Desert Heat

Book Description

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.

Download Description

From the New York Times bestselling author comes the gripping novel that first introduced one of the most remarkable protagonists in contemporary suspense fiction: Joanna Brady. A cop lies dying beneath the blistering Arizona sun - a local lawman who may well have become the next sheriff of Cochise County. The police brass claim that Andy Brady was dirty, and that his shooting was a suicide attempt. Joanna Brady, his devoted wife and mother of their nine-year-old daughter, knows a cover-up when she hears one... and murder when she sees it. But her determined efforts to hunt town an assassin and clear her husband's name are placing Joanna and her surviving family in harm's way - because in the desert, the one thing more lethal than a rattler's bite...is the truth.

Customer Reviews:

the original that set fire to Cochise County!.......2007-01-08

I had read all the other Joanna Brady books except this one, and I had to see how Joanna, Andy, Jenny, Eleanor, JimBob and Eva Lou, Marianne, Angie and others came into being. What an adventure! This lively book is a page turner. Joanna is searching for answers when nobody in law enforcement seems to care much about the murder of her husband. Shocking rumors come out, but Joanna fights back rather than retreat into a depressed state. The flight of Angie Kellogg was particularly thrilling. Just imagine the terror of knowing a cold blooded killer was hot on her trail. Joanna shows true grit in this excellent book. My only negative comment was the profanity was quite a bit more than I am used to in a J. A. Jance book.

Really Intriging-action packed drama. .......2006-12-14

This is my first time in reading J.A. Jance, and I really enjoyed the first book here of the Joanna Brady series.

Joanna Brady is happy in Bisbee Arizona, with her husband Andy a cop, and daughter Jennifer. She is waiting anxiously for Andy's return home one night when he is late showing up, and later. Feeling like something is definitely wrong, Joanna goes out to see what she can find. And lo and behold, she sees the accident where Andy is trapped inside of a car, barely alive. Frantic, she seeks help quickly. Andy is seriously injured, and though they were able to revive him at the hospital, he remains in very critical condition.

Everyone at the sheriff's department are saying that Andy was making a suicide attempt-but Joanna knows better than this. When he does die a few days later, Joanna in her grief-stricken state has to find out what really happened. And this is where Tony Vargas comes into the picture.

Angela Kellog was a former prostitute who mistakenly sought refuge with Tony Vargas-a very dangerous man and a killer. She has been his prisoner for a long time and wants to escape his cold-calculating wrath. Angela just knows that Tony had everything to do with Andy's murder and wants to escape and turn him in to the police. And most of all, she wants to find Joanna Brady to let her know what she thinks really happened. She does escape finally when Tony leaves the house for an hour, but once Tony discovers she is gone, he is on her tail and the chase is on. Angela's dangerous venture to seek out Joanna, puts Joanna and her family in danger of being killed unless someone can capture Tony first.

Great First Mystery in the Joanna Brady Series.......2006-09-24

I LOVE Joanna Brady! However, this introduction to her and her life in Bisbee is NOT the best book Jance has ever written. One thing that is terrific about Jance, though, is that she is from Bisbee and describes the town in exact detail. Bisbee is a quaint crazy town and Jance grabs all of the details of that small town oasis in the desert. Joanna Brady is a likeable character and the series gets beter and better as time goes by. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Murder, suspense, and introducing a new sleuth........2006-08-24

Although J. A. Jance's series of "Joanna Brady" mysteries has been around a while, I was just introduced to them this summer. "Desert Heat" introduces Joanna on her wedding anniversary, when she finds her barely-alive husband shot and left to die in a dry wash near their home. The story is gripping, leading the reader by the nose through a variety of suspicions while never revealing enough to show what is "really going on" until Joanna also discovers it.
The characters in the story are a nice collection of small-town figures: sheriff and deputies, the minister, relatives and neighbors. The characters, even Joanna, do not develop greatly during the story; after all, it takes only about three days. But the relationships between the characters develop well, especially between Joanna and her mother.
There are some coincidences in the story which strain credulity, and it felt as though Jance rushed the ending to keep the book to manageable size. Then again, I was so taken with the story that I rushed to get to the ending, needing to know that folks would be all right!
I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Excellent.......2006-08-20

I found this book to be very good. It kept my attention the entire time. I could not wait to get to the end of it to see what happens. I have now ordered the other books in her series. I cannot wait to read those as well. I hope others enjoy this as much as my mother and I did!! Happy reading!!

