I was looking through the book store the other day and seen several books by this author .Has anyone read any and are they worth your money . They seemed to be series does anyone know which book to start with?

J.A. Jance actually has a couple of series in print. Here's the link on www.stopyourekillingme.com:

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/J_Authors/Jance_J-A.html

Author's website:

http://jajance.com/Site/Welcome_.html

I'm a major JA Jance fan and have read nearly all of them except Web of Evil and Edge of Evil. I have them both - just haven't read them yet.

She has two MAIN characters (two different series) that have been the main source of her writing - Joanna Brady, who resides out of Tucson and JP Beaumont, who resides out of Seattle.  My personal favorite is Joanna Brady but my best friend loves JP Beaumont - you really can't go wrong with any of her books.

I wouldn't call them "cozies" by any means because they're not "fluff" type of mysteries with the eccentric characters. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cozies, but these are more like Patricia Cornwell - type characters. A little more serious.

I would recommend reading them in order. Both chronicle their lives but I think the Brady ones give more of her life story than the Beaumont ones.  

Her last two books (aside from the Beaumont one on the best seller list) that I mentioned in the first paragraph are with a new character named Ali Reynolds. I'm anxious to read them, as a fellow journalist, I motor through anything with a reporter as a lead character! :) 

She also has written a handful of other mysteries that are not part of a series. They were good as well.

I second the stopyourekillingmewebsite to get the order of the books. Since I've read both series, and it's been awhile, I don't remember what the order is.

HTH!

I love both her series!

I really like the Joanna Brady mysteries, but haven't read the JP Beaumont ones.   I know I'd want to start at the beginning if I did start reading the Beaumont ones, and there are just too many.

I love JA Jance. Especially the Joanna Brady series. I met her at an author signing one time.

I love J.A. Jance. I have to say I preffer the Joanna Brady series over the J.P. Beaumont ones but they are both great!