A String Of Beads by Thomas Perry

 

Jane Whitfield's life is calm these days.  She is married to her surgeon husband and lives quietly, cooking and shopping and other wifely pursuits.  Her past life was as someone who helped those who had to disappear, women who were stalked by ex-lovers or husbands, those who fell afoul of criminals and other cases.  Very few knew of this other life and that is the main thing that keeps Jane safe.

But Jane has to put that stable life aside when she returns to her house one day to find visitors.  All of the head women of the eight clans of Jane's tribe are waiting for her.  She invites them in and after pleasantries, finds out that they have come on a mission.  Jimmy Sanders, a man who Jane knew as a boy, is wanted by the law.  He got in a bar fight and was arrested.  A month later the man who attacked him in the bar is murdered and the police come after Jimmy.  He takes off and the women want Jane to find him and bring him home.

Jane knows she has no choice but to do this.  She leaves the next day, planning on finding Jimmy and talking him into giving himself up.  But things change.  She hears that there a men who have gotten themselves arrested just to wait in jail for Jimmy to arrive where he will be killed.  As Jane and Jimmy travel, an organized group is also on their trail and Jane realizes that Jimmy is caught up in something bigger than she ever expected.  Can she keep them safe and bring them home safely?

This is the eighth in the Jane Whitfield series.  Thomas Perry has researched extensively the ways that someone can drop out of their lives and create a new one and it is interesting to read about that.  Jane is resourceful and brave and a female character who it is always fun to read about.  This book is recommended for thriller readers.