Field of Bones

Field of Bones by J. A. Jance is a 2018 William Morrow publication. <br /><br />Joanna flunks maternity leave again-<br /><br />When a skull is found, it leads to the discovery of a body- and then more bodies. Obviously, Cochise County has a serial killer on their hands. Deputy Chief Tom Hadlock feels out of his depth and before long Joanna, the newly elected sheriff, is in the middle of this disturbing, tricky investigation. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Butch is off on a book tour promoting his cozy mystery series, and Joanna delves into her father’s journals, discovering things she finds helpful in understanding her parent’s complex marriage.<br /><br />While Joanna and other members of law enforcement work to catch a killer, the reader follows, Latisha, one of the women the killer is holding hostage, as she recounts her descent into this living hell and her fight to stay alive. <br /><br />This eighteenth installment in the Joanna Brady series may be the grittiest, most harrowing, one to date! There is a lot going on in this one, with several law enforcement units involved, Joanna’s encounters with journalist, Marliss Shackelford, and the revelations discovered in her father’s journals, as well keeping up with the killer’s thought processes, as well as Latisha’s. <br /><br />Like psychological thrillers today, at one time the serial killer plot line was so over saturated they lost their shock value and thus became rote and powerless. However, recently, I’ve seen a few stellar serial killer series out there, which have begun to breathe new life into the tired old trope. I have found myself turning to them for - wait for it- a change of pace! <br /><br />So, when Jance brings a serial killer to Cochise County, instead of groaning, I was ready to dive in with enthusiasm. I was not disappointed! The story did slow down in some places as Joanna is taking on the role of Sheriff, and is supposed to be on maternity leave, giving more time to characters we have not gotten to know yet. Jance spends a bit of time detailing these character's backstories, which did mess with the momentum a bit. But!<br /><br />I’m thinking we are going to see some of these folks in future installments, so this book is a little like a transition book, as Joanna’s life has once again taken a new and interesting turn. In fact, if you have been curious about the Brady novels, but felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books in the series, this book will give you plenty of information so that you won’t feel lost going forward.<br /> <br />But, after a few lulls, the story becomes absolutely riveting. The serial killer, known as ‘The Boss’ is one mean, creepy, evil dude. His inner thoughts are hard to read and are genuinely the stuff nightmares are made of. But the star of the show is Latisha! It’s been a long time since I’ve found myself cheering on a character with such passion. Latisha's fighting spirit and sheer tenacity stayed with me for days after finishing this novel. <br /><br />While this installment is quite a bit darker than usual, and long- time fans may be somewhat frustrated by the long winded backstories, I thought this was an exceptional chapter in the series.<br /><br /> I’m looking forward to seeing the series continue to grow and adapt. I hope to read Joanna Brady mysteries for a long time to come! <br /><br />*I won a copy of this book on Goodreads.

<i>'Field of Bones'</i> (book #18 of the fabulous Joanna Brady series) takes us on a nonstop thrill ride filled with nonstop suspense and excitement around every corner. Joanna gave birth to her second child, Sage and was on maternity leave for much of the book. While caring for (with the recent new edition) <b>two</b> young children, she was also tasked with micromanaging a huge serial killer case - and all from home.<br />In addition, I especially appreciated learning insight into Joanna's father was through the detailed journals he kept all the way back through her childhood. I found these insightful into understanding what helped Joanna become the woman she is today, and very nicely threaded within the plot. In summary, <i>'Field of Bones'</i> was an exceptional installment to the series, and, (in my humble opinion) leaves lots of room for more exciting episodes to come. . .<br />Narrator Hillary Huber delivered (as always) an epic listening experience. When I see her name listed as a/the performer I know listening will be tons better than reading.

