Collateral Damage

By: J.A. Jance

Narrated by: Karen Ziemba

Ali Reynolds and High Noon Enterprises face the dangerous consequences of one man’s desperate search for revenge in this unputdownable thriller from J.A. Jance, the New York Times bestselling author who “has been delivering must-read books for a long time” (The Real Book Spy).

After spending twenty years behind bars, Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, is out on parole and focused on just one thing: revenge. The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago—they all have targets on their backs.

For Ali Reynolds, the first Christmas without her father is riddled with grief and uncertainty. And with her husband and founding partner of High Noon Enterprises, B. Simpson, preoccupied by an upcoming New Year’s trip to London, she is ready for a break. But when Stu Ramey barges into her home with grave news about a serious—and suspicious—accident on the highway to Phoenix involving B.’s car, things reach a breaking point.

At the hospital, a groggy, post-op B. insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London, as troubles brimming around High Noon come to light. But questions remain: Who would go to such lengths to cut the tech company from the picture? And what if Ali and the rest of the team are also in danger?

Critic reviews

"Narrator Karen Ziemba brings a matter-of-fact tone to this Ali Reynolds mystery. Ziemba lets listeners into the minds of its many characters on both sides of the law, starting with an ex-cop who’s planning revenge on the people who helped send him to prison. Ziemba’s delivery also illuminates the contributions of the law enforcement figures who prevent the contract killings the ex-cop has ordered. An awkward conversation between one of Reynolds’s team members and a policeman who is on the case is augmented by Ziemba’s gentle explanation of how the exchange could have gone better. The flat voice of the AI that assists Reynolds stays fresh throughout."

Collateral Damage

This was a very nice work by J. A. Jance. Maybe too many people in plot, but it was ok. As always your friend Patsy

Not enough Ali

Not the best in this series. Not enough of Ali and to many characters. Nevertheless a good yarn.

JA Jance style always satisfying

There are always details on what seem to be ancillary characters, background info to bring the reader up to speed. But for a Jance novel that is what it is about, characters and giving each one life. That’s certainly true in this novel, but I find it satisfying in the end.

Excellent writing

I loved the way so many characters from different law enforcement areas were working together The characters were well developed and interesting. Great story

good story

"Collateral Damages" is the seventeenth installment in J. A. Jance’s Ali Reynolds series. Having long admired Jance as a master storyteller, I found this book to be a departure from the typical Reynolds narrative. Ali and her usual ensemble play only a minor role, with the majority of the story centering on a revenge-driven murder spree that unfolds over two decades and spans four states. Told largely from the perspective of the murderer, the novel had me constantly questioning how it connected to Ali and her team. While I ultimately enjoyed the story, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might have worked better as a stand-alone novel rather than part of the series.

I experienced this book in audiobook format through Audible, with a runtime of twelve hours and three minutes. Karen Ziemba’s narration was excellent, bringing the story to life with skill and precision.