J.A. Jance Books In Order – Complete List

Last Updated on March 1, 2023 New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance Judith Ann Jance is an American author who wrote various mystery and thriller series, including the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady books, the Ali Reynolds series, and the Walker Family series, followed by her latest Joanna Brady and Brandon Walker series which bring characters together from two of her popular mystery novels series.

Here is the list of the JA Jance books in order for each of the series the author has written.

New J.A. Jance Books

J.P. Beaumont Series in Publication Order

The J.P. Beaumont Series is a collection of detective novels written by J.A. Jance that follows the investigations of J.P. Beaumont, a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department.

Beaumont is a flawed but tenacious protagonist who is dedicated to solving the crimes he is tasked with investigating. Over the course of the series, he must grapple with personal demons and navigate complex relationships, all while working to unravel the mysteries at the heart of each case.

The series is known for its gritty realism, intricate plots, and exploration of contemporary social issues. Fans of crime fiction and police procedurals will likely enjoy the J.P. Beaumont Series.

1. Until Proven Guilty (#1), 1985
2. Injustice for All (#2), 1986
3. Trial by Fury (#3), 1986
4. Taking the Fifth (#4), 1988
5. Improbable Cause (#5), 1987
6. A More Perfect Union (#6), 1988
7. Dismissed with Prejudice (#7), 1989
8. Minor in Possession (#8), 1990
9. Payment in Kind (#9), 1991
10. Without Due Process (#10), 1992
11. Failure to Appear (#11), 1993
12. Lying in Wait (#12), 1994
13. Name Withheld (#13), 1996
14. Breach of Duty (#14), 1999
15. Birds of Prey (#15), 2001
16. Partner in Crime (#16), 2002
17. Long Time Gone (#17), 2005
18. Justice Denied  (#18), 2007
19. Fire and Ice (#19), 2009
20. Betrayal of Trust (#20), 2011
21. Ring in the Dead (#20.5), 2013
22. Second Watch (#21), 2013
23. Stand Down (#21.5), 2015
24. Dance of the Bones (#22), 2015
25. Still Dead (#22.5), 2017
26. Proof of Life (#23), 2017
27. Sins of the Fathers (#24), 2019
28. Nothing to Lose (#25), 2022

Joanna Brady Series in Publication Order

Joanna Brady is a sheriff in Cochise County in Arizona after her husband, Andry Brady is killed. Throughout the series, Joanna Brady navigates the challenges of law enforcement in a small, rural community, while also dealing with personal struggles and relationships. As the series progresses, readers get to know Joanna Brady more intimately and witness her growth and development as a person and a law enforcement professional.

The Joanna Brady book are known for its intricate plotting, vividly drawn characters, and exploration of social and political issues affecting rural America.

1. Desert Heat, Paper (#1), 1993
2. Tombstone Courage, Paper (#2), 1994
3. Shoot Don’t Shoot (#3), 1995
4. Dead to Rights (#4), 1996
5. Skeleton Canyon (#5), 1997
6. Rattlesnake Crossing (#6), 1998
7. Outlaw Mountain (#7), 1999
8. Devil’s Claw (#8), 2001
9. Paradise Lost (#9), 2001
10. Partner in Crime (#10), 2002
11. Exit Wounds (#11), 2003
12. Dead Wrong (#12), 2006
13. Damage Control (#13), 2008
14. Fire and Ice (#14), 2009
15. Judgment Call (#15), 2012
16. The Old Blue Line (#15.5), 2014 – novella
17. Remains of Innocence (#16), 2014
18. No Honor Among Thieves (#16.5), 2015
19. Random Acts (#16.6), 2016
20. Downfall (#17), 2016
21. Field of Bones (#18), 2018
22. Missing and Endangered (#19), 2021

Ali Reynolds Series in Publication Order

The series centers around Ali (Alison) Reynolds, a former television news anchor (aka ex-newscaster) who was fired in favor of a younger seedling. She is in her 40s living in Sedona, in Arizona and becomes an amateur detective and crime solver after losing her job. Throughout the series, Ali works to uncover the truth behind various crimes and mysteries, all while navigating personal relationships and her past traumas.

