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J.P. Beaumont #10
Without Due Process
Unabridged, 1 audiobook file (8 parts), 9 hours 14 minutes 42 seconds
_______________
What kind of monster would break into a man's home at night, then slaughter him and his family? The fact that the dead man was a model cop who was loved and respected by all only intensifies the horror. But the killer missed someone: a five-year-old boy who was hiding in the closet. Now word is being leaked out that the victim was "dirty." But Seattle P.D. Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont isn't about to let anyone drag a murdered friend's reputation through the muck. And he'll put his own life on the firing line on the gang-ruled streets to save a terrified child who knows too much to live.
_______________
What kind of monster would break into a man's home at night, then slaughter him and his family? The fact that the dead man was a model cop who was loved and respected by all only intensifies the horror. But the killer missed someone: a five-year-old boy who was hiding in the closet. Now word is being leaked out that the victim was "dirty." But Seattle P.D. Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont isn't about to let anyone drag a murdered friend's reputation through the muck. And he'll put his own life on the firing line on the gang-ruled streets to save a terrified child who knows too much to live.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
568 people are currently reading
1251 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Jance
145 books4,110 followersJudith Ann Jance is the top 10 New York Times bestselling author of the Joanna Brady series; the J. P. Beaumont series; three interrelated thrillers featuring the Walker family; and Edge of Evil, the first in a series featuring Ali Reynolds. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.
Series:
* J.P. Beaumont
* Joanna Brady
* Ali Reynolds
* Walker Family
Series:
* J.P. Beaumont
* Joanna Brady
* Ali Reynolds
* Walker Family
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
December 2, 2022
I am loving this series and JP more and more with each book. This one was really well written, it was fast paced and had some really great characters. JP is investigating the murder of a police off and his family. What follows is a story with so many twist and turns I could not wait to find out what happened. Another great instalment in the JP series.
June 3, 2019
This is my second J.A. Jance book I have read this week and I enjoyed them both. In this one a beloved Seattle policeman and his family is murdered. J.P. and others are soon on the trail. Was it gang members or was it an inside job? Recommended.
August 28, 2021
Two-haiku review:
Cop, family killed
Suspicion on local gangs
But doesn't add up
Well done mystery
Liking Beaumont more and more
Enjoying series
Cop, family killed
Suspicion on local gangs
But doesn't add up
Well done mystery
Liking Beaumont more and more
Enjoying series
May 17, 2014
For me, this was the best yet of the Beaumont series. It was fast moving, the characters were all interesting, and the story elements were interesting. As the novel opens, we see Beaumont and his partner, Big Al answering a call that turns out to have been the brutal murder of one of Big Al's closest friends along with his entire family including the dog. The murdered cop was one of the few African-Americans on the Seattle police force and Beau's "old buddy" Kramer wants it an open and shut race related killing. Along the way it is discovered that the actual killer or killers may have been Seattle cops and Beau winds up working secretly for Internal Investigations. Only the requirements of work and sleep kept me away from finishing this novel in one stretch. It was truly a page-turner. If you like mysteries of the police procedural variety, give this one a look. I'll be willing to bet you won't regret it.
October 1, 2019
A Seattle police officer and his family are killed in their home. The only survivor is a small boy. Homicide detective J.P. Beaumont and his partner are regulated to the second team due to their relationship to the slain officer who is suspected of being dirty. There are leads that suggest police officers were involved in the murders.
September 19, 2018
Teddy Bears for comfort.
October 14, 2018
I skipped through the beginning where they were describing the initial murders. The rest of the story was quite enjoyable.
November 2, 2020
Sometimes, authors have difficulty writing stories which feature a character of different gender. I've read some of the Joanna Brady novels by this author and was less than impressed, but felt that Jance, a female author, does a decent job describing a male hero. In fact, I was impressed by her skill in crossing this obstacle which some authors fail to overcome.
