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Ali Reynolds #15
Credible Threat
Ali Reynolds and her team at High Noon Enterprises must race against the clock to save an archbishop who faces mysterious death threats in this “masterly study of the effects of grief, rage, and the power of forgiveness” ( Publishers Weekly ) by New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance.
Years after her son’s fatal overdose, grieving mother Rachel Higgins learns that his addiction may have grown out of damage suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest while he was in high school. Looking for vengeance, she targets the Catholic Church’s most visible local figure, Archbishop Francis Gillespie. When the archbishop begins receiving anonymous threats, local police dismiss them, saying they’re not credible. So he turns to his friends, Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson.
With B. out of the country on a cybersecurity emergency, it’s up to Ali to track down the source of the threats. When a shooter assassinates the archbishop’s driver and leaves the priest himself severely injured, Ali forms an uneasy alliance with a Phoenix homicide cop in hopes of preventing another attack. But Ali doesn’t realize that the killer has become not only more unhinged but also more determined to take out his or her target.
Credible Threat is another “terrific entry in a series distinguished by its consistent quality, [and] sensitive treatment of a difficult subject makes this an extraordinary literary experience” ( The Providence Journal ).
Years after her son’s fatal overdose, grieving mother Rachel Higgins learns that his addiction may have grown out of damage suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest while he was in high school. Looking for vengeance, she targets the Catholic Church’s most visible local figure, Archbishop Francis Gillespie. When the archbishop begins receiving anonymous threats, local police dismiss them, saying they’re not credible. So he turns to his friends, Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson.
With B. out of the country on a cybersecurity emergency, it’s up to Ali to track down the source of the threats. When a shooter assassinates the archbishop’s driver and leaves the priest himself severely injured, Ali forms an uneasy alliance with a Phoenix homicide cop in hopes of preventing another attack. But Ali doesn’t realize that the killer has become not only more unhinged but also more determined to take out his or her target.
Credible Threat is another “terrific entry in a series distinguished by its consistent quality, [and] sensitive treatment of a difficult subject makes this an extraordinary literary experience” ( The Providence Journal ).
411 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 2, 2020
1433 people are currently reading
4581 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Jance
117 books4,181 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 421 reviews
January 2, 2022
3.5 stars
In this 15th book in the 'Ali Reynolds' series, the security expert protects a Catholic Archbishop whose life has been threatened. The book works fine as a standalone.
*****
Ali Reynolds and her husband B Simpson run High Noon Enterprises, a highly respected cybersecurity firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. During a Halloween party for High Noon employees - where Ali looks great as Wonder Woman....
…...Ali and B get a surprise visit from their acquaintance Archbishop Francis Gillespie.
Archbishop Gillespie, who heads the Phoenix Diocese of the Catholic Church, reports that he's been getting death threats. The police don't take the threats seriously, but the Archbishop does, and he's worried about the writer's immortal soul. Ali and B sign on to help, planning to identify the sender and protect the Archbishop.
As Ali and B start to organize the Archbishop's security, B is summoned to Europe by an important client. This isn't a problem since Ali and other High Noon personnel are very clever and capable.
Though Ali doesn't know it, the threats are being sent by a woman called Rachel Higgins (not a spoiler). Rachel's 25-year-old son David died from a drug overdose, a tragedy that shattered Rachel's life and marriage.
Rachel recently learned that David was sexually abused in high school, by a pedophile priest named Father Needham. The priest, who abused many boys, was since prosecuted and sent to prison, where he died from AIDS.
When Rachel realizes her son got AIDS from Father Needham, and may have overdosed on purpose, her fury is off the charts. Rachel wants revenge, and since Father Needham is dead, she vows to kill Archbishop Gillespie....even though the Archbishop has zero tolerance for pedophile clergy and has removed several from his diocese.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Ali and Rachel, pinging back and forth between the two women. Rachel carefully plans her assassination of the Archbishop, and even sets up a fall guy to take the blame.
For her part, Ali plans to protect the Archbishop, and assembles a cadre of priests and nuns (who could double as Army Special Forces) to help.
Some of Ali's best assets are her colleague Stu and his Artificial Intelligence (AI) Frigg.
AI Frigg, who was originally created by criminals, has a felonious brain and the ability to hack into anything. Frigg illegally accesses police files, phone records, credit card records, etc....and provides very useful information.
I don't want to give away too much but the story includes a shooting and an arrest, which gets Ali Reynolds talking to a Phoenix police detective.
All this heightens the suspense and moves the story forward. The novel isn't exactly preachy, but - since one of the main characters is an Archbishop - does include Catholic rituals, prayers, and chitchat about immortal souls (in case you need to know).
I enjoyed the book but felt the story faltered towards the end, which I expected to turn out differently. On the upside, I love Frigg, who's one of the best detectives around.
On a serious note, the book highlights the damage done by abusive priests and strikes a laudatory note for high-ranking clergy like (fictional) Archbishop Gillespie, who root then out. 👍
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (J.A. Jance) and the publisher (Gallery Books) for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reveiws at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
June 4, 2020
J. A. Jance was one of the first mystery writers I fell in love with. I flew through her Joanna Brady series, and enjoyed her other two series. But the past two Ali Reynolds books just haven’t done it for me. I like my mysteries to be more rooted in realism and the intelligence of people. The introduction of “Frigg”, B’s AI, is just too much for me and feels too Sci Fi.
I liked the storyline and felt a mother seeking revenge for the loss of her son to Catholic pedophile abuse was realistic. Although I did struggle with the idea that she was so cavalier about collateral damage.
We learn a lot about Archbishop Gillespie, the victim. I’m not sure this served to advance the story at all. I was pleased by the ending, as it was a different approach than most mysteries.
I’m not sure I’ll be continuing with this series. It’s no longer working for me.
My thanks to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advance copy of this book.
I liked the storyline and felt a mother seeking revenge for the loss of her son to Catholic pedophile abuse was realistic. Although I did struggle with the idea that she was so cavalier about collateral damage.
We learn a lot about Archbishop Gillespie, the victim. I’m not sure this served to advance the story at all. I was pleased by the ending, as it was a different approach than most mysteries.
I’m not sure I’ll be continuing with this series. It’s no longer working for me.
My thanks to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advance copy of this book.
May 17, 2020
I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. The release date for this book is 2 June 2020
This most recent installment of the Ali Reynolds mystery series Is a credit to the author’s ingenuity and talent. The story is very thought provoking and deals with a very delicate subject in a no nonsense manner. I have read several in the series and this one is my favorite thus far. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes modern day mysteries. You don’t have to be a fan of the series to really enjoy this book it stands on its own.
This most recent installment of the Ali Reynolds mystery series Is a credit to the author’s ingenuity and talent. The story is very thought provoking and deals with a very delicate subject in a no nonsense manner. I have read several in the series and this one is my favorite thus far. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes modern day mysteries. You don’t have to be a fan of the series to really enjoy this book it stands on its own.
June 21, 2020
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I read book one of the series. I remember thinking to myself I will give this new series a try but probably will just stay with the Joanna Brady series. Here it is book fifteen and I am still reading. J. A. Jance is a master storyteller.
The book is well written and fast paced. The suspense builds throughout the story. I really enjoyed her unusual characters. I noted in this story the newly added AI is helping out. The topic of this episode is the Catholic Church and its problem with pedophilia. I could hardly put this book down. Makes a great summer read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eleven hours and six minutes. Karen Ziemba does a good job narrating the book. Ziemba has narrated the entire series. I think it is important to keep the same narrator through-out a series.
The book is well written and fast paced. The suspense builds throughout the story. I really enjoyed her unusual characters. I noted in this story the newly added AI is helping out. The topic of this episode is the Catholic Church and its problem with pedophilia. I could hardly put this book down. Makes a great summer read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eleven hours and six minutes. Karen Ziemba does a good job narrating the book. Ziemba has narrated the entire series. I think it is important to keep the same narrator through-out a series.
February 21, 2025
“Every barrel has a few rotten apples”
In applying this statement to the Roman Catholic Church, an archbishop’s weak admission has to qualify as the understatement of the century!
A teenage man is dead and it is an open question whether his fatal drug overdose was an accident or suicide. But there is no doubt that the young man’s descent into self-destruction by drug addiction, if not the ultimate exit by suicide, was caused by the confusion, the grief, the despair, and the self-hatred arising out of the rape, and the ongoing abuse and sexual assault at the hands of a Roman Catholic priest, his high school swimming coach. This was a man whom he should have been able to trust and look to for guidance and advice. When his mother discovers the truth of the matter, she too descends into madness and decides to seek vengeance by plotting the murder of the diocesan leader, the Archbishop who failed to stop the priest’s abuse in time to save her son.
CREDIBLE THREAT is not a mystery as, in a word, there is no mystery. The entire plot is known within the first few pages. It certainly isn’t a thriller as the writing throughout most of the book qualifies only as pedestrian and considerably less than thrilling. At best, the writing in the final quarter of the book might qualify, in some readers’ opinions, as a moderately interesting police procedural. Enough to earn a 3-star rating perhaps.
Not from this reader!
RANT ON!
Full disclosure: I’m a lapsed Roman Catholic, now a serious atheist with a whole skeleton’s worth of bones of contention against the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, given the ongoing clergy sexual assault scandal and the Church’s historical conduct with respect to aboriginal residential schools, I would characterize the Roman Catholic Church as evil, a global criminal pedophile ring. I would go further. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways for devout, spiritual theists to express those beliefs without continuing participation in the Catholic Church. To me, continued support of Roman Catholicism by church attendance, financial contributions, or (even worse) by continued work in the Church hierarchy as a deacon, priest, bishop, archbishop or cardinal, is explicit ongoing approval and support of that criminal activity. The Roman Catholic Church needs to be disbanded soonest and relegated to the pages of history books.
Then there was the Archbishop’s “prayer” for the soul of the young man who died by drug overdose. “He prayed that the young man’s death had indeed been accidental rather than deliberate.” Omigod, how dare he? To suggest that the young man’s suicide, if that’s what happened, would be sinful in the eyes of the church (and might relegate his soul to eternal torment in the Catholic hell) when it was the church’s sexual abuse that caused the man’s death, regardless of whether it was accident or suicide, is overbearing, sanctimonious, self-righteous, and spiteful.
There is no possible way that a book which fails to unequivocally condemn this conduct gets anything above a failing grade from this reader. If you’re an atheist, spare yourself the grief and give this book a pass.
RANT OFF!
Paul Weiss
In applying this statement to the Roman Catholic Church, an archbishop’s weak admission has to qualify as the understatement of the century!
A teenage man is dead and it is an open question whether his fatal drug overdose was an accident or suicide. But there is no doubt that the young man’s descent into self-destruction by drug addiction, if not the ultimate exit by suicide, was caused by the confusion, the grief, the despair, and the self-hatred arising out of the rape, and the ongoing abuse and sexual assault at the hands of a Roman Catholic priest, his high school swimming coach. This was a man whom he should have been able to trust and look to for guidance and advice. When his mother discovers the truth of the matter, she too descends into madness and decides to seek vengeance by plotting the murder of the diocesan leader, the Archbishop who failed to stop the priest’s abuse in time to save her son.
CREDIBLE THREAT is not a mystery as, in a word, there is no mystery. The entire plot is known within the first few pages. It certainly isn’t a thriller as the writing throughout most of the book qualifies only as pedestrian and considerably less than thrilling. At best, the writing in the final quarter of the book might qualify, in some readers’ opinions, as a moderately interesting police procedural. Enough to earn a 3-star rating perhaps.
Not from this reader!
RANT ON!
Full disclosure: I’m a lapsed Roman Catholic, now a serious atheist with a whole skeleton’s worth of bones of contention against the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, given the ongoing clergy sexual assault scandal and the Church’s historical conduct with respect to aboriginal residential schools, I would characterize the Roman Catholic Church as evil, a global criminal pedophile ring. I would go further. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways for devout, spiritual theists to express those beliefs without continuing participation in the Catholic Church. To me, continued support of Roman Catholicism by church attendance, financial contributions, or (even worse) by continued work in the Church hierarchy as a deacon, priest, bishop, archbishop or cardinal, is explicit ongoing approval and support of that criminal activity. The Roman Catholic Church needs to be disbanded soonest and relegated to the pages of history books.
Then there was the Archbishop’s “prayer” for the soul of the young man who died by drug overdose. “He prayed that the young man’s death had indeed been accidental rather than deliberate.” Omigod, how dare he? To suggest that the young man’s suicide, if that’s what happened, would be sinful in the eyes of the church (and might relegate his soul to eternal torment in the Catholic hell) when it was the church’s sexual abuse that caused the man’s death, regardless of whether it was accident or suicide, is overbearing, sanctimonious, self-righteous, and spiteful.
There is no possible way that a book which fails to unequivocally condemn this conduct gets anything above a failing grade from this reader. If you’re an atheist, spare yourself the grief and give this book a pass.
RANT OFF!
Paul Weiss
March 12, 2021
Jances' 15th offering featuring former journalist Ali Reynolds focuses on the Catholic Church and the psychological damage pedophile priests inflicted upon not just their victims, but the victims’ families. In this case, Rachel Higgins recently discovered that her long-dead son was a pedophile’s victim while in high school. The swim coach is now dead too, so she directs her anger against the local head of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Francis Gillespie. She is determined to assassinate him—but is kind enough to warn him with threatening note-cards placed in offering baskets.
The police do not believe the notes are a credible threat however, so the Archbishop asks the help of the cybersecurity company headed by Ali’s husband B. Simpson. This includes the A.I. computer named Frigg—the ultimate hacker. Enjoy!
The police do not believe the notes are a credible threat however, so the Archbishop asks the help of the cybersecurity company headed by Ali’s husband B. Simpson. This includes the A.I. computer named Frigg—the ultimate hacker. Enjoy!
June 21, 2021
Phoenix Archbishop Gillespie receives a series of threats via collection plates around the archdiocese, and turns to High Noon Enterprises for help when the local police chief dismisses the threats. Things ramp up big time when Gillespie's driver is shot to death in the Archbishop's driveway, and a local homeless person is wrongly arrested. Ali Reynolds works mostly on her own as husband B. Simpson is called overseas to deal with a ransomware attack, assisted primarily by Frigg, their AI assistant. The assassin is the grieving parent of a child sexually abused by a priest, whose life ended prematurely from an opioid overdose, who has taken full leave of their sanity, and seems oblivious to Gillespie's strong actions against such priests. I liked Jance's recognition of the Phoenix PD's spokesperson, Isabella Maldonado, who now has published her own series of books. However, this book was overly limited to Ali, the assassin, and Frigg, without the supporting cast, except for Sister Anselm.
