Recommendations based on Desert Heatby J.A. Jance

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Ritual Bath

    by Faye Kellerman
    A female detective investigates a religious murder, uncovering a web of secrets.

    Detective Peter Decker of the LAPD is stunned when he gets the report. Someone has shattered the sanctuary of a remote yeshiva community in the California hills with an unimaginable crime. One of the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. Cause of Death

    by Patricia Cornwell
    A medical examiner and her team investigate a series of murders connected to a mysterious virus.

    It is New Year's Eve, the last day of Virginia's bloodiest year since the Civil War. Dr. Kay Scarpetta plunges into the murky depths of a ship graveyard to recover the very human remains of Ted ... (Goodreads)

  3. Hide and Seek

    by James Patterson
    Maggie Bradford, a famous singer, is accused of killing her second husband. She goes on the run with her children to prove her innocence.

    Maggie Bradford is a successful singer/songwriter who is on trial for murder. She has married twice and it appears that she has shot both husbands. Due to Maggie Bradford's history of killing her ... (Wikipedia)

  4. 4th of July

    by James Patterson
    An ex-FBI agent takes on a case of a missing girl, uncovering a dangerous conspiracy.

    When Lindsay Boxer gets a lead on a recent murder of two teenagers, she responds to the call and joins Warren Jacobi on a stakeout of a Mercedes. When the car takes off, a high speed chase ends in a ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Absolute Power

    by David Baldacci
    A power-hungry President, a daring thief and a determined investigator collide in a thrilling tale of manipulation and murder.

    An experienced burglar, Luther Whitney, breaks into a billionaire's house with the intent of robbing it. While there, he witnesses the President of the United States and the billionaire's wife having ... (Wikipedia)

  6. R is for Ricochet

    by Sue Grafton
    Private investigator Kinsey Millhone sets out to unravel a decades-old unsolved case of a missing woman.

    Kinsey Millhone agrees to escort Reba, the daughter of Nord Lafferty, out of prison to the Lafferty mansion and watch over Reba until she is settled into her life out of prison. Reba was serving a ... (Wikipedia)

  7. I is for Innocent

    by Sue Grafton
    Private investigator searches for the truth behind a murder, uncovering the secrets of the past.

    After being unceremoniously fired by California Fidelity Insurance, Kinsey has found herself new office space with her attorney, Lonnie Kingman. Lonnie has a case with which he wants Kinsey's help. ... (Wikipedia)

  8. E is for Evidence

    by Sue Grafton
    A homicide detective investigates a murder case and uncovers a web of lies.

    Just after Christmas, Kinsey Millhone discovers that five thousand dollars has mysteriously been credited to her bank account. She flashes back a few days to when she was asked to investigate a fire ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Green Mile

    by Stephen King
    A prison guard discovers the power of redemption, and miracles, when he meets a mysterious inmate.

    Featuring a first-person narrative told by Paul Edgecombe, the novel switches between Paul as an old man in the Georgia Pines nursing home writing down his story in 1996, and his time in 1932 as the ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Two for the Dough

    by Janet Evanovich
    A humorous crime novel involving an unlikely bounty hunter and a dangerous search for a fugitive.

    While Stephanie is looking for Kenny around their Trenton neighborhood, the friend he shot - Moogey Bues - is shot again. This second attack is fatal, which complicates the case against Kenny. At the ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The Beach House

    by James Patterson
    A family's summer holiday turns into a life-or-death struggle when their beach house is targeted by a ruthless criminal.

    Jack Mullen is a driven student of the law. His brother Peter is a servant of the rich, parking the cars of the Hamptons' elite –- and perhaps satisfying their more intimate needs as well. Then ... (Goodreads)

  12. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

    by Anne McCaffrey
    Epic science-fiction story of a fatal plague and a brave heroine's quest to save her world.

    The story begins with Moreta, the senior Weyrworman of Fort Weyr, traveling with her queen dragon Orlith (who is near the end of her pregnancy) to the Gather at Ruatha Hold. At the Gather there is ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Take a Thief

    by Mercedes Lackey
    A young pickpocket must save the kingdom from a powerful dark magic.

    Skif's parents are dead, and he lives with his horrible uncle, who does not make much of an attempt to take care of him. Because of this, Skif turns to thievery so that he can obtain food. One day, ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Firestarter

    by Stephen King
    A young girl with pyrokinetic powers is pursued by a mysterious government agency.

    Andy and Charlene "Charlie" McGee are a father/daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as The Shop. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Exile's Honor

    by Mercedes Lackey
    A young elven exile embarks on a journey of redemption and revenge.

    Alberich had spent most of his youth in the Karsite military schools training to be an officer. As the son of an impoverished mother, he had no other career choice open to him. And Alberich had risen ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Oathbound

    by Mercedes Lackey
    A story of courage and redemption, as a young woman embarks on a quest to break an ancient curse.

    Tarma witnessed her clan's murder and, swearing vengeance, became a master warrior. Kethry fled her forced "marriage" and became an adept–pledging her power to the greatest good. When Kethry obtains ... (Goodreads)

  17. Relic

    by Douglas Preston
    Scientists investigate an ancient secret, hidden deep in the South American jungle.

    In September 1987, Dr. Julian Whittlesey is leading an expedition through the Amazon Basin , in the Brazilian rainforest , in search of the lost Kothoga tribe. He hopes to prove that they still do ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Mercy

    by Julie Garwood
    FBI agent investigates a series of murders in a small town and falls in love with a witness.

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood takes readers from New Orleans' exclusive Garden District to the backwoods of Louisiana's mysterious bayou country in an unforgettable novel of ... (Goodreads)

  19. Track of the Cat

    by Nevada Barr
    A murder mystery set in the wilderness of West Texas, where a park ranger must solve the crime before becoming the next victim.

    Anna Pigeon has fled New York and her memories to find work as a ranger in the country’s national parks. In the remote backcountry of West Texas, however, she discovers murder and violence. Fellow ... (Goodreads)

  20. Blind Descent

    by Nevada Barr
    Park Ranger Anna Pigeon investigates a murder in the depths of Lechuguilla Cave, facing danger and darkness.

    Forced to cope with her claustrophobia and to use all the skills she has developed above ground, park ranger Anna Pigeon enters the dangerous Lechuguilla Cavern in New Mexico's Carlsbad Cavern ... (Goodreads)

  21. Grave Sight

    by Charlaine Harris
    A young woman uses her supernatural powers to uncover a murderer in a small town.

    Grave Sight (Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 1) Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share ... (Goodreads)

  22. Horton Hatches the Egg

    by Dr. Seuss
    An elephant who agrees to incubate a lazy bird's egg, and discovers true friendship and loyalty.

    The book centers on a genial elephant named Horton , who is convinced by Mayzie, a lazy, irresponsible bird, to sit on her egg while she takes a short "break", which turns into her permanent ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The Cold Dish

    by Craig Johnson
    Small-town sheriff investigates a grizzly murder, uncovering dark secrets in the process.

    Walt Longmire, sheriff of Wyoming's Absaroka County, knows he's got trouble when Cody Pritchard is found dead. Two years earlier, Cody and three accomplices had been given suspended sentences for ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Renegades of Pern

    by Anne McCaffrey
    A group of rebels must protect their planet from a deadly plague and a powerful enemy.

    As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread, the deadly silver strands that fell from the sky and ravaged the land. In exchange for sanctuary in the huge ... (Goodreads)

  25. Slow Burn

    by Julie Garwood
    A romance between an investigative journalist and a gallery owner, who join forces to unravel a conspiracy.

    Every fire begins with a little heat–and in Slow Burn, bestselling author Julie Garwood provides the spark, skillfully blending pulse-pounding action, intense emotion, and characters with grit and ... (Goodreads)

  26. Strong Poison

    by Dorothy L. Sayers
    A murder mystery novel combining romance and suspense as a woman is accused of poisoning her lover.

    The novel opens with mystery author Harriet Vane on trial for the murder of her former lover, Phillip Boyes: a writer with strong views on atheism, anarchy, and free love . Publicly professing to ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Blue Moon

    by Lee Child
    Jack Reacher returns to his old military base to find out the truth behind a mysterious woman's murder.

    “This is a random universe,” Reacher says. “Once in a blue moon things turn out just right.” This isn’t one of those times. Reacher is on a Greyhound bus, minding his own business, with no particular ... (Goodreads)

  28. Centennial

    by James A. Michener
    Epic journey through the history of the American West, painting a vivid picture of its people and culture.

    Written to commemorate the Bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener’s magnificent saga of the West is an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Bourne Ultimatum

    by Robert Ludlum
    Secret agent Jason Bourne on a mission to uncover the truth behind his life and identity.

    The novel follows David Webb, alias Jason Bourne , as he works to find his old enemy, Carlos the Jackal , who is trying to kill him. As the Jackal enters old age and his infamy fades, he decides that ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Naked in Death

    by J.D. Robb
    A murder investigation set in a futuristic New York City, uncovering secrets about a criminal ring.

    In 2058, Eve Dallas, Lieutenant in the NYPSD (New York Police and Security Department) Homicide division, is tasked with finding the culprit who killed Sharon DeBlass, a licensed companion (that is, ... (Wikipedia)