Beaumont is a homicide cop who is called to the scene of a horrific mass murder of a cop and his family, including children. His partner, Big Al, was close to the cop and is quickly removed from the case because of his emotional attachment. Beaumont's assignment is minimized as well. He soon finds himself fighting police bureaucracy. The question is was the cop a dirty cop-- and from the beginning we know that this is unlikely-- but still all avenues must be investigated.
What follows is a mostly decent police procedural-- with Beaumont following the bread crumbs-- but also dealing with the fact that there is at least one dirty cop on the inside of the task force assigned. It isn't too long before Baumont is on the defensive.
Okay, this one has some flaws. Some of the clues arrived come from a source other than solid police work. Eventually, there is a secret meeting between gang leaders and the police chief, which was the worst flaw in the story-- just not realistic at all.
Jance does a good job presenting the police officers. In particular, in the Seattle department she presents, every detective does at least an assignment or two for internal affairs, a clever idea (especially if factual) that prevents a department from building a power structure from the inside. The head of that unit is, of course, hated within the department, but Beaumont soon discovers that he is an exemplary officer who conducts himself with wisdom and discretion. The new police chief, recently accepting the position from Oakland, suffers from accusations (never revealed as true or false) of racist attitudes, but in this instance, conducts himself with honor. Big Al, though angry over his friend's murder, is a big Swede, and he is one of the more interesting officers. Even though Jance writes a novel involving possible bad cops, she does so with a respect for those who do their jobs, an understanding that officers are imperfect, and an understanding that different officers have certain strengths and weaknesses. For example, the deceased officer was slightly dyslexic, and this leads to some of the clues for Beaumont, but for this reader it humanized the man-- a hero in many ways, but not a perfect man.
Okay, the resolution of the surviving child's placement seemed a bit simplistic-- though I think it needed to play out in that manner.
Beaumont lives in a penthouse. He is wealthy from some type of inheritance, that likely was better explained in an earlier installment. This causes the chief to do a double take when he finds out Beaumont is driving a Porsche... A funny moment.
Beaumont is a homicide cop who is called to the scene of a horrific mass murder of a cop and his family, including children. His partner, Big Al, was close to the cop and is quickly removed from the case because of his emotional attachment. Beaumont's assignment is minimized as well. He soon finds himself fighting police bureaucracy. The question is was the cop a dirty cop-- and from the beginning we know that this is unlikely-- but still all avenues must be investigated.
What follows is a mostly decent police procedural-- with Beaumont following the bread crumbs-- but also dealing with the fact that there is at least one dirty cop on the inside of the task force assigned. It isn't too long before Baumont is on the defensive.
Okay, this one has some flaws. Some of the clues arrived come from a source other than solid police work. Eventually, there is a secret meeting between gang leaders and the police chief, which was the worst flaw in the story-- just not realistic at all.
Jance does a good job presenting the police officers. In particular, in the Seattle department she presents, every detective does at least an assignment or two for internal affairs, a clever idea (especially if factual) that prevents a department from building a power structure from the inside. The head of that unit is, of course, hated within the department, but Beaumont soon discovers that he is an exemplary officer who conducts himself with wisdom and discretion. The new police chief, recently accepting the position from Oakland, suffers from accusations (never revealed as true or false) of racist attitudes, but in this instance, conducts himself with honor. Big Al, though angry over his friend's murder, is a big Swede, and he is one of the more interesting officers. Even though Jance writes a novel involving possible bad cops, she does so with a respect for those who do their jobs, an understanding that officers are imperfect, and an understanding that different officers have certain strengths and weaknesses. For example, the deceased officer was slightly dyslexic, and this leads to some of the clues for Beaumont, but for this reader it humanized the man-- a hero in many ways, but not a perfect man.
Okay, the resolution of the surviving child's placement seemed a bit simplistic-- though I think it needed to play out in that manner.
Beaumont lives in a penthouse. He is wealthy from some type of inheritance, that likely was better explained in an earlier installment. This causes the chief to do a double take when he finds out Beaumont is driving a Porsche... A funny moment.
March 15, 2023
Without Due Process by J A Jance
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: (1993 per Wikipedia) 1/1/1992; PUBLISHER: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition; ISBN 978-0688114596; PAGES 302; Unabridged (Amazon Hardcover)
Digital: COPYRIGHT: 2006; PUBLISHER: Harper-Collins e-books; ISBN 978-0061760938; PAGES 338; Unabridged (Overdrive, LAPL, Kindle edition)
*Audio: COPYRIGHT: 1/21/2005; ISBN: not included in library details this time; PUBLISHER: Books in Motion; DURATION: 09:14:42; PARTS: 8; File Size: 266554 KB; Unabridged (Overdrive LA County Library)
Feature Film or tv: Not that I’m aware of.
SERIES: J. P. Beaumont Series, Book 10
CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive)
Jonas Piedmont Beaumont-J.P. Beaumont (Beau)—Seattle Washington Detective
Ralph Ames – Beau’s friend and lawyer
Al Lindstrom (Big Al) – Beau’s partner
Sergeant Watkin (Watty) – Seattle Police Sergeant
Captain Lawrence Powell – Seattle Police Captain
Anne Corley – Beaus late wife
Ron Peterson – Beau’s former partner
Amy Peterson – Ron’s wife
Heather Peterson – Ron Peterson’s daughter
Tracie (sometimes spelled Tracy) Peterson – Ron’s daughter
Benjamin Harrison Weston (Gentle Ben) – Al’s former partner
Junior Weston – Ben’s youngest boy
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it: I have decided to listen to all of Jance’s books and this was the next one in the series.
What’s it about? Beau’s partner, Al’s former partner is murdered along with his entire family. Had he gone bad and started mixing with the wrong people?
What did I think? Another great, attention-holding episode.
AUTHOR: J. A. (Judith Ann) Jance -- (born October 27, 1944) "Jance was born in Watertown, South Dakota,[2] and raised in Bisbee, Arizona (the setting for her Joanna Brady series of novels). Before becoming an author, she worked as a school librarian on a Native American reservation (Tohono O'Odham), and as a teacher and insurance agent." -- Wikipedia
NARRATOR: Gene Engene -- "Gene Engene is an award-winning reader with an astounding catalog of audiobooks to his credit. He is best known as J.P. Beaumont in the J.A. Jance mystery series. Gene is a veteran stage actor, director, and is a retired Professor of Drama at Eastern Washington University." -- Books in Motion
GENRE:
Fiction; Mystery
SUBJECTS:
Teddy Bear Patrol; Family massacre; Gangs; Police; Seattle, Washington
LOCATIONS:
Seattle, Washington
TIME FRAME:
Contemporary (1993)
DEDICATION:
“To the Teddy Bear Patrol, people who give small comforts to small people”
EXCERPT:
"BACK IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT AND NOT-SO-GOOD old days, I remember staying up until all hours every April 14 finishing up my income tax returns. It wasn’t because they were all that complicated because there was never that much money. No, the difficulty was always nothing more or less than an almost fatal tendency to procrastinate where income taxes are concerned. Once I had completed the dirty job, likely as not I’d reward myself with a couple of stiff belts of MacNaughton’s.
A few things have changed since then, some of them for the better. For one, I’m trying, one day at a time, to keep away from Demon Rum. For another, thanks to Anne Corley, there’s a hell of a lot more money in my life, and as a consequence, a much more complicated income tax problem. These days, my relations with the IRS are handled by a CPA firm hired and supervised by my attorney and friend, Ralph Ames, whose presence in my life I also owe to Anne Corley. The only thing that hasn’t changed is my tendency to procrastinate.