How does this book have such a good rating? I must officially be a book snob now, because I hated this book. I have never read a book with so many character back stories. I am pretty sure that was one for every single person she talked about. I had to read this for book club which is why I started on book 18, but I don't actually need to read the other books since she also fills you in on anything that has ever happened to Sheriff Brady ever. Who, is also a super annoying character. I get that she is supposed to be an independent woman, doing it all and fitting in with the old boys club... but everything she does is perfect! I mean who could expect her to take more than 2 weeks maternity leave! Also.... I did not need to hear about Laticia's ingrown toenails NEARLY that often.... seriously... like 50 mentions... I am pretty sure that being locked up with a serial killer for 6 months could have given her some more interesting/ less weird injuries. <br /><br />Ok. I'm done.

“Field of Bones” is the 18th book in the long-running Sheriff Joanna Brady mysteries series by J.A. Jance. This is the first one I have read, but I very much enjoyed this story and had no issues with the fact that I had not read the previous books. Having said that, I will go back and read as many as I can. I enjoy J.A. Jance's writing and have been reading other books written by her for awhile now. This book finds Joanna Brady off work on maternity leave. Like many law enforcement personnel, leaves are meant to be broken, and when Joanna finds out about the most recent bodies found in the dessert, she can't stay out of it. She does not take front and center in this one, but is a mentor and coach for most of the story and that works well. There is more than one body out there, an when they stumble upon a girl who has been held captive for quite a period of time, the investigation takes on a life of its own.<br /><br />This was a rather descriptive thriller, with some graphic descriptions. I would definitely not recommend this one to people who are looking for a light mystery or police procedural. The story is told from several POVs, the captives, the captor/serial killer and some of the investigators. The captive sections are hard to stomach sometimes. Having said that, this was a page turner. I stayed up way too late reading this one and thought about the victims for a few days after I finished this book. It was well-paced and the investigation was very interesting. I really enjoyed this story. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Hillary Haber. She is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator who did an excellent job narrating this book. I would recommend it to those who enjoy mystery/thrillers and do not mind graphic descriptions in a story.<br /><br />

J.A. Jance has been writing mysteries for a long time. Since the 1980’s she has been busy, producing three successful ongoing series with strong leading characters battling crime, including Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumont, Los Angeles news anchor Ali Reynolds, and Arizona County Sherriff Joanna Brady. All three series have built-up a consistent audience and stayed strong over time. <br /><br />I have always enjoyed reading the Beaumont and Brady books, especially Brady for several reasons. First, there seems to be few females in lead mystery roles, and she is an outstanding lead investigator. Second, I love reading about her family development from the beginning of the series when her first husband was killed. I enjoy watching her children growing up and her multi-talented second husband become a successful novelist. And third, I love visiting with the rest of the citizens of Joanna’s home town of Bisbee and all of the connected relationships that go on in a small-town setting. <br /><br />“Field of Bones” is the 18th book in the long-running Sherriff Joanna Brady mysteries series by J.A. Jance. When the book begins, Joanna has just won her third election as Sherriff of Cochise County, a mostly desert area of Southwest Arizona. Joanna has also gone into unexpected labor and rushed to the hospital to deliver her third child. <br /><br />Skip forward in time a bit and we find Sherriff Brady at home trying to stay on maternity leave and focus on her family while her husband. Butch, is on a two-week book tour to promote his newest mystery novel. Unfortunately, some local boys stumble onto what appears to by a graveyard of bones for an active serial killer. Once the investigation begins, it doesn’t take long to realize there are most likely other victims being held and brutalized by the unknown killer, and time suddenly becomes a critical factor. Sherriff Brady has to call her maternity leave short and help her team oversee one of their most complex investigations involving multiple jurisdictions and federal profiling assistance. <br /><br />Since her introduction in 1993, Sherriff Brady has always had a special place in my heart for another more important reason. Each time I read her books, I get to sit right up from as Sherriff Brady takes on what seem like impossible challenges and she finds ways to overcome them, often with the help of others in a team manner. In early books, Brady faced the challenge of being a female in a man’s world of law enforcement as well as a single mother. In later books, she faced the challenge of beginning a new family and sharing her life with another person. In recent books, she has faced the revealing of crushing family secrets and the loss of lost ones.<br /><br />In this book, whether intentional or not, Jance demonstrates her strong writing skills by not allowing Brady to be the onsite, hands-on leader of the investigation. Instead, Jance forces Brady to provide support and mentoring from the sidelines for most of the book. Brady has to rely on her team to perform the work without her and uses her networking and relationship-building skills to get help for the team, like a cadaver dog team and an FBI profiler. This time out, key parts of the story were shared by other characters like Latisha Marcum, a current kidnap victim of the serial killer, and Garth Raymond, a new member of Sherriff Brady’s law enforcement team. It was especially nice to see Tom Hadlock, Acting Sherriff, come through in the moments that mattered. Jance did a great job of highlighting the strengths of other characters around Sherriff Brady, which added to the tension of the story. <br /><br />In my opinion, J.A. Jance has created and successfully raised the bar over and over again with her Sherriff Brady mystery series. Brady’s world of Bisbee and Southwest Arizona is filled with beloved and memorable characters, a small Hallmark like town charm with western history, and intriguing mysteries that keep your attention. It's a special kind of mind candy that delivers a different colored gem each time out. <br /><br />Overall, this was the kind of read I expected and it delivered in a pleasing manner. I enjoy spending time with Sherriff Brady, her team, her family, and the rest of the citizens of Bisbee. I cannot until we meet again next year. Hopefully you will make a visit too. It will be enjoyable and well-worth it. <br /><br />

