Edge Of Evil

Ali Reynolds #1

by J.A. Jance

The end of her high-profile broadcasting career came too soon for TV journalist Alison Reynolds--bounced off the air by executives who wanted a "younger face." With a divorce from her cheating husband of ten years pending, there is nothing keeping her in LA any longer. Cut loose from her moorings, Ali is summoned back home to Sedona, Arizona, by the death of a childhood friend. Once there she seeks solace in the comforting rhythms of her parents' diner, the Sugarloaf Cafe, and launches an on-line blog as therapy for others who have been similarly cut loose.

But when threatening posts begin appearing, Ali finds out that running a blog is far more up-close and personal than sitting behind a news desk. And far more dangerous. Suddenly something dark and deadly is swirling around her life... and a killer may be hunting her next.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime

296 pages, Hardcover

First published December 27, 2005

About the author

Judith 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

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay - this book had some good parts but didn't have much of a plot and wasn't particularly well written. If you're looking for a good thriller/suspense novel, you can do better than this.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this last night, and just finished it at 4:30pm. This is the first in the Ali Reynolds series, and I purchased them all so that I can read them in order. I enjoyed this newest J.A. Jance character so much, that I'm going to start the next one later this evening!

[Keli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hi my name is Ali, I'm going to tell you everything about me- my maiden name, my parents' names, where I live, my profession, my blood type. Oh,and my social security number is 555-12-1234. If you want to find me, I'm working at my parents restaurant in Sedona, morning shift.
For real, Ali gave out not only her entire life but that of her dead friend. All I could think was how dare you. You are giving out personal and tragic information, that's not yours to share btw, for your blog. She used real names, made accusations and implications without thought. She was an idiot. Then, the author went on a pro-gun rant. Even throwing in a weird comparison between the flaky stupid MC and her new found understanding of trigger quick cops. Political and social opinions aside, the "mystery" was obvious, however, horribly inconsistent. A very big deal was made about the suicide note, which should have been a suicide card, cos she was a big card sender. There is no way she would have left a plain old suicide note, defo would have been an individual card explaining her intent to all of her closest loved ones. She LOVED cards! Okay?!! Anyway her best friend that she never confided in about her illness or failing marriage, our MC, knew this about her. She even opened and closed her eulogy with this well known fact. her BFF since high school loved cards. Funny enough, the killer who is someone that knew the victim really well hadn't thought this through. If only they had used a card, they would've gotten away with murder. Don't read this. Read something else.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

**edited 01/30/14

This was my first J.A. Jance book. I also plan for it to be my last.

Despite my low rating, I have no violent outrage; it just irritated me in a multitude of different ways. This was mainly due to my own personal outlook: this book definitely has a bad case of Did Not Do the Research and I tend to be very quickly exasperated by incorrect real-world details and inconsistencies. I also found the protagonist to be self-righteous, unlikeable, and egocentric. The author attempts to make various political statements about issues like ageism, domestic abuse, and gun control, and there is something rather impressive here: in several cases, I considered that the strawman won the debate.


...
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy, I am no longer posting full reviews here.

The rest of this review can be found on Booklikes.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started listening to Clawback not too long ago and liked it. Listening to this first book is nice to get to know the characters in detail. I like the plot and mystery.

[Mia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is such a dumb book that I cannot believe that J A Jance has gone on to write a dozen books about this monumentally stupid and unattractive woman. I did not believe for a minute that she would begin writing a blog and then put in the details of the death of her best friend for all the world to read. Surely anyone with even a tiny bit of common sense would realize how exploitative and inappropriate her behavior was. In this book she is carrying a concealed weapon in her handbag. Just what the world needs. I have seen her books in airports and often wondered about the author, so when I found a copy for sale at the library, I thought I would try it. Fortunately I was not on an airplane as I would have been tempted to wrest open the window and toss it out.

[David Freas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like both Jance’s Beaumont and Brady series, so I thought I’d give her Ali Reynolds series a shot.