That’s why, on the evening of April 14, Ralph showed up around eight o’clock, bringing with him my completed but unsigned returns. The ink was still wet. Ralph, who has been through this exercise with me now a time or two, had held a gun to my accountant’s head and insisted that, no, we were not going to file for an extension.
I fixed a pot of coffee, and for a while we sat in my living room window seat, visiting and watching the nighttime boat traffic crisscrossing the black expanse of Puget Sound. Finally, though, Ralph cleared his throat, switched on the table lamp, and handed me the weighty manila envelope. “Time to go to work,” he said.
As I read over the return, I knew better than to expect to get anything back, but when I hit the bottom line and saw that the amount due equaled 80 percent of my annual take-home pay as a homicide detective for the Seattle Police Department, I about hit the roof.
“You’ve got to be kidding! That’s how much I owe?”
Ralph Ames nodded and grinned. “Can I help it if you’re making money hand over fist? We lucked into some very good investments this last year. Stop complaining and write the check, Beau. You can transfer in enough money to cover it tomorrow or the next day.”
First I signed the return, then I reached for the checkbook. With pen in hand I paused long enough to verify that astonishing figure one last time. “What’s the point in working then?” I demanded irritably. “Why bother to show up down at the department day after day?”
Ralph waited patiently for me to finish writing the check. When I handed it over to him, he put both the signed return and the check on the coffee table.
“Good question.” He smiled. “Seems to me I’ve mentioned that very thing to you a time or two myself. You need to lighten up, Beau. Work less, learn to have some fun, maybe even find yourself a woman. That’s an idea. Whatever happened to Marilyn? I haven’t seen her around here for some time.”
Marilyn Sykes, the former chief of police on Mercer Island, had been a sometime thing, someone to chum around with and take to bed occasionally until she up and turned serious on me. With a lucrative job offer from Santa Clara, California, in hand, she had come to me with an ultimatum to either get with the program as in marriage or else forget it because she was leaving. She took the job in Santa Clara.
“She got married,” I said. “Just before Christmas last year. To some big-time electronics wizard down in California. She sent me an announcement.” “You’ll get over her eventually,” Ralph said.
I shrugged. “It wasn’t that big a thing, really.”
Ralph shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about Marilyn Sykes,” he said carefully.
Without another word, I got up and went to the kitchen to get more coffee. Ralph Ames was one of the few people who knew just how big a hole Anne Corley’s death had torn in my heart. It’s not something I like to advertise. Years later, I still don’t much want to talk about it. Not even with Ralph."
RATING:
4 stars
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
3-7-2023 to 3-11-2023
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: (1993 per Wikipedia) 1/1/1992; PUBLISHER: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition; ISBN 978-0688114596; PAGES 302; Unabridged (Amazon Hardcover)
Digital: COPYRIGHT: 2006; PUBLISHER: Harper-Collins e-books; ISBN 978-0061760938; PAGES 338; Unabridged (Overdrive, LAPL, Kindle edition)
*Audio: COPYRIGHT: 1/21/2005; ISBN: not included in library details this time; PUBLISHER: Books in Motion; DURATION: 09:14:42; PARTS: 8; File Size: 266554 KB; Unabridged (Overdrive LA County Library)
Feature Film or tv: Not that I’m aware of.
SERIES: J. P. Beaumont Series, Book 10
CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive)
Jonas Piedmont Beaumont-J.P. Beaumont (Beau)—Seattle Washington Detective
Ralph Ames – Beau’s friend and lawyer
Al Lindstrom (Big Al) – Beau’s partner
Sergeant Watkin (Watty) – Seattle Police Sergeant
Captain Lawrence Powell – Seattle Police Captain
Anne Corley – Beaus late wife
Ron Peterson – Beau’s former partner
Amy Peterson – Ron’s wife
Heather Peterson – Ron Peterson’s daughter
Tracie (sometimes spelled Tracy) Peterson – Ron’s daughter
Benjamin Harrison Weston (Gentle Ben) – Al’s former partner
Junior Weston – Ben’s youngest boy
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it: I have decided to listen to all of Jance’s books and this was the next one in the series.
