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mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
Not having read a J.P. Beaumont (or J.A. Jance) book before, I was glad to get the chance thanks to my Mom sharing her First Reads copy with me. J.P. and his partner (who is also his wife) are asked to get involved with a high profile case linked to the Governor's family. As the investigation unfolds, the mystery becomes more complex and reveals more crimes may have been committed. At the sane time, J.P. receives an unexpected email that could reveal details about his father, a man he never met. The story lines moved along well and kept me turning the pages, although I found the outcomes of the criminal cases quite sad. Both the story and characters were complex and compelling. Despite the tragedies of the cases, I liked the book and am glad I got a chance to read this one, thanks to my Mom's luck in receiving this one via Goodreads First Reads.
advocatebreathecollaborate's review against another edition
5.0
Not having read any of the previous books I was able to build a full picture of the characters with the descriptions given. This story works as part of a series or a stand alone. The characters were interesting and the plot intriguing. I enjoyed the author's writing style and will be looking into reading other books in the series.
cpalisa's review against another edition
3.0
This way okay...a little boring compared to the old Beaumont books. Didn't love the storyline or the characters.
lisaeirene's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this book! JP Beaumont is a great character and this book was not lacking in anyway. I loved the character development, the story was fast paced and interesting. I enjoyed reading about local places in Washington. The ending was satisfying too. Good book!
missdaizee's review against another edition
5.0
First, thank you to GoodReads and Harper Collins for the drawing that put this book in my hands. I was already a Fan of JA Jance and JP Beaumont, so I was tickled to receive this in the mail. As for the book itself, I could not put it down. You weren't sure where the next turn was coming or when the next character would be added. I also love how Jance adds little side thoughts, the kinds of things we might be thinking in the background if we were involved in the conversation. I can usually have these mysteries figured out by the middle of the book. Not so in this case. I was so engrossed in reading, that I was 3/4 of the way through before I realized I had not figured it our, nor had I even tried.
thestarman's review against another edition
2.0
VERDICT: 1.85 stars.
More of a cozy mystery than a thriller. A good bit of unecessary (and dull) detail, and a irrelevant subplot.
SAY SOMETHING NICE: The initial crime was interesting. Book does not end on a cliffhanger.
SPOILER MAY FOLLOW:
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.
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AGGRAVATION: Good luck guessing the villain early on..
More of a cozy mystery than a thriller. A good bit of unecessary (and dull) detail, and a irrelevant subplot.
SAY SOMETHING NICE: The initial crime was interesting. Book does not end on a cliffhanger.
SPOILER MAY FOLLOW:
.
.
.
AGGRAVATION: Good luck guessing the villain early on.
Spoiler
They don't make an appearance of any sort till nearly the endjeannedes's review against another edition
good yarn. well done. this was my first Jance and am now looking for more.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
3.0
It starts with a snuff film of a teenage girl being strangled with a blue scarf. Shocking enough, but more shocking still is where it is found - on the cell phone of the step-grandson of the governor of Washington. It was found by the governor herself who contacts her attorney general and soon J.P. Beaumont and his partner in life and on the job, Mel Soames, are being assigned to investigate.
J.P. and Mel are members of the attorney general's Special Homicide Investigation Team - that's right S.H.I.T. It gets worse. Their boss is named Harry Ignatius Ball, or Harry I. Ball. Those jokes aside, their mission is not at all funny. They are charged with investigating murders that are of a sensitive nature, and this apparent murder certainly fits the bill.
It gets even more sensitive when the grandson, Josh, is found hanging from a makeshift rope of ties in his room on the third floor of the governor's mansion. He has committed suicide, but why? Did he kill the girl and then kill himself in remorse? When they had questioned him, he denied to J.P. and Mel that he had any knowledge of what had happened. Was he lying or are the reasons for his suicide more complicated?
The book goes along with the detectives as they painstakingly follow leads and develop evidence. Their first task is to figure out who the girl in the video is and where the body is. But in checking Josh's cell phone and computer, they uncover evidence of another crime, a serious case of bullying. It begins to seem as though that might have been the motive for Josh's suicide. There appears to be a sinister clique of rich and privileged kids who enjoy making life miserable for others and they have been able to make life very miserable indeed for some and maybe even to snuff it out.
J.A. Jance knows how to write mysteries. She has created a winning team in Beaumont and Soames and she follows them step-by-step, in the best manner of police procedurals, as they unravel the complicated webs surrounding teenage culture and two unnecessary teenage deaths. She plays fair with the reader, and I had my suspicions but it wasn't until near the end, when J.P. began to figure it out, that I knew who the culprits were.
I had read a few other J.P. Beaumont mysteries, but it had been years. I've not read them all, nor have I read in sequence, but this latest one stood on its own very well. I felt that I was able to know enough of Beaumont's history to be able to easily follow along, and the book kept my interest right up to the end.
J.P. and Mel are members of the attorney general's Special Homicide Investigation Team - that's right S.H.I.T. It gets worse. Their boss is named Harry Ignatius Ball, or Harry I. Ball. Those jokes aside, their mission is not at all funny. They are charged with investigating murders that are of a sensitive nature, and this apparent murder certainly fits the bill.
It gets even more sensitive when the grandson, Josh, is found hanging from a makeshift rope of ties in his room on the third floor of the governor's mansion. He has committed suicide, but why? Did he kill the girl and then kill himself in remorse? When they had questioned him, he denied to J.P. and Mel that he had any knowledge of what had happened. Was he lying or are the reasons for his suicide more complicated?
The book goes along with the detectives as they painstakingly follow leads and develop evidence. Their first task is to figure out who the girl in the video is and where the body is. But in checking Josh's cell phone and computer, they uncover evidence of another crime, a serious case of bullying. It begins to seem as though that might have been the motive for Josh's suicide. There appears to be a sinister clique of rich and privileged kids who enjoy making life miserable for others and they have been able to make life very miserable indeed for some and maybe even to snuff it out.
J.A. Jance knows how to write mysteries. She has created a winning team in Beaumont and Soames and she follows them step-by-step, in the best manner of police procedurals, as they unravel the complicated webs surrounding teenage culture and two unnecessary teenage deaths. She plays fair with the reader, and I had my suspicions but it wasn't until near the end, when J.P. began to figure it out, that I knew who the culprits were.
I had read a few other J.P. Beaumont mysteries, but it had been years. I've not read them all, nor have I read in sequence, but this latest one stood on its own very well. I felt that I was able to know enough of Beaumont's history to be able to easily follow along, and the book kept my interest right up to the end.
bookwyrmbella's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 🌟
The voice actor does a good job but I am still getting used to his interpretation versus the original voice actor.
While the ending is predictable I still found the story entertaining. The main story took you through two possibly connected investigations and made you wonder exactly how they were going to tie them both together. There were some unexpected surprises along the way.
Even this far into the story, J.A. Jance still finds a way to give us and Beau more insight into his family history. It adds depth to the character. I was glad to see his friend Ralph make and appearance again.
I would recommend this to anyone who has read any of Jances other books. For the most part you can even read them as a stand alone because there is usually enough recap to help you catch up.
The voice actor does a good job but I am still getting used to his interpretation versus the original voice actor.
While the ending is predictable I still found the story entertaining. The main story took you through two possibly connected investigations and made you wonder exactly how they were going to tie them both together. There were some unexpected surprises along the way.
Even this far into the story, J.A. Jance still finds a way to give us and Beau more insight into his family history. It adds depth to the character. I was glad to see his friend Ralph make and appearance again.
I would recommend this to anyone who has read any of Jances other books. For the most part you can even read them as a stand alone because there is usually enough recap to help you catch up.