Average customer rating:

This book is a "keeper"
Three and a half stars for lack of suspense.
Enticing adventure
Cought in endless loop
2 for 2

Desert Heat
Kat Martin
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 082177381X

Customer Reviews:

This book is a "keeper".......2007-10-03

. This is a book I could not put down. The characters, plot and suspense
kept me interested and waiting to see what would happen next. This is
one of the best books I ever enjoyed. I'll recommend it and loan it to
friends, but I want it returned so I can keep it for rereading in the
future.

Three and a half stars for lack of suspense........2006-10-23

Patience Sinclair is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. But that's not what leads her to a summer filled adventure touring with a group of rodeo people. She's writing a dissertation on women in rodeo for her PhD.
What she didn't expect to come up against was the irrisitably sexy world champion all-around cowboy Dallas Kingman. Knowing that the two are complete opposites and only destined for heartache at the end of the summer, the two try to stay away from one another. However, that is easier said than done.
With a series of mishaps and accidents, the two are continuously thrown together. Is foul play to blame for all the unfortunate events surrounding the rodeo sponsor, or is it just bad luck? Dallas has his plate full trying to find the truth as well as fighting his growing affection for Patience. Can they make the impossible work?

This was more of a romance than a romantic suspense as categorized by the publishers. The suspense angle was not developed as well as it could have been. The first chapter leads you to believe that the story will revolve around Patience's stalker as she leaves for the rodeo, but that angle dissolves before it ever really builds. Never does the writer hint at a suspect surrounding the rodeo accidents or motive for them. The red herrings are weak and the writer also fails to develop the villians story. Unfortunately, the only thing pulling the story along are the character's.

Is it worth buying?
I enjoyed the concept of the book and the romance of it, but the suspense was just to weak to keep me glued to the pages. As part of a trilogy, I do not feel it necessary to have read the others. This book stands alone, but I do not feel strongly about recommending it for purchase. Therefore, it would be better to check it out from the library.

Enticing adventure.......2006-01-04

Grab hold of your seats- or saddle- everyone. You are in for an intensely wild ride. And this one is A LOT better than the first one. The characters are engaging and their story is easy to follow along with. What I wouldn't do for a guardian angel in the form of Dallas the dream boy. What a wild ride. Grab a hold of this story; you won't regret it. Can't wait for the 3rd book in this series.

Cought in endless loop.......2005-09-29

I thought I was reading the same pages over and over again, one could have taken out the middle 50 pages (at least, the editor should have) and not miss a thing that furthers the plot (the heroine and the hero are attracted, fight it, make love, are attracted, fight it, make love, etc., etc.). Furthermore, Ms Martin feeds all possible clichés there are about the entire set of characters, it's almost funny (all cowboys are rugged, all women are feisty, even the horses are either powerful (male) or dapper (female). I just finish this book because I am too conscientious and I finish all the books, but I leave out two pages at a time and I do not know the difference.

2 for 2.......2005-01-29

This book was really good. It is the 2nd in a trilogy by Kat Martin. The third book is to come out this year, I believe.

Patience and Dallas are a great couple. Of course, there are the typical trials and tribulations as in every romance novel, and add a little suspense with a stalker, and you'll have a hit.

This book I could not put down. It's not my favorite Kat Martin book, but this ranks well up there. Buy it. You will not be disappointed. :)

One Day in the Desert (Trophy Chapter Book)

Average customer rating:

A dramatic look into an otherworldly environment
Introducing young readers to the desert world
This book was not that great

One Day in the Desert (Trophy Chapter Book)
Jean Craighead George
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0064420388

Book Description

`A wounded mountain lion moves from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona's Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. All creation adapts to the blistering heat until a cloudburst causes a flash flood. With a measured yet vivid style, this introduction to desert ecology makes a memorable impact." —SLJ.

Customer Reviews:

A dramatic look into an otherworldly environment.......2001-04-19

Naturalist Jean Craighead George introduces us to the world of the mountain lion, the road runner, the cactus, the kangaroo rat, the ringtailed cat, the swift fox, the elf owl, the coyote, and the bombadier beetle in this book as she did wolves and caribou in JULIE OF THE WOLVES and peregrine falcons in MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. A young Papago Indian girl named Bird Wing and her mother live in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. This usually arid place is about to fall victim to a terrible thunderstorm and a flash flood. Bird Wing and all the animals of the desert struggle to find shelter before the flood. Some will survive--and some will not. This is a beautiful story about the close connection between human beings and all living things, and the unpredictable ways of nature. Other books in the ONE DAY series that include exciting natural disasters are ONE DAY IN THE ALPINE TUNDRA and ONE DAY IN THE PRAIRIE. There is also the fascinating ONE DAY IN THE WOODS and ONE DAY IN THE TROPICAL RAIN FOREST. And don't forget Jean Craighead George's 80+ stories about nature, like The Thirteen Moons series and THERE'S AN OWL IN THE SHOWER.

