Throwback Thursday (18)

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books.

It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.

Here’s how it works:
1. Pick any book released more than 5 years ago. Adult, YA, Children’s; doesn’t matter. Any great book will do.
2. Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.
3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!

Title: Desert Heat

Author: J.A. Jance

Original Publication Date:  1993

Available at: Amazon – Kindle – Barnes and Noble

From Goodreads:

Life is good for Joanna Brady in the small desert community of Bisbee. She has Jenny, her adored nine-year-old daughter, and solid, honest, and loving husband, Andy, a local lawman who’s running for Sheriff of Cochise County. But her good life explodes when a bullet destroys Andy Brady’s future and leaves him dying beneath the blistering Arizona sun.

The police brass claim that Andy was dirty — up to his neck in drugs and smuggling — and that the shooting was a suicide attempt. Joanna knows a cover-up when she hears one…and murder when she sees it. But her determined efforts to track down an assassin and clear her husband’s name are placing herself and her Jenny in serious jeopardy. Because, in the desert, the truth can be far more lethal than a rattler’s bite.

This is another book that my Mother turned me onto. I’m so glad she did because it has such a likable female protagonist. Jance balances vulnerability and strength well in Joanna Brady. Not only is Joanna grieving the loss of her husband, she’s fighting to clear his good name. As she does so, she ends up having to also fight to save the lives of both herself and her daughter.

The characters I also really appreciated were the parents of Andy. They were truly salt of the earth people. Grounded and comforting, they provided Joanna and Jenny with a lot of support throughout the series. As the books went on I grew to love them more and more.

This is one of those series that gets better as the books go on. If you like mysteries with strong heroines then don’t let this one pass you by!

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