Without Due Process: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery [Hardcover]

J.A. Jance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1992 | Series: J. P. Beaumont Mysteries

A five-year-old boy becomes J. P. Beaumont's only hope of clearing the name of his friend, Officer Ben Weston, when Weston's murder, witnessed by the boy alone, brings out accusations of the dead man's connection with Seattle's gangs. 50,000 first printing. $27,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Once she clears the clouds obscuring issues of motive in the opening chapters, Jance ( Hour of the Hunter) proceeds with a gripping expose of cop murder and cover-up. Seattle police officer Ben Weston and his family--with the exception of the youngest son-- are brutally slaughtered at a critical point in Weston's undercover probe of youth gang activity. Several suspicious student loans are traced to Weston and members of the gangs he was investigating. In his 10th appearance, narrator and fellow cop J. P. "Beau" Beaumont vows to avenge his friend's death, meanwhile protecting the five-year-old survivor (and sole witness) and slowly realizing that the murder has little to do with student loans; he discovers dirty politics and graft reaching far into the department. Jance demands a lot from her readers: the likeliest suspects are completely hidden for a third of the tale, the loan angle makes little sense and the unconvincingly macho Beau never quite gels. Yet the shocks delivered as the villains are gradually unveiled and as Beaumont and pals try to keep the little boy alive resonate deeply. Author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The brutal murder of a black cop and his family tests the procedural skills of Seattle police detective J.P. Beaumont, the paperback hero recently promoted to hardcover ( Hour of the Hunter , Morrow, 1991). Jance, who energizes this adventure with slick, made-for-TV plotting, fast-paced action, and canned dialog, focuses on a surviving child witness, possible police corruption, rival street gangs, and Beaumont's previous friendship with the victim. Lean forward, grab on, and ride for adventure.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (December 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688114598
• ISBN-13: 978-0688114596
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,612,191 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

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beaumont Tracks Internally -- Police Corruption!, April 5, 1999

By 

Daniel J. Maloney "Daniel J. Maloney" (Saint Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Due Process (Mass Market Paperback)

When a really well liked police officer known as "Gentle Ben" is brutally murdered in his own home, along with everyone else in his family, but one small child who was in hiding, homicide detective J.P Beaumont takes it hard. He also takes on the case. JP smells cover up but it takes him a while to untangle himself from the forces within the department who are part of the cover-up to get to the bottom of things. Needless to say, JP manages to exonerate Ben and implicate quite a few others!. Author J.A. Jance through JP, succeeds intaking the reader on an intriguing and scary trail of internal subterfuge.

Beaumont is one of Jance's continuing characters and despite all of his idiosyncracies, and his whining, you just can't help but get to love him. He's also a great detective. Jance has led JP through many episodes at this point and I've yet to be let down!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who are the bad guys?, July 15, 2000

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without Due Process (Mass Market Paperback)

A policeman and his family are brutally murdered. When J.P. Beaumont begins his investigation, he finds out some unsettling things about the slain policeman's association with known gang members. He also discovers that the man had been investigating some crooked cops. Which group murdered Ben Weston and his family and what was their motive? We see a softer side of Beaumont as he deals with a small boy who is the only survivor of the massacre. Jance is a reliable author and you can count on a good read in this series.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traitors to the Badge, June 19, 2000

By 

Kenri A. Mugleston - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Due Process (Mass Market Paperback)

Detective Beaumont must clear the name of a fellow police officer and protect the officer's son from the sadistic killers who mudered the boy's family.

In the process of doing this he finds that the "brotherhood of the badge" might not hold for all officers.

J.A. Jance is a teriffic writer and you should enjoy this page turner.