Introducing young readers to the desert world.......2000-02-25

Yet another wonderful book by an author very much in tune with nature and ecological concerns. She teaches while she entertains. Having lived in the region portrayed in this book, it became a gift to young friends back in Minnesota to introduce them to a COMPLETELY different world. Yielded fun discussion and comparison. They wondered at and enjoyed it very much!

This book was not that great.......1999-10-11

As I was reading this book it did't tell me that much about anything except that this did this and that did that. If I were you I would not buy this book. Although it is my opinion on the book, you might really like it.

Average customer rating:

May melt your glasses...
Not so hot after all
A triangle with all the right angles
Worst I've ever seen!
MyShelf.com Book Reviewer

Desert Heat
Kristie Leigh Maguire
Manufacturer: Venus Romance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1932993010

Book Description

From the scorching sun of the Mojave Desert to the brilliant neon lights of Las Vegas, the sexy steel magnolia Marcie Treyhorne blazes a trail of passion through the desert sands. Her heart is torn in half as her feelings for her handsome blonde haired lover grows into a raging inferno while her love for her equally handsome dark haired husband remains as steadfast as the ancient desert mountains that surround Mojave Junction, California. Don't expect the typical romance story with this novel. There are no shrinking violets or shy maidens who long to be taken against their will in DESERT HEAT. Get swept away into a world of sex and passion—if you dare!

Customer Reviews:

May melt your glasses..........2005-11-01

Marcie Treyhorne has followed her husband, Steve, from city to city throughout the years they've been married. She's used to making swift adjustments to new homes, new jobs, and new bosses. But she never had a boss like Jim before! Can it be time for the Treyhornes to test their theoretically "open" marriage? Time to admit a third person, and form an intimate circle?

That's just what happens, and in some respects it turns out wonderfully. But it also turns complicated, in ways none of the trio anticipated.

Kristie Leigh Maguire doesn't make the mistake of substituting sex for plot and characterization. She generates enough heat to melt your glasses while you're reading, but not at the expense of featuring believable characters and telling a darn good story. Don't miss this one if ultra-sensual romance is your cup of tea.

Not so hot after all.......2003-11-24

Based on the reviews this book received, I was very excited when I received my copy, only to be extremely let down when I began to read it. Although the story concept is good, the dialogue and over-all writing style, left much to be desired. I would have to guess that this was a "first-time attempt" from this author. Perhaps with time and lots of practice, the Queen of Romance will earn her title.

A triangle with all the right angles.......2003-09-07

I am not a fan of the new "erotica," but Kristie Leigh Maguir goes far beyond the scope of just [physical activity] with a fine-tuned storyline and a dilemma which has faced many of us "normal" folks. It was fascinating to watch Marcie unravel the feelings she felt--for two men at the same time. If only we could all handle it as well.
The story was as steamy as the desert heat and as intense as if you reached up and touched the sun. It is one of those books that once you start it, you had better be prepared for a rocky ride, as you won't want to put it down until you turn the last page.
I can hardly wait for the next installment in the Marcie books.

Janet Elaine Smith,...

Worst I've ever seen!.......2003-09-02

This is the last time I buy a book based on reader reviews. I don't know who these authors are that reviewed this book and each gave it five stars, but if their review of this poor excuse for a book is any indication as to their own writing ability...stay clear! This book is so poorly written that I can't believe it is even on the market. Who is this self-titled Queen of Romance? There was nothing romantic about this book whatsoever. It was a flagrant display of one dirty word after another and reminded me of something a junior high school girl with raging hormones might write. Yes, it is that bad! Some people should not call themsevles authors and this is a fine example. The only reason I gave this book 1 star is because negative numbers were not an option. I normally don't give reviews of books that I've read, good or otherwise. But this truly is the worst book I have ever read. If Kristie Leigh Maguire is serious about being an author, then she really needs to take some writing classes, lots of them. She obviously has the marketing under control in that her reviews were all by other authors and regardless of how misleading they are, they suckered me into a purchase! BIG...BIG MISTAKE!

