J. A. Jance | |
|---|---|
 Jance with her bookClawback, February 2021 | |
| Born | (1944-10-27)October 27, 1944 (age 81) Watertown, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author |
| Alma mater | University of Arizona |
| Genre | Mystery fiction |
Judith Ann (J. A.) Jance (born October 27, 1944) is an American author ofmystery novels. She writes three series of novels, centering on retiredSeattle Police Department Detective J. P. Beaumont,Arizona County SheriffJoanna Brady, and former Los Angeles news anchor turned mystery solver Ali Reynolds. The Beaumont and Brady series intersect in the novelPartner in Crime, which is both the 16th Beaumount mystery and the 10th Brady mystery.[1] They intersect again inFire and Ice.
Jance was born inWatertown, South Dakota,[2] and raised inBisbee, Arizona (the setting for her Joanna Brady series of novels). Before becoming an author, she worked as a school librarian on a Native American reservation (Tohono O'Odham), and as a teacher and insurance agent.
Jance attendedUniversity of Arizona, graduating with a bachelor's degree in education in 1966, then a master's in library science in 1970. In 2000, University of Arizona awarded Jance an honorary doctorate.[3]
In July 2018,The Strand Magazine gave Jance its Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize her contributions to the field ofcrime fiction.[4]
She lives part of the year in Arizona and part of the year in Seattle.[5] Jance uses her initials for herpen name because a publisher told her that disclosing her gender would be a liability for a book about a male detective. At signings, Jance asks bookstores to donate a percentage of their earnings from her appearances to various causes. Over the past 10 years, she has raised more than $250,000 for charity. She supports the Trump regime.
