This is 15th book in the 'Ali Reynolds' series. I have read most of the series and highly recommend the series. This book can be read as a stand alone.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinion is my own.

Credible Threat is a non stop thriller that will keep you turning pages. Our favorite Ali has her hands full with threats against a priest, a dead son and the fury of a grieving Mother. It was quite a exciting read and I enjoyed it to conclusion.

Ali Reynolds and her husband B Simpson are having a Halloween party for their employees at their business High Noon Enterprises, a successful cyber security firm in Phoenix, Arizona. During the party a Archbishop shows up with the news he has received threats from a grieving Mother who believes he is responsible for her son's death. The son was molested as a child by a priest and had problems recovering until he finally died by suicide recently. Ali and B immediately start an investigation that goes deep in church history as they struggle to find the Mother before she does away with the Archbishop. She is hell bent on revenge and Ali and B try desperately to get to her before another death occurs. This is masterful thriller writing and a exciting read to conclusion. I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy this series and thriller reading.

3.5 stars

In this 15th book in the 'Ali Reynolds' series, the security expert protects a Catholic Archbishop whose life has been threatened. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

Ali Reynolds and her husband B Simpson run High Noon Enterprises, a highly respected cybersecurity firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. During a Halloween party for High Noon employees - where Ali looks great as Wonder Woman - Ali and B get a surprise visit from their acquaintance Archbishop Francis Gillespie.

Archbishop Gillespie, who heads the Phoenix Diocese of the Catholic Church, reports that he's been getting death threats. The police don't take the threats seriously, but the Archbishop does, and he's worried about the writer's immortal soul. Ali and B sign on to help, planning to identify the sender and protect the Archbishop.

As Ali and B start to organize the Archbishop's security, B is summoned to Europe by an important client. This isn't a problem since Ali and other High Noon personnel are very clever and capable.

Though Ali doesn't know it, the threats are being sent by a woman called Rachel Higgins (not a spoiler). Rachel's 25-year-old son David died from a drug overdose, a tragedy that shattered Rachel's life and marriage. Rachel recently learned that David was sexually abused in high school, by a pedophile priest named Father Needham. The priest, who abused many boys, was since prosecuted and sent to prison, where he died from AIDS.

When Rachel realizes her son got AIDS from Father Needham, and may have overdosed on purpose, her fury is off the charts. Rachel wants revenge, and since Father Needham is dead, she vows to kill Archbishop Gillespie....even though the Archbishop has zero tolerance for pedophile clergy and has removed several from his diocese.

The story is told from the viewpoints of Ali and Rachel, pinging back and forth between the two women. Rachel carefully plans her assassination of the Archbishop, and even sets up a fall guy to take the blame.

For her part, Ali plans to protect the Archbishop, and assembles a cadre of priests and nuns (who could double as Army Special Forces) to help. Some of Ali's best assets are her colleague Stu and his Artificial Intelligence (AI) Frigg. AI Frigg, who was originally created by criminals, has a felonious brain and the ability to hack into anything. Frigg illegally accesses police files, phone records, credit card records, etc....and provides very useful information.

I don't want to give away too much but the story includes a shooting and an arrest, which gets Ali Reynolds talking to a Phoenix police detective. All this heightens the suspense and moves the story forward. The novel isn't exactly preachy, but - since one of the main characters is an Archbishop - does include Catholic rituals, prayers, and chitchat about immortal souls (in case you need to know).

I enjoyed the book but felt the story faltered towards the end, which I expected to turn out differently. On the upside, I love Frigg, who's one of the best detectives around.

On a serious note, the book highlights the damage done by abusive priests and strikes a laudatory note for high-ranking clergy like (fictional) Archbishop Gillespie, who root then out. 👍

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (J.A. Jance) and the publisher (Gallery Books) for a copy of the book.

Credible Threat is the 15th book in the Ali Reynolds mystery series. This time, Ali and her husband, B, are responding to a request from an old friend, Archbishop Gillespie. After receiving a number of threats, he asks them to investigate. Then, when B is unexpectedly called away on business, Ali is left to lead the investigation. As the threat becomes more dire, it’s a race against the clock to stop the perpetrator.

J.A. Jance has developed a winning series. Over the years I have enjoyed these books and how her characters have developed. In Credible Threat the plot is well-conceived and the story moves at a good pace, although the ending feels a bit abrupt. However, the references to previous characters and cases were a bit disruptive and didn’t add to the story very much.

Ali is bigger than life as she races to protect the Archbishop. She is in her early sixties, and she’s stubborn and somewhat impetuous. She’s very nearly a wonder woman, too, since she’s worked as an award- winning journalist, had a brief stint as a police officer, and is now in charge of finances for a large and profitable multi-national security firm that she and her husband own. Plus, she’s a mother and grandmother as well. This type of resume is fairly unrealistic. And, when Ali complains about her husband’s business calls in the middle of the night or the fact that he doesn’t instantly respond to her texts she appears petty and selfish. These are some of the things that made me like Ali a bit less this time around.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Hence is a fabulous writer and I've enjoyed many of her books but this book lacked something. I just can't put my finger on what it is. I felt like there were many areas with frivolous wording which may have contributed to my feeling of lacking. I did enjoy it but wished I had enjoyed it more. 📚

A woman discovers that her son, who died of an overdose, was likely molested by a priest and plots her revenge against the church. The former priest is dead, but the Archbishop is a good substitute for her rage and grief. Archbishop Francis Gillespie has received threatening messages and knows that someone wants him dead. He approaches his good friend Ali and her husband B, of High Noon Cybersecurity, to find out who wants him dead…not to save himself, but to save the soul of his prospective killer. It is hard to summarize a J.A. Jance book without wanting to relate the entire story as her writing is so rich with local history (especially living in Arizona and reading one of her Ali Reynolds or Joanna Brady mysteries). Her stories are always unique and complex, but she tells the story in such a way that you are following right along with her while waiting for the final clues to drop. Can Ali find the killer before another life is lost? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

“Credible Threat” is the fifteenth book in Jance’s Ali Reynolds series, but it reads like a standalone. I’ve read many of the prior books in the series, but it’s not necessary to read any of the others to become completely engrossed in this well-written novel. In this book, the perpetrator is known as well as the motive. The mystery is in whether or not that person can be stopped before there is another victim.

I like Ali as a main character. She is smart, independent and proves she can solve a case even with her husband out of town on other business related to their cyber-security firm. Their employees Cami and Stu help on the quest to prevent an assassination attempt on the Archbishop of Phoenix, but Ali takes center stage in this installment. I enjoy the Arizona setting of this book and was able to recognize many of the references to places in the Phoenix area.

Time starts running out for Ali and her team and the suspense builds throughout the book. There is a dramatic showdown at the end of the book with a result I didn’t anticipate. I enjoyed this atypical mystery by Jance and would rate it 4.5 stars. I will continue to follow this interesting series and look forward to the next installment.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Gallery Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Ali has been down in the dumps since a friend died. Somehow, she becomes involved in throwing a large pre-Halloween party. When she answers the door, she’s shocked to find the archbishop at the door. B and Ali meet with the archbishop the next day and find he’s had death threats. Before they begin the search for the stalker, B gets a call from one of their larger clients in Germany. So B’s off to Germany and Ali is trying to discover the stalker on her own.

I love J Jance books and when the Ali Walker books came out I wasn’t sure if I would like them. The answer is that I love them. I love the quirky characters and the normal ones. The stories are always solid mysteries.

This most recent installment of the Ali Reynolds mystery series Is a credit to the author’s ingenuity and talent. The story is very thought provoking and deals with a very delicate subject in a no nonsense manner. I have read several in the series and this one is my favorite thus far. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes modern day mysteries. You don’t have to be a fan of the series to really enjoy this book it stands on its own.

This author is on my automatic buy list and I have never been disappointed. This book was a difficult read for me not because of plot nor character development or anything involving the author's skills. It is was the underlying premise which had me taking deep breaths while slowly turning the pages. This book touched a little to close to home as it deals with the Catholic church's pedophile scandal and one person's attempt for revenge. I still recommend this book as the story is well written with some surprises along the way.

I was disappointed in this latest entry in Jance's series. Thanks to a clue fairly early in the book, I figured out what would be critical to solving the crime. Readers are never in doubt about who committed the crimes and why, but Ali and the Phoenix Police had a lot to sort out. This book is all about plot. Even though I have read many but not all of the books in the series, the characters seemed unreal, and with the possible exception of the killer, none of them was probed deeply by the author. Jance has been a reliable author, but this time she has fallen a bit short.

So happy to be reading a new J.A. Jance novel once again. This one featuring an old favorite character, Ali Reynolds and her team at High Noon Enterprise, a cybersecurity company in Phoenix with a cast of supporting characters.

Ali’s husband “B” is out of the country on a customer emergency so she is on her own with this case, with only Sister Anselm at her side and a detective Ali has befriended. Someone is threatening the life of Archbishop Francis Gillespie, leaving ominous notes in the collection boxes at church on Sundays all over the Phoenix area. The police don’t believe it is a “credible threat” but Ali knows there is more to these threats than meets the eye, and she’s on it, at the request from her friend the Archbishop. We are delighted to be again in Sister Anselm’s company, a gutsy little nun who’s not afraid of packin’ when necessary and will go to any lengths to protect her own. She’s one of my favorite characters of this series. Archbishop Gillespie is also a great character with a loving and forgiving heart.

A myriad of emotions are covered adequately in this installment. A mothers loss, rage, and frustration. Other characters experience fear, and question faith in justice. But the power of forgiveness is what brings this one full circle, well crafted by author Jance.

Having lived in AZ for several years I am familiar with the locales mentioned here as well as the characters. This always makes the reading fun if you can visualize where it is taking place.

This is the 15th Ali Reynolds mystery novel, all of them involve crime solving, and are well written, fun and engaging novels. Each can be read as a stand alone. Loved it. Get your copy June 2, 2020

My thanks to the following for the e-ARC
#netgalley #jajance #crediblethreat #gallerybooks

I am a huge fan of the Ali Reynolds series and this is another great book in the series! I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and read it in less than a day. Parts of it were tough to read (TW: mentions of sexual abuse in the Catholic church and suicide). But I think Jance handled the subject matter really well. I am crossing my fingers that there is another Ali Reynolds book!!

Credible Threat by J.A. Jance is the latest Ali Reynolds thriller. This is one of the very best in the Ali Reynolds and High Noon's cases to solve. Credible Threat is packed with emotion and suspense as Ali and part of the team work against the clock to protect Archbishop Gillespie of the Phoenix Archdiocese from a plot of revenge.
Rachel Higgins is a mother who has let grief push her beyond the limits of reason. Rachel was given a box with the last possessions her son owned before his death due to a drug overdose. Inside she sees clues which lead her to understand why David turned to drugs and was lost to her. She vows to murder Father Gillespie because he was responsible for the priests, specifically Father Needham when her son David was a member of the swim team. Coach Needham was sent to prison for sexual abuse and molesting many of the boys and he later died of AIDS. Rachel remembers the autopsy report which stated her son was positive for the AIDS virus. She is more than heartbroken, she is set on vengeance.
If there had been more of a connection between the Higgins and the Bendixen's I think the discovery of Rich's body would have been more believable. I thought the scene was too quickly contrived.
I loved the sentiments of Father Frances Gillespie before the funeral of Father Andrew. The scene was so sincere. The way the attempted murder was resolved was perfect for inside a house of worship, No one wants to read of a shooting or a murder in a church.
Very well done, J. A. Jance!
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

There is no mystery of who done it. The story has two points of view - the woman who plans a murder and Ali as she tries to find and stop her.. A interesting story line. It has the tension even as it does not have the mystery. It was fund to see Ali again. Hope to see more of B soon. Once again he was off on business.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

It took me awhile to get into this book. Once I did I couldn’t put it down. This is a story about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the repercussions for the victims and their families. An Arch Bishop has been targeted for his role in the abuse at a local school. The Arch Bishop was instrumental in revealing priests who had been abusing children for years. Unfortunately for him that doesn’t matter. He is the center of the anger felt by the individual determined to exact revenge. This book is part of a series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I really enjoyed this latest episode of J.A. Jance's Ali Reynolds, but I don't know precisely why. I think because it takes me back to the 60s, following the live.s of William Kienzle's Fr. Koesler (The Rosary Murders) or Harry Kemelman's Rabbi Small (The Rabbi Slept Late). Not so much a mystery as it is simply a good old-fashioned yarn. Recommended, especially for Jance fans.

J.A. Janice fans won't be disappointed with this newest Ali Reynolds novel. I had an instant and strong dislike of one of this book's (new) characters and after read only only about 35%, I knew why my intuition bells were clanging so loud. Without giving anything away, there are death threats, brilliant artificial intelligence deductions, cyber threats, pain in the rear customers, and High Noon sleuthing that again outpaced the Phoenix city police investigations.

All of my favorite characters come together in their individual my talented way to solve confusing crimes. I've been reading this series so long I thought Ali was around 30 or 40 not 60. I forgot that as I aged so did she☺. Each character has evolved as they should in a series
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Of the JA Jance series, the Ali Reynolds one is my favorite. The series has evolved from Ali as an “aged-out” California newscaster and widow to Ali who, with her husband B. Simpson, runs High Noon Enterprises-a cybersecurity firm. The situations in which she has found herself are diverse, always interesting, and well researched. In Credible Threat Ali and B. are approached by their friend Archbishop Gillespie of the Phoenix Archdiocese to look into threats against the Archbishop. The threats center around the pedophile scandal within the Catholic Church. Despite the Archbishop’s hard stand and immediate prosecution of the priest criminals, a deranged family member blames and threatens the Archbishop. Ms. Jance handles the subject matter well. As always, Ali and B. along with the supporting characters are like keeping in touch with old friends. While I read this book as part of a series, I think the reader would like the book as a stand-alone. There is enough “back story” to give the new reader context. I really liked the book and hope you will too.

JA Jance is hugely popular with the patrons in our library and I always buy multiple copies to satisfy holds.. It’s easy to see why as her stories sweep you in from the first page, I really enjoy the Ali Reynolds series, and this one is terrific. Told from multiple viewpoints Ali is asked to help a priest accused of sexually abusing one of his students. Well written for a difficult subject matter. I know this will be another bestseller hit.