Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable quick read, a bit cluttered
Review: It was with a little trepidation that I picked up the current Joanna Brady novel, since the previous _Rattlesnake Canyon_ had those red herring sub-plots that led nowhere, facts that were inconsistent, and spent so much time dwelling on the grisly details of serial murder -- not to mention that Sheriff Brady felt compelled to tell almost everyone she met, "I know how you feel, I'm a widow, my husband died a brave death."
The "I'm a widow too" comments are now gone, as are the needlessly grisly death scenes and inconsistent plot facts. I enjoy the characters here -- real people with real daily problems who can't handle everything at once and sometimes get tired and snappy.
It does seem, though, that there are a bit too many characters, suspects, and bodies floating around to keep straight. Most casual readers would have to draw a plot diagram to keep track of who's doing what with whom and why. While avoiding the psychological serial killer theme, Jance still seems to be into a large quantity of death per book. At the current rate, in another book or two the entire town of Bisbee will be either dead or in prison....
Rating:
Summary: The Joanna Brady series continues with another winner.
Review: J.A. Jance is a gifted story teller and I have become quite the Joanna Brady fan. "Outlaw Mountain" spends a bunch of time on Joanna's personal life, but has enough plot and subplots going on that the action outdistances the soap opera. Joanna and her immediate circle continue to grow as characters and are easy to care about. The setting is wonderful, the plots resolved in a believable manner and I look forward to the next installment. Also enjoy J.A.Jance's other series set in Seattle featuring J.P. Beaumont.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: Joanna Brady is doing a fine job of being sheriff, raising her daughter and actually finding time to have a life as well. Everyone should be so lucky.Read this one, and all the others, and then go out and find all the JP Beaumont series as well. JA Jance is an excellent writer. Keep up the good work.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the worst novels I have finished this year
Review: Maybe it is me but this novel was about as exciting as watching the grass grow. It is the first mystery novel that I have read by a female author and I hope that it is not representative of the gender. But, by the reviews here, all by women, I can see that Jance writes to that crowd. Her readers seem to like being taken down the aimless boring pass of relationship drible. If you want to spend 10 pages with the main character sitting and talking about nothing in her mothers house or on her friends porch talking about their health than this book is for you. It is amazing that Jance can start great with the murder scene and then 200 pages later start uncovering her first clue, the insulin bottle. Jance gives no indication that Oak Vista or the stranded stranger are even remotely related to the story. Do not start this book it is absolutely a total waste of time. If you want a good mystery read Coben, Crais, Patterson or Michael Connely.
Rating:
Summary: One of the worst novels I have finished this year
Review: Maybe it is me but this novel was about as exciting as watching the grass grow. It is the first mystery novel that I have read by a female author and I hope that it is not representative of the gender. But, by the reviews here, all by women, I can see that Jance writes to that crowd. Her readers seem to like being taken down the aimless boring pass of relationship drible. If you want to spend 10 pages with the main character sitting and talking about nothing in her mothers house or on her friends porch talking about their health than this book is for you. It is amazing that Jance can start great with the murder scene and then 200 pages later start uncovering her first clue, the insulin bottle. Jance gives no indication that Oak Vista or the stranded stranger are even remotely related to the story. Do not start this book it is absolutely a total waste of time. If you want a good mystery read Coben, Crais, Patterson or Michael Connely.
Rating:
Summary: Super!
Review: Of all of the novels I've read this year, only "The Triumph and the Glory" can approach "Outlaw Mountain" for simmering suspense, great plot, and memorable characters. This is a winner in every way!
Rating:
Summary: A different kind of high noon duel
Review: Sheriff Brady is responsible for Cochise County, Arizona. As the sheriff's colleagues of a hundred years ago, the guardian of the law strives to keep the region safe, yet there's one vital difference -- Sheriff Brady is a woman. After her policeman husband's murder, Joanna Brady is determined to bring the killers to justice -- and gets elected sheriff.
In "Outlaw Mountain," Joanna has to find the murderer of an elderly lady whose body was found in the Arizona desert. There are quite a few suspects including the woman's children and newly-wed, young husband. Joanna also has to deal with Junior, an abandoned, mentally handicapped man in his fifties as well as with land disputes taking place in her county. But it's not just Joanna's professional life which keeps her busy -- her daughter Jenny and her boyfriend Butch Dixon also demand some of her time.
J. A. Jance's main protagonist Joanna is a multidimensional character -- strong, yet also vulnerable -- thus adding to the novel's realistic feel. The interesting plot, intriguing mystery as well as excellent description of the region make "Outlaw Mountain" a recommendable book for every reader interested in outstanding thrillers.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of intertwined plot, but few thrills
Review: This is an unusual mystery. It starts off with an interesting murder, then drags on for a long time. Meanwhile, we slug along through seemingly unconnected events, until finally things begin to focus. I wanted it all to build to a great climax, but it best scene (Joanna vs. the killer) occurred too early, leaving Ms Jance a few more chapters to tie up the other loose ends, such as the missing husband and Junior. There was a lot of good story within this book. Perhaps if it was packaged better, it could be a solid 4 or 5 star mystery, but it has a bit too much soap opera within it. Like all Brady books, it was a pleasant and fast read, however. After reading several of them, though, I still can't figure out the source of antagonism between Joanna and Eleanor.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of intertwined plot, but few thrills
Review: This is an unusual mystery. It starts off with an interesting murder, then drags on for a long time. Meanwhile, we slug along through seemingly unconnected events, until finally things begin to focus. I wanted it all to build to a great climax, but it best scene (Joanna vs. the killer) occurred too early, leaving Ms Jance a few more chapters to tie up the other loose ends, such as the missing husband and Junior. There was a lot of good story within this book. Perhaps if it was packaged better, it could be a solid 4 or 5 star mystery, but it has a bit too much soap opera within it. Like all Brady books, it was a pleasant and fast read, however. After reading several of them, though, I still can't figure out the source of antagonism between Joanna and Eleanor.
Rating:
Summary: A Fairy Tale.
Review: This latest Joanna Brady mystery is a fairy tale, at least as far as the central character is concerned. In it, Joanna--who has had her share of tragedy in the past--gets it all: the murderer, a nice man, a use for the jewelry given her by her first husband, a daughter happy with her Mother's choice of boyfriends, understanding inlaws, and professional respect. And, she gets to be the central character in another mystery by J.A. Jance! I am a Jance fan, because I enjoy her fine writing skills and tightly-plotted action lines. Usually I like Jance's central characters, too: J P Beaumont has depth in adversity in his battle with alcohol, and Joanna Brady is a woman with a load of grief and guilt. Somehow, though, in this novel Joanna is less real, more fantasy...and because of that she slips into the realm of becoming a stereotypical mystery novel heroine--beautiful, strong, intelligent, and invincible by the normal adversity that would paralyze the rest of us. Still in all, Outlaw Mountain is a good novel and an enjoyable reading experience, even if the characterization isn't quite as mulilayered as Jance usually develops.
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