This book ended up growing on me. This was my first book with the series (and author), and I'm not sure if I'll go back and catch up with prior entries or not, but I might. The book has a fairly strong sense of place, and it's a landscape I'd like to return to. I'd actually like to see the setting -- the desert southwest -- play a much stronger role in the character's lives. For the most part, the people in the story seemed like they could be from Anywhere USA, which is odd in that they'd spent their lives in a place unlike the majority of America. Otherwise, I found the characters likeable enough. Plotting was meh: saw the ending coming from a ways, and it seems like there were some loose ends left dangling, and some minor plot points that just went nowhere. The antipathy with the newspaper reporter, while perhaps grounded in previous books, was otherwise unexplained, which made the characters and their motivations seem arbitrary. Still, overall, I did ultimately enjoy the book. ( )

This may be the best of the Brady series. Once I hit the halfway point, I really couldn't put the book down. This one was about a female pedophile and one of the main characters lands up in some serious danger. ( )

I don't think I will ever tire of Jance's Joanna Brady mysteries. For me, they are the perfect blend of character, setting, and story. Joanna is independent, brave, sharp as a tack, and loaded with common sense. Her mind has a laser-like quality that can cut to the heart of a problem and come up with a solution using her available resources. I love watching her in action. The setting of Cochise County, Arizona, and the old mining town of Bisbee is one that I'm very familiar with, and so is Jance (who grew up there). As for the story, Jance is brilliant at weaving together a fast pace with various subplots that range from the personal and emotional-- like the deaths of loved ones and pregnancy-- to more topical issues that can still hit close to home. The trouble is, there's not much I can say about those topical issues without giving away a lot of the story.

Since I can't talk about the plot, I will say that there's a fine scene involving Joanna who's got herself into a bit of a pickle, and she finds that she's got to rely on the Little Red Hen and a dog. (Two of the best things you can depend on when you find yourself in a similar mess.) For me, the continued high quality of this series all boils down to character. Like the FBI agent Joanna is saddled with... or the chief deputy who's still a question mark in Joanna's mind. There's only one character I can do without in this entire series, and that's Marliss Shackelford the local journalist. That character works my last nerve, but I don't think Jance will ever get rid of her. Marliss is just too much fun to write.

Now, if you've arrived at the opinion that I love this series and enjoy what Jance can do with her characters and a puzzling murder or two, I'd have to admit that you have reached your destination. If you're not familiar with this series, I wholeheartedly recommend that you dive right in. You can probably start anywhere, but be forewarned: the personal lives of the characters will then be all out of sequence. ( )

Best Jance book I've read for a long time. With a double homicide, a single homicide and a pedifile teacher working in a school, Sheriff Brady really has her hands full. Then she gets kidnapped. ( )

A pregnant Sheriff Brady has a tricky pedofile case involving a local high school teacher who has been murdered while she is dealing with the tragic deaths of her mother and step-father while they were driving home from Minnesota. ( )