May 17, 2021
2.5 stars. Part 15 of the Ali Reynolds series. Rachel Higgins lost her son to a drug overdose and after learning that sexual abuse from a priest was what started the self medication path that led to his death. Rachel is out for revenge and targets the most visibal local figure in the Catholic Church, Archbishop Francis Gillespie and Ali Reynolds and her team needs race against time before its to late. I don't think I've read from J. A Jance before and I wasn't very impressed by this novel. Didn't find this very page turnery or exciting, but might get another book a try before I put of the whole series
September 14, 2022
This was my first foray into J A Jance ‘s Ali Reynolds desert southwest mystery series after having read the entire Joanna Brady series by the same author. Credible Threat starts off well enough but before long it’s too obvious where the story is going. Not too much mystery in this one...
July 3, 2020
Credible Threat by J. A. Jance is book fifteen in her Ali Reynolds series, featuring a former newscaster turned cybersecurity specialist. This is the second book I’ve read in the series and I enjoyed both and had no problems following the stories without having read the entire series.
Seventy-year-old Rachel Higgins has never gotten over her son’s fatal drug overdose. She and her husband have both withdrawn into themselves, creating a lonely existence. When old mementos lead her to re-evaluate her son’s last years, she comes to the conclusion that David was abused by a local pedophile priest and is determined to get revenge on her son’s behalf. Rachel becomes obsessed with the highest ranking church official in her area, Archbishop Francis Gillespie, and makes a plan.
High Noon Enterprises, the security firm owned by Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson, has been hired by Archbishop Francis Gillespie to find and stop the person threatening his life. The Archbishop knows he’s truly being targeted, though the police don’t believe the threat to be credible. With her husband out of the country, Ali is on her own against a threat that sometimes seems intangible. When the abstract morphs into a flesh and blood killer, Ali must make a tentative alliance with a local cop.
Credible Threat is another great addition to a successful series. The characters are strong and vibrant. Ali delivers as always. The plot is intriguing and holds the reader’s attention throughout. There are great twists at just the right time. I completely enjoyed this novel. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to all lovers of mystery.
My thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
Seventy-year-old Rachel Higgins has never gotten over her son’s fatal drug overdose. She and her husband have both withdrawn into themselves, creating a lonely existence. When old mementos lead her to re-evaluate her son’s last years, she comes to the conclusion that David was abused by a local pedophile priest and is determined to get revenge on her son’s behalf. Rachel becomes obsessed with the highest ranking church official in her area, Archbishop Francis Gillespie, and makes a plan.
High Noon Enterprises, the security firm owned by Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson, has been hired by Archbishop Francis Gillespie to find and stop the person threatening his life. The Archbishop knows he’s truly being targeted, though the police don’t believe the threat to be credible. With her husband out of the country, Ali is on her own against a threat that sometimes seems intangible. When the abstract morphs into a flesh and blood killer, Ali must make a tentative alliance with a local cop.
Credible Threat is another great addition to a successful series. The characters are strong and vibrant. Ali delivers as always. The plot is intriguing and holds the reader’s attention throughout. There are great twists at just the right time. I completely enjoyed this novel. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to all lovers of mystery.
My thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
August 27, 2022
Book #15 in the series but could work as a standalone, Ali, B., Stu and Frigg the AI computer are at it again. Pacing and setting are pulled off well here and probably better than other books in the series.
⛪️
Lots of references to Catholicism, which makes sense and is necessary considering the plot, just a bit much for me due to the repetitiveness.
🏊♀️
On a serious note the subject matter deals with fallout of the damage suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest who worked at a high school so, although it was an enjoyable book, it wasn’t always lighthearted.
⛪️
Lots of references to Catholicism, which makes sense and is necessary considering the plot, just a bit much for me due to the repetitiveness.
🏊♀️
On a serious note the subject matter deals with fallout of the damage suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest who worked at a high school so, although it was an enjoyable book, it wasn’t always lighthearted.
July 18, 2020
3.5 Stars
I've always enjoyed a good Jance novel. I'm hoping she won't go too sci-fi with Frigg because I'm not a huge fan of that. I like the old fashioned detective work and computer skills that her and B did. No more robots please!
I've always enjoyed a good Jance novel. I'm hoping she won't go too sci-fi with Frigg because I'm not a huge fan of that. I like the old fashioned detective work and computer skills that her and B did. No more robots please!
May 14, 2021
When you love an author’s work you know you can count on a winner every time. This was different in that the story was mostly told by the killer. In usual Jance style there is just enough background info to start the series here but I encourage you to start at the beginning with Ali. Her journey has been amazing!
