investigations fields phone calls from the artists, residents, parents, politicians, and general Scottsdale citizenry who have been “done wrong.” Harold Slow Horse, a friend, is worried that his ex-wife has become involved with a cult masquerading as a retreat or health resort for new back-to-the-landers who want to get off the grid. The daughter of a local political candidate has disappeared along with her boyfriend. The body of an unidentified young woman has been found on the Res. Multiple investigations weave in and out of the story, interlinking and deviating as Lena and Jimmy explore the social problems, criminal activities, and personal tragedies that bring clients to Desert Investigations. They diligently search, but find more questions than answers. Difficulties intensify; the body count escalates, and not every investigation has a successful conclusion.
Through Webb’s words, the beauty and the geography of the area jump from every page.
In “Desert Redemption,” Webb brings a startling closure to Lena’s troubled past and things might just finally work out for Lena. I was given a review copy of “Desert Redemption” by Betty Webb and Poisoned Pen Press. The book has a nice shout-out to “Y Is for Yesterday” as Lena reads Sue Grafton’s final book, and laments that she must say farewell to Kinsey Millhone, as do we all. Alas, it is time for readers to say goodbye Lena Jones as well, ten wonderful books, and many, many wonderful stories.
Lena Jones and Jimmy Sisiwan are living in an Airstream on the wild expanse of the Salt River Pima / Maricopa Indian Reservation with their horses and cats. Jimmy is building a house, a three-bedroom house, just for them. Lena and Jimmy are partners in Desert Investigations. Lena, like most former foster kids, does not handle the change well, even when the change is for the better, but she is devoted to Jimmy.
“I still couldn’t figure out why it had taken me so long to love him, why I’d taken so many side roads with so many men. Thank God— who maybe did exist, after all— I’d finally come to my senses.”
The story is character driven, and the action is presented in Lena’s first-person narrative. Readers learn about people she meets and places she goes through her conversations and observations. In alternating chapters, she recounts dreams, memories, and nightmares from thirty-five years earlier. It is now time for Lena to face her past, and she finally retrieves the cardboard banker’s box of childhood memories that had been temporarily shoved away.
Every day, Desert Investigations fields phone calls from the artists, residents, parents, politicians, and general Scottsdale citizenry who have been “done wrong.” Harold Slow Horse, a friend, is worried that his ex-wife has become involved with a cult masquerading as a retreat or health resort for new back-to-the-landers who want to get off the grid. The daughter of a local political candidate has disappeared along with her boyfriend. The body of an unidentified young woman has been found on the Res. Multiple investigations weave in and out of the story, interlinking and deviating as Lena and Jimmy explore the social problems, criminal activities, and personal tragedies that bring clients to Desert Investigations. They diligently search, but find more questions than answers. Difficulties intensify; the body count escalates, and not every investigation has a successful conclusion.
Through Webb’s words, the beauty and the geography of the area jump from every page.
“Mother Nature’s wild citizens, wilder even than the local teens, greeted the day’s glory with joy and trepidation. Ground squirrels, jackrabbits, and deer mice scurried between various kinds of cacti, while a chorale of birds sang from mesquite and ironwood trees. In the lightening sky above, a bald eagle drifted along a thermal, deciding which scurrying creature to kill first.”
In “Desert Redemption,” Webb brings a startling closure to Lena’s troubled past and things might just finally work out for Lena. I was given a review copy of “Desert Redemption” by Betty Webb and Poisoned Pen Press. The book has a nice shout-out to “Y Is for Yesterday” as Lena reads Sue Grafton’s final book, and laments that she must say farewell to Kinsey Millhone, as do we all. Alas, it is time for readers to say goodbye Lena Jones as well, ten wonderful books, and many, many wonderful stories.
March 29, 2019
Cults, runaway teens, emaciated bodies found on or near the Pima reservation. I loved this thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the ten-book saga of Lena Jones, in which many mysteries of her past are finally solved. It's a good idea to read the previous nine books before you start this one. If you are reading this one first, that's okay, but afterward you'll want to go back and read the others. It's a great series, set in the Arizona desert, with vividly portrayed characters, excellent prose, a fast pace, and well-crafted mystery plots.
