Exit Wounds
Joanna Brady series #11
By J. A. Jance

     Sheriff Joanna Brady is back and her plate is fuller than ever. She's faced with bigamists, child molesters, numerous murders, the death of an inmate, and a vicious re-election campaign. On top of everything else, she's pregnant!

      Joanna is called out to the scene of a homicide. The victim is a woman found shot in her trailer. She is surrounded by 17 dogs. They were trapped in the house with her when she was killed. In the 100-plus degree heat with no air conditioning, they soon followed their mistress in death.

     The press and the community are outraged over the death of the animals. The woman's death, on the other hand, is treated as an event of no import.

     Joanna sends the bullets to ballistics for analysis. Astonishingly, the report shows that they were manufactured in 1917. Two other murders committed with similar bullets create the fear that there is a serial killer on the prowl.

     The author uses this book to bring to light an obsessive-compulsive disorder called "hoarding". It affects mainly women. In response to childhood sexual abuse, these individuals attempt to rescue animals in need. They often take in more animals than they can take care of.

     The language in this book was surprisingly clean. In many cop books, the language is foul to reflect a sense of realism. The lack of vulgarity was a pleasant surprise that in no way detracted from the story. This book is filled with action from the first word. It is the latest in a series. Fans of this series will enjoy revisiting some of their old friends. New readers will soon be come fans, as did I. I've yet to read the previous books, but I certainly will. This is a good stand-alone book. It was a great read!

Reviews of other titles in this series

Paradise Lost #1 [review 1] [review 2]
Tombstone Courage #2
Dead to Rights #3
Exit Wounds #11
Dead Wrong #12
Damage Control #13
Fire and Ice #14 [JP Beaumont series #19]