Fatal Error

The Joanna Brady series is probably my favorite book series EVER. But I\’m about ready to give up on Ali Reynolds. Every book she\’s in a new \”career, first blogger, then media person, then police officer, now a waitress. The stories and the plots are interesting and the writer definitely talented but I just can\’t get past all the continuity errors as the series progresses (though I\’m glad the author finally explained how Ali\’s double-wide had a basement, even if the former garage underneath was never mentioned again.) For example, Ali\’s boyfriend B. Simpson has gone from \”he wasn\’t particularly good looking\” (book 4) to being \”good looking\” with women all over him. Ali\’s elderly friend Velma who last was seen going on a world tour after a doctor\’s second opinion of her cancer was \”dire\” and she wanted to do one blow out trip rather than seeking treatment is now returned from that same world tour cured by the treatment she somehow got BEFORE she left, but in an earlier book was completed AFTER the cruise/private jet trip (which varies depending on the book) And don\’t get me started on the drone technology subplot. You can\’t do test flights of drones, even legal ones, at airports, regulations don\’t allow it. I\’m going to re-read the Brady series.

I started reading the Ali Reynolds series because I was told they were great and take place in and around the phoenix and a Sedona areas. The first couple books I truly loved and enjoyed. I purchased the entire series on my kindle. I\’m now deeply regretting that decision! The more I read these books, the more I want to DELETE ALL OF THEM! Ms. Jance should realize that most of her readers already know the history of the Sugarloaf Cafe, her parents, B Simpson, her TV anchor past, her first dead husband, her second husband that was killed, her house renovations, her son Chris and his wife\’s history, her live in butler Leland, etc. etc. etc. Does she really need to drone on and on paragraph after paragraph repeating this history every single book? Each book has a cumulative effect starting with book one and coming up to the present day. What will book ten be like? Half the book will be old history. It has become very boring. I\’ve read many other series books and books that contain the same character and there is little mention of past activity. I appreciate that as a reader. I am surprised that her publisher has not halted this practice as she is sure to lose loyal readers just to appease the occasional reader that may pick up a random book in the middle of the series. Very disappointed!

When I picked up this book I did not realize that it was a part of a series. This one picks up with the main character, Ali Reynolds, completing her final week(s) of training at the Police Academy. If I had read the other books in the series it might have provided me with some insight into Ali\’s character but I found that it was not necessary to the overall plot of the story. As Ali completes her training at the Police Academy she\’s contacted by a colleague, Brenda Riley, who knew Ali from her old news broadcasting days. Brenda whose life is definitely on a downward alcoholic spiral wants help finding her fiancé, Richard, who has broken off all communication with Brenda. The trick is, Brenda has never met her fiancé \”in real life\” they \”fell in love\” over the internet. We quickly find out that \”Richard\” has left a string of broken hearts on the internet and when he winds up dead and Brenda is missing she quickly becomes the police\’s prime suspect. As Ali searches for the truth and her missing friend the reader is brought into a deeper plot that involves a drug cartel and government secrets. I enjoyed the book, it was a good vacation story. However, in the past when I have accidently started a series in the middle I\’ve often wanted to go back and read the prior books to get a better understanding of the character development. That was not the case with this book.

J A Jance has built a solid reputation for many years with her J P Beaumont and Joanna Brady series. Fatal Error is part of her latest series featuring Ali Reynolds and will show longtime readers as well as newcomers to Jance that she is in no danger her reputation. Ali lives in Sedona, AZ, but in Fatal Error, she is drawn to California to search for a former friend who has mysteriously disappeared. The more Ali delves into her disappearance, the more clues she unveils that suggest a number of crimes surrounding it. In a side plot, Ali contacts a friend she has made through her blog and was able to grant the woman\’s dying wish. For anyone who enjoys mysteries, suspense novels or who wants to take a journey away from their lives, this is a good choice.

I only recently found some J. A. Jance books in our community library. They left me hungry for more and I have been ordering them frequently. Love the Ali Reynolds, Joanna Brady and J.P. Beaumont series. Keep them coming!!!

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