This book isn’t quite on a par with those two. The storyline is good enough: Shortly after Ali’s personal and professional life in LA implodes, her best friend disappears in Arizona. When her body is found, everyone says she committed suicide but Ali doesn’t believe it.

Some writing here is on a ‘See Spot. See Spot run. Run, Spot, run.’ level. For example, in one place Jance says a character plugged a crock pot into a wall socket. Um, Ms. Jance, where else would she plug into? The faucet? When I read something like that I wonder if (a) the author thinks the reader can’t figure that out for him- or herself, or (b) the author is padding his or her writing to hit some predetermined word count.

The resolution has a rushed feel to it. Ali doesn’t really solve the suspicious death of her best friend; it gets resolved via a sort of deus ex machina event. And the motive behind the murder is never actually uncovered, only hinted at with words like ‘possibly’ and ‘appears’ and ‘believe.’

The resolution of the sub-plot about Ali’s divorce was a little too convenient and neatly settled.

These minor quibbles aside, I’ll give this series another shot because I am a fan of J. A. Jance, and even the best authors can turn out a less than stellar book from time to time. But if that one is no better than this one, I’ll limit my reading to Beaumont and Brady.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

"Successful TV journalist Alison Reynolds' career comes to an abrupt end when top executives decide they need a "younger face". As if that's not enough, Ali discovers her media mogul husband is cheating on her: and her best friend from high school is missing." (From Amazon)

A great suspense/mystery novel. I liked Ali.

[Chris Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read the Ali Reynolds books even though I have devoured the J.P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady books for years. Now that I have read the first, I am anxious to catch up with the rest of this series! As always, J.A. Jance did not disappoint. Really gripping story.

[Mary Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

JA Jance writes beautifully about the Southwest and this book is no exception. Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona are featured as well as hurly-burly life in LA, California. The main character Allison, is an anchor woman who loses her job to a younger woman. When she goes home to the sympatheic arms of her husband she finds he also has dumped her for a younger women. She retreats to her home town of Sedona, to heal. But she encounters an even rougher way to end a marriage. Her long time friend has been murdered leaving a less then greiving widower. Allison also seeks comfort on an internet blog.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, even though murder mysteries aren't my cup of tea. I wish I had access to the audiobooks of the rest of the series as I really like the narrator.

[Dlora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, fast-paced book, though the title doesn't fit the action much. Well, since the suicide--or is it a murder?--occurred when a car ran off the edge of a cliff, maybe there is some relevance to Edge of Evil. I think a better title would have been Cut Loose. The story begins when the main character, Ali Reynolds, is cut loose from her job as a news anchor. Then she discovers her husband has been cheating on her so she decides to cut loose from him. She drives to Sedona, Arizona, when she learns that her best friend has died so she can help the family and she also lends a hand in her parent's diner. Her son introduces her to the world of blogging and she starts her own, cutlooseblog.com, and she comments on all the things happening in her life. Besides her entries, we get all kinds of interesting blog comments about job discrimination, ALS (which her friend had just been diagnosed with), divorce and abusive husbands. I was impressed with how the story line moved forward with the use of the blog. The story was well constructed and the plot moved along nicely. The women are strong, not all the men were jerks, and it was fun to see her use of a blog site. The copyright on this book was 2006. Were people using blogs much then or is this book kind of cutting edge? I certainly haven't been aware of blogs until I started reading the ones my girls and my nieces have started recently. Fun.

[Rosabelle Purnama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in less than 24 hours in total. Only put this book down to take a shower, to sleep and to go to work the next morning. After work, I continue reading it for another 30 minutes until I'm finished with it.

This is my first book by J.A. (Judith Ann) Jance. This is actually just a normal mystery-thriller, but the writing flows and makes me want to keep reading it in one sitting from start to finish.

