Edge of Evil (Alison Reynolds) [Kindle Edition]

J. A. Jance (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of this disappointing thriller from bestseller Jance (Long Time Gone), Alison Reynolds, a 45-year-old Los Angeles television news anchor, loses her job, realizes her marriage is a sham and learns that her childhood friend Reenie Bernard has disappeared after being diagnosed with ALS. Alison efficiently handles the first two problems, hiring attorneys specializing in discrimination and divorce. With her supportive college student son, Chris, she heads for Sedona, Ariz., her hometown, to visit her sympathetic parents and await news of Reenie. When Chris sets up a blog for her, Alison, usually tense and judgmental, begins revealing herself to strangers, a practice that leads to a personal threat. After Reenie's body is found, the police pronounce her a suicide; Alison disagrees and begins to investigate her friend's life. The reader learns much about age and sex discrimination, spousal abuse, the effects of catastrophic illness on families and anonymous Internet communication. The result, though, is a polemical novel with poorly developed characters and predictable situations uncharacteristic of this talented author. (Jan.)
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Review

“Taut . . . entertaining.”

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 270 KB
• Print Length: 400 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0060828412
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (March 17, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FCKM38
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,013 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

J.A. 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too many lawyers?, January 31, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Slater (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Edge of Evil (Mass Market Paperback)

Fired abruptly from her anchor position at a prominent news station for being `too old', Ali Reynolds returns to her home to learn that her best friend is dead - apparently by suicide, over a snowy mountain after a fatal medical diagnosis. Realizing she has no constraints on her time, Ali heads back to her hometown and her parents' Sugarloaf Café, where she grew up. Ali has another wonderful discovery on her way to her hometown - her marriage is over. Her husband has been cheating on her for a while, unbeknownst to her but known by most others. So, in the midst of a lawsuit against the station and divorce proceedings, Ali hunkers down in the house she inherited from her aunt, venting her frustrations and problems on a blog that her son has set up for her. Little does she suspect what ball her ruminations will set rolling. A good read, although I did set it down to finish others, first. I suspect there will be more stories with Ali.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Possible new series, December 29, 2005

By 

Marian Reader (Mesa, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edge of Evil (Mass Market Paperback)

J.A. Jance seems to be probing the possibility of a new series in EDGE OF EVIL. Alison Reynolds is fired from her job as a news anchor and starts a blog about her firing and her intentions to fight it. As the book develops, the blog expands to include the investigation of her best friends death, ALS and domestic violence. A large cast of characters is introduced and several loose ends are left, leaving the possibility of a sequel or more. Worthwhile reading, although lacking the detail of Jance's other series.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Jance Lite - Less interesting, with a hint of cloying and annoying, January 3, 2006

By 

Eric Clem (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edge of Evil (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a huge fan of Jance's work, so I was surprised that I didn't like Edge of Evil very much. Jance is so good at creating characters with interesting dark sides. The characters in this book seem much better suited for an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I hope Jance will not develop the Ali Reynolds character any further. She has such a goldmine with J.P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady.