Cremation of my Grandfather

At 630pm, we proceed to Mandai Crematorium. The time is actually very late because its all fully booked the whole day and 730pm is the earliest slot when we called up on Sunday.
Gee. How come so many people died recently?

Cremation is the process by which the Deceased’s body is exposed to extreme heat (1800 to 2000 degree Fahrenheit) for 2 hours. Through this process, the body is reduced to bone fragment (or ashes), to be collected by family members for its final resting place.

I had been to Vernon Crematorium several years ago (1994 and 2002) where I get to see how my paternal grandparents get pushed into the fire. It was terrible, seeing your loved ones going into the fire. Whom you used to smile and chat with, were no longer with us. The physical person who used to so near, suddenly seems so far away and then being reduced to bones and ashes. That indescribable feeling is just so painful that thinking of it everytime made me cry.
And today, I experienced it again. But its at Mandai Crematorium where its more clean-cut as its using a more advanced technology. The place where I am standing, does not have a clear view as the process was done at a small corner. I do not get to see any fire, only the coffin being carried up mechanically and then get pushed into another deeper area where I supposed is the fire area.
Although not seeing the fire made it less painful for the loved ones but just thinking about it hurts so much. I feel so painful for my small sized grandfather.

Dear Grandfather,
I hope you are relieved of the pain and suffering and will stay happy in your new place. Please watch over grandmother and make her better.

I just saw him on 19th December and 1 week later, he was gone. He has been asking my aunties and uncles to cut his hair but no one know how to cut. Wanted to bring him to the barber but he refused. And finally, my auntie promised him that they will cut his hair for him on the 26th December but then they never get the chance anymore. Its something that they will regret most. For not doing it earlier.
They were choosing his photos, to get the best one and realized that we have taken such few photos with him. The last one was dated 2007. When I see the rosy and pink glow on my grandfather in 2007 and how happy he was, taking a group photo with us, the tears just flowed down. I got reminded that he's no longer with us. My grandfather was no longer with us. He's gone. Forever gone. It hurt so much. It really hurt so much. I know I must be happy for him that he has gone to a better place but it still hurts. I just cannot stop crying.

The Demise Of My Grandfather

This morning, my mum called me to inform me that my grandfather has passed away in his sleep at 630am. It was such a shocking piece of news. Since my last post , my grandfather have been getting really frail and weak. It was heartwrenching to see him being reduced to just bones and skin.
I visited him on last Sunday and to think that, that was my last time seeing him alive. He was just lying in his bed the whole day. Not eating well and not feeling well.
Before his death, he fell down and lost alot of blood on his head. But the doctor told us, he died due to cancer. I wondered if doctors do analyze the cause of death before coming to any conclusion. How can a doctor publish a verdict by just checking on him in his room for a short while?
His lung cancer have been in remission for the past few years and he's not even a smoker.

The make-up that he had, made him into a different person, almost like he's not our grandfather anymore. The thick gunk and the white face. The hollow cheeks and the sharp nose.
Just looking at his face in the coffin had me sobbing like crazy.
It seems such an ironical weekend, with celebrations on Xmas day with my parents in the afternoon and friends in the evening and then mourning for my grandfather the next day.
Its going to be a sad Xmas from next year onwards as we get reminded of his death anniversary.
Looking at the brighter side of things, at least, its a break from his misery.
I wish that He has brought him to a happier and comfortable place. I wish him well and hope that he will be happy wherever he is.
Thank you for being my grandfather. I love you.
Its something that the reserved Asians never say to our loved ones.

Looking at him during the wake, its such a far cry from the healthier him during CNY this year. Playing poker cards with us, losing money and lamenting about it. Within a year, he had fallen sick, in and out of hospitals and now he's no longer with us.
We will forever keep you in our hearts, grandpa.

Chocolate Crunch - Matcha Chocolate

I purchased a box of  Chocolate Crunch - Matcha Chocolate from Narita Airport.

Its mixed crushed "Yatsuhashi" with smooth chocolate which contains lots of green tea powder,
Small bite-sized which is just not enough to satisfy my matcha craving.  12 pieces in a box

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Matcha Tea from Taipei

I picked this up from a supermarket in Taipei when I was there for a business trip in July. It look so adoringly cute that I could not resist buying it. 12 sachets in 1 packet.

However, its quite poorly made.

