Outlaw Mountain (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 7) (Mass Market Paperback)

by J.A. Jance (Author) "EASING THE porch swing back and forth, thirty-year-old Sheriff Joanna Brady closed her green eyes and let the warmth of an early-November Sunday afternoon caress..." (more)
Key Phrases: monkey wrenchers, supervisors meeting, Alice Rogers, Clete Rogers, Dick Voland (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
J.A. Jance's Joanna Brady series whisks us off to a small town in the desert terrain of the Southwest. When Joanna's newly elected husband is killed while serving as sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, Joanna steps into his position. We watch her grow into the job in Jance's series: she has to cope with the problems of juggling family and personal life while solving crimes. At the same time, we've learned about the benefits and shortcomings of daily life in a desert--how beautiful and dangerous the landscape can be in all seasons.

Jance's seventh book, Outlaw Mountain, begins with the death of an old woman who was injured when she fell on a poisonous cholla cactus. But it isn't the plant that finishes off Alice Rogers; the lively, free-spirited widow is murdered by someone who injects her as she lies writhing in pain. Now Joanna has to find out whether anyone in Alice's large family would have killed her for her land and money. Was it her son Cletus, "a restaurateur with the diplomacy of a mountain goat," who was recently elected mayor of the legendary Arizona town of Tombstone (where Wyatt Earp once reigned)? Or did the murder have something to do with a local political power struggle? As she has done so well before, Jance balances scenes full of action and excitement with more intimate moments. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady faces a multitude of challenges in her seventh outing: the mayor's wife has been found murdered; a drug ring appears to be operating in the area; an abandoned mentally disabled adult can't tell anyone where he lives; Joanna's best friend is ready to give up the ministry after her daughter's death; and Butch (Joanna's significant other) is pressing her for a commitment. There's a lot going on, and that's a weakness: the listener is (seemingly) treated to every detail of Joanna's existence, and it detracts from the main story. Fans of the series will enjoy catching up on Joanna's life, but those new to it may find that there's too much of the minutiae that clogs all of our lives. Stephanie Brush's narration is clear and straightforward, with minor inflections for individual characters. Her phrasing and pauses are used to good effect. Recommended for collections where the series is popular.
-Melody A. Moxley, Rowan P.L., Salisbury, NC
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.