by J. A. Jance
Part of Joanna Brady, book 12
First published 2006
Sheriff Joanna Brady faces her toughest case yet while managing a pregnancy and understaffed department. A mutilated body turns up in the Arizona desert. The victim's fingers have been cut off. Brady discovers the dead man spent two decades in prison for killing his pregnant wife. Recently released, he had been stalking and photographing a young woman. The investigation stalls when one of Brady's officers gets attacked during an unauthorized surveillance operation. The department shifts resources to find the attacker, but Brady cannot abandon the desert murder. She realizes being sheriff has transformed from a job into her identity. Justice drives her forward. She straps on body armor and pursues the truth, risking her safety and her unborn child. The case forces Brady to confront what she owes the dead and what justice truly means.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, personal-stakes
Setting: Arizona
Period: Contemporary
368 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence