Betrayal of Trust: A J. P. Beaumont Novel (J. P. Beaumont Novels) [Hardcover]

J. A. Jance (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 5, 2011 | Series: J. P. Beaumont Novels

“Murder, teenage bullying, sleazy adults, and good police work add up to another fine entry by Jance.”
—The Oklahoman

Betrayal of Trust is the twentieth mystery by New York Times bestseller J.A. Jance to feature Seattle p.i. J. P. Beaumont—and it is another surefire winner from the author the Chattanooga Times calls, “One of the best—if not the best.” When Beau discovers a snuff film recorded on a smart phone—a horrific crime that has a devastating effect on two troubled teens—his investigation unleashes a firestorm that blazes all the way up through the halls of Washington state government. Betrayal of Trust is certain to win this phenomenal crime fiction master (“In the elite company of Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell”—Flint Journal) a wealth of new fans while enthralling the army of devoted readers already addicted to the potent Jance magic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Solid....Jance’s denunciation of adolescent bullying and adult hypocrisy rings true.” (Publishers Weekly on Betrayal of Trust)

“Jance has a sure hand. . . . Engrossing.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Brilliant....Jance...has crafted a mystery that Hillerman would be proud of and that her fans will love.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Believable and intense.” (West Coast Review of Books)

“A gripping tale that’s easily one of [Jance’s] best.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Jance...knows how to grab our attention.“ (Washington Post)

From the Back Cover

Seattle investigator J. P. Beaumontuncovers a dark and deadly conspiracy that reaches deep intothe halls of state government,in this latest thriller from New York Times bestsellingauthor J. A. Jance

At first glance, the video appears to be showing a childish game: a teenage girl with dark wavy hair smiles for the camera, a blue scarf tied around her neck. All of a sudden things turn murderous, and the girl ends up dead.

It’s as bad as a snuff film can get, and what’s worse, the clip has been discovered on a phone that belongs to the grandson of Washington State’s governor. However, the boy, who has a troubled background, swears that he’s never seen the victim before.

Fortunately, the governor is able to turn to an old friend, J. P. Beaumont, for help. The Seattle private investigator has witnessed many horrific acts over the years, but this one ranks near the top. Even more shocking is that the crime’s multiple perpetrators could be minors.

Along with Mel Soames, his partner in life as well as on the job, Beaumont soon determines that what initially appears to be a childish prank gone wrong has much deeper implications. But Mel and Beau must follow this path of corruption to its very end, before more innocent young lives are lost.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (July 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061731153
• ISBN-13: 978-0061731150
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J.A. Jance is the top 10 New York Times bestselling author of the Joanna Brady series; the J. P. Beaumont series; three interrelated thrillers featuring the Walker family; and Edge of Evil, the first in a series featuring Ali Reynolds. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#26 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#32 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#52 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#76 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#26 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#32 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#52 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#76 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex, compelling and fulfilling thriller! July 23, 2011

By Mr. J. J. Hall

Format:Kindle Edition

This is a complex and engaging thriller in more ways than one. The characters are believable and the author shows a great empathy with the human psyche and condition as well as being able to weave a complicated plot. In the latest in the series Beaumont finds himself leading a sensitive investigation involving the Governor, his grandson and snuff films. Beaumont begins to reflect on his own upbringing as similarities to his childhood stir old memories and emotions. The reader is drawn into the detective's world and his character development throughout the series makes him a real and likeable hero. All this combined with excellent description and flowing writing make this very difficult to put down and extremely easy to recommend. I can't wait for the next in this compelling line of thrillers from J.A. Janice!

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Many Faces of Betrayal July 7, 2011

By Smokey VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Betrayal of Trust" is the latest in J.A. Jance's J.P. Beaumont series. This time Beaumont, who now works as a detective for the Washington State Attorney General's Special Homicide Investigation Team (yup, the acronym for this entity is a crappy one), and fellow detective Melissa Soames (who is also J.P.'s third wife) are sent to investigate what is possibly a snuff video. The Governor of the State of Washington found the video on her step grandson's cell phone. This makes the inquiry very sensitive. It also presents several thoughtful examples of betrayal, whether it is adults betraying their responsibilities to youth and to each other, youth betraying their responsibilities to adults and to each other, or characters betraying their responsibilities to themselves and to society. Jance also, I believe, seems to say that time betrays us all.

