|
|
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
CRACKLING SUSPENSE, 20 July 2004
It's tempting to praise J. A. Jance's latest, calling it a "Southwestern mystery." It does beautifully evoke the scenes of that region as well as the faces and personalities of the Native Americans who live there. However, one simply cannot fit bestselling mystery writer Jance into a predictable box - she's far too original for that. So, let's simply say that the setting for this is the Southwest, by turns barren and beautiful. The villain is as merciless as the scorching sun over that area's desert. Day of the Dead returns to the story of former sheriff Brandon Walker, first introduced in Hour of the Hunter and Kiss of the Bees. Walker's now a retiree - a none too happy one at that. Golf isn't his game, solving crimes is; he's bored. Wife, Diana Ladd, is still typing away on Pulitzer Prize winning books, but Walker is in a funk, missing the action and challenge of former days. He's asked to join an organization, TLC, or The Last Chance. Purpose of this group is to solve old crimes, cold cases; this is right down his alley. Little does he know that the first case is one that his department messed up some years back. A fifteen-year-old Tohono O'odham girl was murdered, not only murdered but mutilated. What was a cold case becomes a hot case when it becomes evident that there is a serial killer on the loose with a decades old crime record. Jance, a New York Times bestselling author, has penned 29 novels, some 10 million of which are in print. She spent several years living on the Tohono O'odham reservation west of Tucson, Arizona, thus her memories of the scene and the people are vivid, all of which enriches her story. In addition, while she and her husband were on the reservation they became the targets of a serial killer. Recognized by the press as "among the best - if not the best mystery novelist writing today, " she writes from the heart and from experience. Don't miss "Day of the Dead" for crackling suspense derived from shocking truth. - Gail Cooke
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|