by J. A. Jance
Part of Joanna Brady, book 16
First published 2014
Liza Machett cleans out her hoarder mother's crumbling house in Great Barrington, Massachusetts after the old woman dies. Hidden among the clutter, she discovers stacks of hundred-dollar bills that seem like a windfall. Then a stranger appears at the funeral with a chilling warning that she's in mortal danger. Liza grabs the money and runs, driving cross-country to Arizona where Sheriff Joanna Brady investigates the death of Junior Dowdle, a developmentally disabled man found dead in a limestone cave. The cave holds mutilated animal remains and an injured kitten. Brady wonders if Junior's dementia turned him violent or if someone killed him. When Liza's desperate flight intersects with a shocking murder tied to her newfound fortune, Brady races to connect two disturbing cases before more people die.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Arizona
Period: 21st-century
389 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence