Detective Beaumont solves the mystery in spite of all the ...
586450
Detective Beaumont solves the mystery in spite of all the interference from his supervisors. He learned a powerful lesson. Never give up on your family.
4053188
Four and a half MEMORABLE Stars! "Second Watch" is a wide-ranging J. P. Beaumont mystery novel which is part-prequel and part-modern era mystery that is based on a cold case from the past. The novel is the latest for J. A. Jance in a 30-year timespan of 20 J. P. Beaumont novels. Within the novel, Jonas Piedmont Beaumont touches base with past and present characters and covers a time span of almost 50 years himself. From the highlands of Pleiku Vietnam to rainy Seattle Washington to Bisbee Arizona, this mystery has a 'back to the future' air to it, as "Beau" undergoes a serious operation, and in recovery, has realistic 'flashbacks' to previous memorable people and incidents. He is prompted to take action on a case that has been "cold" for far too long. Once again, author J. A. Jance shows great facility for writing compelling police procedurals, plus medical recovery procedures this time.  But the essential perplexing question that reverberates across the landscape of this 'time-shifting' mystery novel is one that will not go away and resists resolution: who killed Monica? Highly Recommended. Four and a half ENGROSSING Stars! (William Morrow. 368 pages, reviewed in text-to-speech and text, and do read the follow-on material, especially "The Story Behind Second Watch".)
3476704
Inspector Huss is a dedicated detective who works well with others in her department.  The story was well written and had several problems to be solved.  The problems seemed to be insurmountable and the author carefully guided me through the solution.  There seemed to be a lot of detail but it was not an overload or boring but helped to build the climax at the end.  I will read more of Tursten's books.
1002648
Anita - sister of Rupert Margolis - has disappeared.  His main concern seems to be that she has left him to do all the housework and he wonders if the police can point him in the direction of some domestic help.  Once Wexford and his colleagues have disabused him of this idea they are still left with a niggling feeling that there just might be something in it of interest to them.

This is a well written mystery with lots of interweaving strands which may or may not be connected to the original mystery of what has happened to Anita.  Wexford is puzzled by the case especially when it seems that a murder may have been committed because a couple were seen staggering from a house in which a great deal of blood was found. I find Wexford and interesting character and his relationships with his police colleagues are well done.

This is the third instalment of the Wexford series and it is a good example of this excellent series.  The psychological aspects of the crime are well done and the motivations of the characters believable. I found I cared what happened to everyone involved.
461017
Karen Charlton keeps you guessing as Lavender and Woods take on what appears to be a robbery that resulted in a death. However few of the
 characters are who or what they seem, including  the victim! To thicken the plot, Woods finds an unexpected connection to one of the suspects. As usual Detective Lavender unravels the many tangled threads connecting the suspects to achieve not only justice under the law but moral justice as well.
2276481
This is the second J.P. Beaumont book in the series by J.A. Jance. I just finished this book last night after finishing the first one about a week or so ago. After reading two books, it seems obvious to me that I am now dedicated to this series and look forward to going through them in the next few months or so.

The book is written well - plenty of good dialogue among characters. I like the J.P. Beaumont character. I like his partner Peters, and the attorney Ames. The mystery itself is interesting. I won't say it is totally unpredictable, but you never quite know for sure until you find out who was behind the murders, and why.

I gave this four stars though, because like the first one, there is some hokiness that I don't particularly care for (i.e. it seems that every girl that J.P. meets is peculiar, and giggly). Also a bit odd is how when the mystery itself is put on the backburner for a bit (I won't reveal why), J.P. starts investigating another case and it seemed that the author took the book in a separate direction (the burning of the bums) for a bit that was not necessarily necessary.

Overall though, the story altogether is really great, and I expect the Beaumont books will get even better as I go through them.
3728722
l would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good layered mystery. Jance has several stories going on at one time.
Each is brought to a satisfying conclusion.
229112
Hammett introduces a new character, Ned Beaumont as the detective, though in fact that is not his profession. The story takes a lot of turns but always stays with the main theme and as usual the final denouement is a surprise.
4865495
This book is quite a puzzler, with the chief of police's aunt Anna in the middle of this mystery.
A boat runs aground in her back yard, then a stranger claims to be a gardener at around the same time the boat is found and then strange things start happening around Anna's house when the chief of police calls Angie and her sisters to go and help out.
Then things really start popping. A body is found, another missing and who are these people and where did they come from?
So many unanswered questions about the boat and people.
It is getting everyone unease. Angie and the gang are at a lost to what is going on at aunt Anna's house and barn. Things missing and moved around. Why and who is doing it?
YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED, it is a sleepless night of reading.
154696
I have enjoyed several of the DCI Bennett mysteries and often the culprit turns out to be the person you least expect. This novel was less of a who-dun-it than a police procedural trying to figure out all of the details of the crimes and murders. Each of the large cast of unique characters played a particular part in the puzzle, and I was intrigued as the various threads were pulled together.  Well-done.
2721383
Since Liam is such a great reporter it makes sense that there is a mystery to solve (something for his mid to really dig into). And, it is a well-plotted mystery with lots of little trails leading in different directions, but good clues placed throughout.
This is a slow-burn romance, as Liam is very limited in his access to his emotions  or hes so focused on his self-worth being tied to his career accomplishments that its hard for him to pick up on the emotional cues his heart is telling him. Quinn is obviously someone who has a kink for the hard-to-loves. It would have been cool to understand more of his back story, but this is Liams tale, and while he is an investigative journalist  he doesnt really know how to dig deep on a personal leveluntil he kind of does.

