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Walker Family #4
Queen Of The Night
“J.A. Jance is among the best—if not the best.”
—Chattanooga Times
In Queen of the Night, New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance brings back the Walker family—introduced in Hour of the Hunter, terrorized in Kiss of the Bees, and last seen in Day of the Dead. A multilayered thriller, gripping and unforgettable—evocatively set in the breathtaking Arizona desert—Queen of the Night is a chilling tale of murder past and present that connects and devastates three separate families.
—Chattanooga Times
In Queen of the Night, New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance brings back the Walker family—introduced in Hour of the Hunter, terrorized in Kiss of the Bees, and last seen in Day of the Dead. A multilayered thriller, gripping and unforgettable—evocatively set in the breathtaking Arizona desert—Queen of the Night is a chilling tale of murder past and present that connects and devastates three separate families.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
427 people are currently reading
1338 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Jance
117 books4,174 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 334 reviews
August 2, 2023
Quite disappointing and probably won’t read any more of this series. A lot of characters and fairly slow paced. Her Joanna Brady series is far better.
April 5, 2011
Queen of the Night: A Novel of Suspense is the fourth in the Walker family series. This series has always struck me as a bit darker and grittier than Jance's other series, but with Queen of the Night she seems to have written a more intricate suspense novel that takes the focus off of the evil deeds of the bad guys and places it on the connections between characters. The resultant beauty in those connections and the blessings that can come out of tragic events and circumstances is a major focus in this book.
The complex character relationships could have been difficult to follow, but Jance's story flowed exceptionally well and made those connections effortless to follow. The relational aspect of the book also had an extraordinary symmetry to it -- rather like the "circle of life" concept. There was a lyricism to this story that I haven't fully experienced in Jance's other works and, I think, makes this one shine above the rest.
For those, like me, who have grown up in the Southwest there is plenty of regional atmosphere. The desert flora is represented by the Night-blooming Cereus which blooms once a year and has symbolic significance to the Tohono O'oodham people. Jance also weaves into her own story some of the legends of the Tohono O'oodham people (Desert People).
This is, hands down, the best J.A. Jance novel I have ever read. Get it. Read it. Really.
The complex character relationships could have been difficult to follow, but Jance's story flowed exceptionally well and made those connections effortless to follow. The relational aspect of the book also had an extraordinary symmetry to it -- rather like the "circle of life" concept. There was a lyricism to this story that I haven't fully experienced in Jance's other works and, I think, makes this one shine above the rest.
For those, like me, who have grown up in the Southwest there is plenty of regional atmosphere. The desert flora is represented by the Night-blooming Cereus which blooms once a year and has symbolic significance to the Tohono O'oodham people. Jance also weaves into her own story some of the legends of the Tohono O'oodham people (Desert People).
This is, hands down, the best J.A. Jance novel I have ever read. Get it. Read it. Really.
June 2, 2016
Another great book by JA Jance! Unlike her other two suspense series, I wouldn't classify "Queen of the Night" as completely falling into the suspense category. I classify this one more as half suspense and half family drama. Besides the suspense of her other crime series, the Walker Family series shows a lot more of the family dynamics at work with the main characters of the book. I also enjoy reading about the Tohono O'odham culture.
August 3, 2015
This is the first book I've read by J. A. Jance. Queen of the Night is actually #4 in a series, but reading out of order never dismays me. I believe that books ought to stand on their own. If they don't, it's not my responsibility to remedy the situation by reading other books. I will only read more books by the author if I am hooked by the first one I tried. That's why I'm so careful about my choice of first read by an author. The Queen of the Night has a story line that deals with the legends and customs of the Tohono O'odham of Arizona. I tend to like mysteries and thrillers that involve Native American background. I definitely knew that I'd come to the right place when I saw that Jance had dedicated the book to Tony Hillerman.
I do feel that Jance reached deep for the full humanity of all the prominent characters including the serial killer. I don't mean that they were all sympathetic, but I understood where they were coming from. We saw the heart of some of the relationships depicted in this novel. The relationship between Diana Ladd and Brandon Walker was particularly moving.
This was a strong book that also taught me a bit about the Tohono O'odham. I will definitely want to read another book in this series soon.
For my complete review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
I do feel that Jance reached deep for the full humanity of all the prominent characters including the serial killer. I don't mean that they were all sympathetic, but I understood where they were coming from. We saw the heart of some of the relationships depicted in this novel. The relationship between Diana Ladd and Brandon Walker was particularly moving.
This was a strong book that also taught me a bit about the Tohono O'odham. I will definitely want to read another book in this series soon.
