Improbable Cause (J. P. Beaumont Mysteries (Paperback))
£2.49
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place - In this installment of the J.P. Beaumont series, J.A. Jance gives us a well-crafted mystery, with many layers, and plenty of twists and turns. But she also allows us a further peek under the tent of the main character, which increases the enjoyment of these books even more and leaves us seeking the next one in the series.This time, Beau is summoned to a dentist s office, where the professional that generally makes the patients fear for their life, has been murdered in a gruesome fashion and left to simmer for a couple of days. Right away, we get several people that have motive for murdering the dentist, and some of them are clearly doctoring their tale. A carpet installer was arguing with the victim before the dentist s demise, and there is a carpeting tool with blood on it. The assistant seems to be hiding something. The victim was separated from his wife, who claimed he beat her, and she was scheduled to meet the victim the day of the murder. And there are many other people that are not bothered in the least by the events.So J.P. and his official and unofficial partners, Big Al Lindstrom and Peters (helping from the hospital where he is recovering), start their quest to find the killer. In the process, Beaumont has to deal with the ever-annoying Maxwell Cole, who is back with his personal attacks through the newspaper column. Of course, there is also a female that Beau will have to figure out. In the last book his bad streak with women was not reverted, but at least the ending was not as bad as in previous cases. Will this be the time when his luck changes? The information we get on this book regarding the detective s relationship with his ex-wife and her betrayal will allow us to understand better some of the interactions we have seen in the past books.This book is another ride on a fast and furious roller coaster. I am bruised after reading it, because Jance has pulled the rug from under my feet so many times in this one that I have lost count of the times I was wrong about who did it. I don t mind the bumps though, because the end result is really satisfying. The only thing that I found a little over the top in this book was the way in which the top brass in the police reacted to Beau s decisions throughout the case. I understand the intent of showing the detective as a guy that has no regard for authority, but showing that authority in such an unreal light took a little away from this story. Anyway, the final result is still good enough to leave us satisfied, so do not miss it.
Jance Disappoints in Predictable Plot - While I usually enjoy reading about J.A.Jance s hero, J.P. Beaumont, I was disappointed by the predictable plot and resolution of this novel. As a current Seattleite, I relish Jance s descriptions of my fair city which are both amusing and accurate. Try others of Jance s novels, but I would recommend skipping Improbable Cause.