Rating: 
Summary: Great addition to the series!
Review: I really enjoyed Exit Wounds, and thought the ending was a great twist. I do hope that Joanna's reelection is completed in the next book, it has stretched on too long.As far as the female minister in the book, I'm United Methodist, and my minister is female. Very common.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS FOR WAYNE HARDY
Review: I saw your customer review, and I am writing to tell you that you have the read the JOANNA BRADY series starting with DESERT HEAT to understand what Joanna's life is about. I just got the book from the library and haven't had the chance to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Well-told mystery with a touch of social commentary
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in the Joanna Brady mystery series. The story literally starts out with a bang when an eccentric loner, Carol Mossman, is murdered by someone who shoots her right through the locked door of her mobile home. Carol Mossman's murder is discovered by one of Joanna Brady's deputies, sent out to check on Ms. Mossman's 17 dogs which she is "hoarding". Tragically, the dogs have been trapped in the un-air-conditioned mobile home and all are found dead from the heat, along with their mistress. The story develops rapidly from there. Along with solving the Mossman murder, Joanna is kept busy juggling many other personal and professional responsibilities. Shortly after the murder is discovered, Joanna realizes a happy surprise--she is pregnant! Joanna is also swamped with campaign obligations in her quest for re-election as sheriff of Cochise County. Then another incident happens in Cochise County where a car loaded with 20 illegal immigrants overturns and many are killed in the accident. And did I mention that all this happens over the Fourth of July holiday weekend? Ms. Jance continues to develop all the characters introduced in the series so far. However, even if you are new to this series, you should have no trouble picking up the story and the characters. It seemed ironic to me that the general public of Cochise County cared more about the dogs who died in Carol Mossman's overheated trailer than the score of immigrants hurt or killed in a car accident. Not only was this novel a very enjoyable mystery, but the author's comments on "hoarding" and smuggling immigrants across the border illegally were good points. With all that is going on in Joanna Brady's life, the next story in this series is bound to be another great read!
Rating: 
Summary: Enticing, yet not exciting
Review: I was able to maintain a high level of interest in this story of a female sheriff investigating the murder of a indigent woman with multiple pets in rural Arizona. While not an "edge of your seat" thriller, this book presents what I would compare to a good detective TV series. Joanna Brady is an interesting character who you will like to get to know (or continue to know if you follow the series). In addition to the main plot, you get to follow Joanna's day to day challenges with her family and other police duties. The main plot does keep you wondering as any classic whodunnit would, with some, unfortunately predictable twists. Some may get annoyed with the authors more than subtle message about animal cruelty. The 1 star harsh reviews noted here are not a fair representation of the quality of the book. This was my first Jance book and it prompted me to buy others, including the thriller series.
Rating: 
Summary: Sooo Lifetime!
Review: If you like this book you will probably like "Bless the Child" by Cathy Cash Spellman. They are very similar. This book can be summed up in one word, simple: simple-minded, simple characters, simple plot (applied loosely), and simple premise. What a contrived piece of garbage!
I can't describe everything wrong with this book because there's not enough time. If it's meant to be a mystery it sucks because you figure out who did it about halfway through. If it's meant to empower women it sucks because the women are either victims, in denial, weak, worried about what everyone thinks, or oblivious. If it's meant to promote animal adoptions it sucks because the author's plea for that is irritating. That's how bad this book is! It can make an animal lover say that its plea for more animal adoptions was annoying.
This author has no style. The book reads like an episode of inside edition. There is no immersion into the story. The total lack of character development leaves you with no compassion for them. As a reader I felt completely outside the story; an uncaring observer of a poorly described scenario. The attempts to tug at my heartstrings were laughable. I've been more moved by the appearance of colorful weeds on my lawn. The only reason I read the whole thing was that my neighbor recommended it and loaned it to me. Do not waste your time.
I must say though that this novel was inspirational. If this crap can make the best seller list, it gives me hope that my original fiction might get published.
Rating: 
Summary: Joanna's many hats
Review: Joanna Brady wears a lot of hats, mainly sheriff, wife, and mother. This book illustrates the delicate balancing act she performs, but it seems that her worklife takes precedence over her homelife. She spends very little time at home because she's trying to solve the murder of Carol Mossman, a hoarder of animals whose 17 dogs die with her. Joanna becomes embroiled with Mossman's family and delves into its ugly secrets in order to solve the murder. Along with this, Joanna is faced with a large number of undocumented aliens who have come across the border from Mexico and who have been killed or injured in a bad car accident. There are political implications in this book, too, because Joanna is running for sheriff and each one of her actions seems to bring forth a new protest group. She could never pull all of this off without the help of Butch, her selfless stay-at-home husband who takes care of hearth, home, and Joanna's daughter while she is performing her duties as sheriff. There are some developments on the homefront plus the election which are not settled in this book and are a perfect lead-in for the next book in this dependable series.
Rating:
Summary: Tough message and a good read
Review: Other reviewers have discussed the plot. Sheriff Brady is called to the scene of a woman's murder. Detectives discover seventeen dogs in the woman's house, all of whom suffocated to death. The dead woman turns out to be Carol Mossman, who has held a series of low-paying inconsequential jobs before ending up in this trailer owned by her grandmother. Jance, a seasoned best-selling author, plays fair with the readers while delivering a page-turner. We look over Sheriff Brady's shoulder as she investigates. Two newswomen were murdered in the same style: is a serial killer loose? What was Mossman trying to keep quiet? And what is the role of her definitely
dysfunctional family? Although the mystery holds attention, the real action takes place in Sheriff Brady's personal life. By marrying her off to a novelist who does the housework, author Jance has avoided the fate of most married detective heroines: losing their edge. Husband Butch cooks great meals and raises teenage daugher Jenny, while her mother continues to disapprove of whatever Sheriff Brady does, on or off the job.
And early in the book, Joanna Brady gets a surprise that will create interesting subplots in volumes to come. Jance's novel goes down as smooth as a good scotch. She's a real pro even when she delivers a searing message. As a dog-lover, she must have had a hard time writing about the way dogs suffer, and it's not surprising that the Brady household acquires more dogs during hte course of the action. I think the author's heart was touched as much as her heroine's. I'm not surprised by the number of women who appear here: a female sheriff, a minister, and more. It's not uncommon to experience women in those roles. By creating a superman husband, Jance allows her heroine to focus on her sheriff role, bypassing traditional female obligations. The characters don't have the staying power of other heroines, such as Anna Pigeon or Bennie Rosato. The focus is on action, no-nonsense and get-the-job-done. This approach may be anchored in the author's southwestern roots, where tough women work on ranches, ride horseback and do their jobs. Jance herself comes across as tough and straight-shooting (I saw her sign books in Tucson). Sandra Day O'Connor is cut from the same cloth. Heroine Joanna Brady would probably find a soul sister in Shirley McClintock, heroine of the series by B. J. Oliphant, or Texana Jones, Allana Martin's heroine . You may not agree with their southwestern values, which remain conservative in many ways. But you have to respect their grit and determination to get the job done. And you have to respect the skill of author J. A. Jance, who makes it look easy.
Rating:
Summary: moves at a slow pace
Review: Sheriff Brady is faced with an interesting mystery involving three dead bodies connected by bullets from almost a century ago. This has the makings of a very good mystery, but the book moves at too slow of a pace. Meanwhile, our hero battles morning sickness as she and Butch are starting their own family (is this the beginning of the end of the series as we know it?). The side stories are not as good in this book as they are in most of the Brady books. Overall, I was disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best yet in the series
Review: Sheriff Joanna Brady has her hands full with an election campaign, unexpected pregnancy, and her house-husband Butch's frustrating career as a novelist. But when a woman is killed and her seventeen dogs die in the woman's non-air-conditioned trailer, Brady is plunged into mystery. The first murder is followed by two more--with the same weapon signature. But the deeper Brady digs, the uglier she things look. The dead woman was already a victim--of child abuse so severe it made her incapable of holding a steady job and turned her into a hoarder for dogs. Brady swears she'll find the killer, but can any punishment be enough for what has happened? Author J. A. Jance writes a compelling and exciting mystery shot-through with authentic visions of the desert mountains of Arizona. Brady is well developed as a character--with a rich but complicated family life and the drive to serve as sheriff. A subplot involving a SUV crash that killed a number of undocumented aliens being smuggled across the border from Mexico deepens the story and adds emotional depth. J. A. Jance has written a series of novels featuring Sheriff Joanna Brady and EXIT WOUNDS may be the best I've read so far. I couldn't put the book down and was practicaly out of breath when I finished it. EXIT WOUNDS may be read independently of the other books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: Sheriff Joanna Brady investigates the murder of a woman found in her trailer with her seventeen dead dogs.
Another murder occurs on the same day involving the same gun and suddenly the investigation gets a lot more complicated than just the question of who would want to kill a down-on-her- luck animal lover. In the course of her investigation we learn about "hoarding", a compulsion to take in stray dogs and cats in order to "save" them usually brought on by childhood abuse. In addition to this crime, Joanna must deal with her re-election and the dirty dealings of her running mate, another crime involving a illegal immigrants, her pregnancy, and her on-going strained relationship with her mother. There is a lot of Joanna's plate, but she handles it with fortitude J.A. Jance's books are always rich in characterization. Joanna has been a long journey since the beginning of the series and each of the characters continues to grow. Each book is a stand-alone novel and Jance takes quite a bit of time in the beginning of the novel explaining earlier events. This part of the book dragged a bit for me. After the first 100 pages the pace picked up considerably. Jance can always be counted on the write a compelling story.
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