Left for Dead
A Novel
When violence from the drug wars with the Mexican cartels crosses the border into Arizona, severely injuring an old friend, Ali Reynolds steps in to investigate in New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance’s newest mystery.
When Santa Cruz county deputy sheriff Jose Reyes, one of Ali Reynolds’s classmates from the Arizona Police Academy, is gunned down and left to die, he is at first assumed to be an innocent victim of the drug wars escalating across the border. But the crime scene investigation shows there’s much more to it than that, and soon he and his pregnant wife, Teresa, are both under suspicion.
Ali Reynolds owes Jose Reyes a debt of gratitude for the help he gave her years earlier. When she’s summoned to his bedside at Mercy Medical Center in Tucson, it’s impossible for Ali to turn away. Upon arriving at the hospital, Ali finds her good friend, Sister Anselm, is there as well, working as patient advocate on behalf of another seriously injured victim, an unidentified border crosser who was raped and savagely beaten.
As more bodies pile up, Ali and Sister Anselm find themselves confronting the evil of the drug cartels across the border head-on, with no way of knowing who the next victim will be.
When Santa Cruz county deputy sheriff Jose Reyes, one of Ali Reynolds’s classmates from the Arizona Police Academy, is gunned down and left to die, he is at first assumed to be an innocent victim of the drug wars escalating across the border. But the crime scene investigation shows there’s much more to it than that, and soon he and his pregnant wife, Teresa, are both under suspicion.
Ali Reynolds owes Jose Reyes a debt of gratitude for the help he gave her years earlier. When she’s summoned to his bedside at Mercy Medical Center in Tucson, it’s impossible for Ali to turn away. Upon arriving at the hospital, Ali finds her good friend, Sister Anselm, is there as well, working as patient advocate on behalf of another seriously injured victim, an unidentified border crosser who was raped and savagely beaten.
As more bodies pile up, Ali and Sister Anselm find themselves confronting the evil of the drug cartels across the border head-on, with no way of knowing who the next victim will be.
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- Touchstone |
- 304 pages |
- ISBN 9781451628586 |
- February 2012
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Book Reviews
Reading Group Guide
This reading group guide for Left for Dead includes an introduction, discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author J.A. Jance. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
Left for Dead is a complex, twisting narrative about the devastating violence from the Mexican drug wars in Arizona. When several attempted murders occur within miles of each other, and two of the suspects are drug dealers, Ali Reynolds steps in to help protect the victims and prove their innocence. As more bodies pile up, Ali must confront the evil of the drug cartels across the border head-on, with no way of knowing who the next victim will be.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The novel opens with Breeze Domingo, a.k.a Rose Ventana, sleeping on a “sagging leather couch in a filthy apartment.” (p. 1) How does this initial introduction to Rose set the tone for the book? Do you feel sympathy for Rose’s situation? Do you like her? How much agency do you think she has in determining her situation?
2. “But if life on the street had taught her any lessons at all, the most basic was not to ask questions, especially when you don’t want to hear answers.” (p. see more
Introduction
Left for Dead is a complex, twisting narrative about the devastating violence from the Mexican drug wars in Arizona. When several attempted murders occur within miles of each other, and two of the suspects are drug dealers, Ali Reynolds steps in to help protect the victims and prove their innocence. As more bodies pile up, Ali must confront the evil of the drug cartels across the border head-on, with no way of knowing who the next victim will be.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The novel opens with Breeze Domingo, a.k.a Rose Ventana, sleeping on a “sagging leather couch in a filthy apartment.” (p. 1) How does this initial introduction to Rose set the tone for the book? Do you feel sympathy for Rose’s situation? Do you like her? How much agency do you think she has in determining her situation?
2. “But if life on the street had taught her any lessons at all, the most basic was not to ask questions, especially when you don’t want to hear answers.” (p. see more
