Rating: 
Summary: One of her best
Review: What a neat book!
Like the other reviewers, I cringed and was sure that J.A. Jance had jumped the shark when J.P. Beaumont got on the plane to Arizona to meet up with Joanna Brady. To the end of the book, the blending of the two characters is pulled off with nary a hitch. The characters stay true to their developed personalities, and act as foils to each other. I do hope this book is their last meeting -- future plot twists to bring them together would probably seem very contrived.
In large part, J.A. Jance breaks away from the trend of so many writers and _improves_ her books as the series goes on. The characters don't suddenly turn into narrow-minded profane caricatures of themselves (as Tom Clancy's do). Aside from getting weepy at a law enforcement funeral at the beginning -- memories of Andy coming back -- and one thought that she and J.P have the death of a spouse in common -- Andy stays well buried and Joanna doesn't go around reminding every person in Bisbee about Andy's death and her widowhood. Jance stays away from grisly death details.
Even when sorely tempted, Joanna and her force are "good cops." Unlike Leonard Goldberg's characters, Joanna Blalock and Jake Sinclair, Joanna and her deputies get warrants before searching private property. Witnesses and suspects are treated with respect and professionally interviewed, instead of being beaten and threatened with reprisals for non-cooperation, which Leonard Goldberg thinks is good police procedure. In Cochise County, citizens and suspects alike get a fair shake and value for their money from law enforcement.
There are a few bloopers and inconsistencies in the book. It's not credible that Joanna would even consider, much less obey, a high school principal's paranoid demand that Joanna not bring her gun on campus, when Joanna is there to speak to an assembly. Joanna would know that Arizona Statute 13-3102 states the "no deadly weapons on campus" law does not apply to peace officers.
It's very unlikely anyone, not even Serenity Granger, could finish law school in a year and half, with or without honors. Jance repeatedly has characters refer to the Arizona "DMV." California has a DMV. Arizona has a Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), which is part of the Az. Dept. of Transportation. Nor do I know of any state where the DMV/ Dept of Transportation keeps track of vehicle colors, as Jance provides.
Jance has town residents drive into Old Mexico to buy leaded fuel for their old cars -- yet there are commercially available bottled leaded fuel substitute additives. Nor would a fleeing suspect need to use leaded fuel in every tankful, as Jance's plot requires.
With regard to his pistol, Beaumont refers to "my wimpy backup handgun," also described as "my small backup Glock." There are no "wimpy" Glocks, of any size.
Jance has Rochelle Baxter ingesting a fatal dose of the poison sodium azide, and then continuing to peacefully paint 90 minutes later, and sleeping for another hour. Yet a large dose of sodium azide poisoning produces severe symptoms within 15 minutes.
These are minor blips in an otherwise wonderful book with well-developed multi-dimensional characters and a sensible plot.
The only major plot inconsistency is at the end of the book, where Joanna hugs J.P. to comfort him, and finds a mutual electricity. Joanna then feels rejected when J.P. turns down her offer to drive him to Tucson, lest they be tempted to go further. Now, Jance's Joanna may be forgetful and a bit inconsiderate, and not a little brusque at times, but the thoughts of being unfaithful to her husband Butch are totally out of character.
Rating: 
Summary: Jance at her best!
Review: When I first heard that one of my favorite authors, J.A. Jance, had written a book that had the very different characters from her two very different mystery/detective series appearing in one book, I was skeptical. How could tough J.P. Beaumont from Seattle possibly interact with Sherriff Joanna Brady down in Bisbee, Arizona? And, having read and loved all of the Joanna Brady books but only two of the J.P. Beaumont series, would I really want HIM crashing the party down in Arizona?I shouldn't have worried: in the hands of a master like J.A. Jance, characters can and do travel to different locales and interact with each other without readers getting frustrated or feeling lost. In fact, the results in this book are simply WONDERFUL. Like all of Jance's books, this one has a strong plot, well-developed characters, and a suspenseful ending. Jance never takes the easy way out of a mystery; part of the joy of this book is watching her NOT take the easy way out of the interactions between Beaumont and Brady ---that alone is worth the price of the book. It's simply one of her best, whether you're a Beaumont fan or a Joanna Brady fan, although most of the action does take place in Arizona. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: TerrificTeam!
Review: Writer Jance has a real winner on her hands in her "Partner in Crime" novel, when she teams up two familiar characters to join forces in this 'Must Read' page turner. The characters are believable. The dialogue interesting. And the plot exciting. A very appealing combination. John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pics. Inc.
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