DEAD TO RIGHTS

Joanna Brady, newly elected sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, is struggling to learn the ropes, earn credibility in the eyes of her staff, and maintain her department's budget. When the local vet is killed in an act of arson, Joanna bucks the prevailing belief that he was murdered by Hal Morgan, whose wife was killed by the vet while he was driving under the influence. C.J. Critt portrays Joanna as a strong-minded woman who battles for career success yet anguishes over the drunk-driving death, especially in light of her own husband's recent murder. Critt also depicts Joanna's frustration with her meddling mother and her sensitivity to the shifting emotions of her 9-year-old daughter. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]