Missing and Endangered: A Brady Novel of Suspense

Written by J.A. Jance

Narrated by Hillary Huber

Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady’s professional and personal lives collide when her college-age daughter is involved in a missing persons case in this evocative and atmospheric mystery in J. A. Jance’s New York Times bestselling suspense series, set in the beautiful desert country of the American Southwest.

When Jennifer Brady returns to Northern Arizona University for her sophomore year, she quickly becomes a big sister to her new roommate, Beth Rankin, a brilliant yet sheltered sixteen-year-old freshman. For a homeschooled Beth, college is her first taste of both freedom and unfettered access to the internet, and Jenny is concerned that she’s too naïve and rebellious for her own good.

Her worries are well-founded because one day Beth vanishes, prompting Jenny to alert campus authorities, local police, and her mom, Sheriff Joanna Brady—who calls in a favor. Beth is found, but Jenny’s concern has unwittingly put her in the crosshairs of a criminal bent on revenge. 

With Christmas vacation approaching, and Beth at war with her parents, Jenny invites Beth to the shelter of the Brady home. While Joanna is sympathetic, she’s caught up in a sensitive case—an officer-involved shooting that has placed the lives of two young children in jeopardy—leaving her stretched thin to help a fragile young woman recently gone missing and endangered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Feb 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063032347

J.A. Jance

J.A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ali Reynolds series, the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, and the Walker Family series. Born in South Dakota and raised in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. Visit her online at JAJance.com. 

Reviews for Missing and Endangered

[Tina Stella · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've come to love these characters. J.A. Jance really creates relatable characters in every book. Fun to read.

[Judith Strauman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It held my attention. It had memorable characters of different walks of life.

[Nikki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love all Joanna Brady novels. This was a bit tamer than the rest, but a good story nonetheless!

[jan bennett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent, as ja jance books are- loved the happy ending

[d-fbuser-459007213 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I've loved this series but this one felt like her grandson had written it for her. Pedantic, repetitive, didn't know how to trust the reader to remember anything. Sped through the supposed confrontations in a way you'd easily miss the climax. Shame.

[celeste_fisher_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Terrific as usual! Loved it
As all joanna brady novels

[livelylady · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A mix of a female sheriff's homelife intersected with a few cases including one with her college-aged daughter. Interesting, but light. Not the same feel as the same genre by male authors. Good light reading.

[lcmcsr-812737 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sheriff Joanna Brady is dealing with staff shortages, officer involved shootings, being a mother and now her daughter's roommate may be the target of a cyberstalker. This is my first opportunity to read this author's work and I was blown away. The twists and turns and delicate police work detailed makes for a page-turning adventure that will satisfy anyone who picks it up.

[picathartes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another okay story from J.A. Jance. I've realized that what she writes should be considered teen fiction. I knew that her stories were always soft and homespun and folksy, but realized reading this book that her stories are really, really light; they're not gritty crime in any way.In any case, this one started off really slow and I quickly tired of Joanna Brady's nonstop grousing. She's got to get all her thoughts and points across, but that meant it took ages to get going. Once started, we had the latest "Brady novel" crimes come to light and be solved; nothing fancy, nothing too clever.I like the books, but they're not complex, not multi-layered, nothing much happens that is unexpected et cetera.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are two storylines in this intriguing mystery. An officer involved shooting leaves a deputy fighting for his life, and Joanna Brady must sort out how a routine restraining order led to the shooting death of a civilian. And at college, Beth discovers that her roommate is in serious trouble from an online dating app. Both storylines are equally interesting. Each has secondary characters who are fragile and in need of help. Taking place at Christmas just adds to the atmospheric setting of the novel. Regular readers of J A Jance will enjoy this gripping tale.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jance and Joanna Brady never disappoint. Great venue, lively and interesting characters, and a compelling plot make this book an excellent winter week read.

