Tombstone Courage (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 2) [Hardcover]

J.A. Jance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1994

When a young widow named Joanna Brady runs for sheriff in Cochise County, Arizona, she earns the enmity of the local police force and gets involved in investigating a strange double homicide. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Introduced in Desert Heat , a paperback original, young Joanna Brady is a no-nonsense widow running for sheriff in the new wild West. In the gritty mining and ranching community of Bisbee, Ariz., Joanna hopes to take over the office held by her husband when he was killed by a drug dealer's hit man six weeks before. Holly Patterson, a tormented substance abuser, has returned with her lawyer and hypnotherapist to file an unsavory personal injury suit against her feisty, octogenarian father, Harold. Though he appears to be a decent man, Harold clearly has a secret, but it may not be the one Holly is suggesting. As Joanna faces a tough, and sexist, election campaign, she must also come to terms with her widowhood, her overbearing mother and the complicated reactions of her now fatherless nine-year-old daughter. Jance, who also writes the J. P. Beaumont mysteries, maintains generally deft control of her touchy, trendy material. While some of the cast seem stock and the ending is somewhat overwrought, Joanna is engaging and credible, and the novel's pace is unflagging.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA?When Joanna Brady's husband, a leading candidate for sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, is gunned down by Colombian drug dealers, she decides to run for the office herself. The story of her election, her relationship with her nine-year-old daughter, and two murders (one decades old and one recent) form the basis of this cracker-jack mystery. The book has a strong female protagonist and explores issues such as child abuse and hidden memories. Will Joanna win the post and the respect of her fellow (male) police officers? Will she be able to reassure her frightened daughter? And will she solve the murders? All these questions are answered in Jance's thoroughly satisfying novel.?Susan B. McFaden, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688132472
• ISBN-13: 978-0688132477
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second book of the Joanna Brady series, July 31, 2000

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tombstone Courage (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Joanna Brady is elected sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona after the death of her husband, who had been a candidate for this position. It seems like a mixed blessing, however, when she is greeted by a double homocide followed by the resignations of two of the top men in the department. Some of her employees have a hard time accepting a woman, who is untrained in law enforcement, as their new boss. Added to this, Joanna has to constantly reassure her daughter, who has already lost a parent, that she will be careful in her new job. This book moves a little slowly at times, but the action definitely picks up at the end, and it is a good read.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really liked it!, February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tombstone Courage (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a must read after Desert Heat. It is able to stand on its own. Again, J.A. Jance is able to make it seem as if anyone could have committed the murder -- keeping the secret to the very end.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Series, Great Story, December 14, 2002

By 

apoem "apoem" (Bosque Farms, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tombstone Courage (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This series has been fantastic. Although each novel can stand on it's own, I have found that reading them in order is a better idea. Later books reference earlier books and it is easier to follow the overall history of the characters in this series.

Having said that, this is a great book. Joanna has just been elected Sherrif when a grisly murder is discovered. A drugged up ex movie star, a wierd therapist, an old family fued of sorts and the stage is set for a great novel.

Joanna is a strong woman and this is a good book. It's good to read about her efforts to mourn with her daughter the loss of her husband. As she comes to grip with the past, she learns to deal with the present. Joanna's mother is an interesting character that adds a lot to this series.

Enjoy.