June 23, 2020
Jance is a prolific novelist, with three long-running series to her name. Credible Threat is the fifteenth in the Ali Reynolds series. Thanks go to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the review copy; this book is for sale now.
The star rating is a tricky thing sometimes. In this case, I wonder whether, had I never read anything by this author, I might tack on that fifth star. It’s the curse of the brilliant, being measured against oneself, but ultimately, I couldn’t help comparing this mystery to The A List, which came before it.
What I like—a good deal, in fact—is the trajectory Jance has taken with this series, making all of the important characters women. In addition to protagonist Reynolds, we have the villain, Rachel Higgins; a third long-running character is the AI named Frigg, who identifies as female. Two key assistants are female, and Sister Anselm, a nun friend of Reynolds, also plays a key role. There are men here, of course. There’s the victim, Father Andrew, who doesn’t last long, and the intended victim, Father Gillespie, who has the meatiest male role in this installment. Ali’s spouse is the co-owner of High Noon, the security firm through which Ali is drawn into one mystery after another, but he is conveniently called out of the country early in the game.
The story begins with a call from Archbishop Gillespie, a friend of B, Ali’s husband. He’s been getting a whole string of threatening notes placed in offertory collections all over the Phoenix area. The police have brushed him off already, and he’d like the matter handled discreetly. He is concerned about his would-be killer’s soul.
Our killer, meanwhile—whom we know right up front, so I’m not giving anything away here—is grieving, embittered, and unhinged. She has recently discovered clues in her late son’s memorabilia collection that suggest his addiction and suicide were the outcome of his molestation at the hands of the swimming coach at the Catholic high school he attended. The coach has died of AIDS, and Higgins still wants somebody to pay for her son’s death; an eye for an eye. Since it’s clear to everyone that the Roman Catholic Church stonewalled and swept abuses under the rug for generations, it makes sense, she decides, to go right to the top. But clearly, even if she were up for international travel, it would be absurd to attempt killing the Pope. Who’s in charge locally, then? Archbishop Gillespie. And so Rachel commences to plan Gillespie’s murder, sending the missives in advance so everyone will know why he had to go. She finds a fall guy to frame for her crime and is off and running.
My first impression is that this story is substantially similar to the last Reynolds mystery, in which a mother planned to commit murders to avenge her son. I’m surprised a pro like Jance would slip like this. But that’s my sole complaint.
I love the way Jance battles stereotypes, and in this case, it’s the Catholic clergy—the good ones—that benefit. Though the layers of abusers, sexual and otherwise, are deep and wide, I bristle at the cracks that are made by comics and the general public almost reflexively about all priests. I have known some wonderful men that abused nothing and nobody, who gave up marriage and family in order to spend their entire lives in the service of others, via the Church. Not all nuns are frustrated savages looking to beat children with rulers; not all priests are pedophiles. The way Jance takes that apart makes me want to stand up and cheer.
The clever loophole that Ali finds and that Gillespie widens with regard to Frigg’s extralegal snooping is terrific.
Whether we call it four stars or five, this is a solid mystery and a good deal of fun. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.
The star rating is a tricky thing sometimes. In this case, I wonder whether, had I never read anything by this author, I might tack on that fifth star. It’s the curse of the brilliant, being measured against oneself, but ultimately, I couldn’t help comparing this mystery to The A List, which came before it.
What I like—a good deal, in fact—is the trajectory Jance has taken with this series, making all of the important characters women. In addition to protagonist Reynolds, we have the villain, Rachel Higgins; a third long-running character is the AI named Frigg, who identifies as female. Two key assistants are female, and Sister Anselm, a nun friend of Reynolds, also plays a key role. There are men here, of course. There’s the victim, Father Andrew, who doesn’t last long, and the intended victim, Father Gillespie, who has the meatiest male role in this installment. Ali’s spouse is the co-owner of High Noon, the security firm through which Ali is drawn into one mystery after another, but he is conveniently called out of the country early in the game.
The story begins with a call from Archbishop Gillespie, a friend of B, Ali’s husband. He’s been getting a whole string of threatening notes placed in offertory collections all over the Phoenix area. The police have brushed him off already, and he’d like the matter handled discreetly. He is concerned about his would-be killer’s soul.
Our killer, meanwhile—whom we know right up front, so I’m not giving anything away here—is grieving, embittered, and unhinged. She has recently discovered clues in her late son’s memorabilia collection that suggest his addiction and suicide were the outcome of his molestation at the hands of the swimming coach at the Catholic high school he attended. The coach has died of AIDS, and Higgins still wants somebody to pay for her son’s death; an eye for an eye. Since it’s clear to everyone that the Roman Catholic Church stonewalled and swept abuses under the rug for generations, it makes sense, she decides, to go right to the top. But clearly, even if she were up for international travel, it would be absurd to attempt killing the Pope. Who’s in charge locally, then? Archbishop Gillespie. And so Rachel commences to plan Gillespie’s murder, sending the missives in advance so everyone will know why he had to go. She finds a fall guy to frame for her crime and is off and running.
My first impression is that this story is substantially similar to the last Reynolds mystery, in which a mother planned to commit murders to avenge her son. I’m surprised a pro like Jance would slip like this. But that’s my sole complaint.
I love the way Jance battles stereotypes, and in this case, it’s the Catholic clergy—the good ones—that benefit. Though the layers of abusers, sexual and otherwise, are deep and wide, I bristle at the cracks that are made by comics and the general public almost reflexively about all priests. I have known some wonderful men that abused nothing and nobody, who gave up marriage and family in order to spend their entire lives in the service of others, via the Church. Not all nuns are frustrated savages looking to beat children with rulers; not all priests are pedophiles. The way Jance takes that apart makes me want to stand up and cheer.
The clever loophole that Ali finds and that Gillespie widens with regard to Frigg’s extralegal snooping is terrific.
Whether we call it four stars or five, this is a solid mystery and a good deal of fun. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.
August 4, 2020
I don't know why I keep reading J.A. Jance books.
July 19, 2020
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
I have read all three series by J.A. Jance for a long time. I always recommend to read series in order. This Ali Reynolds series is probably the least realistic of the three, and is not based on law enforcement personnel like the other series. I still love it. Ali was a news anchor who was briefly in law enforcement and now works with her husband's high-tech firm.
Starting in Man Overboard (#12), there is a story with AI, artificial intelligence. Frigg is a favorite of mine because she really can get the information, despite Stuart's best efforts to make her access only legal information sources. Frigg pursues all important data without regard to legal aspects but saves lives. While her role is smaller this time (darn!), it is important.
Ali is primary in Credible Threat, where the archbishop of Phoenix is getting death threats. He has tried the police but they don't take him seriously. So he turns to High Noon. With B out of town, Ali ends up tracking down the culprit.
I feel kind of sorry for the villain even though the revenge sought is wrong. She isn't happy in her life and has been coasting along with grief and difficult circumstances. When she discovers new information about her son's death, she is determined to make someone pay.
Ali does a masterful job of working with Frigg and yet keeping her assistance to law enforcement legal. The Phoenix homicide cop would rather she stay out of it. Of course, she can't do that with lives in danger. She also takes various steps to protect Father Francis. He's a great character. I worried about him as well as those around him.
Narration:
Karen Ziemba narrated the previous books, so I am familiar and comfortable with her. She was easy to understand and her voices were varied somewhat for each character. Her male and female voices felt appropriate. I love her voice for Frigg! The performance was very enjoyable. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/simonschuster/...
I have read all three series by J.A. Jance for a long time. I always recommend to read series in order. This Ali Reynolds series is probably the least realistic of the three, and is not based on law enforcement personnel like the other series. I still love it. Ali was a news anchor who was briefly in law enforcement and now works with her husband's high-tech firm.
Starting in Man Overboard (#12), there is a story with AI, artificial intelligence. Frigg is a favorite of mine because she really can get the information, despite Stuart's best efforts to make her access only legal information sources. Frigg pursues all important data without regard to legal aspects but saves lives. While her role is smaller this time (darn!), it is important.
Ali is primary in Credible Threat, where the archbishop of Phoenix is getting death threats. He has tried the police but they don't take him seriously. So he turns to High Noon. With B out of town, Ali ends up tracking down the culprit.
I feel kind of sorry for the villain even though the revenge sought is wrong. She isn't happy in her life and has been coasting along with grief and difficult circumstances. When she discovers new information about her son's death, she is determined to make someone pay.
Ali does a masterful job of working with Frigg and yet keeping her assistance to law enforcement legal. The Phoenix homicide cop would rather she stay out of it. Of course, she can't do that with lives in danger. She also takes various steps to protect Father Francis. He's a great character. I worried about him as well as those around him.
Narration:
Karen Ziemba narrated the previous books, so I am familiar and comfortable with her. She was easy to understand and her voices were varied somewhat for each character. Her male and female voices felt appropriate. I love her voice for Frigg! The performance was very enjoyable. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/simonschuster/...
July 22, 2020
Let me just begin with this. JA Jance's "Ali Reynolds" series is my second least favorite of her product, the "Walker Family" being my least... "Credible Threat" is the fifteenth in the series and features Ali and High Noon Enterprises being pulled in to protect her friend, the Phoenix Archbishop, who has received a series of written threats, via collection plates around the archdiocese...The pages begin to churn after the Archbishop's driver and personal assistant is shot to death in the Archbishop's driveway...,decent Sumer read!!!
July 26, 2020
Tried to get through Credible Threat. Not enjoying this series anymore. Think I will only stay with the Joanna Brady series.
July 31, 2020
Love JAJAnce, but this one................................nope. Just nope.
June 9, 2020
I really like this series about amateur sleuth Ali Reynolds. J.A. Jance is a master at describing settings and characters and I hope she will continue for a long time. I have to thank Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for giving it to me for review purposes. Strongly recommended.
March 27, 2020
This is a typical wonderful J. A. Jance read. The stories are very good but the real key is her characters. She always has the wonderfully great characters. The characters are interesting and real. As always, a great read.
July 4, 2020
Although the synopsis of Credible Threat tries to cloak the identity of the person out to kill Archbishop Gillespie, it's clear from the beginning who's behind the threats and attempts on his life. This is another solid outing for J.A. Jance, who knows how to craft a fast-paced, ironclad mystery.
As good as she is with pacing and plotting; however, Jance's true (and marvelous) strength lies in the creation of her characters. Even characters who don't have that much time in the spotlight come to life under her pen. In many ways, my favorite was Sister Anselm, who has a Taser and isn't afraid to use it, but no one who reads Credible Threat can't help but be touched by the damaged Rachel Higgins. It's not easy to create a sympathetic assassin, but Jance has. It's not always easy to create a sympathetic priest in an organization seemingly riddled with pedophiles, but Jance has. As I've already said, the strength of Jance is in her characters.
I haven't been a faithful follower of the author's Ali Reynolds series. I dip my toe in from time to time just to see what Ali is up to. Even though Ali crashed and burned in her original occupation, I've had the tendency to regard this series featuring her as a sort of fairy tale. Yes, Ali crashes and burns, but she bounces back stronger than ever. She's smart. She's strong. She's pretty. She's rich. She's married to a man who has all the high tech gadgets you could ever dream of. She has all the right clothes and all the right transportation... she even gets notified of traffic jams ahead of time so she can avoid them. I imagine that there's more than one reader who envies Ali Reynolds just a tiny bit.
But-- guided by someone as talented as J.A. Jance-- the Ali Reynolds series is fun, and that can count for a lot right now.
As good as she is with pacing and plotting; however, Jance's true (and marvelous) strength lies in the creation of her characters. Even characters who don't have that much time in the spotlight come to life under her pen. In many ways, my favorite was Sister Anselm, who has a Taser and isn't afraid to use it, but no one who reads Credible Threat can't help but be touched by the damaged Rachel Higgins. It's not easy to create a sympathetic assassin, but Jance has. It's not always easy to create a sympathetic priest in an organization seemingly riddled with pedophiles, but Jance has. As I've already said, the strength of Jance is in her characters.
I haven't been a faithful follower of the author's Ali Reynolds series. I dip my toe in from time to time just to see what Ali is up to. Even though Ali crashed and burned in her original occupation, I've had the tendency to regard this series featuring her as a sort of fairy tale. Yes, Ali crashes and burns, but she bounces back stronger than ever. She's smart. She's strong. She's pretty. She's rich. She's married to a man who has all the high tech gadgets you could ever dream of. She has all the right clothes and all the right transportation... she even gets notified of traffic jams ahead of time so she can avoid them. I imagine that there's more than one reader who envies Ali Reynolds just a tiny bit.
But-- guided by someone as talented as J.A. Jance-- the Ali Reynolds series is fun, and that can count for a lot right now.
March 27, 2020
Years after her son's overdose, grieving mother Rachel learns that he may have been sexually abused by the priest who coached the swim team at his Catholic high school. Rachel targets the local archbishop for revenge. The elderly archbishop turns to cyber-investigators Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson, for discreet assistance.
I always enjoy J.A. Jance's books, and this was no exception. Telling the story from multiple points of view gave insight into the characters' misperceptions and blind spots, which is an underlying theme throughout the book. Adding an artificial intelligence “character,” Frigg, allows for exploration of the benefits and drawbacks of computer-aided detection to risk-rank masses of data in a world full of potential threats.
I had difficulties with Rachel’s consistency and decisions. It did not seem plausible that Rachel would not have suspected earlier that her son might have been abused by his swim coach. She knew the coach had been convicted of molestation. Her immediate condemnation of the archbishop seemed capricious, as did her shifts later in the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I always enjoy J.A. Jance's books, and this was no exception. Telling the story from multiple points of view gave insight into the characters' misperceptions and blind spots, which is an underlying theme throughout the book. Adding an artificial intelligence “character,” Frigg, allows for exploration of the benefits and drawbacks of computer-aided detection to risk-rank masses of data in a world full of potential threats.