The Ali Reynolds series is known for its fast-paced action, intriguing plots, and relatable characters. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone story, but overarching themes and character arcs span multiple books.

1. Edge of Evil (#1), 2005
2. Web of Evil (#2), 2007
3. Hand of Evil (#3), 2007
4. Cruel Intent (#4), 2009
5. Trial By Fire (#5), 2009
6. Fatal Error (#6), 2011
7. Left for Dead (#7), 2012
8. Deadly Stakes #8), 2013
9. Moving Target (#9), 2014
10. A Last Goodbye (#9.5), 2014
11. Cold Betrayal (#10), 2015
12. No Honor Among Thieves (#10.5), 2015
13. Clawback (#11), 2016
14. Random Acts (#11.5), 2016
15. Man Overboard (#12), 2017
16. Duel To Death #13), 2018
17. The A List (#14), 2019
18. Credible Threat (#15), 2020
19. Unfinished Business (#16), 2021
20. Collateral Damage (#17), 2023

Walker Family Mysteries Series in Publication Order

Brandon Walker is an ex-sheriff in Tucson, in Arizona. The series follows the lives of the members of the Walker family, a prominent and wealthy family in Tucson, Arizona.

The Walker Family Mysteries series explores the complicated dynamics and relationships within the Walker family, including sibling rivalries, parental expectations, and the challenges of growing up with privilege and wealth. The series also delves into social and political issues affecting contemporary America, such as immigration, addiction, and mental health.

Each book in the Walker Family Mysteries series focuses on a different member of the family, allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of their individual struggles and experiences. The series is known for its compelling characters, emotionally resonant themes, and exploration of contemporary social issues.

1. Hour of the Hunter (#1), 1991
2. Kiss of the Bees (#2), 1993
3. Day of the Dead (#3), 2005
4. Queen of the Night (#4), 2010
5. Dance of the Bones (#5, J.P. Beaumont #22), 2015

Joanna Brady and Brandon Walker Series in Publication Order

1. Blessing of the Lost Girls (#1), 2023

Standalone J.A. Jance Books, Anthologies, and Collections in Publication Order

• Partners in Crime, 1994
• Midnight Louie’s Pet Detectives, 1998 (with Dorothy Cannell, Nancy Pickard, and Ann Perry, Lilian Jackson Braun)
• Naked Came the Phoenix, 2001 (with Nevada Barr, Mary Jane Clark, Diana Gabaldon, Faye Kellerman, Laurie R King, Val McDermid, Pam and Mary O’Shaughnessy, Anne Perry, Nancy Pickard, J D Robb, Lisa Scottoline, Marcia Talley)
• The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, 2000
• Bark M for Murder, 2006 (with Lee Charles Kelley, Virginia Lanier, Chassie West)
• The Deadly Bride and 21 of the Year’s Finest Crime and Mystery Stories: Volume II, 2006
• No Rest for the Dead, 2011 (with  Jeff Abbott, Lori Armstrong, David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Thomas H Cook, Jeffery Deaver, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew F Gulli, Lamia Gulli, Peter James, Faye Kellerman, Raymond Khoury, John Lescroart, Jeff Lindsay, Gayle Lynds, Alexander McCall Smith, Phillip Margolin, Michael Palmer, T Jefferson Parker, Matthew Pearl, Kathy Reichs, Marcus Sakey, Jonathan Santlofer, Lisa Scottoline, R L Stine, Marcia Talley)
• Mystery Writers of America Presents Ice Cold: Tales of Intrigue from the Cold War, 2014
• MatchUp, 2017 (Lee Child, Sandra Brown, C. J. Box, Val Mcdermid, Peter James, Kathy Reichs, Diana Gabaldon, Steve Berry, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Karin Slaughter, Michael Koryta, Charlaine Harris, Andrew Gross, Lisa Jackson, John Sandford, Lara Adrian, Christopher Rice, Lisa Scottoline, Nelson DeMille, Eric Van Lustbader)

J.A. Jance Novellas and Short Stories in Publication Order

• Taking the Veil, 2018 (with Eric Van Lustbader)

Poetry Collection by J.A. Jance in Publication Order

• After the Fire, 2001

Nonfiction J.A. Jance Books in Order

• Writer in the Library: 41 Writers Reveal How They Use Libraries to Develop Their Skill, Craft & Careers, 2008

100 Stories Books in Order

• 100 Malicious Little Mysteries, 1981 (with Isaac Asimov, Martin Greenberg, John Lutz, Jack Ritchie, Bill Pronzini, Barry N. Malzberg, Michael Gilbert, Maxine O’Callaghan, , Michael Kurland, Lael Littke, Helen McCloy)
• 100 Dastardly Little Detective Stories, 1993 (with Charles Dickens, Martin Greenberg, O. Henry, Bill Pronzini, Jack London)
• 100 Ghastly Little Ghost Stories, 1993 (with Chet Williamson, Alan Brennert, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Marvin Kaye, Barry N. Malzberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Fred Chappell)
• 100 Wild Little Weird Tales, 1994 (with Robert Bloch, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Martin Greenberg, H.P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, Lester del Rey, Murray Leinster, Clark Ashton Smith, Manly Wade Wellman)
• 100 Creepy Little Creature Stories, 1994 (with Edgar Allan Poe, Martin Greenberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, E.F. Benson, Robert E. Weinberg)
• 100 Crooked Little Crime Stories, 1994 (with Martin Greenberg, Edgar Wallace, Alexandre Dumas)
• 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories, 1996 (with Martin Greenberg, Bill Pronzini, Fritz Leiber, Philip K. Dick, Harry Harrison, Robert E. Weinberg)
• 100 Sneaky Little Sleuth Stories, 1997 (with Marcia Muller, Jon L. Breen, Martin Greenberg, John Jakes, Chet Williamson, Barry N. Malzberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Michael Gilbert, Carolyn Wheat, Robert E. Weinberg, , C.J. Henderson, H.R.F. Keating, Francis M. Nevins Jr., Shelley Singer)
• 100 Menacing Little Murder Stories, 1998 (with Robert E. Weinberg, Fred Chappell, Thomas Ligotti)
• Crafty Cat Crimes, 2000 (with Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Ron Goulart, Larry Segriff, Barbara Paul, Max Allan Collins, Lloyd Biggle Jr., Jane Yolen, Bill Pronzini, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, , Tracy Knight, Will Murray, Robert E. Weinberg, Gene DeWeese, Dorothy Cannell, , K.D. Wentworth)
• 100 Tiny Tales of Terror, 2014 (with Martin Greenberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Lucy Taylor, Robert E. Weinberg, Manly Wade Wellman)

J.A. Jance Biography – About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Judith Ann Jance (pen name J.A. Jance) was born in Watertown, South Dakota. As a child, she moved with her family to Bisbee, Arizona, where she grew up.

In 1962 she graduated from Bisbee High School, from where she received a scholarship allowing her to attend the University of Arizona. She graduated from here in 1966 with a degree in English and Secondary Education.

Before starting her writing career, JA Jance had several jobs, including that of being school librarian on a Native American reservation, a teacher, and an insurance salesperson.

It was during her time of selling insurance that she started to write, in the middle of the night, as her day job and her kids wouldn’t give her much time to write during the day. Talk about ambition – which thankfully helped her push on so that she could finally realize her dream of a full-time writer – of successful books, nonetheless.

An interesting fact is that the J.A. Jance Joanna Brady book series is taking place in Arizona, the very place where the author grew up.

I totally admire this author. Over the years she realized that everything that happened to her, the good and the bad, could be used in her writing. Having lived with an alcoholic first husband shaped part of who she is now. The author’s words on this:

The eighteen years I spent while married to an alcoholic have helped shape the experience and character of Detective J. P. Beaumont. My experiences as a single parent have gone into the background for Joanna Brady.

show just how much she has learned over the years – and learned to put that experience to good use. I would dare to think that writing these books was also a cleansing experience for the author. Kudos to her.

The J.A. Jance books list currently includes 25 novels in the J.P. Beaumont series, 19 Joanna Brady novels, 164 in the Ali Reynolds series, 5 in the Walker Family series, not to mention all the novellas the author wrote in each of these series. Then JA Jance also wrote a book on poetry and several short story collections.

While the order of the books by J.A. Jance is pretty clear, you do need to pay attention to the fact that some of the books intersect between the various series (e.g. Partner in Crime is book #16 in the J.P. Beaumont series and #10 in the Joanna Brady book series). Whenever such a crossover happens, I will mention it in brackets next to the relevant book.

To read the J.A. Jance books in order, I suggest you startw wti the J. P. Beaument series, which started in 1985. As I mentioned above, the series will cross at some point, and it’s interesting to follow the main characters interacting to solve various crimes.

However, my favorite series of crime stories is the J.A. Jance Ali Reynolds series. I can somehow much more relate to Ali’s female character than with, say, Beaumont or Walker. The series started in 2006 with Edge of Evil, which was also the first book I’ve picked up in the series to read.

Ali is a 40+ former TV journalist who is currently living in Sedona, Arizona. Her age greatly contributed to her being kicked out of her job since broadcasting executives wanted someone younger in her place, wanted a younger face on the TV to say the news.

So Ali goes home to her husband, a famous media mogul, only to realize that he also has replaced her in his life with a much younger female version. So finally she packs her bags and goes home to Sedona to pick up the broken pieces of her life once again, not to mention to help her friend’s family after learning that one of her best friends died.

I found it interesting to read about her starting her own blog. I don’t exactly remember whether in 2006 blogging was as big as it is now.

In Man Overboard, Ali Reynolds book #12, published in 2017, Ali is now more of an amateur private detective. She gets involved in a case where cybersecurity expert Roger McGeary falls down the balcony of a cruising yacht. The police don’t give much thought of his death, so Roger’s aunt, Julia, asks Ali, and Stuart Ramey, who is Roger’s childhood pal, to help find out what exactly happened with Roger.

The serial killer who targeted Roger is also after other people who have lost their parents to suicide. In this book, an AI (artificial intelligence) is used, sadly, for evil. When the killer targets Stuart as well, Ali, with the help of her company, High Noon Enterprises, has to stop the killer before it is too late for Stuart.

In The A List, we meet once again Ali, this time investigating a rather common theme in our modern times: the fraudulent activities of a doctor’s use of his own sperm for artificial insemination. This is a theme that has been touched upon several times ever since DNA has been used to research a person’s ancestry. Dr. Edward Gilchris used to be a rather popular doc who helped people with artificial insemination back when DNA procedures were not as known as now. It turns out that he actually used his own sperm as a donor for people without kids.

What nobody knew, however, was that he has a genetic kidney defect which has been passed down to some of the children he created using his own sperm. The story is really contemporary in theme, especially since these days practically everyone can find about their own ancestry from various online places with with a small cost and effort.

Looking back to the first Ali Reynolds books, it was interesting to see the author’s development of technology in her books. She initially started with Ali writing her first blog post. Now, we’re at cyberbullying and even at sophisticated AIs and genetic manipulation.

J.A Jance Awards

New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance received or was nominated for the following awards:

• Dilys Awards Best Book nominee in 1992 for Hour of the Hunter