March 9, 2019
Betty Webb is a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde. She writes the light and humorous Gunn Zoo mysteries that are a delight to read, and she writes the much darker Lena Jones series, much of the material of which came from her years as a reporter. I love both series, but my heart has always been with Lena, partly because of how Webb depicts Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area. Webb's Lena Jones series has been consistently excellent, often dealing with important topics like polygamy, and because of her past, Lena is always on the side of children.
It hurt to read Desert Redemption knowing that it's the last book in the series. I haven't always agreed with what Lena has done, but she's become more than a friend through the years. Someone is always telling Lena "You can't do everything" to which she always replies, "But I can always try." You have to have a great deal of respect for someone like that. Everything she's done, everything she's suffered, everything she's fought for, has all led her to the final outcome of this book. Desert Redemption is a bone-deep, satisfying conclusion to this series-- and it contains The Best Last Sentence of a book or series ever. You can read it as a standalone, but I sincerely hope you don't cheat yourself. If you and Lena haven't met, start with Desert Noir.
It hurt to read Desert Redemption knowing that it's the last book in the series. I haven't always agreed with what Lena has done, but she's become more than a friend through the years. Someone is always telling Lena "You can't do everything" to which she always replies, "But I can always try." You have to have a great deal of respect for someone like that. Everything she's done, everything she's suffered, everything she's fought for, has all led her to the final outcome of this book. Desert Redemption is a bone-deep, satisfying conclusion to this series-- and it contains The Best Last Sentence of a book or series ever. You can read it as a standalone, but I sincerely hope you don't cheat yourself. If you and Lena haven't met, start with Desert Noir.
March 23, 2019
Author Betty Webb lives and writes her novels set in the same town where I reside. Desert Redemption therefore felt like I was variously reading the local newspaper with in-depth coverage of multiple incidents and listening to PI Lena Jones herself.
Many of the geographic and cultural references are real places and real customs. Some aren't.
Because I spent 12 (of my young adult) years involved in a fundamentalist Christian sect (cult, but not apocalyptic) many of the behavioral references, which Webb had well-researched, were eerily familiar.
Dramatic situations resolved, but they weren't telegraphed beforehand. The characters are tremendous and the dialogue engaging.
Great surprise ending. Thanks Betty Webb for bringing Lena Jones to life.
Many of the geographic and cultural references are real places and real customs. Some aren't.
Because I spent 12 (of my young adult) years involved in a fundamentalist Christian sect (cult, but not apocalyptic) many of the behavioral references, which Webb had well-researched, were eerily familiar.
Dramatic situations resolved, but they weren't telegraphed beforehand. The characters are tremendous and the dialogue engaging.
Great surprise ending. Thanks Betty Webb for bringing Lena Jones to life.
April 15, 2019
The final book in the Lena Jones series. Ms Webb ties up all the loose ends in Lena's story and I am really going to miss her. This is a very good mystery series.
February 17, 2019
Just finished Desert Redemption the tenth book about private investigator Lena Jones by Betty Webb, set as usual in Arizona. This time we actually get to know more about miss Jones troubled past. If you feel like reading this book I can only recommend that you start from the beginning since it will give better background. There are some things that Lena can't stand. Cults, abuse of children and polygamy. I stumbled upon this author a couple of years ago and I haven't regretted it yet. I can strongly recommend them for you all. I also must thank #Netgalley and #PoisonedPenPress for giving me the opportunity to read this #eARC #WhatIamReading #LibraryOfAbibliofob #BettyWebb #LenaJones #DesertRedemption #Arizona
June 1, 2019
Strongly
Years ago, I read and enjoyed the first several volumes in the Lena Jones series. Somehow I just lost track of the series, probably because they weren't available in my library system. When I saw the 10th volume offered on netgalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read more and I am so pleased that I did. Lena Jones is a hardass PI in Arizona, a survivor of foster homes and being shot by her mother at age 4. Her mother has been missing ever since. In this latest, Lana is moving toward a real relationship with her PI partner, Jimmy, a member of the Pima tribe. A friend's missing ex-wife involves her in investigating a potential cult and the story alternates between present day and her early years with her mother. Excellent story. Highly recommended!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Years ago, I read and enjoyed the first several volumes in the Lena Jones series. Somehow I just lost track of the series, probably because they weren't available in my library system. When I saw the 10th volume offered on netgalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read more and I am so pleased that I did. Lena Jones is a hardass PI in Arizona, a survivor of foster homes and being shot by her mother at age 4. Her mother has been missing ever since. In this latest, Lana is moving toward a real relationship with her PI partner, Jimmy, a member of the Pima tribe. A friend's missing ex-wife involves her in investigating a potential cult and the story alternates between present day and her early years with her mother. Excellent story. Highly recommended!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2019
A fitting end to the excellent Lena Jones series.
