I've been waiting for a new Judy Jance book. J.A. Jance writes two mystery series: one about a female sheriff of Bisbee, Arizona and another series about a detective in Seattle named J.P. Beaumont. I've always enjoyed the Seattle books much more than those that take place in Arizona.
The first chapters of JUSTICE DENIED were disappointing. A chief inspector is named Harry I. Ball and the special unit to which Beaumont has been assigned is the Special Homicide Investigation Team or s*** squad. Having those two "cute" names within two pages of reading was just about enough to call this book to a halt; but wanted to know how my old friend "Beau" was fairing; I continued to read and was rewarded with a good tale of vigilante justice.
J.P. Beaumont's character has been so well defined: he grew up fatherless, poor, estranged from an extended family but greatly loved by his working mother. He worked for an education and became a husband and cop who drank too much. Divorce followed. He joined AA, cleaned up his life and met the love of his life, Ann Corley, who was also somewhat of a vigilante. Shortly after their marriage, she committed suicide by cop leaving her recently wed spouse a widower and also very, extremely wealthy. Beau is so wealthy that even though he still is an investigator in Seattle, he lives in a luxury high-rise, drives expensive cars, and has on speed dial a high priced attorney that functions almost as Beau's butler.
All of these facts have been revealed over the many books J.A. Jance has written while inside this character. Unfortunately with each new book, she has to spin in the details of the past that has made Beaumont the character that he is today.
This was good escape reading. It even gave me a contest entry for the new ABC I-Caught Show. Viewers are invited to submit a statement relevant to themselves if it can be expressed in three words -- only requirement is that it be true.
In one paragraph in the book, J. P. Beaumont says, "I've been there. I've done that. I've got the t-shirt. So I submitted: "Got the T-shirt?"
I like that, "got the T-shirt?" to me means membership is a particular fraternity of a particular life experience.
Laura Lippman is waiting next on the stack to be read. JUSTICE DENIED moves to the right-side bed table on the top of Mr. Kathy's stack.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathy Albers
