J.A. Jance's Edge of Evil (Ali Reynolds' #1)

Ali Reynolds’ is over forty and just lost her job as a new anchor at a tv station that is losing ratings in LA. The man that fired her has been brought on to "clean up the station for rating" but since he is a pot head he lets it slip in front of a witness, whom Ali happens to be close with, a security guard, that she is to old for the job while many of her male counter parts who are much older than her are allowed to keep their positions. Ali decides to sue the station, her husband who works for the network grows angry over this, even though he knew about her firing before hand and didn’t divulge it to Ali. This becomes the under score of the story. Ali soon finds out her best friend from High School, Renee, has passed away, the police believe it to be suicide. But Ali doesn’t. So she and her son Chris, travel to Sedona AZ, Ali’s home town. While on the drive there Chris reveals to Ali that his stepfather is cheating on her, finally bringing Ali to file for divorce, and hires another lawyer from the same firm as her wrongfully terminated suit. Ali’s parents run a café called Sugarloaf, a second generation eatery that is famous for its cinnamon rolls. While in Sedona Chris helps Ali start a blog about getting fired, the blog gains popularity rapidly. Her blog winds up covering several different issues from the firing, ALS after finding out Renee had it, cancer which is what of Ali’s first husband died of Chris’ father, and domestic violence. While the local sheriff does all he can to help Ali uncover the truth about her friend, while the sheriff of the county that crime occurred in believes it to be suicide and wants the case closed. So Ali takes matters into her own hands, after all she is still a reporter, knows when a story is hot, and knows how to follow good leads. It appears that the more she digs the more she winds up in situations that almost cost her, her life.

An exciting tale this reviewer couldn’t put down. J.A. Jance is not an author this reviewer normally reads but she will be from now on. This novel was so good she went to the library the same day she finished book one to read to book two. The reviewer gives this book . An unpredictable ending. The reviewer stumbled upon this book because one further along in the series caught her eye in a book club magazine only by a brief excerpt. When someone so short could catch this pregnant gal’s attention she has to go with it. This novel is not graphic which is great for a night read which might come into your dreams.