The colour is such an unattractive pale green. It does not have a lingering matcha taste, instead, it left an almost too sweet after-taste on my tongue. Yucks.

Iced Green Tea

Containing 5 in a pack, I picked up this from a supermarket in Japan. Its a very ordinary Japanese green tea, which can be made cold or hot. The colour is a lovely green which reminds one of Matcha Latte.

Matcha Pudding from Kyoto

Here's how it look like when I first bought it from a shop in Kyoto.

After removing the first packaging, it looks almost the same, but in a lighter colour version.

Containing the spoons and syrup sachets pack.

The matcha colour does not look that appealing and the taste was slightly bland.....until....

Pour in the syrup and it taste much nicer. Almost like soya beancurd. Texture is not as smooth as beancurd but like tofu. Matcha taste was not that strong but its still a nice and sin-less dessert to enjoy.

Green Tea Cookie

Directly from Japan, doesn't the packaging look so presentable as a gift to someone? But I was disappointed with the cookie itself. It does not look that appealing and it looks dry and hard.
In fact, the taste felt so much like Danish cookies, in those round boxes with sugar coating on top of each cookie.
This green tea cookie tasted so much like that. Crunchy and dry, what a cookie should be. The green tea taste is not very strong, in fact, you would have missed it, if you do not take notice.
Not something I would get it again.

Langue De Chat ( Uji Matcha )

Lovely and yummy with matcha cream inbetween the matcha biscuits. Not sweet but with a slight bitter after taste instead. Only 10pieces in a box only.
Get it from Japan....or on Amazon.


Shop Langue De Chat ( Uji Matcha )

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Stick Club Matcha Latte

Bought this in a convenience store in Tokyo. 2 long sachets in packet and I bought 2 packets.  

Alright, I admit that I was quite disappointed with it. Abit diluted with slight bitter taste. Taste the same in both warm and iced. Just not to my liking.

Colour looks good though. Warm or cold ( depending on your choice), dark green and thick like frothy latte Nice to look at, but not nice to drink.  

Sakura Matcha Kit Kat

Picked this up from Narita Airport, not cheap though I cannot remembered the prices now.
Its supposed to be a mixture of the sakura flavour and matcha flavour and on the list, its listed as 5% matcha powder so essentially, I didn't have high expectation of the matcha flavour.
Its sweet and cloying and taste more of white chocolate than anything else. There is still a hint of matcha but none of sakura flavour. Perhaps I missed it along the way.
I do give the thumbs up for this wafer because its really awesome, but perhaps a tad too sweet for some people.

Shizuoka Matcha Cheese Cream Cake

Fell in love with this box when my eyes first laid on it. Matcha and cheese are my weaknesses, so there is no way that I can reject it, when I saw it in Japan. I cannot really remembered if I bought it in Osaka or Tokyo but its an absolute love.

Moist and fluffy, it tastes really wonderful. The matcha taste blends well with the cheese, without overpowering it. Simply yummy!

How Do Your Grandparents Spend Their Days?

Just can't help feeling sad. I visited my maternal grandfather this evening. He has been in the Wellness Ward for the past 15days and this is my first time visiting him, after I came back from Japan.
In my mind, I thought it was a ward with volunteers, social workers and nurses creating activities for the elderly to keep them entertained and busy. I don't know what I was thinking but I thought Wellness Ward should be something like this, isn't it?
Its for keeping the patients occupied in order to prevent them from thinking about other things. Isn't that what its supposed to be?

My grandfather has suicidal tendencies. He woke up each day to find himself wondering what to do that day. He has no interest in anything. He does not want to live any more. He found life to be meaningless. I do not know how I can help him. He does not know that he have been staying in the ward for the past 2 weeks. He just spent each day lying in bed in the ward. I just feel so helpless, so sad. I do not know how I can help him to overcome his suicidal tendencies.Can someone please tell me what to do, before its too late? I am so scared. I have lost my paternal grandparents because they suffered strokes.
My maternal grandmother is in a wheelchair, currently being taken care by a newly employed maid who does not seem to know anything. During the interview, she claimed to know everything. After the interview, my relatives realized she doesn't know how to cook, doesn't know how to help my grandmother, doesn't know this and that.

