Fire and Ice: A Beaumont and Brady Novel    by J. A. Jance Order:  USA  Can HarperCollins, 2010 (2009) Hardcover, Paperback, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth I thoroughly enjoy J. A. Jance's mysteries. Can't decide which of her series I like best – the Beaumont or the Brady one. I love Joanna Brady. She's a tough, gutsy woman who has a hard job and does it well. J. P. Beaumont is a pretty cool character also. And I like the woman in his life – his wife Mel. I had somehow missed this mystery when it first came out. In Fire and Ice, the two series are combined – Brady working from Arizona while Beaumont still is a cop in Seattle. Bodies of women have been appearing in Western Washington State, having been wrapped in tarps and set afire. In the Arizona desert, Cochise County Sheriff Brady is investigating a hit-and-run – obviously a homicide. The two cases finally hit a juncture and Beaumont and Brady reunite. The plot shifts from Seattle to Tucson and back again. I found that if I didn't pay close attention, I lost the thread holding the two storylines together. But, maybe, that is just me. Still, it's a worthwhile read. You can't go wrong with a novel written by Jance. I attended a book signing several years ago and found her just like her books. Entertaining, with a good sense of humor, and down to earth. Don't know, of course, where her plots stem from, but I have not read one of her books that I have not liked. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews