Dance of the Bones (J. P. Beaumont Series #22)

by J. A. Jance

Overview

J. P. Beaumont and Brandon Walker, two of New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance’s most acclaimed series characters, join forces for the first time in one of the most suspenseful works of her career.

Years ago, Amos Warren, a prospector, was gunned down out in the desert and Sheriff Brandon Walker made the arrest in the case. Now, the retired Walker is called in when the alleged killer, John Lassiter, refuses to accept a plea deal that would release him from prison with time served. Lassiter wants Brandon and The Last Chance to find Amos's "real" killer and clear his name.

Sixteen hundred miles to the north in Seattle, J.P. Beaumont is at loose ends after the Special Homicide Investigation Team, affectionately known as S.H.I.T., has been unexpectedly and completely disbanded. When Brandon discovers that there are links between Lassiter’s case and an unsolved case in Seattle, he comes to Beau for help.

Those two cases suddenly become hot when two young boys from the reservation, one of them with close ties to the Walker family, go missing. Can two seasoned cops, working together, decipher the missing pieces in time to keep them alive?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062297662
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/08/2015
Series:	J. P. Beaumont Series , #22
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	730,906
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, she lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington.

Hometown:

Bellevue, Washington

Date of Birth:

October 27, 1944

Place of Birth:

Watertown, South Dakota

Education:

B. A., University of Arizona, 1966; M. Ed. in Library Science, University of Arizona, 1970

Website:

http://www.jajance.com/

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/27/2015
Bestseller Jance’s 51st novel brings together two of her popular series characters—Seattle detective J.P. Beaumont and Arizona sheriff Brandon Walker—in a highly entertaining plot that honors both of these now-retired cops. Grounded in the legends and lore of the Tohono O’odham people, the story also delivers a solid look at the vagaries of justice. In 1970, Walker arrested John Lassiter for the shooting murder of Lassiter’s foster father, prospector Amos Warren. Still in prison after all these years and suffering from MS, Lassiter refuses a plea deal that might release him. Instead, Lassiter wants Walker to find the real killer, using the work Walker does with Last Chance, a volunteer organization of retired law enforcement experts. When a link is found to an unsolved Seattle case, Walker gets in touch with Beaumont. The kidnapping of two boys ratchets up the suspense. Jance (Cold Betrayal) satisfies fans of both series with an energetic plot resplendent with believable twists, leaving readers eager for Beaumont and Walker’s next outing. Agent: Alice Volpe, Northwest Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

02/01/2015
Having perhaps put away the wrong man, Sheriff Brandon Walker hunts for who might have really killed a local prospector many years ago. That leads him to rain-drenched Washington State and Mel Shames, adjusting to her new job as the police chief in Bellingham and already targeted by a gun-crazy madman. Thus do two of Jance's series leads come together; with a 150,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal

Jance satisfies fans of both series with an energetic plot resplendent with believable twists, leaving readers eager for Beaumont and Walker’s next outing.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on DANCE OF THE BONES

From the Publisher

Jance’s mystery, with its Native American backdrop set in the West, demands colorful portrayals of its many characters, but J.R. Horne’s narration doesn’t deliver. There are two big issues: Men and women aren’t differentiated at all. And personalities, which could be shaped by a narrator’s deft touch, are a bit flat. A young person, various people in distress, and many others become embroiled in the plot, which is tied to a serious falling out between a pair of friends years earlier. All the characters are poised for creative voices, but the narration falls short. While sharp narration can perk up an average story, the opposite is also true. M.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2015 - AudioFile