I do not want to lose my maternal grandfather. Can someone teach me what to do? I am so helpless and just cannot stop crying when I see my lone and frail grandfather lying in bed each day. He is always saying that he is hurting here and there. He has difficulty in breathing. He does not want to watch TV or read newspapers. He cannot walk or stand for long. The only interest he has, is to play chess but nobody in the family has that interest.
Is there a chess club for the elderly? At least I think its a good activity to keep him alert and occupied.

Nestle Matcha Kit Kat

Wafer sticks covered in creamy matcha. Its more milk ( perhaps due to the white chocolate) than matcha flavour and sweeter than preferred. But I still quite like it.
Wafers are crispy, just like a normal Kit Kat does. I cannot remember where I bought it from, but its also available in Narita Airport.

Matcha Wafers

This packet costs around 350yen in Narita Airport. Since I am a big matcha lover, I could not resist getting this back to Singapore. However, it did not really taste as good as I thought.
Its like a matcha biscuit wafer with cream in it. Slightly sweeter than I preferred. Not something I would repurchase.

Naomi Kitchen Matcha Fruit Roll

Made of green tea sponge, fresh cream, japanese azuki red bean, this swiss roll was pretty soft and moist. The azuki red beans were more like paste enveloped in the swiss roll instead of small beans like most other concoctions which blends in well with the matcha flavour.
I usually avoid anything with azuki beans as I do not like the taste but surprisingly, this swiss roll was pretty good, even though it contains azuki beans in it.

Do check it out here if you are interested.

Maccha Chocolate Daifuku

Bought this for between $12 to $14 recently.
Hubby loves this alot. Its rare for him to like any green-tea flavoured snacks.

Coated with white icing sugar on top, its shaped and looked like mochi but contains creamy white chocolate in it which oozes out once you took a tender bite on it.
On first taste, the white chocolate tastes like milk, sweet and fragrant
Even though its nice but I found it to be too sweet and sinful. LOL.

Jco Green Tea Freeze

I found this expensive at $6 for a drink at JCO but I just could not resist buying one to try it out.
It left a powdery green tea taste on my buds. Lots of blended ice twirling in it. Its nice but definitely not worth the $6. Too much ice for $6.
I opted the one without whipped cream so perhaps with the whipped cream, it would be even nicer, who knows?
I am saving my $6 for other matcha drinks.

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

(source) Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they’d spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his best friend Spencer Hill, they can’t help but worry. Within days of installing a sophisticated spy program on Adam’s computer they are jolted by a cryptic message from an unknown correspondent that shakes them to their core: “Just stay quiet and all safe.”

As if Mike Baye isn’t dealing with enough, he also learns that Lucas Loriman, the sweet kid who grew up next door, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant. As the boy’s doctor, Mike suddenly finds himself in possession of an explosive secret that threatens to rip the Loriman family apart at the seams.

Nearby, while browsing through an online memorial for Spencer, Betsy Hill discovers a surprising detail about the night of her son’s death. Before she can find out more, Adam disappears, taking the truth with him and sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.

As the lives of these families collide in tragic, unexpected, and violent ways, long-hidden connections in their small suburb begin to work their way to the surface. And when an unidentified Jane Doe is beaten to death not far away, those connections threaten to turn this quiet community upside down—and force these desperate parents to decide whether there is any line they won’t cross to protect those they love most in the world.

I am glad that I was persistent enough to continue reading Harlan Coben books because the last few books featuring Myron Bolitar was too unrealistic for me to really like it. In my personal opinion, Myron is always portrayed as a smart-aleck which I did not really like.

Even though there were some instances in this book which is similar to some of the characters featured in Myron Bolitar range but somehow, I like this book enough to continue to support him.

This book touches alot on parents and children and how they think, believe and behave. If you are a parent, this will touch a chord in you.

Check out  Hold Tight by Harlan Coben paperback or kindle version from Amazon

Ip Man 2

Before Ip Man 1, I never really know much about Donnie Yen. Ip Man 1 caught me off-guard and I was simply awestruck with the show and especially with Donnie Yen.

So when Ip Man 2 came along, of course, its a must-see show for me. Its entertaining, with some humour and lots of his signature "chops"
But I was expecting better storyline since Ip Man 1 was against Japanese and now Ip Man 2 is against British. How lame can it get?

Read the synopsis here

Iron Man 2

Summary
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances -- and confront powerful enemies.

Read the synopsis here
Main website

I found the show to be pretty entertaining with lots of action and special effects but I think if there was going to be part III, I will soon be bored. I still found part I to be much more refreshing.

The last part of the show where Ivan Vanko died is abit lame though.

Clash on the Titans

Synopsis
In “Clash of the Titans,” the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

Caught this shoow sometime back at Tiong Bahru GV theatre, I was surprised that I managed to get the tickets for the 3pm show at 1pm. I would have thought it should have been sold out by then. Nevertheless, the theatre was full.

After all the hype surrounding the show, I have great expectations of it. But it was not as impressive as I thought it to be. Storyline is blah and abit silly, Sam does not act well, the ending does not feel like an ending, abit too short and abrupt for my standard

Source : Movieweb

AGF Maxim Cafe Menu Matcha Latte

Description
We developed new method of manufacture that rich froth is kept in powdered coffee. Pour hot water and creamy foams of fine bubbles, will be formed. Enjoy the mellowness of milk and deep and rich taste of Uji powdered tea as much as you want.

Bought it at $4.50 at Yamakawa Super for just 4 sticks in the box, I thought it was pretty expensive but then again, I never say no to Green Tea. LOL

This instant matcha latte is as what the picture implies, a frothy matcha latte - green tea mixed with lots of milk. The powder fizzes and crackles noisily once I pour hot water into the mug. After a while, the powder disappears and a sweet tasty drink takes over its place.

If you are a green tea fan like me, I would recommend you to try this. Its really nice.
BTW, its only $2.48 at Rakuten

Ingredients :
Sugar, Vegetable Fat, Corn Syrup, Matcha, Dextrin, Skim Milk Powder, Whey Powder, Milk Protein, Starch, Ph Control Chemical, Emulsifier, Silicon Dioxide, Flavour

Source : AGF , Kenko

Tea Breaks

I love drinking tea and relaxing in a cafe so here are some cafes as round up by The Sunday Times

Arteastiq
Where : 333A Orchard Road Mandarin Gallery #04-14/15 (in Marxx furniture store)
Open : 1 to 9pm weekdays, 11am to 10pm weekends
What : Fruit teas, alcohol teas, tea-flavoured gelato
Price : Tea sets cost $11 each, alcoholic teas cost $14

Emperor Love
Where : Esplanade Mall #02-06
Open : Noon to 9pm Sundays to Thursday, Noon to 10pm Fridays and Saturdays
What : Retail tea shop with 13 varieties of tea and 16 unique blends. Scones and desserts also available.
Price : From $8 per pot of tea

Tea Bone Zen Mind
Where : 38A Seah Street
Open : 11am to 7pm Mondays to Saturdays
What : 72 tea varieties and light bites
Price : From $10 for a serving of tea

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique
Where : 2 Orchard Turn, Ion Orchard #02-21 and Raffles Place, Republic Plaza #01-22
Open : Open daily in Ion Orchard and 8am to 8pm at Republic Plaza on weekdays
What : Home grown tea brand with 1000 blends and tea varieties
Price : A serving of tea costs $10.50

Tea Cosy
Where : 68 Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura #05-10
Open : 11am to 930pm Mondays to Thurs, 11am to 1030pm Fridays to Sundays
What : Black, green and non-caffeinated fruit tea
Price : From $3.50 for a cup of tea

Give a book, get a book at the Infinite Book Exchange

Date: Sat, 24 April 2010
Time: 8.30am to 6.00pm
Venue: The Plaza, National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street

1) Bring your used books* to any Public Library from 10 to 23 April, 11.00am to 9.00pm. On 4th April, used books are accepted only at the National Library Building.

2) Drop off your used books* an get book exchange coupons for one for one exchange.

3) Bring your coupon down to The Plaza, National Library Building, on 24 April to redeem for used books.

Frankie - Kevin Lewis

Synopsis

Homeless, streetwise and running away from a past she would rather forget, Francesca Mills is just another face on the streets of London. When a violent encounter leads to a man’s death, however, she is forced to leave the harsh world that has become her home and forge a new life elsewhere.

On the run, Frankie unknowingly stumbles across a dangerous secret, a secret so powerful that men will stop at nothing to protect it. She tries to build a new life, but you can only stay anonymous when no one wants to find you. Hunted by both the police and shadowy assailants with powerful connections, the odds are stacked against a woman who will do whatever it takes to protect herself – and those who mean most to her…

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Kevin Lewis do write fiction books because books I came across from him are usually about his abused childhood.

I read his " The Kid Moves On" sometime back in 2008 and it was quite a sad story.

Needless to say, I was expecting some abused story in this book as well, which came up as part of the story of the female lead, Francesca Mills. Its not much and just bits and pieces here and there to explain why Francesca ran away from home, simply because her step-dad abused her.

This is quite a nice book, nothing too heavy. Because of this book, I have decided to read more from this author. 

Get the book from here.

You Are Beautiful

I have been following this show recently and is simply hooked on it. Its abit like Coffee Prince where the female lead acts and dresses like a boy and infiltrate the group.
Hilarious and sweet.

At certain scenes, it vaguely reminded me of Boys Over Flowers where one guy is particular sweet to the female lead. In this story, its Shin Woo who reminded me of Ji Hoo in BOF. Always there for her.
Tae-kyung reminded of Jun-Pyo who has a bad temper and always walk around with a sulky face.

I was actually kinda disappointed when I saw the casts, they weren't good -looking enough. But I grow to love the show and their characters. Its just such a nice, romantic, sweet and hilarious show.

Need I say more? Quick, go watch it!

Here's where you can watch it online : youtube or mysoju
Here's the synopsis : dramabeans
The OST : Starones or Koreandramamv
Main website : SBS

14 Blades

Synopsis
During the late Ming Dynasty, the Chinese imperial court is plagued by corruption as eunuchs usurp state power and the reigning emperor is incompetent. The Jinyi Wei (literally: Brocade-clad Guards) is the government's secret police, trained in clandestine combat since childhood, they are in charge of conducting missions to ensure peace and stability within the empire. They have the authority to prosecute anyone deemed as an enemy of the state and they devote their lives and lethal prowess to serving the emperor only. When the organisation was first founded, the Jinyi Wei took orders directly from the emperor, but now they are under the control of the eunuch faction. The chief eunuch Jia Jingzhong is plotting with an exiled noble, Prince Qing, to rebel against the emperor and seize power. Jia orders Qinglong, the Jinyi Wei chief, to kill the Imperial Councilor Zhao Shenyan and take Zhao's safebox, which supposedly contains a list of names of traitors.


However, Qinglong discovers later that he had been used, as the safebox contains the Imperial Seal, a symbol of the emperor's authority, and Jia wants to use it to legitimize Prince Qing's actions for convenience when the rebellion begins. Qinglong is betrayed by his fellow guards and becomes a fugitive when Jia denounces him as a traitor and issues an order for his arrest. Qinglong escapes and joins the Justice Escort Agency, where he strikes up a romantic relationship with Qiao Hua, the daughter of the agency's leader. Qinglong is determined to fulfill his loyalty to the emperor and continues to search for evidence of Prince Qing's rebellion plot and undermining Qing's plans. He is joined by the Heaven Eagles Gang, a group of bandits led by the Judge of the Sands. Standing in Qinglong's way are Jia Jingzhong's lackeys and his former Jinyi Wei fellows, as well as Prince Qing's goddaughter Tuotuo, a highly-skilled female pugilist.

Actually I kinda enjoyed this show. Even though this show did not reflect Donnie Yen's skills much, unlike Ip Man, but his torso well made my day. He's so fit and muscular, it does not even reflect his true age at all.
But the title does not not really correlate to the show well, shouldnt there be more scenes reflecting on the true meaning of the 14 blades?
Too bad, I did not get to see much of Wu Chun's bod. Haha

A show definitely worth watching.

The Alibi - Sandra Brown

Assistant DA Hammond Cross has his sights set on the DA's office. Prosecuting a high-profile murder case practically ensures him the job. But a Saturday night encounter with a mysterious woman is the start of a living nightmare

I only started reading books by Sandra Brown late last year even though her books have been around for ages. This author was never in my list, for some unknown reason.
In fact, my mum was surprised to see me reading her books as she was an avid reader when she was young.

Well, I just have to recommend this book to you. Even though the whole book revolves around 1 story, but its a compelling read. It cleverly brings the reader back to the start of the story at the ending which most authors fail to do just that. It captured the essence of the main story.

I am starting to like her books and will continue to read her books.
If you are a book-lover into mysteries and murders, then don't miss this out.

All about Sandra Brown

You can purchase the The Alibi from Amazon.

Hachiko

Based on a real life story, this is an American adaptation of a Japanese tale about a loyal dog named Hachiko. This very special friend would accompany his master to the train station every day and return each afternoon to greet him after work. Sadly his master departs one day, passes away and never returns to the station. Hachiko faithfully returns to the same spot at the station the very next day, and every day for the next nine years to wait for his beloved master. During his daily visits, Hachiko touches the lives of many who work near and commute through the town square. He teaches the local people love, compassion and above all unyielding loyalty. Today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya station in Japan as a permanent reminder of his devotion and love.

A very touching, lovely and emotional story that moved me to tears even before the owner (Richard Gere) passed away in the story.
The most touching scene is when the wife came back to their old house during the tenth anniversay of the husband's death and saw the old and weak dog still waiting for his master at the station.

Read the true touching story here

Pokka Premium Milk Green Tea

You just gotta pick up this item from your nearest 7-11 convenience store. I am not kidding, it is That Nice.
I really like it very much, its matcha milk tea from Pokka.
100% real brewed - a blend of premium milk and green tea.
There is an on-going promotion where you can get both items at $2.50 instead of $1.95 per bottle.

Read more about the benefits of Green Tea from here.

Ingredients :
Water, freshly brewed green tea milk, sucrose, flavour, stablizers, ascorbic acid, permitted colourings

Greenmax Green Tea Au Lait

I was at Eastpoint Simei shopping mall the other day and this organic shop right in front of an escalator caught my attention. The display of a green tea package was what prompted me to step in.
Costing $10.80, I bought this 20 instant packets of Green Tea Au Lait  powder from the shop. Its looks so inviting and so delicious.
I thought this brand is available in NTUCs but I am not sure, I may have to check it out on my next trip to the NTUC.

I was quite disappointed with the powder sachet. It was not that bad but I guess I may have misunderstood what this drink is all about. I thought it was more like those frothy matcha latte but its not. Strangely enough, it reminded me of coffee with green tea dosage in it. Seems quite a weird taste to me.

The taste is starting to grow on me and I am starting to like it. Although its not what I thought it was, but its a nice tea to drink every morning after breakfast.

Ingredients :
Japanese Green Tea Powder, American Non-Diary Creamer, Australian Skim Milk Powder, Rock Sugar, Catechins EGCg.

Dead Wrong - J.A. Jance

Juggling a family and a career is never easy-and it's becoming a real challenge for Sheriff Joanna Brady. Coping with the impending delivery of her second child as well as a staff shortage, the last things Joanna needs are two serious crimes.

First, the body of an unidentified man is found in the desert, all of his fingers savagely severed. Following the scant clues, Joanna learns that the victim was an ex-con who had served twenty years in prison after confessing to the murder of his pregnant wife. During his last days he was seen following and photographing a young woman.

Then one of Joanna's officers is brutally attacked and left for dead while on an unau-thorized stakeout. Because the officer is one of its own, the department throws its resources into finding her attacker.

But the murder haunts Joanna. Being a sher-iff is no longer an empty position she wants to hold-somehow it has become what she is. Her job is to avenge man's inhumanity toward man, and finding out who the victim was and why he is dead is what she has been summoned to do with her life. Strapping on a bulletproof vest, she'll risk everything to see that justice is done.

He was a convicted murder and an alcoholic. Nobody should have cared much when Bradley Evans turned up dead. But Sheriff Joanna Brady feels a tie. Her father was the man who arrested Evans years before and now someone has killed the man. She intends to track down Evans's murderer and make him pay for his crime. Life, and other crimes, though, have a way of getting in the way. For one thing, Joanna is nine months pregnant. For another, her county is near the Mexican border and Border Patrol often calls for local assistant. For a third, dead pit bulls have been turning up at a disturbing pace--evidence of illegal dog-fighting. Since Animal Control falls under the Sheriff's office, Brady needs to do something about that, too.
 
This is my 2nd book from J.A. Jance. I am starting to enjoy it although I wish that all the ends are explained.

It did not tell how and when Bradley Evans' wife become dead, is Rory Mackham really having an affair with Ruth, etc. Readers are left to their own imagination and conclusion as to why and how it happened. Its frustrating because I like books which have a start and an end.
I hope that all her books are not like that.

You can get her book from here.