Tuesday, June 11, 2013

DEADLY STAKES by J A Jance



This is one of the better Ali Reynolds mysteries. Jance's Sheriff Brady and JP Beaumont series are consistently good. This series has been uneven.  Ali becomes in two intertwining mysteries. AJ, a teen boy, is involved with a murder when he follows his estranged father's instructions and discovers a dying woman. Chip, a prominent physician, and his girlfriend Lynn are charged with the murder of Chip's ex-wife. Family problems abound in both families - an ex-con father who suddenly has lots of cash, a mother with Alzheimers, an ex-wife preferred over the new girlfriend,  a son nearly disowned while a scheming sister is allowed to control the family fortune.  Meanwhile Ali and her "partner" rethink their relationship. 
The characters are believable, the dialogue is realistic. The pacing picks up as the tension increases.  Altogether a good read. 
I would have preferred fewer "commercials" - we really don't need to know that B has an Enterprise rental or the brand names of other products. A minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.

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