MyShelf.com Book Reviewer.......2003-07-28

Kristie Leigh Maguire is the Queen of Romance. Grab the ice cubes, for this one will burn your hands for it is so hot! This book is a must read for any true blue romance fans. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to savor a romance that sizzles!

Desert Heat: An Ike Payne Adventure, (Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Desert Heat: An Ike Payne Adventure, (Book 2)
Melodee Aaron
Manufacturer: Siren Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1933563621

Book Description

DESERT HEAT: The time or place doesn't matter. A cop is still a cop, and a marine is still a marine. Ikira "Ike" Payne, marine beat-cop for the Empire of Mankind, has love, crime, politics, and interstellar terrorism all on her plate. * * * * Ike's life is complicated. She's the Marine General in charge of security for His Majesty's Starship Boone. Her husband, Devon, is suffering problems with his memory since he was injured in the battle with the Palean Liberation Front a year ago. Ike has to escort the spoiled Princess Miranda to Nerumie to settle a civil war. Just when things might take a turn for the better, their ship crashes in the deep desert. The crash strands Ike, Devon, Miranda, and Sergeant Jack Ingram with little food and less water. The temperature swings from half that of boiling water to far below freezing, and killer animals stalk them in the darkness and from the skies. Attraction, love, and lust weave a web through the group as they deal with their growing feelings for each other. Discoveries of hidden feelings made under the orange sun of Nerumie cause tempers to flair. Passions rage between the four, testing devotion and love to the limits as they fight for survival in the desert heat.

Desert Heat (Silhouette Special Products S.)

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Desert Heat (Silhouette Special Products S.)
Susan Mallery; Alexandra Sellers
Manufacturer: Silhouette Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0373602936

Who Beats the Heat? (Science Emergent Readers)

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Who Beats the Heat? (Science Emergent Readers)
Pamela Chanko , and Daniel Moreton
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0590638734

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The Mystery at Rustler's Fort

Manufacturer: Whitman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Wild West | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0911760334

Product Description

An original Whitman Classics from the 1950's by author Troy Nesbit (aka: Frank Folsom). THE MYSTERY AT RUSTLER'S FORT is one in a series of children's mystery books. In this edition, the protagonist is Phil McKenney who finds adventure and mystery while on a camping trip with his family in the Southwest of Arizona near the Grand Canyon. While in the campground, Phil discovers that other people have found uranium using geiger counters near the Vermilion Cliffs near the Colorado River. As Phil's family draws closer to their destination at Rustler's Fort, a strange mystery begins to emerge. Have they come too far to escape safely with their lives? Those familiar with Whitman's glossy cover and great original retro prints will no doubt appreciate this beautiful children's item from the past.

Desert Heat (Zebra Lovegram Historical Romance)

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Desert Heat (Zebra Lovegram Historical Romance)
Evelyn Rogers
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0821742167

Growing the tomato in Las Vegas: In terrible dirt and desert heat

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Growing the tomato in Las Vegas: In terrible dirt and desert heat
Leslie Albright-Doyle
Manufacturer: [Sweet Tomato Test Garden]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006RHWA8

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Windworld: Rapture's Etesian
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Manufacturer: Ellora's Cave
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Windworld: Longing's Levant

Desire's Sirocco

Lord Kir of Oz (Return to Wonderland)

Night Elves: Wicked Pleasures

Kiss of Heat (Feline Breeds, Book 3)

ASIN: 1419952811

Book Description

WindWorld - Rapture's Etesian By Charlotte Boyett-Compo Lady Kynthia Ancaeus was the unwilling bride of a man she had never met. She jumps at the chance to possess powers that will ensure she will never be a helpless victim again.

Leksi Helios tried his best to outrun the pack of women warriors, but a narcotic-tipped arrow brought him to ground. Staring up into greedy eyes, he was horrified to realize his manhood would soon be in their grasping hands.

Kynthia discovers Helios bound to her bed. Infuriated that another unwanted mate has been foisted upon her, she sets the warrior free, wanting him out of her life.

Learning that this lovely woman is a being more powerful than any warrior he has ever encountered, Leksi falls hard for the curvaceous beauty. The flames of Kynthia's love are ignited when the handsome warrior is willing to take her as she really is.

Against the backdrop of a world on the brink of a hellish war, the first female Reaper is born—a being who Transitions into a wolf-life creature that needs to drink blood in order to thrive. Her powers are forged in the cauldron of a lonely man's need to set right an evil done decades before.

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