I have read each of the books in this series after the first, with anticipation that I would be led on a journey in the life of Lena Jones. Each book carried the theme of who the fictional person Lena was and how she solved crimes. Each book brought back the story of the origin of her and what happened to her as a child. This book wrapped it up beautifully with a nice bow. I will tell you that you don’t want to start reading the end of a Betty Webb book when you have to work the next day, I could not put the book down until I finished it at 2am. It’s a bitter sweet feeling that the series is over, but now I look forward to reading the authors other books.
I have read each of the books in this series after the first, with anticipation that I would be led on a journey in the life of Lena Jones. Each book carried the theme of who the fictional person Lena was and how she solved crimes. Each book brought back the story of the origin of her and what happened to her as a child. This book wrapped it up beautifully with a nice bow. I will tell you that you don’t want to start reading the end of a Betty Webb book when you have to work the next day, I could not put the book down until I finished it at 2am. It’s a bitter sweet feeling that the series is over, but now I look forward to reading the authors other books.
December 26, 2023
Hmmmm this one was a little slow for me tbh
March 12, 2019
GNABKo . I had not found Betty Webb before I received this, the 10th of the Lena Jones mysteries from Netgalley, the author Betty Webb and publisher Poisoned Pen Press. I have a LOT of catching up to do!
With a setting in the Arizona high plains desert, Lena Jones is a fiercely independent woman with a soft heart and lots of experience dealing with the bad guys. This mystery is centered around a couple of 'back to earth' communes located near Scottsdale, one a possible 'fat farm' and the other more into fleecing bored wealthy folks in the name of ersatz-American Indian paths to achieving a state of Elevation. Add in a toasty Pima lover, a highly strung mare, a couple of cats and a new house going up - you have a woman with a future. Until you encounter several dumped bodies with starvation as the cause of death, a couple of runaway kids not yet 16 years old and a 35 year old haunting mystery surrounding the lost mass grave of many children and one adult, and you have an excellent way to entertain yourself for a spell. I am on the path of getting my little library to add Betty Webb to their have-to get-lists. And more than happy to recommend Desert Redemption to friends and family.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Betty Webb, and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Mar 12, 2019
rec Feb 2, 2019
Poisoned Pen Press
With a setting in the Arizona high plains desert, Lena Jones is a fiercely independent woman with a soft heart and lots of experience dealing with the bad guys. This mystery is centered around a couple of 'back to earth' communes located near Scottsdale, one a possible 'fat farm' and the other more into fleecing bored wealthy folks in the name of ersatz-American Indian paths to achieving a state of Elevation. Add in a toasty Pima lover, a highly strung mare, a couple of cats and a new house going up - you have a woman with a future. Until you encounter several dumped bodies with starvation as the cause of death, a couple of runaway kids not yet 16 years old and a 35 year old haunting mystery surrounding the lost mass grave of many children and one adult, and you have an excellent way to entertain yourself for a spell. I am on the path of getting my little library to add Betty Webb to their have-to get-lists. And more than happy to recommend Desert Redemption to friends and family.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Betty Webb, and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Mar 12, 2019
rec Feb 2, 2019
Poisoned Pen Press
February 24, 2025
My only complaint is that the series is apparently over!
ETA: this was my write-in nomination for the 11th annual Goodreads Choice Awards
ETA: this was my write-in nomination for the 11th annual Goodreads Choice Awards
June 16, 2019
We have reached the 10th book in the Lena Jones “Desert” series – and, according to “official biographer” (my choice of titles) Betty Webb, the last, at least for awhile. Ms. Webb has used the adventures of Scottsdale detective Lena Jones to explore various southwestern social issues, such as polygamous cults and careless mining of uranium AND abandoning of said mines. Which is NOT to say these books subject the reader to a soapbox; the warnings are mixed within traditional mysteries.
“Desert Redemption” is no exception. Lena Jones discovers an emaciated corpse during a desert horseback ride – and it's not the only one discovered in and around the Valley of the Sun. WHO is this person, HOW did she die, or more critical, HOW did she get to her final resting place? Readers wonder along with the protagonist, “How does this tie to the alleged health facility outside of Tucson and/or the cult that their management warns Lena about – if indeed it does?” Oh, and just to keep things interesting, let's toss in a pair of runaways, one of whom happens to be the child of a US Senate candidate.
