Seattleites Beau Beaumont and his wife, Melissa Soames, are members of the Special Homicide Investigation Team, a special task force for the Washington State Attorney General. The burned bodies of five women, wrapped in tarps, have been dumped, and any way to identify them eliminated, including pulling the teeth out at the roots. Then they get a break -- the next body was found in Kittitas, Washington with the teeth intact, but the rest of the MO identical. Dental records identify the victim as being Marcella Andrade from Cochise County, Arizona. Several other useful items were found on or near the body. Marcella is survived by a son, Luis, and a brother, Detective Jaime Carbajal of the Cochise County Sheriff's office. For the second time in his career, Beau makes a trip to Cochise County to work with the sheriff, Joanna Brady, and her staff.

Joanna has her hands full with a homicide involving an older man that was run over by the same vehicle several times. On the personal side Joanna has a baby and teen- aged daughter, and a practically "new" husband. She spreads herself very thin.

If J. A. Jance writes it, I will be there to read it. Ms. Jance has a distinct style that is mesmerizing, and continuing characters that you want to put on your Christmas card list. FIRE AND ICE is a police procedural at its very finest with merging storylines, perfect pacing, and outstanding narratives. Why are older women, as well as young girls being more or less abducted and slaughtered? Beau gets help from Detective Jaime Carbajal in a life or death climax. This book is great entertainment and not to be missed if the reader appreciates exceptional writing of a great mystery tale.