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Title: Mean Characters, Little Empathy
Review: Jance is a strong storyteller, but I didn't enjoy this novel because too many of the characters are mean-spirited. I didn't like spending time with them and didn't want to read about them. Yes, they had reasons to obsess over revenge, but since I never felt they were justified, I didn't feel sorry for them. Jance builds suspense, however, and vividly depicts the Tucson setting.This stand alone is a departure for Jance, but I'm not convinced she's stretching herself in believable ways. For example, she has a jailed inmate talking about "rewriting a scenario." Maybe this has happened, but it doesn't ring true. She's also quite didactic here. She wants to teach her readers about Native Americans, but this book about violent revenge is the wrong venue to do so.
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