I had difficulties with Rachel’s consistency and decisions. It did not seem plausible that Rachel would not have suspected earlier that her son might have been abused by his swim coach. She knew the coach had been convicted of molestation. Her immediate condemnation of the archbishop seemed capricious, as did her shifts later in the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2020
I started reading JA Jance novels when I moved to Phoenix. I’ve never been able to stomach the Beaumont novels—so much misogyny —but the Brady ones are fun. The Reynolds ones are somewhere in between. The thing about Credible Threat is that all the characters have gotten so negative and snipey. I don’t know if I’m picking up on that because I made the mistake of going to the reading and found the author to be generally grumpy, or if the characters are just getting annoying. There were also some things that were just painfully improbable—yes, two PHX detectives willingly take a backseat to a private security company in apprehending a murderer. Sorry, there would have been a SWAT team in that church. Finally, and this is just picky—there were a couple phrases that were almost right. The kind of things people say, but are getting wrong that an editor should have caught them. I’ll keep reading the Brady novels, but I think I’m done with the others for a bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2021
What I didn’t find credible was Ali’s dialogue, oral and via text, with Frigg, the AI. Of course that may only confirm that my computer knowledge is years out of date. And as others have pointed out, Frigg’s activities mean that Ali and colleagues don’t have to do any real investigative work. I read the book super quickly (sorry, Ms.Jance) because the plot was interesting. Also, I liked the Archbishop and hoped the aspiring murderer would realize she was after the wrong person.
November 18, 2021
Oh here we go, another 70 year old mommy who goes from being described in the beginning of the book as a stay at home mom unable to type or use a computer, to a skilled calculated murderer capable of researching and carrying out crimes of threats and murder, and without being caught. And oh by the way, a completely unreasonable connection between her son and the person she is randomly deadset on killing
December 28, 2025
J. A. Jance makes you stop and think!!!
October 15, 2020
I love the Ali Reynolds series, they never disappoint!
Parents of a young man who overdosed years prior are broken. When a lady drops off a box of stuff that her son had left at a former place he had rented, the mother finally realizes that her son's addiction and his fatal overdose may have been directly attributed to abuse she never knew had occurred. There had been a pedophile priest at his school, a priest who was charged, sentenced and died from AIDS related complications in prison.
Now that everything had clicked in her mind, she wanted vengeance and the only person left whom she could take vengeance on is Arch Bishop Francis Gillespie. Bishop Gillespie begins getting handwritten threats, left in the collection plate at various churches throughout his district; but, local police believe the threats are not credible. With no where else to turn, Bishop Gillespie turns to his long time friends Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson.
Unfortunately, B. is out of the country, leaving Ali to check on the threats. Before she has located the source of the threats, an assassin kills the Arch Bishop's driver, the resulting crash leaves the Bishop in critical condition.
The police have warned Ali away from the investigation, until they are called to the home of another murder victim, which brings the investigation full circle. Can they locate the culprit before she has the opportunity to finally complete her goal?
Parents of a young man who overdosed years prior are broken. When a lady drops off a box of stuff that her son had left at a former place he had rented, the mother finally realizes that her son's addiction and his fatal overdose may have been directly attributed to abuse she never knew had occurred. There had been a pedophile priest at his school, a priest who was charged, sentenced and died from AIDS related complications in prison.
Now that everything had clicked in her mind, she wanted vengeance and the only person left whom she could take vengeance on is Arch Bishop Francis Gillespie. Bishop Gillespie begins getting handwritten threats, left in the collection plate at various churches throughout his district; but, local police believe the threats are not credible. With no where else to turn, Bishop Gillespie turns to his long time friends Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson.
Unfortunately, B. is out of the country, leaving Ali to check on the threats. Before she has located the source of the threats, an assassin kills the Arch Bishop's driver, the resulting crash leaves the Bishop in critical condition.
The police have warned Ali away from the investigation, until they are called to the home of another murder victim, which brings the investigation full circle. Can they locate the culprit before she has the opportunity to finally complete her goal?
June 27, 2020
I really enjoy all of the Ali Reynolds novels, and this one was no exception. In this latest novel, Archbishop Gillespie is being threatened and Ali enlists the aid of Frigg (AI extraordinaire) to help find out who is trying to kill him. The action is fast-paced and there are just the right number of characters for me to be able to keep up with everyone. The suspect was revealed to the reader from the beginning and the motive was described more slowly, through the actions and thoughts of this perpetrator. Jance knows how to write a good mystery, and I loved this one. I gave it four stars because of the farewell to some of my favorite characters.
Disclaimer: I checked out this book from my local library using the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review.
Disclaimer: I checked out this book from my local library using the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review.
July 1, 2020
Archbishop of the Phoenix Archdiocese, Frances Gillespie, 86, has been receiving anonymous threatening notes in the collection plate at churches. The police don't consider the notes to be credible threats. He hires High Noon Enterprises to investigate. Ali Reynolds is on the case.
J.A.Jance writes so well and I always find her stories interesting. I thought she did a good job of basing this story on the sensitive subject of priests molesting young boys in their charge. At first, I didn't like knowing the killer or motive up front, but by the end, I didn't mind at all. Jance played it well.
I liked Frigg much better in this book. I believe it helps to follow this series and be vested in the characters.
J.A.Jance writes so well and I always find her stories interesting. I thought she did a good job of basing this story on the sensitive subject of priests molesting young boys in their charge. At first, I didn't like knowing the killer or motive up front, but by the end, I didn't mind at all. Jance played it well.
I liked Frigg much better in this book. I believe it helps to follow this series and be vested in the characters.
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