Damage Control by J. A. Jance

I decided to try something new and checked out one of the new playaway books--there is a display near the self check machines. I must admit, although it hurts my pride, that I was a little confused by the packaging. Looking at the side of the plastic box, which looks a lot like a VCR case, I was a little baffled when it did not easily open up--and the strange set of holes (two square, two round) further complicated things. I was just getting ready to email my personal reference librarian for help when I finally got the silly thing open. Inside there was a little device a little larger than the typical MP3 player, with the controls on one side and what looks like a miniature book cover on the other side.

Plug in the headphones and slip the lanyard around my neck and I could answer email, surf the web and straighten my desk while I listened to Damage Control by J. A. Jance (2008). If you haven't read anything by this author, you're missing another wonderful series, which is set out west. Sheriff Joanna Brady has her hands full in this book (the 13th in the series, according to Amazon); an elderly couple commits suicide by driving off the cliff of a mountain in Cochise County, Arizona. Their two daughters, in their 60s, descend on the town, demanding answers. However, when someone finds human remains in a garbage bag and one of the deputies is shot, the sheriff's department has more work than they can handle. Joanna is also juggling child care duties with her husband, Butch, trying to cope with her difficult mother, and starting to come to terms with new information about her father and his death.

This is a good read--or listen, according to your preference. While this series is definitely a little more on the somber side that some, the author does a wonderful job of developing the stories, and describing the beauty of the southwest.

Now that I know where to plug in the earphones, I can't wait to get another playaway audio book!


c Waterloo Public Library 2009