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. (Dec.)
From: Reed Elsevier Inc.
Copyright Reed Business Information
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.
From: Reed Elsevier Inc.
Copyright Reed Business Information
J. A. Jance was born in South Dakota on October 27, 1944. She received a degree in English and Secondary Education in 1966 and a M. Ed. in Library Science in 1970 from the University of Arizona. Before becoming an author, she taught high school English, worked as a school librarian on a Native American reservation, and sold insurance. She is the author of three mystery series: J. P. Beaumont Mystery series, Joanna Brady Mystery series, and The Ali Reynolds series. She won the American Mystery Award in 1992 and 1993 for Without Due Process and Failure to Appear, respectively. Both of these titles are books in the J. P. Beaumont Mystery series. She has just written the fourth book in her Brandon Walker series. It is entitled Queen of the Night.
(Bowker Author Biography)
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