Exit Wounds by J.A. Jance (2004, Paperback, Reprint)

This Jance book is a few years old, but worth the read if you like her Sheriff Joanna Brady mysteries. Joanna is keeping very busy with several cases.... the murder of a lonely woman who died surrounded by 17 of her dogs, a car filled with illegal aliens that was in a bad car crash, the deaths of two reporters, a report of a Mexican bigamist cult, and sadly, the case of a family with incest. If you have read any of Joanna Brady mysteries in the past, you will know she tends to be a workaholic and takes calls at all hours of the day and night. There is a very carefully developed plot and the story line runs smoothly, even with the many case loads. Sheriff Brady is a competent woman who knows how to get a job done and stays on the case until it is finished. Sort of a Bionic Woman.
Ms. Jance made the woman with her dogs the main concern in this book. I believe she was making a statement about mental illness which makes a person "hoard"....whether it is items or animals. She also informs the reader how many animals are put to death each week due to ignorance on our part.....we need to neuter or spade our pets. The stories are set in southwest Arizona and the descriptions are always marvelous.