[juju2cat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mostly a fascinating story of domestic abuse that involved two young children. The other issue is Joanna's daughter and her roommate and that did nothing for me as far as catching my interest. One thing I discovered is that I really don't like Joanna's husband Butch. Yes he's a well known author and cooks a lot and is an all around nice guy but he leaves me cold for some reason. SO...J.A. Jance if you want to knock him off in your next novel that is very much ok with me.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Missing and Endangered by J.A. Jance is a 2021 William Morrow publication. Sheriff Brady- dependable, as ever! Jennifer Brady’s college roommate has gone missing. Quickly becoming proactive, Jennifer calls her mother for advice and help. Meanwhile, one of Joanna’s officers was shot in the line of duty. The case becomes more complicated when two young children get caught in the crossfire. This story allows Jennifer to share the spotlight with her mother. I enjoyed this thread because of the spotlight it shines on the continual exploitation of young people on the internet by sexual predators. The main case, though, is the officer involved shooting. This case highlights child abuse and neglect, various criminal activities, and of course murder. Elements of this thread are heartbreaking. Joanna’s tenderness towards the young victims was especially poignant. Overall, this is another solid addition to the series, and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars

[beckyhaase · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

MISSING AND ENDANGERED by J A JanceJance is one of my favorite authors and in this novel with Sheriff Joanna Brady as lead protagonist she does not disappoint. Brady is sheriff of a county near the Mexican border in Arizona. Murder is complicated by the retirement of her lead detective, endangered children and Joanna’s own daughter. Jance’s characters are as integral to her stories as the requisite murders and mayhem. Her characters change and adapt as their world changes just as in the real world. I read Jance as much for Brady (and Beaumont and Reynolds, et al, her other main stays) as for the intriguing plots and heart pounding conclusions. You won’t be disappointed. 5 of 5 stars

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jance keeps churning those books out and I keep loving them. In the 19th Joanna Brady book there’s a lot going on including an officer involved shooting and Jenny, Joanna’s daughter is no at college. Her roommate has become the target of nasty internet dating sexting and then sextortion scheme. With two young children at home, a busy job as sheriff and Christmas arriving soon, Joanna has her hands full. Its another solid Brady novel.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been three long years since the last Joanna Brady mystery, Field of Bones, so I couldn't wait to pick up Missing and Endangered. J.A. Jance's series set in Cochise County, Arizona, is one of my all-time favorites and never disappoints. Jance grew up in Bisbee, and her setting is so true-to-life you can almost follow her descriptions like a road map. (Yes, I've been there many, many times and have followed those descriptions.)Written over twenty-eight years, this series-- so far-- describes nine years in the life of Joanna Brady, from her first becoming sheriff to now when her eldest daughter is a college sophomore. Jance's smooth pace and narrative chops draw readers right into the story, and one of the things I admire most about it is how well it shows the daily lives of law enforcement in one sparsely populated county with an area larger than some states. We see how budget cuts affect the department, how the sheriff's office interacts with other law enforcement agencies, and what parts paperwork and the media plays in it all. Joanna has worked hard in her job as sheriff, gaining knowledge and experience, and one of the ways that experience pays off is in her networking skills. She may not know the answer to something but chances are one of her contacts does-- and she does it all while juggling an extremely busy family life.One thing that I admire even more about this series than the way it portrays the daily life of a sheriff is the "people angle." As Jenny tells her mother, "Your job is about way more than just catching bad people; it's about helping good people, too, and about putting broken lives back together." You may be pleased to know that, in this series, Jance concentrates more on the good people and putting lives back together than she does on the criminals. In Missing and Endangered, readers can feel a sense of dread crawling up their spines at Beth Rankin's naivete. Their hearts can break over two little children who face becoming lost in a system of bureaucracy. But they can also rest assured that Joanna Brady is going to do everything in her power to make things right. It was three long years since the last Brady mystery, but I found that I hadn't forgotten a thing. This is the type of series with the kind of characters that sticks with you. If you doubt you'll pick this book up because it's book number nineteen and you just don't want to invest that kind of time in a long-running series, well... as much as I want you to read all nineteen books, I will say that you can pick this one up and read it as a standalone. The subplot concerning an officer-involved shooting has Joanna thinking about many incidents from her past, so the backstory is there and you won't feel confused.Missing and Endangered is vintage Jance, and now I'm back to cooling my heels until my next visit with one of my favorite sheriffs, Joanna Brady. But no matter how long, I know it will be worth the wait.