It's a So. Ohio kind of day-gray skies, drizzling rain-perfect weather to curl up with a good book.
On the flight here I read Dead Wrong a title in the Sheriff Joanna Brady series. I so want to find a good suspense writer who challenges the mind; J.A. is not it. I had the ending of this pretty much figured out by page 100. The hook for those of us in southern AZ is Joanna is the sheriff of Cochise County and the books are set in familiar places: Bisbee, San Simon, Sierra Vista.
In this story, Joanna is 38-39 weeks pregnant running around Hell's half acre with a kevlar vest, a semi-automatic rifle, dropping to the ground on her tummy and shooting bad guys in the ankle--taking aim under a car, of course. And there were kidnapped children in the car! I'm not saying this is an impossible feat, but highly implausible. The blurb on the back cover says it best:
...neither her pregnancy nor family concerns will keep her from doing her duty, no matter how perilous...enforcing the law has become more than what Joanna Brady does-it's what she is.
Rest assured that all is well in Cochise County. Joanna's water breaks just as all the bad guys are taken care off. And I think I can write this whole trip off as a business expense because of this book. Here's an interesting tidbit to add to my Nurse Case Manager storehouse of fun facts:
...Joanna tried nursing Dennis, It wasn't entirely successful, but Joanna remembered how it had been with Jenny. There had been a learning curve for both Joanna and the baby, and she was sure this was more of the same thing.
Not a Lactation Consultant in sight!
I have Suite Francaise in my bag for the return trip. Hope that will help occupy me on the long trip home.
~Judy
2 comments:
I'm with you, Judy. I used to be a big J.A. Jance fan...and then I learned a little more about writing and couldn't read her stuff ever again. Too formulaic, too much Days of Our Lives drama in her use of adjectives and cliches. Be sure to have a cocktail or two when you start reading Suite Francaise. A little depressant will get you in the right frame of mind for life in occupied France.
Hey, is anybody else out there??
~Michelle
It's hard for me to understand how you've still not found a worthwhile mystery author though. The only thing redeeming about Jance is the fun of knowing the region...
Don't like Poirot? Sick of Agatha Christie? Still haven't tried Dick Francis?
I'm guessing I have far simpler (cheaper) taste than you! I'll have to ask my mom for recommendations...
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