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Judith Ann (J. A.) Jance (born October 27, 1944) is an American author of mystery novels. She writes at least three series of novels, centering on retired Seattle Police Department Detective J. P. Beaumont, Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady, and former Los Angeles news anchor turned mystery solver Ali Reynolds. The Beaumont and Brady series intersect in the novel Partner in Crime, which is both the 16th Beaumount mystery and the 10th Brady mystery.[1] They intersect again in Fire and Ice.
Biography
Jance was born in Watertown, South Dakota,[2] and raised in Bisbee, Arizona (the setting for her Joanna Brady series of novels). Before becoming an author, she worked as a school librarian on a Native American reservation (Tohono O'Odham), and as a teacher and insurance agent.
Jance attended University of Arizona, graduating with a bachelors degree in education in 1966, then a masters in library science in 1970. In 2000, University of Arizona awarded Jance an honorary doctorate.[3]
In July of 2018, Strand Magazine gave Jance their Lifetime Achievement Award, to recognize her contributions to the field of crime fiction.[4]
She lives part of the year in Arizona and part of the year in Seattle.[5] Jance uses her initials for her pen name because a publisher told her that disclosing her gender would be a liability for a book about a male detective. At signings, Jance asks bookstores to donate a percentage of their earnings from her appearances to various causes. Over the past 10 years, she has raised more than $250,000 for charity.
Books
JP Beaumont
- Until Proven Guilty (1985) ISBN 0-380-89638-9
- Injustice for All (1986) ISBN 0-380-89641-9
- Trial by Fury (1986) ISBN 0-380-75138-0
(nominated for: 1987 Anthony Award for "Best Paperback Original")[6] - Taking the Fifth (1987) ISBN 0-380-75139-9
- Improbable Cause (1987) ISBN 0-380-75412-6
- A More Perfect Union (1988) ISBN 0-380-75413-4
- Dismissed with Prejudice (1989) ISBN 0-380-75547-5
- Minor in Possession (1990) ISBN 0-380-75546-7
- Payment in Kind (1991) ISBN 0-380-75836-9
- Without Due Process (1993) ISBN 0-380-75837-7
- Failure to Appear (1994) ISBN 0-380-75839-3
- Lying in Wait (1995) ISBN 0-380-71841-3
- Name Withheld (1997) ISBN 0-380-71842-1
- Breach of Duty (1999) ISBN 978-0-380-71843-6
- Birds of Prey (2002) ISBN 0-380-71654-2
- Partner in Crime (2003) ISBN 0-380-80470-0
- Long Time Gone (2005) ISBN 0-688-13824-1
- Justice Denied (2007) ISBN 978-0-06-054092-0
- Fire and Ice (2009) ISBN 978-0-06-123922-9
- Betrayal of Trust (2011) ISBN 978-0-06-173115-0
- Ring in the Dead (novella, 2013) ISBN 978-0062294821
- Second Watch (2013) ISBN 978-0062134677
- Stand Down (novella, 2015)
- Dance of the Bones (2015)
- Still Dead (2017) ISBN 9780062835970
- Proof of Life (2017)
- Sins Of The Fathers (2019) ISBN 978-0-06-285344-8
Ali Reynolds books
- Edge of Evil (2006) ISBN 0-7278-6382-7
- Web of Evil (2007) ISBN 978-1-4165-3773-1
- Hand of Evil (2007) ISBN 1-4165-3753-8
- Cruel Intent (2008) ISBN 1-4165-6379-2
- Trial By Fire (2009) ISBN 1-4165-6380-6
- Fatal Error (2011) ISBN 1-4165-6381-4
- Left for Dead (2012) ISBN 978-1451628586
- Deadly Stakes (2013) ISBN 978-1451628685
- Moving Target (2014) ISBN 978-1476745008
- A Last Goodbye (novella, 2014)
- Cold Betrayal (2015) ISBN 978-1476745046
- No Honor Among Thieves (novella, 2015)
- Clawback (2016) ISBN 978-1501110726
- Random Acts (novella, 2016)
- Man Overboard (2017)
- Duel to the Death (2018)
- The A List (2019)
- Credible Threat (2020)
Joanna Brady series
- Desert Heat (1993) ISBN 0-380-76545-4
- Tombstone Courage (1995) ISBN 0-380-76546-2
- Shoot/Don't Shoot (1996) ISBN 0-380-76548-9
- Dead to Rights (1997) ISBN 0-380-97394-4
- Skeleton Canyon (1998) ISBN 0-380-97395-2
- Rattlesnake Crossing (1998) ISBN 0-380-79247-8
- Outlaw Mountain (2000) ISBN 0-380-79248-6
- Devil’s Claw (2001) ISBN 0-380-79249-4
- Paradise Lost (2002) ISBN 0-380-80469-7
- Partner in Crime (2003) ISBN 0-380-80470-0
- Exit Wounds (2004) ISBN 0-380-80471-9
- Dead Wrong (2006) ISBN 0-06-054090-7
- Damage Control (2008) ISBN 0-06-074676-9
- Fire and Ice (2009) ISBN 978-0-06-123922-9
- Judgment Call (2012) ISBN 978-0061731167
- The Old Blue Line (novella, 2014) ISBN 978-0062366924
- Remains of Innocence (2014) ISBN 978-0062134707
- No Honor Among Thieves (novella, 2015)
- Random Acts (novella, 2016)
- Downfall (2016) ISBN 978-0062297730
- Field of Bones (2018)
- Missing And Endangered (2021)
Walker Family Mysteries
- Hour of the Hunter (1991) ISBN 0-380-71107-9
(nominated for: 1992 Anthony Award for "Best Paperback Original")[6] - Kiss of the Bees (2001) ISBN 0-380-80599-5
- Day of the Dead (2004) ISBN 0688138233
- Queen of the Night (2010) ISBN 978-0-06-123924-3
- Dance of the Bones (2015)
Poetry collection
- After the Fire (1984) ISBN 1-931583-04-8
References
- ^ "Internet Book List :: Author Information: J. A. Jance". Iblist.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- ^ page 127, Great Women Mystery Writers, 2nd Ed. by Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay, 2007, publ. Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33428-5
- ^ https://news.arizona.edu/story/ua-library-presents-heroes-happen-sheriff-contemporary-crime-fiction-book-exhibition
- ^ https://strandmag.com/ivy-pochoda-and-sheena-kamal-win-strand-critics-awards-for-best-novel-and-best-debut-novel-and-j-a-jance-and-jonathan-gash-are-awarded-lifetime-achievement-awards-and-the-first-publisher-of-the-year/
- ^ "Author J. A. Jance biography and book list". Fresh Fiction. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- ^ a b "Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. October 2, 2003. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.