As Beaumont and Soames look into the matter, they find themselves dealing with people from opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum, teenagers with enormous problems, bullying, and the exploitation of vulnerable youth. Much of what they see reminds Beaumont of his own adolescence, which reminds him of growing up with a single mother who struggled to make ends meet and being looked down upon by classmates who had more money and social status. An unexpected email from a woman claiming to be his dead father's niece disturbs him. The email also persuades him he might finally discover who his father was. Beaumont is physically hampered by the deteriorating condition of both of his knees, which makes it difficult for him to carry out some normal activities.

I became a fan of J.P. Beaumont as soon as I read the first book in which he first appeared, "Until Proven Guilty".... "Betrayal of Trust" is not the best of these novels, but it is a nice entry into the series, continuing Jance's logical and sympathetic development of her character. Beaumont's musings on the way some people from privileged backgrounds treat those who are less fortunate, his longing to know about his father and his father's family, his reluctance to admit to the physical toll that aging is taking on him, and his reflections on prejudging people based upon flimsy reasoning make it a worthwhile read. Beaumont reflects more on his own life and its meaning than he does in other most entries in the series.

I did correctly suspect at least one of the culprits fairly early on in the book. I didn't feel the sense of urgency to finish the novel as I have with other, earlier entries. Also, I missed some of the recurring series characters who are absent in this novel, such as Beaumont's disabled, former partner. His entertaining boss and his lawyer make only very brief appearances.

I recommend this book for the issues it addresses, its sympathetic presentation of Beaumont, and its depiction of some of the problems teenagers face and of some of the games they play. I also recommend that, if you haven't done so, you read the entire series, starting from book one. One of the best qualities of the book is how Beaumont has developed as a "person" as the series progresses. Read more ›

67 of 81 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is How You Write A Series! July 6, 2011

By redsonic20

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Take note, Janet Evanovich, THIS is how you write a series, full of character development, non obvious bad guys, pages that take longer than 10 seconds to read, and descriptions that make you feel like you're right there in the thick of it. I LOVE reading these books. I picked up Breach of Duty in high school for an SSR book because the cover had the Space Needle on it and being from Seattle and no longer living there, this gave me some attachment of home. I loved that book and continued to pick up more via the library and book stores. I didn't read the series in order, he was a drunk in some and already sober in others, but I read them all and have read some several times over. I LOVE this series and was bummed when Jance started focusing on some other series' more than this one. I love that the books take place where I'm from and love J.P. Beaumont and being in his shoes a few hundred pages at a time. I am so glad that I picked this book up on pre-order. Jance does not disappoint and continues to add little bits of information here and there from Beau's past so you're always learning something new about him. I've started to wonder what else we had to learn about him, but this book gives you pieces that you've always kind of wondered about, but didn't necessarily think was possible to access because even he didn't know those answers. Keep 'em comin', I can't wait for the next installment in the series!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of her best ! July 10, 2011

By Midwest49-Engineer

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Having read dozens of her books, this is right up there at the top ! It got me so involved - I read it in 24 hours. Accolades to the author !!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another solid entry in JP Beaumont police procedural series August 19, 2011

By Gerald M. Bull

Format:Hardcover

We've read every book on Jance's prolific booklist except the last few in her Ali Reynolds series, which we dislike for containing too much blogging and so forth that we already see plenty of online every day. We particularly enjoy the JP Beaumont series - indeed the Seattle-based detective definitely reminds us of Sandford's Lucas Davenport: similar age, similar life style, similar dogged and intelligent pursuit of the bad guys. With running now four series (including the Arizona-based Sheriff Joanna Brady set; and the Native American set featuring the Walker family, very much in the style of the late Tony Hillerman), we have to wait awhile between installments of JP and his police partner (and now wife) Mel Soames. We typically find the wait well rewarded.

In "Betrayal", basically a story about the death of two young adults, a "snuff film" discovered on the cellphone of the governor's grandson leads to a request for JP's team to discover who the victim is and of course who did the deed (not to mention who filmed it). The situation soon deteriorates when the grandson himself apparently commits suicide, possibly induced by the other killing or a hate campaign being waged by some priviledged young adults who enjoy bullying others. So a number of contemporary themes run through the evolving plot to discover the truth behind the film and all the various perpetrators.

Jance is quite skilled at writing crime solving procedurals. She parcels out the clues at just the right pace, develops the characters well enough that we soon care about the outcomes, and maintains decent levels of suspense without the 3-page "cliff-hangers" gaining widespread usage by other authors. Her books have a consistent feel and quality, and therefore rarely disappoint.... "Betrayal" adds yet another in a fine set of novels. Read more ›