J.A. Jance hits Bing on Sept. 10

Mystery writer J.A. Jance, whose stories featuring Seattle police detective J.P. Beaumont, Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady and others have thrilled readers for years, is coming to Spokane this fall to support her latest (and 51st book), “Dance of the Bones.”

The novel, which will be released on Sept. 8, teams her longtime character Beaumont with Arizona sheriff Brandon Walker, featured in the Walker Family series. Both men, now retired, must work together to rescue a missing boy from a sociopath.

Jance will be at the Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave., on Sept. 10 for a 7 p.m. talk and signing. The talk is presented by Auntie’s. Admission is a suggested donation $3 for adults, with 100 percent of the funds going to support the Bing.

Help for Halls

Spokane writer Kelly Milner Halls, who specializes in offbeat nonfiction books for young people, has suffered a medical crisis, and friends have set up a GoFundMe page to solicit donations on her behalf.

On her Facebook page, Halls revealed she suffered from deep vein thrombosis and pulminary embolisms, or blood clots in her lungs, diagnosed after she got off a plane and struggled to breathe.

According the GoFundMe site, Halls doesn’t have insurance, and her friends hope to raise $10,000 to alleviate her financial worries as she recovers. As of Friday, the site had raised just shy of $3,500 in two days.

For details, visit http://www.gofundme.com/ j3y3r6fw .