Book Review: Field of Bones by J.A. Jance

Field of Bones by J.A. Jance

A Brady Novel of Suspense

September 4, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller & Suspense – Women Sleuths

Sheriff Joanna Brady’s best intentions to stay on maternity leave take a hit when a serial homicide case rocks Cochise County, dragging her into a far-reaching investigation to bring down a relentless killer in this chilling tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance.

This time Sheriff Joanna Brady may expect to see her maternity leave through to completion, but the world has other plans when a serial homicide case surfaces in her beloved Cochise County. Rather than staying home with her newborn and losing herself in the cold cases to be found in her father’s long unread diaries, Joanna instead finds herself overseeing a complex investigation involving multiple jurisdictions.

Filled with the beloved characters, small town charm, vivid history, intriguing mystery, and the scenic Arizona desert backdrop that have made the Joanna Brady series perennial bestsellers, this latest entry featuring the popular sheriff is sure to please J. A. Jance’s legion of fans.

REVIEW

FIELD OF BONES is a classic J. A. Jance Mystery. The author gives the backstory of her principal characters. She shares details of significant events from the series’ past. Jance skillfully tells her story from different perspectives and shares insight of her key protagonists. She gives her readers Sheriff Joanna Brady’s perspective exploring both personal and professional issues. Jance shares the insight of how Joanna deals with the chaos of past and current unfolding events relating to the loss of loved ones, her difficult bid for re-election, supporting Butch’s growing writing career, and while on maternity leave Sheriff Brady works on guiding her staff in a complex serial murder investigation.

The author shares the perspective of several existing support characters as well as new characters and seeing the story through the eyes of the Sheriff’s rookie Deputy Garth Raymond. Jance shares Garth’s backstory including why he pursues a career in law enforcement. Readers get a perspective of the victims who have been murdered as Jance provides their backstory. They meet Latisha Marcum, a kidnapping survivor. Jance gives readers Latisha’s perspective of the events and sees how she is dealing with what she has been forced to endure. Jance makes it a point to share the backstory of the antagonist known as “The Boss.” She describes her antagonists as a monster who enjoys doing evil things to vulnerable people.

The storyline starts out in high gear and jumps into overdrive from the very first page. Jance keeps her readers guessing what will happen next until they get to the dramatic, suspenseful ending. J. A. Jance delivers an action-filled story that will keep readers reading until they turn the last page. Jance’s new fans will enjoy the backstory of her existing characters in FIELD OF BONES and, at the same time, will embrace the new characters she introduces. FIELD OF BONES is a fast-moving, gripping story of the challenges of life and how Sheriff Brady deals with the past, present and future. Jance’s new book is a highly recommended must-read and earns a five-star ranking.

Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/John Kurtze (September 6, 2018)