A Joanna Brady novel was the first book I read in the J.A. Jance series. I was so impressed by Jance’s writing skills that I read all this series and the other two series. Jance is a master storyteller.<br /><br />In this book, Joanna Brady is up for election for her 3rd term as sheriff. In fact, she delivers a baby girl on election night. She won the election, but her maternity leave is cut short by a serial killer. There is a new character in this book, Deputy Sheriff Garth Raymond. There is a lot of back story telling to bring readers up to date about Raymond.<br /><br />The book is well written. I am unhappy about the serial killer subject. I am so tired of this subject. It is great to visit with all the regular characters and a pleasant visit to Arizona. Jance does a great job working descriptions of the Arizona scenery into the story. I am looking forward to the next episode.<br /><br />I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and 48 minutes. Hillary Haber does an excellent job narrating the book. Haber is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator. She is a multiple Earphone Award winner as well as a multiple Audie Award Finalist. Haber won the Audiofile Magazine’s “Best Voice in Biography and Culture” in 2010. <br />

A good entry into the Joanna Brady series. Joanna is on maternity leave and a serial killer's field of bones is found. Her staff takes on the investigation but Joanna lends impressive aid. This one is a little more brutal than some of Joanna's previous entries. Recommended to Brady fans.

J.A. Jance has written an admirable book covering several social problems. You have the feelings of several parties as the sheriff's deputies, the victim, and the villain. It handles memories, maternity, cold cases, serial killers, kidnapping, religion, the inability of letting go, results of the actions of one person to others and the relatives of a victim.<br />Joanna's life has changed recently, she wins the election, and her daughter, Sage is born. A human skull is brought to the sheriff's department and a large congregation of sheriff's officers heads for the remote area where the skull was found. Joanna is on maternity leave and she is reading her father's diaries. At Canyon, the officers find a decaying body of a person. This began a major investigation of bones found in the canyon. Cadaver dogs are brought to the area to locate more bodies. At the same time, we follow the actions of a victim and killer. The department is looking for answers. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.<br /><br />Disclosure: Many thanks to HarperCollins for a review copy. The opinions are my own.

Admittedly I don’t read these in order, but I think this is the best Sheriff Brady story yet.<br />It is certainly the most dramatic, I think. <br />The reader of this series is excellent, too.

Holy cow. The Joanna Brady stories just keep getting better. Her family, friends and sheriff’s staff keep getting stronger and more nuanced. This one has so many layers. Loved it.