Ms. Webb ALSO addresses a bigger mystery that has been at the root of Lena Jones' mysteries since she was introduced in “Desert Noir” so long ago – who IS she really? AND did her biological mother REALLY shoot the young Lena in the head, and if so, why?”
I disagree with the author on one important point – there is no reason to end the series now. YES, we solved a mystery that has been at the root of the series since its beginning. So what?? Life goes on – how many of us have an unanswered question from an earlier point in our lives, and does that life simply cease once we get an answer? Typically … no. Take a break if you need to, Ms. Webb, move on to other projects if you'd like, but please don't think that Lena has ridden off into the sunset to early retirement!!
Oh, by the way, that is one incredible cover!! The model looks EXACTLY as I'd always envisioned Lena Jones to look, almost as though she's been the inspiration for the character all along!
RATING: 5 stars. A great book.
“Desert Redemption” is no exception. Lena Jones discovers an emaciated corpse during a desert horseback ride – and it's not the only one discovered in and around the Valley of the Sun. WHO is this person, HOW did she die, or more critical, HOW did she get to her final resting place? Readers wonder along with the protagonist, “How does this tie to the alleged health facility outside of Tucson and/or the cult that their management warns Lena about – if indeed it does?” Oh, and just to keep things interesting, let's toss in a pair of runaways, one of whom happens to be the child of a US Senate candidate.
Ms. Webb ALSO addresses a bigger mystery that has been at the root of Lena Jones' mysteries since she was introduced in “Desert Noir” so long ago – who IS she really? AND did her biological mother REALLY shoot the young Lena in the head, and if so, why?”
I disagree with the author on one important point – there is no reason to end the series now. YES, we solved a mystery that has been at the root of the series since its beginning. So what?? Life goes on – how many of us have an unanswered question from an earlier point in our lives, and does that life simply cease once we get an answer? Typically … no. Take a break if you need to, Ms. Webb, move on to other projects if you'd like, but please don't think that Lena has ridden off into the sunset to early retirement!!
Oh, by the way, that is one incredible cover!! The model looks EXACTLY as I'd always envisioned Lena Jones to look, almost as though she's been the inspiration for the character all along!
RATING: 5 stars. A great book.
April 29, 2019
Cults and communes, terrifying memories, and learning to love and trust all take top billing in Betty Webb’s Desert Redemption. I have read several other mysteries in this series, and this one is probably the best. The plot is intricate with difficult to determine motivations and victims found in various locations, but with similar causes of death. As P.I. Lena Jones has reasons to take the deaths personally, she gives more than one hundred percent of effort to solving the cases. This fast paced mystery has a lot of excitement, some danger, and an unusual method of escape. There are interesting subplots involving Lena’s goddaughter and Lena’s relationship with her patient Pima boyfriend. Most important, however, is a thread that keeps popping up about a woman named Helen. This part of the tale occurs 35 years prior to the current action. At first the significance of the thread and its relationship to the main plot is obscure, but it broadens and develops as Lena remembers more of her past.
Desert Redemption is the tenth and last book in the Lena Jones Mystery Series. In it author Webb brings closure to Lena’s storyline—past, present, and future. Even though Lena’s story reaches a conclusion, the final novel just piques my interest to watch this talented P.I. at work on previous cases. The characters are interesting. I particularly enjoyed the relationship Lena has with Sylvie Perrins, her “frenemy” from the Scottsdale Police. They engage in humorous and biting repartee, but obviously have respect for each other. The Arizona desert backdrop is almost a minor character and one that makes the story more interesting. This is a book you will want to search out for its many good features, but especially to watch Lena solve possibly the most intricate puzzle of her career.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Desert Redemption is the tenth and last book in the Lena Jones Mystery Series. In it author Webb brings closure to Lena’s storyline—past, present, and future. Even though Lena’s story reaches a conclusion, the final novel just piques my interest to watch this talented P.I. at work on previous cases. The characters are interesting. I particularly enjoyed the relationship Lena has with Sylvie Perrins, her “frenemy” from the Scottsdale Police. They engage in humorous and biting repartee, but obviously have respect for each other. The Arizona desert backdrop is almost a minor character and one that makes the story more interesting. This is a book you will want to search out for its many good features, but especially to watch Lena solve possibly the most intricate puzzle of her career.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2019
Desert Redemption is the tenth book in the Lena Jones series of mysteries featuring a Scottsdale private investigator. Lena finds a dead body of an emaciated woman while out riding her horse. She believes it may be linked to a similarly emaciated body found earlier in the same general area. A local artist asks her and her partner to look for his ex-wife who he believes has joined a cult. Lena’s personal history, revealed in her nightmares, makes her very attuned to cults and their dangers so she looks into it, though on the surface it seems more of a luxury spa with some cafeteria New Age/Native American theology mixed in. She also learns of a neighboring commune/cult that provokes even more immediate concern.
In the course of her investigation, all sorts of pieces come together, revealing more about not just these communities but about her own personal history.
I loved Betty Webb’s Desert Redemption and look forward to reading more in the series. Even though my first exposure was the tenth in the series, I never felt lost or out of place in the story, though some revelations might answer questions that filtered through the previous nine books, though that is only a guess. I liked that the mystery was fair. We had all the information we needed to work our own way toward a solution. Webb provided a lot of information about cults and it was integrated naturally into the story. There were no conversations that seemed cribbed from Wikipedia as a means of delivering factual information. It was organic and rose out of the story and Lena’s natural thought processes.
I thought this was an excellent mystery and am excited to read more.
I received a copy of Desert Redemption from the publisher through NetGalley.
Desert Redemption at Poisoned Pen Press
Betty Webb author site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
In the course of her investigation, all sorts of pieces come together, revealing more about not just these communities but about her own personal history.
I loved Betty Webb’s Desert Redemption and look forward to reading more in the series. Even though my first exposure was the tenth in the series, I never felt lost or out of place in the story, though some revelations might answer questions that filtered through the previous nine books, though that is only a guess. I liked that the mystery was fair. We had all the information we needed to work our own way toward a solution. Webb provided a lot of information about cults and it was integrated naturally into the story. There were no conversations that seemed cribbed from Wikipedia as a means of delivering factual information. It was organic and rose out of the story and Lena’s natural thought processes.
I thought this was an excellent mystery and am excited to read more.
I received a copy of Desert Redemption from the publisher through NetGalley.
Desert Redemption at Poisoned Pen Press
Betty Webb author site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
March 3, 2019
Scottsdale PI Lena Jones is hired by artist Harold Slow-Horse to find his missing addicted ex-wife Chelsea. The trail leads Lena to two different communes: Earthway that follows a rigorous dietary regime and Kanati, a wellness centre using aboriginal beliefs. It is at the latter place where Lena finds a healthy Chelsea.
Then one morning while riding horseback across the Pima Indian Reservation, Lena finds a dead emaciated woman. "Reservation Woman" is wearing a dress similar to Earthway women but something also points the way towards Kanati. A few days earlier, another woman with a distinct unicorn tattoo was found dead. Are the two deaths linked?
When Lena briefly sees Kanati's leader Adam, she gets a jolting memory of herself as a 4 year old being "married" to Golden Boy, the son of cult leader Abraham. Golden Boy Adam is the leader of Kanati. Now 35 years later, Lena may gets the answers behind her family''s fate and why her mother had vanished after shooting her in the head and leaving her for dead on a Phoenix street.
This was a gripping, thrilling read and fine resolution to the Lena Jones series.
I received a digital ARC via Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
Then one morning while riding horseback across the Pima Indian Reservation, Lena finds a dead emaciated woman. "Reservation Woman" is wearing a dress similar to Earthway women but something also points the way towards Kanati. A few days earlier, another woman with a distinct unicorn tattoo was found dead. Are the two deaths linked?
When Lena briefly sees Kanati's leader Adam, she gets a jolting memory of herself as a 4 year old being "married" to Golden Boy, the son of cult leader Abraham. Golden Boy Adam is the leader of Kanati. Now 35 years later, Lena may gets the answers behind her family''s fate and why her mother had vanished after shooting her in the head and leaving her for dead on a Phoenix street.
This was a gripping, thrilling read and fine resolution to the Lena Jones series.
I received a digital ARC via Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
February 21, 2019
Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC
#DesertRedemption by Betty Webb is an unbridled portrayal of one woman’s traumatic journey to uncover the mystery of her past.
