Customer Reviews

Until Proven Guilty: A J. P. Beaumont Mystery

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I picked up Until Proven Guilty on a lunch hour in 1985, and was finished with it in less than 2 days. It was to begin what I call my "love affair" with Detective J.P. Beaumont. This novel, was a good read from page one to the end. Jance is by far my favorite author, I own every one of her Beaumont books in hardback, I do not wait for them to come out in paperback. I highly reccommend that you read Until Proven Guilty first, or you will be a bit lost in future books when he refers to his Porsche, Ann Coorley etc. I worked for the Seattle Police in thier Homicide Division, and while Jance does use what I will call creative license with some things, the one thing she nailed is the "cop persona" in spades! I wait eagerly for her next installment. I hope that you like her work as much as I do.

If you have ever read and enjoyed any of the books from the J.P. Beaumont series you really need to read this one. A 5-year-old is murdered and Beau investigates the strange cult in which she and her mother live, immediately becoming suspicious of the self-absorbed cult leader. Another part of the plot deals with his relationship with Anne Corley, a beautiful woman who enters his life and changes it forever. Anne Corley is mentioned in almost every succeeding book, so to understand how Beau got his Porsche and lives a lifestyle which differs from most everyday detectives, it is necessary to read this one.

As a previous reviewer said, this book helps you understand J.P. Beaumont's circumstances in later episodes. I had started with some of the later mysteries in the series and wondered how he met Anne Corley and what had happened between them. In a book store I browsed through several paperbacks to find the one that introduced Anne Corley. (It's hard to browse through books on amazon.com although sometimes the reviews help out!) The situation, child abuse and murder, is grim, but the writing is stylish. (Although I felt the sex scenes were uninspiring). I like the way the author develops relationships between Beau and his detective partners or others on the force. These seem more natural than the romantic attractions.

This is a promising first outing from J.A. Jance, published in 1985. Very promising. I liked the introduction to the characters and the set up that will allow readers to hopefully bond with J.P. Beaumont and Detective Ron Peters as they learn to work together as newly partnered Homicide detectives. There was some fun dialog and situations and the slow elevator provides for several amusing incidents. Occasionally I would start to suspect whodunit (just like Beaumont) and then my suspicions would be allayed (just like Beaumont). That was pretty nicely done. Surprisingly, to me the ending was quite a satisfying wrap even though many a book with a similar ending has left me very disgruntled.

Midway through, I was concerned. A lot of focus was placed on Beau's whirlwind romantic relationship. If characters in a book can be said to have chemistry it would NOT be these two, although they did become more believable in the end. There was a fairly lengthy section where I was rather disengaged, wedding showers, shopping, setting up house, suspicion, and "Isn't there a guy named Beau in on of those mid-day soaps called 'Days of our Lives'?". I began to loose faith. Then a so-so grand finale and, surprise surprise, a thorough and believable enough wrap up to make me almost forget the tedium.

I remember being reluctant when I started Sanford's 'Prey' series and I have been COMPLETELY won over there. If we can build up from this one, Jance may develop another fan.

I was introduced to J.A. Jance and Detective J.P. Beaumont by the owner of a used book store that I visit rather frequently. I was right in the middle of a craving for all John Sandford books, I wanted them all. I'd read all of them at the library, and wanted to buy them. She only had one, and I looked for different books to buy. She saw that I was interested in mystery, so she recommended J.A. Jance. I had never heard of her, but I got one anyway. It was Taking the Fifth. That book was good, very good. I went back to buy another soon after. I purchased Until Proven Guilty, and I damn near cried at the end. It was quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read in my life. The mysterious Anne Corley, and the way that Beaumont falls for her was masterful. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you the ending, it is too good to give away. So far, this is undoubtedly the best J.P. Beaumont book that I've read. That does not mean that the others are not good, they are excellent, a! nd very enjoyable. But J.A. Jance truely surpassed herself with this novel. I have not read all of J.P. Beaumont, but intend to. I will go back to the book store to get more, and while I'm there I might look for more John Sandford books... Anyway, you must read this book. It is a great book to start out the J.P. Beaumont series with, and you will enjoy it no matter how many times you read it! Tyler Robbins, 14, from Tacoma, Washington.

If you've already read any of J.A. Jance's Seattle-based mysteries, you probably know how this one ends. Still, getting there is half the fun, and unless you've compiled a thorough dossier on Anne Corley, there are likely to be details you'll enjoy rediscovering.

Wrapped around the tragic murder of a young girl, we meet series regulars homicide detective J.P. "Beau" Beaumont, his partner Ron Peters, Sgt. "Watty" Watkins, Capt. Powell, attorney extraordinaire Ralph Ames, and perpetual thorn on Beaumont's side, newspaperman Maxwell Cole. Ultimately, though, the murder investigation takes a back seat to Beaumont's love life soon after Anne Corley comes on the scene.

I found the Corley storyline problematic. If this is your first encounter with J.P. Beaumont, it seems to me that he's going to come off extremely shallow. Having encountered him before, I knew him to have more substance than demonstrated here, but the clichés were a bit painful at times (especially painful is Beaumont's narrative foreshadowing along the lines of "...if only I had known").

Despite some angsty moments and more than a few adult situations, Until Proven Guilty remains a good read. Jance does return to the murdered child mystery in the end, and the stage is set for future Seattle-based adventures. Beaumont, while not at his strongest at the end of the story, does grow and improve as the series continues. If you read this story and enjoy it, you'll like the rest of the series even more; if this book doesn't do it for you, give the next few books a chance - things do get better.

I loved this book and I highly recommend this series, especially if you live in Seattle, WA or have visited the state of Washington. J.A. Jance keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next and I read the first 3 books in the J.P. Beaumont series which are in (Sentenced to die) in 10 days. Loved it.

I purchased this book for my new Kindle hoping for a new series with some spunk. I couldn't put it down! Interesting & delightful characters with a story line that kept you guessing. I purchased the 2nd in the series immediately after finishing the 1st. Can't wait to get started!

I really wanted to like this series, since I enjoy the Allison Reynolds series so much, but that was not the case. Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont of the Seattle Police Department comes across as too gruff and too much of the typical stereotype cop that you see every night on television.

When a five year old child is found dead and the mother is caught up in a fundamentalist cult you know that there is not going to be a happy ending. Plus, a well seasoned cop suddenly falling for a stranger and unexplainably dreams of their life together just doesn't blend well for me. This story was just too choppy and all over the place.

I am glad that I had found the Reynolds series first or I would have just totally given up on this author. Different strokes I guess, but I will not be finding myself looking for anymore J.P. Beaumont.

The is book #1 in the Jance series of Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumont and company....the one where he meets Anne Corley, referred to in subsequent novels. Note: subsequent novels do not always clear up what transpired between Beau and Corley, so it is highly recommended to start the series with this the first book.

This is one of the best anyway and gives the reader a good foundation of the main character and his personality. The surprise ending caught my husband and I off guard, as we didn't see it coming down the way it did. We are both enjoying this series of "Beau" and company. Jance has other series as well and we are reading them all. Recommended for fast entertainment, not too heavy but just enough to keep you interested in what's coming up next. Thumbs up!