Quinn, Hunter and Shannon are a great crew of friends. Hunter especially is a dynamic, charismatic, multi-layered character. I really hope we get to read his story.
1209799
I've enjoyed the Beaumont series for quite a while.  Jance has kept the characters in current time - ageing, career changes/advancements, etc. throughout the series.  Plots have a twist.
2336225
An unusual hero, car mechanic Alex Glauberman has a mystery to solve.

We follow Alex as he attempts to uncover the truth of package and dead body while at the same time coping with lymphona.

Who really killed Jerry?  Who is chasing after Alex?

This is an enjoyable tale that holds the readers interest all the way to the end.  I look forward to more.
297371
This is a Detective-Superintendent Dalziel and Sergeant Pascoe novel.  The title is taken from the writings of Sir Francis Bacon.  The appeal of a student of her suspension from college discloses, seemingly, an improper relationship with a tutor, Mr. Fallowfield.  The question arises, is Mr. Fallowfield to be permitted the use of the faculty room while he is relieved of other duties?

A monument to the deceased head of the school, Miss Girling, is situated in the way of a new science building and must be moved.  In the process of the move, a discovery is made of the remains of a body.  It is assumed that placement was made five years earlier.  Thus, Dalziel and Pascoe begin to investigate their list of missing persons from the previous five years.

Pascoe has a reunion of sorts with a former schoolmate of his, Eleanor Soper, who is on the college staff.  Next, the police are surprised to learn that the dental evidence of the remains points to Miss Girling herself.  There is the death, too, of  girl on the golf course.  Investigative work is doubled.

The police find it is difficult to locate people in a college, although college employees do seem to converge on the police with lots of questions.  Pascoe suggests to Dalziel that, particularly in a total institution, there is a shadow side to things.  Coincidence provides a line of inquiry to the police.

Pascoe is not comfortable with his gruff superior.  Each of the officers is, nevertheless, a keen observer and dedicated solver of crimes.  This is an excellent offering in an excellent series.
162176
J. A. Jance does not disappoint. Detective J. P. Beaumont is one of my favorite characters, and any police work he's involved in is bound to be complicated. This story was no exception. There were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the very end. Enjoy!
884812
Written in 1972 and winner of the Best Novel Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 1973, this clever mystery by P. D. James features a female detective who is no Miss Marple.  Cordelia Gray, is a contemporary detective, liberated and independent.  An attractive young woman in her early twenties, she has inherited a detective agency from her partner Bernie Pryde, and she intends to keep it running, make it profitable, and create a career for herself.  Polite and at ease in elegant circumstances, Cordelia is also willing to take chances and do all the dirty work--and carry a gun.

On her first case following the death of Bernie Pryde, Cordelia is hired by famed environmentalist Sir Ronald Callender of Garforth House, to find out why his son Mark has hanged himself.  Sir Ronald has had little interest in or affection for his son during his lifetime but now seems determined to understand the reasons for his son's shocking suicide.  Cordelia soon learns that just prior to his death, Mark dropped out of college and found work as a gardener, severing relations with his father from whom he declared he would accept no money or support.  Further investigation leads Cordelia to believe that Mark was murdered.

The characters, though "thin" and somewhat stereotypical, are quirky and memorable enough to keep the reader interested in their behavior--Mark's friends, who know more than they are willing to reveal; Sir Ronald's household, including Elizabeth Leaming, his secretary, formerly a student of literature; Miss Markland, the sad single mother who once lived in the cottage where Mark's body was found; and Christopher Lunn, assistant to Sir Ronald at the scientific foundation where they both work.  Soon an attempt is made on Cordelia's life, and three more deaths occur before Mark's murderer and motive are revealed.

James is a master at keeping the reader guessing till the very end, creating numerous plot twists which change the reader's perceptions and expectations at every turn.  The tension remains high throughout, and the conclusion, in which Cordelia has to make a report to Adam Dalgiesh, Bernie Pryde's mentor (and the main character of James's best-known series), allows James to connect Cornelia's story with that series and, perhaps, give it additional credibility.  Cordelia Gray is an engaging detective conveying just the right balance of ingenuousness and fierce determination, traits that continue her appeal in James's The Skull Beneath the Skin.  One of James's best novels, "Unsuitable Job" will keep even jaded mystery readers on the edge of their chairs.  n  Mary Whipple
455304
I have read other J A Jance mysteries and liked them very much.  I will read more of the J P Beaumont mysteries also.