Private Investigator, Lena Jones, knows very little about her past. She was shuffled between one abusive foster home after another throughout her entire life. That is, after she was found in the street with a bullet in her head. All she wants are answers of who she really is, where she came from, and what her real name. Unfortunately, the answers that she looking for may not be ones she’s ready to hear.
This narrative is forthcoming and raw. It’s the tenth and last book in the Lena Jones series but can definitely be read as a stand alone. The cast of characters are well-developed and support a tightly woven plot, full of mystery and suspense. Webb does an excellent job with keeping the plot pace accelerated and the reader engaged the entire way through. Excellent read.
#DesertRedemption by Betty Webb is an unbridled portrayal of one woman’s traumatic journey to uncover the mystery of her past.
Private Investigator, Lena Jones, knows very little about her past. She was shuffled between one abusive foster home after another throughout her entire life. That is, after she was found in the street with a bullet in her head. All she wants are answers of who she really is, where she came from, and what her real name. Unfortunately, the answers that she looking for may not be ones she’s ready to hear.
This narrative is forthcoming and raw. It’s the tenth and last book in the Lena Jones series but can definitely be read as a stand alone. The cast of characters are well-developed and support a tightly woven plot, full of mystery and suspense. Webb does an excellent job with keeping the plot pace accelerated and the reader engaged the entire way through. Excellent read.
August 12, 2020
This is the latest Lena Jones book by the Author and whilst it can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading the prvious books first .
Lena is working as a PI in Arizona , a survivor of the foster system after being shot by her mother at 4 years of age , she is now nuturing a new relationship with her PI partner , Jimmi .
Investigating the disappearance of a friend's ex wife to a possible Cul/Commune brings to the fore her nightmares and past .There are two communes- Kanati and Earthway- which have recently sprung up, with vastly different attitudes and clientele - two bodies have been found - are they linked to the two Cults/Communes ?
Will she find the missing woman dead ?
Will she be able to resolve her past ?
Will she ever have an HEA ?
An entertaing romantic mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed
I was given an arc of the book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Lena is working as a PI in Arizona , a survivor of the foster system after being shot by her mother at 4 years of age , she is now nuturing a new relationship with her PI partner , Jimmi .
Investigating the disappearance of a friend's ex wife to a possible Cul/Commune brings to the fore her nightmares and past .There are two communes- Kanati and Earthway- which have recently sprung up, with vastly different attitudes and clientele - two bodies have been found - are they linked to the two Cults/Communes ?
Will she find the missing woman dead ?
Will she be able to resolve her past ?
Will she ever have an HEA ?
An entertaing romantic mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed
I was given an arc of the book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
March 5, 2019
Lena Jones, who runs a PI firm in Scottsdale, is hired to find a missing woman- and she finds a lot more. There are two communes- Kanati and Earthway- which have recently sprung up, with vastly different attitudes and clientele. Lena finds a dead woman in the desert who appears to be from the latter but looks more like one of the residents of the former. This leads her down a path to self discovery. I'd not read the earlier books so Lena, and her horrible background, were new to me. This is well written and plotted, with a terrific heroine who has overcome so much. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. The mystery was to me the catalyst for the more important story about Lena's origins.
May 31, 2020
This is the final book in Betty Webb's series about Lena Jones. I think it's important to read the other books first, since this is the novel that ties up loose ends and reveals what can be known of Lena's past.
It's a well-plotted book. Webb is an investigative journalist in Arizona and all of the books in this series are based on actual stories she covered.
The characters are developed a bit more in each succeeding book. Numerous characters appear repeatedly.
I lived in Phoenix for 12 years. Webb captures the corruption, venality and small-minded racism that pervades Arizona government and 'western culture.' Reminds me of some of the reasons I was happy to leave.
It's a well-plotted book. Webb is an investigative journalist in Arizona and all of the books in this series are based on actual stories she covered.
The characters are developed a bit more in each succeeding book. Numerous characters appear repeatedly.
I lived in Phoenix for 12 years. Webb captures the corruption, venality and small-minded racism that pervades Arizona government and 'western culture.' Reminds me of some of the reasons I was happy to leave.
August 8, 2020
While reading this and thinking ahead to this review I would write, I found myself comparing this book to my little Honda Fit. It strains if you ask too much of it, emits the occasional odd clunk, and is thoroughly noisy at high speed, but it is cute, sturdy, and gets the job done. So, too, with this novel. Despite a similar setting, it lacks the deep cultural context of Tony Hillerman’s mysteries; it lacks the edge-of-your-seat suspense of a Jeffrey Deaver; it lacks the poetic beauty of a Louise Penny, but still, it gets the job done, providing an interesting protagonist and good-enough plot without being boring, or simpering, or gruesome — it is a sturdy little entertainment.
January 23, 2019
Lena Jones and her partner Jimmy run Desert Investigations, a PI firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lena has had a difficult past, growing up in a series of abusive foster homes, and has never known what happened to her parents. She is investigating several deaths ostensibly linked to groups in the area—cults, or just people practicing freedom of religion? Could there be a clue to Lena’s past in these groups? I’ve read all of the Lena Jones series, but Betty Webb, a former investigative journalist, has written a compelling mystery that can be definitely be read as a stand-alone.
March 9, 2019
This was the first Lena Jones Mystery I've read. I found the characters and their relationships to be very well developed. I enjoyed the entire story from beginning to end. The setting in Arizona is a huge bonus since I lived there for three years now. The history, locations, and terrain described within the story really adds a level of believability to draw you in deeper to the story and closer to the characters. In the end, I found myself wishing for another chapter, but you know what they say about all good things.
April 28, 2019
I am very sad that this is the last Lena Jones book. I've read all of them since the first one, Desert Noir, which set a high standard for characters, setting, plot AND really good writing. It's not often you get a crime series this consistently good. Each of the previous books had tantalising glimpses of Lena's memories of her life before she was found unconscious from a bullet wound in her head, at the age of four. This book reveals exactly what happened and why, while also dealing with some new mysteries for PI Lena to solve.
June 25, 2019
This is the last book in the Lena Jones series. I have not read any of the others in the series but the author filled in a lot of blanks for me. Apparently everything from the previous books get tied up in this final book. Lena Jones is a PI in Arizona looking into the deaths of several people who died near communes. After further investigation, she begins to think the deaths m ay be related and that cults may be involved. As the book goes on, more and more of Lena's life is exposed leading to a stunning conclusion.
February 12, 2019
One of the best books, if not the best, in this series. Lena Jones is a tough, no nonsense but vulnerable woman still trying to decipher the mystery of who she really is. While investigating a new-age type spiritual group with secrets to hide Lena soon comes face to face with her worse nightmare and reality soon follows.
The characters are wonderful, the locale is gorgeous and this story will make you love Lena even more. I know I do.
Don’t miss this one!
The characters are wonderful, the locale is gorgeous and this story will make you love Lena even more. I know I do.
Don’t miss this one!
January 26, 2020
I became aware of this series years ago through Marilyn Stasio's mention of one of the earlier installments, "Desert Wives," which led me to start it from the beginning. The fact-based outlines of the crimes Lena investigates have always been the better aspects of the books--much more so than the prose or the characters, but I feel like those, in addition to the plots, have gotten stronger in the last couple of books. This was a satisfying and worthy end to the Lena Jones saga.
January 1, 2026
I don't want it to end.
I truly enjoyed this series. The characters and scenery make me want to see Arizona. The stories are sickening and gripping at the same time. Hard to think this stuff still goes on in America today. Well maybe not if I think about it.
The only complaint is the editing, so many errors. If this is AI, it is dumb as a box of rocks. I'm open to proof reading the next series for you Betty.
I truly enjoyed this series. The characters and scenery make me want to see Arizona. The stories are sickening and gripping at the same time. Hard to think this stuff still goes on in America today. Well maybe not if I think about it.
The only complaint is the editing, so many errors. If this is AI, it is dumb as a box of rocks. I'm open to proof reading the next series for you Betty.
February 16, 2019
I have loved these books from the first one. Wonderful gritty mysteries, with a heartbreakingly damaged, yet lovable heroine. This is the last in series, and I will miss Lena very much. But — spoiler alert! — Webb has written the perfect happy ending for our girl. Highly, highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.
April 14, 2019
If you have followed the adventures of Lena Jones in the Sonoran Desert over the years, you DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS VOLUME! Having lived in the Phoenix area briefly, I always enjoy revisiting it and finding out what Lena is up to at the moment. Her development is intriguing and I love to catch up on what's going on "in the Valley".
Seriously, if you like Lena, get this book NOW!
Seriously, if you like Lena, get this book NOW!
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