For my complete review see http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...
August 15, 2014
This book started off way too slow for me. There were multiple character stories being introduced quickly in short segments that were not chronological. I felt like I needed to take notes on the dates, times, locations, and temperatures that headed off each segment. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters or their stories at first.
Eventually, things picked up, some of the threads started weaving together, and finally the plot moved more smoothly.
There is one main thread that links some of the characters, and another few threads that didn't feel relevant to the main story. I was disappointed with the way the lesser threads were tied off.
I'm only giving it two stars because it took so long to get going and was more crowded than interesting and complicated.
Eventually, things picked up, some of the threads started weaving together, and finally the plot moved more smoothly.
There is one main thread that links some of the characters, and another few threads that didn't feel relevant to the main story. I was disappointed with the way the lesser threads were tied off.
I'm only giving it two stars because it took so long to get going and was more crowded than interesting and complicated.
October 24, 2010
Find Diane Walker working on her latest book and retired Brandon Walker trying to stay busy with TLC (The Last Chance). Spending most of his time going back and forth between ailing fellow TLC detective and longtime friend trying to find the answers to a very old case and his wife who seems to be having some struggles of her own. The newest of the murder rampages falls to Brian Fellows to look at with the help of the border patrol officer (Dan Pardee) that found the bodies. The four bodies were found on the Tohono O’odham Nation land, when the next of kin notifications were made, the death count went up by three more. Leaving only a small child behind as a witness, Dr. Lani Walker, with the help of Dan Pardee, kept the child in the Hospital for safety. Tracking and catching this killer before he realizes that he left any witnesses might be more dangerous than any of them realize.
Book 4 ….. I received this as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program. When I realized that it was actually the forth (4th) book of the series, I decided that it would possibly be best to read the first three (3) of the series before I read this one so that I could understand the story line a little better. I was right to do that, I felt that if I had just read this story as a stand alone I would have not been able to follow all of the characters as well (there was a lot of characters in this one), most were reoccurring from the previous books. The bouncing back and forth between stories and years and places was a little confusing at times, but the main story line covered only a couple of days in early June 2009. Enjoyed the side story of Brandon and Diane, this did have the feel of the last of them, kind of a conclusion. I suppose if JA Jance wanted to continue this particular type of series, she could follow Lani, Brian and Dan. I never did figure out why the temperature was so important that it had a title type position with the places, dates and times, but it does help show how the desert can be different times of the day. I like reading about Tucson (I lived there for a long time) and this series has been an interesting way to remember the city.
Book 4 ….. I received this as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program. When I realized that it was actually the forth (4th) book of the series, I decided that it would possibly be best to read the first three (3) of the series before I read this one so that I could understand the story line a little better. I was right to do that, I felt that if I had just read this story as a stand alone I would have not been able to follow all of the characters as well (there was a lot of characters in this one), most were reoccurring from the previous books. The bouncing back and forth between stories and years and places was a little confusing at times, but the main story line covered only a couple of days in early June 2009. Enjoyed the side story of Brandon and Diane, this did have the feel of the last of them, kind of a conclusion. I suppose if JA Jance wanted to continue this particular type of series, she could follow Lani, Brian and Dan. I never did figure out why the temperature was so important that it had a title type position with the places, dates and times, but it does help show how the desert can be different times of the day. I like reading about Tucson (I lived there for a long time) and this series has been an interesting way to remember the city.
February 5, 2020
I usually enjoy JA Jance’s books more, this one seemed confusing with flashbacks every other page. 4 people are found dead in the wilderness with only a 4 year old left alive as a wittnes. Dr Lani Walker and dan pardee an Iraq war veteran come to the rescue. Lani had a horrible childhood and she sees that reflected in the child. Truly horrific crime is uncovered.
August 26, 2018
I have previously read some novels by J.A. Jance and liked them, so I thought this would be a good one!
And the 'Queen of the Night' is actually a good premise upon which to write a book, a flower that blooms once a year, at its own whim. But the characters were too many, too confusing, too uninteresting - and the murders to be solved were too obvious and ordinary - no real excitement.
So I read the whole book, but would not give it a rounding endorsement.
And the 'Queen of the Night' is actually a good premise upon which to write a book, a flower that blooms once a year, at its own whim. But the characters were too many, too confusing, too uninteresting - and the murders to be solved were too obvious and ordinary - no real excitement.
So I read the whole book, but would not give it a rounding endorsement.
July 15, 2017
This is my first Jance novel. I know she's a well received author who has garnered a lot of acclaim. I like a lot of the aspects of this novel. This is very character driven, and it tells a story of how a senseless crime can affect a lot of people. I feel the character element in this one is very strong. That being said, the characters are plentiful, with some building off previous novels. This one can stand alone, but I do feel a lot of attention must be paid to the backstory built in the early going. There are a lot of plots and subplots that the reader must follow to the climax of this one. In the end, I like the story told about the interconnectedness of actions and violence, across cultures. It's difficult to connect all of the dots, but I do feel I enjoyed this enough to check out more of Jance's work in the future.
August 30, 2010
This is Ms. Jance's best work yet. She has picked up the torch dropped with the death of Tony Hillerman. She successfully weaves a story of the Night Blooming Cereus (Queen of the Night) from an ancient Apache legend into a modern day crime spree.
The settings are realistically portrayed, the characters developed thoroughly, the dialogue believable. However, as impressed as I was with the story, I don't think 93 degrees Fahrenheit is high enough to get concerned with. I also had a problem with the table being set all afternoon in the desert for a picnic. I think there would be enough grit on them to remove the finish.
Two small complaints in an excellent read. Real suspense and drama. I really liked the parallel stories.
The settings are realistically portrayed, the characters developed thoroughly, the dialogue believable. However, as impressed as I was with the story, I don't think 93 degrees Fahrenheit is high enough to get concerned with. I also had a problem with the table being set all afternoon in the desert for a picnic. I think there would be enough grit on them to remove the finish.
Two small complaints in an excellent read. Real suspense and drama. I really liked the parallel stories.
November 7, 2017
Great suspense in this story made up of murders from the past and present! I love the way she builds up to the present-day crime by taking us through the actions of those involved in the hours leading up to it, once again giving us terrific character development. The final pages keep you glued to the book. I'm so glad I stuck with this series. I didn't really care for the first two books, but the subsequent ones have been well worth the wait!
June 4, 2016
This series by Jance is surpassing the JP Beaumont series in personal popularity...the characters have grown on me and as always Jance can turn out a great yarn...It possibly has a lot to do with the family values that permeate it's entire length...FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
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March 5, 2019In Queen of the Night, New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance brings back the Walker family—introduced in Hour of the Hunter, terrorized in Kiss of the Bees, and last seen in Day of the Dead. A multilayered thriller, gripping and unforgettable—evocatively set in the breathtaking Arizona desert—Queen of the Night is a chilling tale of murder past and present that connects and devastates three separate families.
This was a great book - very interesting about the Queen of the Night plant in Arizona!
This was a great book - very interesting about the Queen of the Night plant in Arizona!
March 11, 2021
Although I gave this four stars be warned that while the story is really good you also get too much back story. I don’t think she needed to fill in every little thing that happened in the earlier books. It slowed the story too much. But as I said...really good story.
June 3, 2017
I did enjoy this book . This is the second book, I have read about the Tohono O' odham people. I would love to see the Queen of the Night. !!
August 1, 2019
I loved this whole series. So sad it’s over.
July 1, 2021
I normally love J A Jance's books but this one just didn't capture me. The characters didn't grab me - neither did the story line. DNF
August 19, 2024
Easy reading book. Lana finds a man to marry and a child to adopt the stories kind of weaken many ways.
October 17, 2025
The beginning of the book was challenging to read as many characters and timeliness were introduced that weren't related yet. I enjoyed the story, but it would have been better if the author had shown it rather than told it. This is not suspenseful at all as the criminal is known since the beginning. It's just a telling of the story with little dialogue.
September 18, 2010
This is the fourth installment of J. A. Jance’s Walker Family series.
This may be my favorite Jance book to date. It has all of what has become a trademark of this series; a moderate build-up with a fast-paced climactic ending, great story telling, mixing of Papago mythology and culture and great character development.
The start of this story was unique in that three different crimes that happened decades apart are eventually intertwined and become related and relevant to the main focus of the book. This weaving carried through to the warp-speed development of the main characters. While Jance uses a somewhat moderate chronology in her other series, it’s not uncommon for decade time spans to elapse between Walker novels. Within this one book, some chapters skip through six-month time frames. A lot happens to the characters in this book.
Finishing the book, I have the distinct feeling this may be the end of the Walker series. From the start of the series four volumes ago, the reader has covered 30 to 40 years of the characters’ lives. Brandon and Diana are now in their 70’s and the events of this book simply don’t leave much more room for growth. However, given the past time jumps, it’s possible the series could pick up with some of the newly introduced child characters. This book ends in 2010 however, so this would require Jance to venture into science fiction or fantasy.
I’ve really enjoyed the style Jance developed in this series and I’ve become attached to the characters. I hope the author will consider continuing this series if there’s any reasonable way to do so.
This may be my favorite Jance book to date. It has all of what has become a trademark of this series; a moderate build-up with a fast-paced climactic ending, great story telling, mixing of Papago mythology and culture and great character development.
The start of this story was unique in that three different crimes that happened decades apart are eventually intertwined and become related and relevant to the main focus of the book. This weaving carried through to the warp-speed development of the main characters. While Jance uses a somewhat moderate chronology in her other series, it’s not uncommon for decade time spans to elapse between Walker novels. Within this one book, some chapters skip through six-month time frames. A lot happens to the characters in this book.
Finishing the book, I have the distinct feeling this may be the end of the Walker series. From the start of the series four volumes ago, the reader has covered 30 to 40 years of the characters’ lives. Brandon and Diana are now in their 70’s and the events of this book simply don’t leave much more room for growth. However, given the past time jumps, it’s possible the series could pick up with some of the newly introduced child characters. This book ends in 2010 however, so this would require Jance to venture into science fiction or fantasy.
I’ve really enjoyed the style Jance developed in this series and I’ve become attached to the characters. I hope the author will consider continuing this series if there’s any reasonable way to do so.
July 28, 2014
Well, written, and it made me sweat!!! I lived in Arizona for 1 1/2 years and worked in the heat, I could feel it. I do not normally read murder mysteries except for the Winspear Daisie Dobbs series. I thoroughly enjoyed her characters but it really bothers me that these murders actually do go on and I can only hope that no one is inspired by reading methods our talented writers think of. Strange line of thoughts I know, but I was married to a policeman and came to believe that people with troubled minds feed on what they read and see in movies or on TV. Back to the story line. Well, thought out and completely feasible, it kept me emotionally involved. Oh, yes, the reason I read it was because of the description on the inside flap and online. I love Arizona from one end the other and the desert has a beauty all it's own. I wish I had known about the Queen of the Night while I was there.
October 15, 2011
This is my first J. A. Jance book, and I have to say I was quite impressed. It won't be my last. I went to her website and was delighted by her comments about the books she's written. I thought if her books were as clever I'd been missing out on something. I was right. This is the fourth in her Walker series, but she was able to catch me up so that I didn't feel left out. There are a lot of characters but she manages to pull everything together at the end. I want to go back and catch up with some of the characters and really hope she plans to continue on with others. She also did a great job of capturing Arizona. I won't go into the plot except to say there are murders and they end up pulling in the characters. I also have this on audiobook and loved listening to Gregory Itzin. I listened until I couldn't stand it, then picked up the book because I can always read faster.
February 6, 2021
Since I haven't read the three previous Walker Family books, it me took a bit of time at first to keep all of the characters straight, but it soon began to tie together. The title refers to a desert plant that only blooms once a year, at night, with white, showy and nicely scented flowers! By daybreak, the flowers are already wilting and if you missed the show you will have to wait for another year for another chance! So this occasion is the backdrop of a horrific mass murder site that the detectives have to figure out what happened, with very few leads. The ending comes together in a very satisfying fashion, in my estimation.
April 30, 2011
this was a great read!!! the indian lore and the characters just seem to bring it to life. it is a mystery of course but in my minds eye it is a special mystery. there is nho rushing to end the book and carch everythig up in the last ten pages or so.. the author brings the book to its conclussion at quite a resonable pace and lets you enjoy it..i highly recomend
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May 21, 2018I have developed feelings in characters of Walker series. Are people born evil or something happens to us which kills all kindness, compassion and love out of our mind? It is always difficult to do the right thing when we don't know what the right thing is. Like the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I hope Brian will come out with disabilities & start new series.
August 4, 2010
This is an excellent suspense novel. The story has great characters and moves with a good speed. So many things are related, but only come together in the end.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
February 12, 2016
I always enjoy J.A. Jance's books...This one started a little slowly for me because there were so many characters to keep track of, a lot of jumping between characters....but once I had the characters (and their stories) straight, their interwoven stories made it more interesting, more meaningful.
January 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this story! It had a slow start, took me a bit to get into it, but once it caught traction, it was really hard to put down! I was on the edge of my seat through the entire end! Awesome read!!!!
January 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It's #4 in a series, and I haven't read the first 3, but that didn't detract from the story for me, at all. Good pacing, interesting characters, nice description, great sense of setting.
August 4, 2010
This was the long awaited 4th book of the Walker family series. It was worth waiting for... very wonderful in typical JA Jance style!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews