The third mystery in the Jo Spence series begins with parole supervisor Spence dreaming about riding her beloved motorcycle along the shore of Lake Superior. The dream turns into a nightmare, foreshadowing events in her real life. A case involving a boy with good instincts but a messed up home life, a stalker who becomes bolder and more aggressive by the week, and mounting pressure from the people in her life to give up her dangerous career combine to keep Jo on edge and on the run.
When the people she loves are threatened, Spence takes matters into her own hands. It’s a rough ride for Spence with trouble on every side, forcing her to stand her ground with those she cares about and against those who would rather see her dead.
This is an action-oriented mystery with strong, well-drawn characters, both gay and straight, male as well as female. It stands on its own as a novel, with no need for the reader to read the previous books in the series. The action escalates a bit beyond the limits of credibility, but overall a good light beach read.
Dead Ahead is recommended for mystery collections.
Reviewer: Sarah Corvene
Baker Library, Harvard Business School