Rating: 
Summary: Awful potboiler ... so why do I keep turning the pages?
Review: ... well, at least in part because it's written as if for an old pulp magazine which paid by the word -- never say in ten words what can be expanded to twenty or thirty. It's a perfect book to practice your speed reading, hitting the highlights with occasional dips into the glutinous morass of its prose. Read in this fashion there are nuggets of interesting plotting. The main plot of three murders in sleepy Cochise County, how they are linked, police procedure, and their eventual resolution holds together surprisingly well and is at least as convincing as usual for mysteries. For at least one aspect you actually do have the crucial clue somewhat in advance of the solution, but mostly there's little of the 'whodunit' to the book -- we have to wait along with the protagonists for the crucial information from lab or database, at which point the next step is obvious. But some of the numerous subplots seem rather overheated and certainly unnecessary. The book isn't "intricately plotted" so much as it just goes off in several scattered directions at once. But unlike, say, Joseph Hansen's "Job's Year", this conflation of one awful event after another in the life of Sherrif Brady, her family and department, does not seem to be a theme for the book -- merely,as the Publishers Weekly review indicated, a dip toward soap opera. But the writing, oh the writing. Whenever I slowed down enough to notice, it was all I could do not to run for a blue pencil (I do plan to sell this book .. definitely not a keeper). Not only is the prose inflated, bordering on bloviation, but we are constantly told what to think about something rather than simply presenting an observation: "... the woman who stepped out wore a bright yellow sundress and matching hat. The ladylike attire stood in stark contrast to the rest of her outfit, which consisted of thick socks and heavy-duty hiking boots." Far better to simply show us the boots and leave us to notice the contrast. And the department's unmarked cars must have been referred to as Crown Victorias .. or the cutesy 'Civvies' .. several hundred times (yet never once explaining little details like why they were driving this model, or why we should care; it's not even 100 per cent clear these weren't patrol cars). I could go on and on, but suffice to say it was a battle between screaming and gritting my teeth. I've read some of Jance's previous work and though hardly eloquent don't recall it's being this badly written. Let's hope this is a temporary lapse .. or that she finds an editor who actually edits.
Rating:
Summary: Awful potboiler ... so why do I keep turning the pages?
Review: ... well, at least in part because it's written as if for an old pulp magazine which paid by the word -- never say in ten words what can be expanded to twenty or thirty. It's a perfect book to practice your speed reading, hitting the highlights with occasional dips into the glutinous morass of its prose. Read in this fashion there are nuggets of interesting plotting. The main plot of three murders in sleepy Cochise County, how they are linked, police procedure, and their eventual resolution holds together surprisingly well and is at least as convincing as usual for mysteries. For at least one aspect you actually do have the crucial clue somewhat in advance of the solution, but mostly there's little of the 'whodunit' to the book -- we have to wait along with the protagonists for the crucial information from lab or database, at which point the next step is obvious. But some of the numerous subplots seem rather overheated and certainly unnecessary. The book isn't "intricately plotted" so much as it just goes off in several scattered directions at once. But unlike, say, Joseph Hansen's "Job's Year", this conflation of one awful event after another in the life of Sherrif Brady, her family and department, does not seem to be a theme for the book -- merely,as the Publishers Weekly review indicated, a dip toward soap opera. But the writing, oh the writing. Whenever I slowed down enough to notice, it was all I could do not to run for a blue pencil (I do plan to sell this book .. definitely not a keeper). Not only is the prose inflated, bordering on bloviation, but we are constantly told what to think about something rather than simply presenting an observation: "... the woman who stepped out wore a bright yellow sundress and matching hat. The ladylike attire stood in stark contrast to the rest of her outfit, which consisted of thick socks and heavy-duty hiking boots." Far better to simply show us the boots and leave us to notice the contrast. And the department's unmarked cars must have been referred to as Crown Victorias .. or the cutesy 'Civvies' .. several hundred times (yet never once explaining little details like why they were driving this model, or why we should care; it's not even 100 per cent clear these weren't patrol cars). I could go on and on, but suffice to say it was a battle between screaming and gritting my teeth. I've read some of Jance's previous work and though hardly eloquent don't recall it's being this badly written. Let's hope this is a temporary lapse .. or that she finds an editor who actually edits.
Rating: 
Summary: PARADISE FOUND
Review: As the author of a debut mystery that is set in the American Southwest, I always enjoy J.A. Jance's Joanna Brady novels. In PARADISE LOST, Ms. Jance adds complications to her Arizona sheriff's life. Joanna is adjusting to a new marriage, building a dream house, and dealing with a daughter who is growing up too fast. During a Girl Scout campout, Joanna's daughter, Jenny, and one of the daughter's friends sneak off to sneak cigarettes. They find a body. Sheriff Brady starts investigating the murder, yet she is also concerned with her daughter's misbehavior. Then the daughter's friend turns up dead, and Joanna worries that Jenny may be the next victim in the killer's sights. Throw in a subplot involving Joanna's suspicions involving her new husband possibly having an affair, and you have a top-notch mystery here. It may be titled PARADISE LOST but it is actually, for the reader, PARADISE FOUND.
Rating: 
Summary: What the. . .?
Review: I bought this book expecting to immerse myself in an epic struggle of Good vs. Evil. I got a facile tale of the Southwest. Buyers beware! This is not the Miltonian epic, but rather a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Rating:
Summary: What the. . .?
Review: I bought this book expecting to immerse myself in an epic struggle of Good vs. Evil. I got a facile tale of the Southwest. Buyers beware! This is not the Miltonian epic, but rather a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Rating:
Summary: This book was just plain awful
Review: I found this book to be poorly written and repetitive. Needed some more peer/editorial reviews before going to market. Could not even get past the first 3 chapters.
Rating:
Summary: The Brady series gets even better with this entry
Review: I really enjoyed this latest entry to the Joanny Brady series. Interesting action and dialogue. I liked the fact that the acts of the other mothers involved - Matthews, Sorenson, and Bernard - are presented in all their detail, discussed, and dealt with, but a conventional slam at their morality or lack thereof is not made. You get to make the editorial comments as you read. This is a rough world in 2001 - even touching the apparently staid Southwest. The only thing that irritates me about the series is that Sheriff Brady continually disrespects commitments she has made to her family when work issues occur. Maybe part of it is Ms. Jance just describing a motivated person learning a challenging new job. And maybe that's where Ms. Jance is going with this series - Joanne doesn't seem to get it, even when she apologizes, but we do, and we know she's going to have to deal with conflicting commitments to work and home pretty darn soon, especially if she runs for sheriff again or she and Butch decide to have more children(no spoilers here).
Rating: 
Summary: I Liked It
Review: I've read all of the Joanna Brady novels and I've liked every one. For some reason, I like these better than the JP Beaumont novels she writes that are set in Seattle.
The whole package is enjoyable. From the mystery to the family squabbles that she has to go through. You can really relate.
The mystery itself was enjoyable. I never saw the ending of one part of it coming. It just wouldn't have crossed my mind.
Rating:
Summary: Paradise isn't lost .. it's in Cochise County
Review: If you love the Brady series, then get ready for the best of the bunch. Joanna Brady is juggling her new marriage and sheriff responsibilities in this well written tale involving a series of related, or possibly unrelated murders. Her own daughter, Jenny, gets caught up as a possible target in this one, adding to the suspense. There's something about J. A. Jance's style that captures me. The feeling of reading this book reminded me of the feel of a comfortable set of old shoes. The characters are very appealing, and I can't wait for the next entry to see them mature and progress, and solve crimes along the way. If you want a hard-boiled detective story, then you may not like this book, but for me, nothing beats the Arizona heat. Keep 'em coming Ms Jance!
Rating:
Summary: Paradise isn't lost .. it's in Cochise County
Review: If you love the Brady series, then get ready for the best of the bunch. Joanna Brady is juggling her new marriage and sheriff responsibilities in this well written tale involving a series of related, or possibly unrelated murders. Her own daughter, Jenny, gets caught up as a possible target in this one, adding to the suspense. There's something about J. A. Jance's style that captures me. The feeling of reading this book reminded me of the feel of a comfortable set of old shoes. The characters are very appealing, and I can't wait for the next entry to see them mature and progress, and solve crimes along the way. If you want a hard-boiled detective story, then you may not like this book, but for me, nothing beats the Arizona heat. Keep 'em coming Ms Jance!
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