The story is about a news reporter, Ali Reynolds, who were fired from her job because she's considered to old to appeal to a younger audience and is replaced by a younger female reporter. She then found out that her best friend from her home town is missing. Not only that, she also found out that her husband has been cheating on her. She then poured her heart in a blog created by her son.

I like the feel of small town community that Jance creates in this book, with the character. Sugarloaf sounds like a friendly diner place that I want to be in. Such a family and friendly place. However, there are a couple of things in the story that I feel was just a bit "loose" and was not resolved. But overall, this is a really enjoyable read.

[Nancy Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few of her Joanna Brady books but none of her other series. This is the first of her Ali Reynolds books, and it was just as enjoyable as the Sheriff Brady series, if not more so. Ali is a likable character, and even though the plot itself approaches the limits of belief, it's still a very enjoyable quick read.

[Charlotte Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book picked for my mystery book club.
For me it was an OK book. It really didn't draw me in or have any meat to the story line.
And I was able to guess who done it about half way through the book.
The book was more about the people and the blog the main character created than the mystery.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

Not a bad story but it seemed like half of it was told via blog posts and blog comments. That format didn't work for me and I skimmed a ton.

[Tiffeny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read by this author and I’m sure I'll read more. They're entertaining enough and very clean.

As usual though, there are bunch of things that totally bug me. The book is basically a multitude of small contradictions, inconsistencies, and just bone-headed moves. It makes me wonder if the author is simple or if she thinks her readers are. A few that bugged me the most are: (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT)

--Ali's friend goes off a cliff in her car; since this is a murder mystery, we of course all know that she was pushed. Apparently, the police in Sedona don't really investigate things. They just take everything at face value,. A typed, unsigned suicide note is found, with no evidence of where it was typed. The police take it as true without question. The husband is having an affair, but once the suicide note is fine, he's totally off the hook. The list of improbable and naive elements goes on and on. I mean seriously, thank heaven's Ali is there so she can save the day.

--Ali gives the eulogy at her friends funeral "for Reenie's kids", Ali says. Then Ali says nothing about the kids or Reenie’s home life. All she talks about is Ali's relationship with her during high school, Ali relationship with her after high school, how Ali lost touch with her for a while but how they reconnected again, and then she touched briefly on Reenie's work. It was the most self-centered Euology I'd ever heard. No word about Reenie's kids, how much she loved them, how much she enjoyed being their mother. I thought that was super lame, but no surprise as Ali is impressively egocentric.

--Ali starts blogging. Ali as a blogger is disgustingly indiscreet, posting personal details of her own life and the lives of her loved ones - details of her friend's death, her own marriage, and more.

--Ali is being held against her will by a hunting knife. She's 10 feet away from her attacker and reaches into her purse with his permission for her cell phone. But instead of grabbing the gun sitting right beside the cell phone, she just grabs the cell phone, cause she might not have time to pull the gun out and aim it before he closes the 10 foot gap. Really? He’s expecting her to pull something (a cell phone) out of her purse, so if she pulls out a gun instead, unless she moves in slow motion, she can totally pull it out and aim before he even realizes that it’s not a phone. Stupidest thing I have ever heard.

Small details like these drive me nuts. But apparently don't stop me from reading these books, so there you go.

[Maxine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering how popular JA Jance books are, it pains me to say that I just can't get into them. Largely due to what seems to be a variety of unlikeable female lead characters surrounded by great secondary characters who are always shortchanged. The lead in this book definitely falls into that category. I liked the conceit of Ali being a washed out newscaster because ageism and sexism is a serious issue in the TV industry. Also liked that she returned home to lick her wounds and was trying to investigate what happened to her best friend. But the way that Ali went around, seemingly steamrolling her way through town and jumping to conclusions was rough. The clunky red herrings (felt like I wasted a lot of energy on things that meant nothing) and the ultimate reveal of whodunnit was so completely rushed and out of the blue, it turned the whole book into a massive letdown in the end. I was also not a fan of the whole blogging conceit - it's ludicrous that a woman who was on TV AND a veteran journalist would put so many personal details on the internet like that, to say nothing of how the posts themselves rubbed me the wrong way, tone-wise. Each time there was a post and email read back, it really took me out of the story. bummer.

[Megargee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a fan of J. A. Jance's Joanna Brady and J. P. Beaumont series, so I thought I would try the first Ali Reynolds novel. It reminded me of Lemony Snicket's series of unfortunate events. In the matter of a day or so, Ali, a high powered early 40s newscaster in LA, is fired from her anchor position for being too old, and finds that her husband, a network exec, was complicit in the decision. Not only does he order not to sue, but her son tells her that hubby is cheating on her with not one but two younger women. Before she can even schedule an appointment with a divorce attorney, Ali learns that an old friend in Arizona has gone missing (actually been murdered) after being diagnosed with ALS. So Ali starts a blog and, with her adult son, heads for Sedona to assist. I did not like the blog format and chose not to follow her east.

[Bruce Snell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is the first of a new series by J.A. Jance, it was as typical and familiar as reading any of her Joanna Brady stories. Sort of like watching a new TV show that is a spin-off of an older show - nothing new here. Right now, I can guarantee that the cop Ali Reynolds met in this book will become a boyfriend in the next book. She will win her lawsuit against the LA TV station (even though in real life she would not, 'cause they did nothing wrong), and she will be making a living from her blog. If you are a fan of Jance's writing this is exactly what you are looking for - otherwise, don't bother.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

J.A. Jance offers a tidy murder mystery in Edge of Evil. It is contemporary in the sense that the employer is letting a woman go in a high profile job due to age. However, her talents as a journalist will come in handy later but will set her up to be stalked and becomed a potential murder victim.

Her son is very supportive and is there for her. Her life has gone through numerous quick changes with a job loss, a divorce, and the death of her friend as well as trying to save her own life in the end.
Certainly the book keeps your interest but the ending can easily be guessed.

[Amanda McGill · Rating 2 out of 5]

More 2.5 stars.

Edge of Evil was a super quick, easy read. The main character, Alison, was relatable, but not always likeable. Some of her thoughts and blog posts I had to shake my head at.

The mystery was ok, but nothing too exciting or thrilling.

I liked the novel enough to want to continue on with this series.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like it. Did not finish it. Won't read the next one.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

J.A.Jance writes down-to-earth books and writes them well. This is the first in a series with a new protagonist, Alison Reynolds. I am still enjoying her books with Joanna Brady, which are set in southern Arizona. I am more familiar with that area, but have visited the Sedona area where this book is located. Reynolds returns to the area where her family lives after losing her broadcasting job in LA. She becomes involved in the death of a long-time friend, which Ali doesn’t think is accidental. The story is up-to-date technically as Ali begins writing a blog with the help of her son. I don’t think she uses good sense in how much personal info she put out, but without it there wouldn’t be the story. It’s a good mystery. I like the characters, and Jance is far ahead of me in writing this series; so I have them to look forward to.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first J. A.Jance Books I read. It has been some time since I found a book that I wanted to keep reading, not just reading it to get done with it. Can't wait to start the 2nd on in this series.

[Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come

[Jamie Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not wildly impressed tbh. In the same way Gerrison and Cornwell don't appeal because the lead female character is unconvincing as a human being. I don't have to like characters but I they have to be plausible. My overall impression of the book was the writer seemed like she had some good ideas and just didn't see them through.

All of a sudden lots of bad things happen to Ali. So she decides to fix them. I don't know how to say more about the story without spoiling some part, because whatever can go wrong, does. But in all honesty, about 90% of the drama is avoidable...Ali is the kind of person who can't just say 'my handbag' btw, it is her '[i] Coach [/i] handbag'...

