Description
When P.I. Lena Jones discovers the body of a woman connected to an infamous Arizona polygamy cult, she goes on a hunt to find the dead woman's missing son, one of the many teenaged boys the cult rejects from its ranks to prevent competition for wives.

Lena Jones is a compassionate and hard-working detective especially when she thinks someone is being treated unfairly or children are involved. Investigating the polygamists, who are based on real-life situations, they are found to be abusive in many ways: domestic abuse, child abuse, in-breeding resulting in many semi-retarded children, welfare fraud using the handicapped children, and dumping and abandoning teenaged boys on the streets of nearby cities to fend for themselves, never to return home. Lena continues to struggle with her personal relationships but doesn’t let that interfere with her work. This subject matter was interesting and ended with a surprise. ( )

An amazingly written book, great characters, each distinct and interesting and of course, Webb left us wanting just a bit more as she finished the story.

My favorite character in all the Lena Jones stories is her partner Jimmy and the same is true in this book. Sometimes it seems like it's hard for authors to write a male character and female character who are good friends, but not snogging each other, and there are very few authors who are about to write it well, but Webb definitely has the balance right.

And then to the subject of the book. Polygamy. Much like Desert Wives by Webb, this wasn't a happy go lucky book. In a couple of places it was even sorta depressing, but despite the subject matter the book was a quick and (depressingly) interesting read.

I give it a solid recommendation, as long as you're not looking for a cozy bit of fluff. ( )

First Line: Thumb out, shoulders hunched against the wet Phoenix night, eighteen-year-old Jonah King stood at the curb trying to catch drivers' eyes as they stopped for the light.

Private investigator Lena Jones is running a surveillance job in an industrial section of Scottsdale when she hears suspicious noises outside the compound. Checking to see what's going on, Jones not only finds a body dump, but she knows the victim-- a member of Second Zion, a polygamy cult based in northern Arizona. With the help of a former "sister wife" Lena searches for the killer and learns what happens to all the unwanted male children of polygamy.

This is the second Lena Jones mystery to be centered around the topic of polygamy, with Desert Wives being the first. It is obvious that Webb feels very deeply about the subject as she skillfully weaves the sickening facts about the practice throughout the story.

Just as interesting as the plot line involving polygamy is the plot line which has Lena's favorite foster parent coming for a visit. Lena's traumatic childhood plays a large role in each book. She's a complicated woman that I've come to care a great deal about, and although you can read Desert Lost without becoming confused, I would recommend that you read the books in this series in order as Lena learns to come to grips with past tragedies.

If you're in the mood for well-plotted mysteries that keep you guessing, that give you a true picture of present-day Phoenix and Scottsdale, and that give you complex characters that you can sink your teeth into, I welcome you to the world of Lena Jones. ( )

I really liked this book. I found the subject matter fascinating. I didn't like all the loose ends that the reader is left to ponder over. Who dumped Madeline in the desert and why didn't they get their just dues in the end? Who kept warning Lena and why wasn't that wrapped up in the end. Maybe another book? I'd like that. Being from Arizona, I loved the setting and I want to try Vegan restaurant in Scottsdale. ( )