Improbable Cause [Mass Market Paperback]

J.A. Jance (Author)

Book Description

Series: J. P. Beaumont Mysteries | Publication Date: February 1, 1988

Perhaps it was fitting justice: a dentist who enjoyed inflicting pain was murdered in his own chair. The question is not who wanted Dr. Frederick Nielsen dead, but rather who of the many finally reached the breaking point. The sordid details of this case, with its shocking revelations of violence, cruelty, and horrific sexual abuse, would be tough for any investigator to stomach. But for Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont, the most damning piece of the murderous puzzle will shake him to his very core -- because what will be revealed to him is nothing less than the true meaning of unrepentant evil.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"San Francisco Has Dashiell Hammett, Boston Has Robert B. Parker, Fort Lauderdale Boasts John D. MacDonald. . . Seattle Has J.A. Jance!" -- -- Seattle Times

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance was born in South Dakota, brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, and now lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Avon (February 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380754126
• ISBN-13: 978-0380754120
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,923 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jance is Ready for a Promotion, September 19, 2000

By 

Larry Eischen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Improbable Cause (Mass Market Paperback)

Often, either late in a "mystery author's" career or posthumously, the author is found by the "snobberati" at the NY Times or one of the weekly newsmags. Since these critics would hate to be caught reading mysteries, the author is labelled a "NOVELIST" by the critics and given a big push in the media. It happened to Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, and John D. MacDonald among others. why wait until a deserving author is old or dead? It's time to give early attention to J A Jance. Her work transcends the genre and becomes a tale of characters-characters as well developed as those of a fine Dickens novel. In Improbable Cause, Jance weaves these characters into the story surrounding a dentist who is a spouse abuser. Why he was killed is plain. Who killed him becomes an investigation of sympathetic characters, none of whom you want to see arrested for the crime. When an ex-con is implicated, Beaumont finds himself at odds with his superiors who would rather settle for the obvious and easy suspect. In a rather unique ending, Beaumont solves the case and at investigation's end is covered with elephant manure and commended by the mayor. Although I had the killer figured early on (gut feeling, not clue finding) , the story carried me to the satisfying conclusion.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not the best of J. P. Beaumont, December 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Improbable Cause (Mass Market Paperback)

I genuinely enjoyed this book. J.P. Beaumont is one of my favorite detective characters. While he has the usual jaded outlook on life of a lot of fictional detectives, he does transcend the genre and is rather a complex person instead of the stereotypical hardboiled cop. In this book, the victim is distinctly unlikeable and the suspects are almost uniformly sympathetic. It's the rare mystery where you want the reader to know the answer, but not necessarily the police. The reason I marked this one down a bit is because Beaumont seemed a little flatter somehow here and the writing somehow did not draw me in as usual. While one would certainly not expect a "dark night of the soul" in every book, one also should not expect to see him flattening out to become "everydetective" either. If you're a Jance fan, this one is definitely entertaining and worth reading, though. If you're new to her books, I woul suggest starting with the first book in the series - Until Proven Guilty.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Jance Disappoints in Predictable Plot, February 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Improbable Cause (Mass Market Paperback)

While I usually enjoy reading about J.A.Jance's hero, J.P. Beaumont, I was disappointed by the predictable plot and resolution of this novel. As a current Seattleite, I relish Jance's descriptions of my fair city which are both amusing and accurate. Try others of Jance's novels, but I would recommend skipping Improbable Cause.