| Dance of the Bones by
J. A. Jance is an action packed mystery infused with the legends
and culture of the Tohono O’odham Indian tribe. Before
each chapter, there is an Indian story/folklore based on this
tribe’s traditions. Jance readers know that, with any
of her books, they will be treated to a riveting mystery with
twists and turns.
This fifth book in the Walker Family novels, the latest series,
brings back all the wonderful characters, including retired
Arizona sheriff Brandon Walker and his adopted daughter Lani.
Although billed as a joint J. P. Beaumont and Brandon Walker
novel, Beaumont only makes what can best be described as a
cameo appearance. The one thing these two crime fighters have
in common is that both are retired. Their new duties include
solving cold cases: Brandon with the organization The Last
Chance while Beaumont is at loose ends when the Washington
State Attorney General’s Special Homicide Investigation
Team has been dissolved.
Jance noted to blackfive.net, “I learned J. P. Beaumont
does not play well with others. He kept walking in and taking
over the book. He would not sit down and shut up. He was supposed
to have a much bigger role but I could not get him to blend
in. Sometimes characters just do not cooperate. People assume
authors are in charge of characters but it ain’t necessarily
so. The reason we did this is my editor thought J. P. readers
could be brought into the Walker books. This is a way of cross-pollinating
the audience. Finally I took his part of the story and turned
it into a separate novella called Stand Down. After
that I was able to get him under control.”
The antagonist is the evil character Ava Martin. She frames
an innocent man that was arrested by Walker. Years later,
he and his daughter ask the retired Sheriff and The Last Chance
organization to find the real killer and clear his name. It
is in the style of a “Colombo” episode, since
the reader sees the case unfold, and how the initial crime
shapes the present. As Ava tries to suppress evidence, she
eliminates witnesses by kidnapping and then killing them.
Walker must find out who is behind all these missing people
and murders.
A fascinating character is Dr. Lani Walker. She is an example
of how these Desert People are able to straddle the worlds
of traditional Indian customs and modern day America. She
is both a medicine woman and a medical emergency room doctor,
a trained physician. Jance makes people aware of how the Tohono
O’odham Indian tribe continues to carve a path between
ancient and modern worlds, and she does it with dignity and
respect.
Because today’s world must be politically correct, Jance
wants to reassure readers she has the utmost admiration for
this Indian tribe. She commented, “The time I spent
living on the reservation in the 1970s has so much impact
on my life, as the librarian I wanted to write about it. I
was taken to heart by these people. Part of what I want to
express in these books is their resilience and how they live
in both worlds, in a world that incorporates the old belief
system while accepting new belief systems. I was a guest of
honor at the tribal museum, where I got a standing ovation.
I think it has to do with their understanding that their real
stories and legends are in my books. Now other people know
of their rich traditions.”
This latest Walker Family series has very well developed and
interesting characters. Jance has created a very intelligent,
entertaining, and suspenseful novel, one that keeps the reader
on the edge of their seat as they feel they are part of the
plot.
The author also gave a heads up about her next projects. Published
toward the end of the year is a crossover novella, No
Honor Among Thieves, which has Ali Reynolds working with
Joanna Brady. Then her new novel, Clawback, featuring
Reynolds will be published with the plot based around a Ponzi
scheme.
Queen of the Night #4 [review
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