Breach of Duty: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery

In Breach of Duty , after a three year hiatus, J.A. Jance resumes her Seattle-based mystery series featuring homicide detective Jonas Piedmont Beaumont. The novel begins on Lake Chelan (in eastern Washington State) as Beau scatters his grandfather's ashes in the water. The reflective moment offers Jance a perfect opportunity to get new readers up to speed with her hero (and offers a quick refresher course for the many ongoing Jance fans). Beau has struggled through a hard life of alcoholism and two failed marriages, but now, just maybe, he's pulled things together. After his return to Seattle, his new partner, Sue Danielson, bombards him with two cases and a number of leads. A 67-year-old woman named Agnes Ferman burned to death in her bed. After $300,000 was discovered in her garage, the police rightly began to suspect murder. At almost the same time, a group of teenagers discovered the long-dead body of a Native American man--possibly connected to recent hate crime. Sue and Beau plunge into both cases while they begin to learn a bit more about each other. One of the pleasures of Beau's narrative is his constant, unspoken (and often hilariously sarcastic) asides to the reader. Meanwhile, Beau's sensitivity to Sue and her personal struggles suggest great promise for this couple. In the end, a diverse collection of oddball characters, a comprehensive sense of Seattle and environs, and a strong pairing of mystery plots make this another winning installment in Jance's much-beloved series. The tale of J.P. Beaumont began with Until Proven Guilty in 1985, and has included award-winners Without Due Process and Failure to Appear among its 14 books. --Patrick O'Kelley From Publishers Weekly In his 14th outing (and first in three years), Seattle homicide detective J.P. Beaumont (Name Withheld, etc.) finds, along with his new partner, Sue Danielson, that seemingly ho-hum investigations grow in grim complexity even as personal distractions multiply. The pair has been assigned to investigate the arson death of Agnes Ferman, a woman disliked by just about everyone; the more than $300,000 found tucked away in her garage points to plenty of suspects. In Seattle's Seward Park, meanwhile, a group of costumed, role-playing teens have been using human bones in their games. Beau is warned that the bones may be those of Quinault shaman David Half Moon, and that anyone handling them is in grave danger. Beau scoffs, but when some of those associated with the investigation meet violent ends, he and Sue develop open minds. Adding texture to the doings are Sue's troubles centering around the sudden reappearance of her violent ex-husband, who, uncharacteristically, wants to take their sons on a dream trip to Disneyland. A coincidence?that most of the Seward Park suspects regularly congregate at one of Beau's haunts?stains the narrative, but otherwise Jance, as usual, relates a clean and tightly woven plot distinguished by authentic dialogue, honest emotions and characters readers will care about. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal J.P. Beaumont, "Beau," is back from the hiatus imposed by creator Jance while she focused on her Joanna Brady series. In this 14th mystery, the sensitive Seattle police detective, a recovering alcoholic, juggles several mysteries, including the arson-induced death of an older woman and a series of crimes related to the stolen bones of a Native American shaman. Meanwhile, partner Sue Danielson is hounded by her ex-husband, and all three "cases" move to violent conclusions almost simultaneously. Readers with an aversion to the supernatural may be put off by the curse of the shaman, but series fans will surely want this. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. “Jance, as usual, relates a clean and tightly woven plot distinguished by authentic dialogue, honest emotions and characters readers will care about.” — Publishers Weekly on Breach of Duty “J. A. does an outstanding job of delivering a very emotional book, wrapped up within a mystery that keeps the reader on edge to the very end.” — Suspense Magazine on Sins of the Fathers “[A] mystery with heart . . . readers . . . will savor every word . . . Jance should win new fans with this one.” — Publishers Weekly on Sins of the Fathers “J. A. Jance is one of the best at combining mystery and family dynamics. J. P. Beaumont . . . is a character occasionally afflicted with angst, depression, and guilt, but not so much that he becomes tiresome. Rather, he becomes human, with all the temptations, missteps, failures, and ultimately successes, large and small, that most share.” — New York Journal of Books on Sins of the Fathers “The two parallel cases provide plenty of action, while keeping a premium on character studies and violence to a minimum. Once again, the compassionate, intelligent Joanna balances a busy home life and a complex job with aplomb. This long-running series consistently entertains.” — Publishers Weekly on Missing and Endangered “Jance has brought us yet another winner!” — Dallas Morning News “One of the country’s most popular mystery writers.” — The Oregonian (Portland) “A dillusioned, cynical hero in the classic hard-boiled tradition.” — Journal-American Praise for J.A. Jance: “Jance delivers a devilish page-turner.” — People “J.A. Jance does not disappoint her fans.” — Washington Times “Suspenseful, action-packed.” — Dallas Morning News “Taut . . . entertaining.” — Entertainment Weekly “Credible and entertaining.” — Orlando Sentinel Jonas Piedmont Beaumont has had it rough all his life. Raised by his hardworking, unmarried mother and disowned as a youth by his grandparents, he learned at a very early age how cruel life can be. Two marriages, a treacherous battle with the bottle, assorted midlife and moral dilemmas, and a few decades as a homicide detective haven't convinced him otherwise. For his gruesome caseload continually reinforces those ugly childhood lessons about the awesome and terrifying cruelty of man.While the more things change, the more they stay the same, the Seattle that beau knew as a young policeman is disappearing around him. The city is awash in the aromas emanating from a glut of gourmet coffee bars, the neighborhood outside his condo building has sprouted gallery upon gallery, and even his long-cherished diner has evolved into a trendy eatery for local Gen X-ers and hipsters. But all the glam is strictly surface, for the grit under the city's fingernails remains caked with blood...When Beau and his new partner Sue Danielson are assigned the murder of an elderly woman torched to death in her bed, Beau finds himself distracted by Sue's difficulties at home. Distraction soon turns to terror as Beau and Sue find themselves caught up in a series of events that will leave them and their carefully constructed investigation shattered. For Beau, nothing will ever be the same again. J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, five interrelated thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, she lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. Read more