J.S. James Books In Order

Publication Order of Delia Chavez Mystery Books

J S James

J S James is a mystery author best known for his River Run book. This paperback has created quite a stir in the thriller category, and it was a runner-up in the Crime Writer’s Association Dagger contest. As a debut novel, the quality is exemplary, and it is easy to see James’s storytelling skill throughout the pages. James has taken his time to come up with a solid plot and lead characters that are easy to love. Away from writing, James enjoys hanging out with his family and dogs.

River Run

River Run is the first book in the A Delia Chavez Mystery series. The story introduces Delia Chavez, an ambitious woman who has just been promoted to be the deputy sheriff. Law enforcement is all Delia has since she doesn’t have much of a family to speak of. This is not to say that Delia’s life is boring, far from it. She puts her mind and body into her job., Delia is headed for greatness. She also has a lot going on in her personal life. Aside from doing everything possible to put bad guys behind bars, Delia also has to deal with a sheriff who will do everything in his power to end her career.

Delia still has to work with Deputy Craig Castner, a man she thinks is as dumb as a post. It does not help that Castner still acts like he is Delia’s boss, even with her recent promotion. Delia’s real boss Sheriff Gus Grice is also piling all his reelection frustrations on her, which means that her days at the office are anything but rosy. Delia doesn’t take all these lying down. She is one woman who is not afraid to assert herself. However, her short-fuse temper keeps on landing her in trouble. Her dealings with criminal elements have also put Dalia on the administration radar. Currently, there are a few ongoing investigations on Dalia.

A few days in her job as the deputy sheriff, Delia discovers a body. The hunter’s body has been swept to the Willamette River banks. While it is easy to dismiss this as accidental death, the law enforcement officers are quick to note that the dead hunter came without his trigger finger. Soon enough, more bodies are going to show up, and the odd thing is that they all come without the trigger finger. It is clear from the word go the deaths are not accidental. Who could be killing the hunters and cutting off their trigger fingers?

Delia launches an investigation in a bid to find out who could be killing the hunters. The deputy sheriff knows all too well that this is the waterfowl season, and during this time, clashes between animal rights activists and hunters are frequent. Is it possible that someone could be sending a message to other hunters through the murders? Are the animal rights activities involved in any way? This thought seems far-fetched at first, but it is the only way to explain the deaths.

Dela puts all her effort into finding the truth, and what she uncovers stinks to the high heavens. The case that seemed easy and straightforward is beginning to turn complex. Delia discovers that evasive killers are involved, and catching them is not going to be easy since they are very good at covering their tracks. Delia knows her life is in danger. While dealing with such killers, she knows that she will soon become prey as the killers will do anything to ensure that they are not brought to book.

This is an explosive mystery story featuring a bold and smart female lead character with a feisty attitude to boot. Fall in love with Dalia as you get to know about her daily activities as a deputy sheriff and the effort that she dedicates to her work. You will also get to see her feminine side as Delia crushes on Jerzy Matusik, the boat’s captain; she spends considerable time with when conducting her investigations. There are also other interesting characters to meet as the investigation intensifies. The story is well written, and the author has done his homework as far as the detective work and details are concerned.

One Response to “J.S. James”

1. Bob Chartrand: 2 months ago

   Great book. I couldn’t put it down till finished.
   When is the next book out?

   Reply