Fri 26 Aug 2016
Reviewed by Barry Gardner: J. A. JANCE – Without Due Process.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[7] Comments
J. A. JANCE – Without Due Process. J. P. Beaumont #10. William Morrow, hardcover, 1992. Avon, paperback, 1993.
I’d read a couple of Jance’s books about the Seattle policeman before without being too impressed; didn’t dislike them, mind you, just wasn’t really impressed. Evidently a lot of people are, because this is the tenth in the series.
The current book opens with a policeman and his family, along with a visiting child, being brutally murdered. One child survives. There are indications that the dead cop, Beaumont’s current partner’s best friend, may have been corrupt. If that wasn’t bad enough, evidence surfaces that point toward one or more other policemen also being involved in the murder. It’s a dirty case, and it gets dirtier.
I liked this quite a bit more than I had the previous two I’d read. Jance’s writing is relatively straightforward and unadorned, and she paced the story well. Beaumont has become a well-fleshed out character, and others were also nicely done. Based on what I know about how at least one metropolitan police department operates. which is a fair amount, I don’t believe too much in Jance’s depiction of Seattle’s; but who knows, she may have it down pat. Overall, a good read.
Bibliographic Notes: There are currently 23 novels and novellas in Jance’s J. P. Beaumont series. She has also written five books about ex-sheriff Brandon Walker, 18 about Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady, and 13 about ex-television journalist Alison Reynolds.
August 26th, 2016 at 6:17 pm
Barry’s reflections on Jance’s work applies equally well to me. I read a couple of the early books in the Beaumont series, thought they were OK, but when other authors and detectives came along, I’m afraid that I never looked back.
But her books seemed to catch on, while those of other authors, whom I thought equally good — or better — never did. Happily for her, of course!
If I read Hubin correctly, by the way, this book reviewed by Barry was the first to appear in hardcover.
August 26th, 2016 at 8:35 pm
In a way she’s just too prolific for me. She’s good, but not so good I want to spend that much time with her.
August 27th, 2016 at 6:25 am
Jackie reads the Ali Reynolds books. I believe the current total is 11 rather than 13. I read one Beaumont book in 1989 but was never moved to try another, and the first 4 Reynolds books before dropping them.
August 27th, 2016 at 9:05 am
My count on the Ali Reynolds includes No Honor Among Thieves (2015), a novella which apparently is available only on Kindle (and maybe an audio CD) and Man Overboard (2017), so in a sense, perhaps we are both correct.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:35 am
I’ll tell her about the Kindle-only novella.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:40 am
Just checked, and the novella features both Reynolds and Sheriff Joanna Brady. In addition to that, there is a second novella featuring the two of them that came out this month – RANDOM ACTS. (FYI – Amazon has the first for 99 cents, the second for $1.99.)
August 28th, 2016 at 9:10 am
Thanks for the information, Jeff. Jance is really making it hard for bibliographers to keep up, isn’t she?