Left for Dead: A Novel (Ali Reynolds) [Hardcover]

J.A. Jance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2012 | Series: Ali Reynolds

Ali Reynolds investigates two shocking cases of victims brutally left for dead in New York Times bestselling J.A. Jance’s latest mystery-thriller. When Santa Cruz County deputy sheriff Jose Reyes, Ali’s classmate from the Arizona Police Academy, is gunned down and left to die, he is at first assumed to be an innocent victim of the drug wars escalating across the border. But the crime scene investigation shows there’s much more to it than that, and soon he and his pregnant wife, Teresa, both fall under suspicion of wrongdoing.Ali owes Reyes a debt of gratitude for the help he gave her years earlier when she was dealing with a troubled friend. When she’s summoned to his bedside at Physicians Medical Center in Tucson, it’s impossible for her to turn away. And knowing Reyes as well as she does, Ali finds it hard to believe that he’s become mixed up in the drug trade, despite evidence to the contrary. Upon arriving at the hospital, Ali finds that her good friend, Sister Anselm, is there, too—working as a patient advocate on behalf of another seriously injured victim, an unidentified young woman presumed to be an illegal border crosser, who was raped and savagely beaten.Ali becomes determined to seek justice in both cases and secure safety for both victims. Together with Sister Anselm and a conscientious officer who won’t let the case drop despite pressure from above, Ali digs for clues to find the true culprits. Fast-paced, tension-filled, and intriguingly complex, Left for Dead is J.A. Jance at her riveting best.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J.A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ali Reynolds series, the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, and four interrelated Southwestern thrillers featuring the Walker family. Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tuscon, Arizona. Visit her at JAJance.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (February 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451628587
• ISBN-13: 978-1451628586
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Be detailed and specific, February 9, 2012

By 

T. Edmund Jenkin - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Left for Dead (Kindle Edition)

Reynolds returns in this rompy adventure, drawn into investigating the brutal attacks of a 'call girl' and a local policeman, the latter of whom is being framed for being on the take.

The mystery packs quite the punch in this story, although the personal side that Jance is typically good at seems a little weaker than usual. Mayhap because the pacing is a little off; the story begins in brutal style - with the detailed attack on 'Breeze' (hint she isn't the cop) then the shooting of the cop. Meanwhile Reynolds potters around home discussing her parents approaching retirement.

Rather than the tension turning up a notch when she somes on the scene, everything seems to slow as all the minor characters get fleshed out. Also while the mystery plot has the appropriate amount of violent tension, I found myself unable to suspend my disbelief when the plot was explained.

Like all series I'm sure fans will like, if you're new to the series I wouldn't start with this one, test the waters with an earlier one like Cruel Intent..

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What is it that separates a good writer from a great writer? Jance has found the secret, February 13, 2012

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Left for Dead: A Novel (Ali Reynolds) (Hardcover)

"As far as Renteria was concerned, the story seemed pretty straightforward. Phil shoots Jose Reyes; Christine bashes Phil's head in; Christine gets shipped off to the funny farm; end of story; two cases closed. What he needed was to find solid leads that would link the two men."

And Santa Cruz Sheriff Renteria isn't the only one determined to uncover answers to the latest crime spree to hit the area south of Tucson near the Mexican border. In this latest Ali Reynolds story, LEFT FOR DEAD captures the essence of current-day Arizona and the struggles of law enforcement to separate the illegal immigrants from the drug cartels and the regular, everyday evildoers. Somehow the good guys have to figure out how a brutally beaten young woman, a critically wounded police officer, and a dead postman in southern Arizona tie into a dead pimp in Phoenix and millionaire pervert in Fountain Hills.

Series star Ali Reynolds returns, but not as the police officer she recently trained to become. Just as she graduated from the Police Academy, Arizona faced a serious budget crunch and new officers were put on hold. Luckily for Ali, she was not desperate for a job because her cheating spouse died before he could change his will, and his substantial fortune went to her. Perfect poetic justice. So, while waiting to be able to use her police training, Ali serves as organizer for several charities and often gets involved in helping people like her former academy classmate, Jose Reyes, who was shot and left to die while making a traffic stop.

When Ali leaves her home in Sedona and heads down to Mercy Medical Center in Tucson, she is hoping to be able to help Jose's pregnant wife with their two little girls and investigate the events surrounding the shooting. At the hospital Ali runs into her old friend, Sister Anselm Becker, who is there as a patient advocate for a young woman who was left for dead in the desert and is still unconscious. As each of them starts investigating the details of the two incidents, they begin to put the pieces together and discover that there may be a connection.

Without wasting time or words, J.A. Jance moves the action along to its surprising and exciting conclusion. What is it that separates a good writer from a great writer, interesting books from excellent books? Jance has found the secret. By creating and developing memorable characters, using for a backdrop the environment that is familiar to her and letting her imagination develop complex plots, she has won millions of fans who can't wait to read her next book. Whether it is the Sheriff Joanna Brady or J.P Beaumont series, or a stand-alone novel, her books never disappoint. LEFT FOR DEAD is no exception.

Reviewed by Maggie Harding

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great Ali Reynolds' book!, February 21, 2012

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Left for Dead: A Novel (Ali Reynolds) (Hardcover)

Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff Jose Reyes, Ali Reynolds' classmate from the Arizona Police Academy, is shot and left to die during a routine traffic stop near the border. At first, it is assumed he's an innocent victim of the drug wars. Then the crime scene investigation puts him and his pregnant wife, Teresa, under suspicion. Reyes helped with a friend of Ali's so she feels she owes him her help now. She helps his wife and daughters out at the hospital and doesn't believe he could be involved in drugs so she investigates. Ali's good friend, Sister Anselm, is also at the hospital, helping an unidentified young woman who was seriously injured. She is believed to be an illegal border crosser who was beaten and raped. Together with Sister Anselm and a conscientious officer, they investigate and finally find the true culprits.

This is my favorite series of her series. There are always multiple stories threaded together. The multiple points of view made it hard at first to remember who was who, but once I had that figured out, the story took off at a run and never stopped. I really like Ali and the other characters in this series. The author has done a fabulous job blending them together. I always have trouble putting her books down. I need to see what's happening next so I have to turn the page. I highly recommend this series, and her other two mystery series: J. P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady.