Unfinished Business by J.A. Jance is the 16th book in the Ali Reynolds series, and another great addition. I love all of Ms. Jance's book, they are always a wild roller coaster ride that keeps you reading until the very end. There are several stories going on in this book. Ali Reynold's father is ill, and losing his memory, but Ali had no idea since her mother has been keeping it from everyone. B., Ali husband has re-hired a former employee of his, who spent sixteen years in prison for a murder he claims to be innocent of. Ali has evicted a man from their building, who is a lot more dangerous than anyone knows. If you love thriller/mysteries, I strongly recommend this book/series, along with all the authors books, you won't be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jance introduces a great new character in Mateo, the team helps catch a serial killer, and Ali must help her parents cope with her dad's dementia in this latest installment in a. long running series that also near the end, pulls in JP Beaumont, who has his very own series. Oh, and there are new grandchildren. Whew. Mateo took a plea for the murder of his ex- girlfriend, a crime he did not commit, and served 16 years in prison; now he's out and putting his computer skills to good use. Meanwhile, Ali is forced to evict Harvey, a murderous tenant, for non-payment, and unleashes his wrath upon High Noon Enterprises. There's a lot of notes and one plot line (Ali's parents) felt as though it wrapped up too quickly. I think it helps to have read one or more of the earlier books although there's no need to be familiar with Beaumont (it was a little jarring to me to have his first person voice suddenly pop in- and his personal backstory- near the end). Regardless, Jance is a good storyteller and knows how to built tension so I found myself turning the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Here's hoping Mateo continues as part of High Noon.

I have read the majority of JA Jance's books and really enjoy the "Ali" books. Overall, another great book in the series. Loved seeing the same characters in books! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Wonderful to read the latest by J. A. Jance. While Joanna Brady is my favorite of her series, this was a terrific combination of two others. Ali has a lot going on in this tale. There are some tense moments. A sense of justice. Loved the crossover. Sorry for the spoiler, folks. Many heart-warming times, too. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

This book kept me awake last night - I had to finish it!

The ripple effect of one action to many lives is perfectly demonstrated in this story.

A young man is convicted of murder.

A homeless man is given an opportunity.

A disgruntled man takes his rage out on unsuspecting women.

A father dies.

A retired man seeks justice.

And they all cross paths with the common denominator being Ali Reynolds, CFO, wife, mother, daughter, former cop.

I know this is a wildly popular author, however this is the first J.A. Jance book I have read. It will not be the last.

Several compelling plots are seamlessly interwoven into one really good read. The characters are believable and may even remind you of someone you know. The situations are straight out of real life.

I highly recommend this book to all of the fans of Blue Bloods, Major Crimes and mysteries.

I've read several books by this author and have always enjoyed everything I've read, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I must say it didn't disappoint. This book was easy to read and fast paced and kept me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

I had almost decided to stop reading J.A. Jance books because they were becoming so violent and bloody, and then along comes the 16th book in the Ali Reynolds series. Not only does it bring interesting characters to the forefront, but it also introduces the family tragedy of dementia when Ali’s father is experiencing symptoms. And best of all, my favorite Jance character is involved in the search to bring justice to a High Noon employee who most likely served a 16-year sentence in a Washington state prison for a murder he swears he did not commit. Cami, the petite Asian tech sleuth employed by High Noon also shows her grit, strength, and determination when she’s kidnapped. Although this book can be read as a standalone, the development of characters in the past books will increase your enjoyment of the storyline.

Mateo Vega is released on parole after serving 16 years for killing his girlfriend. Despite pleading guilty (to get a lighter sentence), Mateo has always maintained his innocence. Upon his release from prison, Mateo struggles to land a job that leverages his computer skills. He finally turns to a former colleague, Stu Ramey, who is now employed by High Noon Enterprises in Arizona, for a reference. This leads to a job interview -and offer- with High Noon and brings Mateo's case to the attention of Ali Reynolds. At the same time, another High Noon employee is abducted and the race is on to find her alive. I've read other books by J.A. Jance, but not the Ali Reynolds series before, an oversight I will be fixing! Despite this being my first read in this series, the characters quickly felt like old friends, Jance does an excellent job of weaving multiple plot lines together and holding your attention start to finish.

Always reliable, never disappoints installment in the series and this book is no different. Jance is among the top thriller writers in the nation and once again, this book continues that tradition. Enjoyable characters, well plotted and filled with atmosphere.

Unfinished Business by J.A. Jance is the best so far in the Ali Reynolds series. The story opens with a prisoner who’s been doing time for killing his girlfriend which he has claimed his innocence for the past 16 years. This story has a little bit of everything. Second chances, revenge, chance meetings that go awry and old friends who lend a helping hand. The characters are well thought out,, and the story was swift and interesting. This is a great addition to the Ali Reynolds series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. Thank you to Net Galley, author J.A. Jance and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this advanced copy for my honest review. Well done!

3.5 stars

In this 16th book in the 'Ali Reynolds' series, the computer security expert/amateur sleuth deals with family problems and gets on the wrong side of a serial killer. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Ali Reynolds and her husband B. Simpson own High Noon Enterprises, a computer security service based in Cottonwood, Arizona. The High Noon business complex contains extra offices, which are rented out to tenants for additional income. One renter is Harvey McCluskey, a crooked home inspector who's two months behind on his rent.

Ali and her employee Cami Lee go to McClusky's office to serve an eviction notice, which Cami films on her IPAD. McClusky is embarrassed and infuriated, and vows revenge against the ladies. In Harvey's case this isn't an idle threat, because he's a serial killer who's already murdered several women.

Meanwhile, in Monroe, Washington, computer technician Mateo Vega is released from the penitentiary after 16 years inside. Mateo was accused of killing his girlfriend, and though he was innocent, Mateo took a plea to avoid a life sentence. When the convict finally gets out on parole, he takes a job at a thrift store, and - having kept up his computer skills - sends resumes to computer tech companies.

Mateo has no luck until he contacts his old boss Stuart Ramey, who works for High Noon Enterprises. Stuart is impressed with Mateo's abilities, and - with Ali and B's approval - flies the ex-convict to Arizona for an interview. Ali also contacts her friend, private detective J.P. Beaumont, to see about clearing Mateo's name.

As the book unfolds, the backstories of McClusky and Mateo are interweaved with the current lives of the men, and McClusky's history is bloody and horrendous.

In addition to business concerns, Ali has personal problems. Ali's parents, Edie and Bob Larson, live in a senior citizen community in Cottonwood. Ali thought her folks were doing well until she discovered that Edie has been protecting Bob, hiding the fact that he's losing his memory and acting out. Edie is exhausted, Bob is depressed, and the couple isolate themselves from friends. Ali insists that her parents get help, but the situation goes downhill fast.

While Ali is dealing with her family concerns, McClusky starts to carry out his revenge plan, which is frightening and dramatic. Luckily, High Noon personnel, including the phenomenal Artificial Intelligence Frigg - who can hack ANYTHING - are on hand to help.

This is a good thriller that addresses some serious real life issues.

Thanks to Negtalley, J.A. Jance, and Gallery Books for a copy of the book.

I have long been an avid reader of J.A. Jance's books and I was excited to be granted a copy of this new entry in the Ali Reynolds series. I'm disappointed to say that Unfinished Business, while still a good read, doesn't live up to the standards of Jance's previous books. The plot is slow to get going and the solutions and resolutions of the major plots - a man imprisoned for a crime he maintains steadfastly over 16 years he did not commit, the kidnapping and brutal beating of one of Ali's employees, and Ali's father's deteriorating health - are entirely predictable. The stories did not feel fresh and the change in narrative voice from third person to first, in the persona of Beau, a character from another Jance series, was abrupt and may not make sense to readers unfamiliar with that body of her work.. This insertion provides an "easy out" to solving one of the crimes and the ultimate crimes to which it leads offers complications that are left unexplored. I hope that the next entry in this series represents a better and fresher effort.

Another awesome book by J A Janice. I love the character Ali Reynolds and even see a brief appearance by Beaumont. Ali taking matters into her own hands to evict a tenant in the office park while B is out of town on business sets off a chain of events that involve everyone Ali works with and holds dear. While trying to figure out what to do next she is met by unspeakable grief and sadness. As B returns to High Noon and they begin to hire someone else to keep up with the workloads another item from the past appears and somehow ties into everything going on.

Definitely one of Jance’s best books yet

4+ well deserved stars. Firstly, thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Judith Jance for the ARC! Loved it. I always look forward to a Jance novel. I’ve been reading all her series for years and each one has characters we’ve grown attached to over time, hubby and I. It is not necessary to read them in order as each one can significantly stand alone on its own merit, and covers past incidents well enough to acquaint you with the characters. It's definitely more enjoyable however, to start at book 1 of any of her series and see how the characters progress through life. Jance is a master storyteller. She rarely uses profanity, doesn’t need to, or graphic sexual scenes. Her pacing is always excellent. This latest installment focusing on an Ali Reynolds mystery did not disappoint.

With the setting in Arizona, the author heads her paragraphs with the location within the state and what's going on there, Sedona, Cottonwood and more, which adds to the Arizona ambiance and eases us effortlessly into following along the plot lines. There are several plot lines here.

Ali Reynolds is married to “B.” and they own and run an agency known as High Noon, a commercial security company utilizing high tech equipment including an AI (artificial intelligence) robot/source affectionately known as Frigg. She can find out just about anything about anything. She also has a sense of humor, fitting right in with the staff of High Noon. You'll love her segments sprinkled throughout this reading.

The main plot line follows Harvey McClusky, a tenant of business space at High Noon’s building who is about to be evicted for non-payment of rent. This despicable human being is the main focus of the novel as they uncover his questionable past. A secondary plot line is about Mateo Vega, a recently released prisoner who was a former employee of High Noon but spent the last 16 years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. I loved meeting Mateo and hope he is a permanent fixture at High Noon. Happy to get a glimpse of Sister Anselm, also from previous novels.

Another side story is about Ali’s parents, and how they deal with dementia, which was heart-breaking for many reasons and so believable. Having dealt with it myself it was easy to identify with the emotions it provokes.

There’s a lot here. A joy to get a peek at JP Beaumont, retired police and his wife Mel, the police chief in Seattle (from another series featuring Beau). I didn’t find this to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but the crimes as depicted do have your heart rate elevated at times. This is a consistently captivating tapestry of fortune and misfortune, which had me reading late into the early morning hours. Well worth the loss of a few hours sleep. Happy to recommend.

Another wonderful story from J A Jance. This one is Ali and B. And their growning business, with family and friends getting in trouble. You'll enjoy reading about the problems. Some sad and some joyful. They pull together to solve the problems.

Unfinished Business is both complex and interesting. It touches on several issues that are part of the news today. Jance does a great job linking the issues to the plot. A new character is added to the mix and it looks like this one is here to stay. Great story line and character mix. Don't miss this one.

This is one of my favorite Authors. This is the Ali Reynolds series. Ali and husband run a cyber security company with the help of their quirky but capable crew. Two man show up on her scene, a man just released from prison for murdering his girlfriend and a tenant who is a serial killer. Not all is as it seems and the crew sets out to decipher what is true and dangerous.

I'm a big fan of J.A. Jance, having read pretty much everything she's written, but I have to say, this is a pretty mediocre addition to the Ali Reynolds series. Not much happened in the book until about halfway through, and then really nothing much else really happened either. Overall it was just OK.

This is my thirtieth J.A. Jance novel and of all her great characters, Ali is my very favorite.

This novel is Ali Reynolds #16 in the series but it really is fine to read as a standalone. True having read any one of the earlier novels in this series would help with knowing and loving these characters: Cami, Stu and, of course, the very dependable yet always stretching what is legal, AI Frigg.
Ali was a police officer and then a news anchor who was let go when they hired a much younger gal.
Ali’s investigative skills have been very helpful with her husband “B” high tech company in Arizona.
This story starts out with a murder and we know ‘whodunit’ since I am a fan of twists and turns, I was a bit disappointed with knowing the nasty guy right off. However, the name of this story is “Unfinished Business” so yes there are several other things going on.
Ali doesn’t disappoint ~ this kept me reading.
Want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 1, 2021

J.A. Jance never disappoints. Well plotted. Great characters, great dialogue. Just enough on the villain without leaving us too long in his head. The scenes with Ali's father--dealing with his dementia--heart rending but accurate. I have been through this with my mother and other family.
I love the way she has braided two plots together in this one--an innocent man who was imprisoned and a guilty man who has lived free--both for many years--and well, does justice prevail? I don't want to spoil anything for you.
The twists and turns given to the plot and so well done and manage to carry dual significance in each instance--filling us in on a character, giving us fodder to the braided plot--well done, well done!