Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: William Morrow (July 22, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 0062134701 ISBN-13: 978-0062134707	Order book here:
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Synopsis:

Sheriff Joanna Brady must solve two perplexing cases that may be tied together in New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance’s thrilling tale of suspense that brings to life Arizona’s Cochise County and the desert Southwest in all its beauty and mystery.

An old woman, a hoarder, is dying of emphysema in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In cleaning out her house, her daughter, Liza Machett, discovers a fortune in hundred dollar bills hidden in the tall stacks of books and magazines that crowd every corner.

Tracing the money’s origins will take Liza on a journey that will end in Cochise County, where Sheriff Joanna Brady is embroiled in a personal mystery of her own. A man she considers a family friend is found dead at the bottom of a hole in a limestone cavern near Bisbee. And now there is the mystery of Liza and the money. Are the two disparate cases connected? It’s up to Joanna to find out.

Characters:

Joanna Brady – Cochise County Sheriff
Liza Machett – A Young Woman on the Run

Review

This novel had the unexpected experience of feeling like I was reading two stories at once. There was Joanna’s story, in which she’s trying to track down the killer of a young, mentally challenged man. The second story is that of Liza, a woman who found a fortune hidden in her deceased mother’s house, and is now on the run from people trying to kill her. Why are they after the money? Who killed Junior Dowdle? What is Liza’s connection to Bisbee, Arizona.

The author did an incredible job of keeping me involved in both these stories. Each was fast paced, and complete on its own, then she managed to pull them both together and have Joanna juggling both cases. Typically with thrillers it takes me about 3 days to finish, this I was able to complete in one 24 hour period.

The Junior Dowdle mystery kept you guessing until the very end and was complete with all the twists and turns you’d expect in a good mystery. The Liza story was thrilling in and of itself, and kept the pace moving, wondering who was wanting her dead, and why were they so interested in the money.

I would rate it as PG-13 due to the violence, some language, and strong situations. For older teens and adults though, I don’t see that there would be an issue. Overall, a great novel, and for Jance fans, or for those wanting a good thriller, you cannot go wrong with Remains of Innocence. Grab it, read it, and drop back by and let us know what you thought.

J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, and four interrelated thrillers about the Walker family.

Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle and Tucson.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Megan at Harper Collins for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 12th, 2014 at 12:00 am and is filed under Books, Fiction, Mystery/Thriller. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.