Field of Bones by J.A. Jance - 3.5 stars

[annapi]

Sheriff Joanna Brady is on maternity leave when teenagers come across a skull, which leads to the discovery of a "field of bones", which points to a local serial killer. Juggling a new baby and a toddler, Joanna can't help but pitch in as her shorthanded staff struggles to deal with the ever-expanding investigation.

Joanna Brady is not my favorite of J.A. Jance's series, and this one fell a little flat for me. The point of view switches back and forth from Joanna and various investigators to one of the serial killer's victims and the killer himself. I like the way Jance gets the reader right there with her characters, but this one was solved too easily IMO, with things just happening to speed up the plot. I think it would have been better served as a longer story. I liked the character development of the newbie deputy; overall I enjoyed the book but it was just okay for me - I felt like some extra punch was missing but I don't know what or why. My actual rating is 3.5, but I'm inclined to round down instead of up.