Rattlesnake Crossing

J.A. Jance

9/29/2001

Sherriff Joanna Brady is finally settling into her new job and her new life. She still misses her husband, Andy. Yet she knows her life has to continue. Her in-laws took her daughter Jenny to Oklahoma. For the first time in her life, she is discovering what it is like to live alone.

Her enjoyment of the lifestyle is quickly shattered. A promising teen-age graduate is reported missing, then found dead in the mountains. Her parents are of no help when Sherriff Brady and her team try to investigate. Their daughter would not do anything to embarrass them. Brady knows they will have to be disillusioned after signs of a boy friend are found.

She also discovers the possibility of a freon smuggling ring. Contraband freon is being shipped across the border into Arizona. It is no longer legal in the United States because of its environmental implications. The black market for the product is flourishing. She reports this to her government agent friend, Adam York.

Between the murder investigation and a possible smuggling sting, she is extremely busy. Her personal friend, Butch, wants to discuss something with her. She keeps having to cancel their dates or run out as soon as they sit down to a casual meal. Her close friend Maryann and her husband Jeff have to take their small daughter to the hospital for a heart transplant. Brady has difficulty spending time at the hospital to help them through a difficult time.

This is an excellent novel. Brady's character becomes more rounded, the mysteries are suspenseful, on-the -edge reading. Jance does not hesitate to pull punches with her writing. Except for Brady herself, anyone could be fair game for trouble, accidents, or even death. Readers of this series know they cannot expect everything to "turn out all right" for the main ongoing characters. The murder twists and turns, revealing secrets long hidden. It's the type of read that keeps pulling me back to this series.

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Notice: Sexual situations

Desert Heat
Tombstone Courage
Shoot Don't Shoot
Dead to Rights
Skeleton Canyon
Rattlesnake Crossing
Outlaw Mountain
Devil's Claw
Paradise Lost
Partner in Crime
Exit Wounds
Dead Wrong
Damage Control