Alot of the book is postings from Ali's blog and responses from her adoring fans and less adoring trolls...The blog thing drove me nuts - naming herself 'Babe' and being a bit generally sanctimonious about certain things, while being an utter hypocrite about others is never good...I'm all for people doing good work, but this got to be like a causes directory in some places - and sanctimonious Ali is the queen of them all...

I think she is definitely TSTL - Publishing the name and location of your parents diner on your blog and then being scared one of the people you blog about will come and find you? Duh! And you drive a Porsche Cayenne ! double duh!

If her son was the computer savvy, genius - since - birth that Ali claims him to be, surely he would have told her about screen names and not broadcasting your bra size and postcode to the world?

The characters had no real depth - most of the attributes the writer gives to her characters are a mass of generalisations - , women over 35 are shunned, all men like sports, rich folk drive Porsches (only because the writer lacks the imagination to research cars properly), the rottweiler-esque divorce lawyer, good cop, bad cop, wonderful parents - albeit a bit 'quirky' ( to cover up the fact they are big fat cliches maybe?) mean husbands...give me strength!

It bugged me a great deal that Ali continually referred to her best friend as 'my dead friend' in conversations. I have some friends that are gone and I don't think I've ever referred to them in this way...

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh...I like a good mystery and this was...a mystery. I have many annoyances with this book:
1) Ali sharing an incredible amount of personal details on a blog, not just about her life, but airing her dead friends' personal laundry. How disrespectful and tactless. It's a public blog, not a personal diary. But also, is there no concern for safety? Geez, she aggravated people with her comments and practically told everyone exactly where to find her.
2) The mystery was minimally compelling. At first I was intrigued, but the more I learned, the less I cared to reveal whodunit. There was little content that hooked me into Reenie's life/story.
3) The climax was anticlimactic. There's action, then the killer is revealed, the motive (if it really can be called motive) is shared, then the book ends. It was going somewhere then abruptly stopped.
4) Ali having no remorse for taking a human life really detracted from her character. I sided with her up until that point, having lost her job, husband, and friend within days. Even acting out of self defense as she did, wouldn't there be some conflicting thoughts about the result of the altercation? She acted all high and mighty after which dehumanized her for me.
5) There were a lot of plot points in this story, and many became unnecessary. Some points added drama initially, but then got lost in the fray. It's like the author wasn't sure which direction to take the story so they wrote down all the ideas they had and kept writing until there was a conclusion, then forgot to edit out the extra weight.

Okay, I'll stop complaining at 5 points.

[Julianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book #1 of the Alison Reynolds mystery series. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE J. A. Jance! This one begins with a female 40-something news anchor being fired because she is no longer a female 20-something news anchor. Well, that's insulting! And probably illegal. Enter the first of four attorneys that hover throughout this book to handle Ali's problems -- wrongful termination, possible divorce, maybe some hidden secrets in her friend's life, etc. Her son suggests that with her journalism background, she should write a blog. And so begins "Cut Loose", the blog about her personal life, her family, friends, the town of Sedona, justice and injustice in Flagstaff, cats, child custody, gun control, suicide, self-defense, hospital emergency rooms, a hometown diner, family recipes, and more. People read her blog and make comments, and that just adds to the fun!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I had already read Book #2, Web of Evil, for a book club, so I am just catching up. Can't wait to get to Book #3!

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Allison Reynolds is going through a rough patch; she’s lost her job, her marriage, and her best friend. She heads back to her hometown of Sedona, AZ and starts a blog detailing these life-changing issues and how she plans to fight back. The blog, her relationship with her son, dealing with internet trolls, and coping with - as well as questioning - the death of her friend are all key parts of this fast-paced story. One of my favorite aspects of this book is how beautifully Jance writes about the area I grew up in. Sedona and Flagstaff are some of the most beautiful places in Arizona and the story is weaved beautifully into this setting. For those interested in a quick read, this cozy-mystery brings up multiple social issues and will keep you turning pages and wondering what exactly Ali has jumped into. – Michelle V.