Breach of Duty: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

by J.A. Jance (Author) "There are people who like change..." (more)
Key Phrases: squad commander, Agnes Ferman, Seward Park, Sue Danielson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In Breach of Duty, after a three year hiatus, J.A. Jance resumes her Seattle-based mystery series featuring homicide detective Jonas Piedmont Beaumont. The novel begins on Lake Chelan (in eastern Washington State) as Beau scatters his grandfather's ashes in the water. The reflective moment offers Jance a perfect opportunity to get new readers up to speed with her hero (and offers a quick refresher course for the many ongoing Jance fans). Beau has struggled through a hard life of alcoholism and two failed marriages, but now, just maybe, he's pulled things together. After his return to Seattle, his new partner, Sue Danielson, bombards him with two cases and a number of leads. A 67-year-old woman named Agnes Ferman burned to death in her bed. After $300,000 was discovered in her garage, the police rightly began to suspect murder. At almost the same time, a group of teenagers discovered the long-dead body of a Native American man--possibly connected to recent hate crime. Sue and Beau plunge into both cases while they begin to learn a bit more about each other.

One of the pleasures of Beau's narrative is his constant, unspoken (and often hilariously sarcastic) asides to the reader. Meanwhile, Beau's sensitivity to Sue and her personal struggles suggest great promise for this couple. In the end, a diverse collection of oddball characters, a comprehensive sense of Seattle and environs, and a strong pairing of mystery plots make this another winning installment in Jance's much-beloved series. The tale of J.P. Beaumont began with Until Proven Guilty in 1985, and has included award-winners Without Due Process and Failure to Appear among its 14 books. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
In his 14th outing (and first in three years), Seattle homicide detective J.P. Beaumont (Name Withheld, etc.) finds, along with his new partner, Sue Danielson, that seemingly ho-hum investigations grow in grim complexity even as personal distractions multiply. The pair has been assigned to investigate the arson death of Agnes Ferman, a woman disliked by just about everyone; the more than $300,000 found tucked away in her garage points to plenty of suspects. In Seattle's Seward Park, meanwhile, a group of costumed, role-playing teens have been using human bones in their games. Beau is warned that the bones may be those of Quinault shaman David Half Moon, and that anyone handling them is in grave danger. Beau scoffs, but when some of those associated with the investigation meet violent ends, he and Sue develop open minds. Adding texture to the doings are Sue's troubles centering around the sudden reappearance of her violent ex-husband, who, uncharacteristically, wants to take their sons on a dream trip to Disneyland. A coincidence?that most of the Seward Park suspects regularly congregate at one of Beau's haunts?stains the narrative, but otherwise Jance, as usual, relates a clean and tightly woven plot distinguished by authentic dialogue, honest emotions and characters readers will care about.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (November 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038071843X
• ISBN-13: 978-0380718436
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,975 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 14 in The J.P. Beaumont Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beaumont Must Get Over Anne Corley!, June 4, 2000

By	Catherine Page "scarlette" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Breach of Duty: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery (Hardcover)

J. A. Jance and her Detective Beaumont series are by far my favorite available at this point in time. Beau is not your average detective - not with his unlimited bank account and red Porsche that were the inheritance from both wife and murderess Anne Corley. Despite having enough money to spend the rest of his life on permanent vacation, Beau continues to work because putting away the bad guy and seeking justice for the good are what give his life meaning.

J. A. Jance always manages to weave personal touches and storylines into the lives of her characters while never slowing down the plot of her mysteries. In "Breach of Duty" we are treated with not one but two seperate mysteries, and an ending which will leave J. P. Beaumont looking at a whole new direction in his life.

Beau and his partner, Sue Danielson, are stuck with two mysteries: first, the discovery of old bones in Seward Park which end up belonging to a powerful Indian shaman some 10 years dead. Second, murder by arson of an older lady who happens to have $300,000 in cold, hard cash in her fridge. Beaumont and Danielson have to figure out where the money came from and where it should go to, as well as who might have murdered the old lady. Was it one of her poverty stricken relatives, or something to do with the rich and powerful Forrester family the lady once worked for?

As for the shaman's bones, they have been disturbed from their ancient burial grounds, and all those responsible and those who have been in contact with the bones are at the mercy of the shaman's curse. As the body count starts rising, can Beaumont solve the mystery and save those who have been affected?

The end of this story will bring about some dramatic changes in the life of J. P. Beaumont. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, to see where Beau's life leads him next, and to see if he can learn to let go of the responsibilities he's unfairly heaped on his own shoulders. I'm hoping that a new love interest for Beaumont - a real one with staying power and plenty of gumption and patience will turn up to reward Beau for all of the good he's done to everyone but himself. Come on Jance, let's give Beaumont the woman he deserves.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, but I'm afraid JP Beaumont won't be back!, June 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Breach of Duty: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery (Hardcover)

I've loved the Beaumont books since discovering the series in 1989 ... read all of them and the Arizona ones, too. (Seattle wins, hands down.) This story, with two unrelated cases as well as personal events in the lives of the main players, is one of the best in the series. Please don't let this be JP's last case! The events of this story seemed to affect JP more than some of the others, and the reader couldn't help but share his feelings. As always, Jance takes me back for another visit to Seattle, probably my favorite place in the world. I hope she's busy on another Beaumont book ... I'm waiting!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Old Friend Returns.-J. P. Beaumont, January 31, 2000

By	Teresa Ferguson (Seattle, WA,) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breach of Duty: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery (Hardcover)

As an avid murder mystery reader, I find J. P. Beaumont to be a real page turner. As a Seattle resident who prides herself in knowing all the history of this area, Jance hits the mark with historical accuracy and city legends which makes the reading experience even more fulfilling. We want more J. P. Beaumont.....This book gives us hope as he moves to a new kind of work with the State. Thanks, Jance, I LOVED IT.