What’s it about? Beau’s partner, Al’s former partner is murdered along with his entire family. Had he gone bad and started mixing with the wrong people?
What did I think? Another great, attention-holding episode.
AUTHOR: J. A. (Judith Ann) Jance -- (born October 27, 1944) "Jance was born in Watertown, South Dakota,[2] and raised in Bisbee, Arizona (the setting for her Joanna Brady series of novels). Before becoming an author, she worked as a school librarian on a Native American reservation (Tohono O'Odham), and as a teacher and insurance agent." -- Wikipedia
NARRATOR: Gene Engene -- "Gene Engene is an award-winning reader with an astounding catalog of audiobooks to his credit. He is best known as J.P. Beaumont in the J.A. Jance mystery series. Gene is a veteran stage actor, director, and is a retired Professor of Drama at Eastern Washington University." -- Books in Motion
GENRE:
Fiction; Mystery
SUBJECTS:
Teddy Bear Patrol; Family massacre; Gangs; Police; Seattle, Washington
LOCATIONS:
Seattle, Washington
TIME FRAME:
Contemporary (1993)
DEDICATION:
“To the Teddy Bear Patrol, people who give small comforts to small people”
EXCERPT:
"BACK IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT AND NOT-SO-GOOD old days, I remember staying up until all hours every April 14 finishing up my income tax returns. It wasn’t because they were all that complicated because there was never that much money. No, the difficulty was always nothing more or less than an almost fatal tendency to procrastinate where income taxes are concerned. Once I had completed the dirty job, likely as not I’d reward myself with a couple of stiff belts of MacNaughton’s.
A few things have changed since then, some of them for the better. For one, I’m trying, one day at a time, to keep away from Demon Rum. For another, thanks to Anne Corley, there’s a hell of a lot more money in my life, and as a consequence, a much more complicated income tax problem. These days, my relations with the IRS are handled by a CPA firm hired and supervised by my attorney and friend, Ralph Ames, whose presence in my life I also owe to Anne Corley. The only thing that hasn’t changed is my tendency to procrastinate.
That’s why, on the evening of April 14, Ralph showed up around eight o’clock, bringing with him my completed but unsigned returns. The ink was still wet. Ralph, who has been through this exercise with me now a time or two, had held a gun to my accountant’s head and insisted that, no, we were not going to file for an extension.
I fixed a pot of coffee, and for a while we sat in my living room window seat, visiting and watching the nighttime boat traffic crisscrossing the black expanse of Puget Sound. Finally, though, Ralph cleared his throat, switched on the table lamp, and handed me the weighty manila envelope. “Time to go to work,” he said.
As I read over the return, I knew better than to expect to get anything back, but when I hit the bottom line and saw that the amount due equaled 80 percent of my annual take-home pay as a homicide detective for the Seattle Police Department, I about hit the roof.
“You’ve got to be kidding! That’s how much I owe?”
Ralph Ames nodded and grinned. “Can I help it if you’re making money hand over fist? We lucked into some very good investments this last year. Stop complaining and write the check, Beau. You can transfer in enough money to cover it tomorrow or the next day.”
First I signed the return, then I reached for the checkbook. With pen in hand I paused long enough to verify that astonishing figure one last time. “What’s the point in working then?” I demanded irritably. “Why bother to show up down at the department day after day?”
Ralph waited patiently for me to finish writing the check. When I handed it over to him, he put both the signed return and the check on the coffee table.
“Good question.” He smiled. “Seems to me I’ve mentioned that very thing to you a time or two myself. You need to lighten up, Beau. Work less, learn to have some fun, maybe even find yourself a woman. That’s an idea. Whatever happened to Marilyn? I haven’t seen her around here for some time.”
Marilyn Sykes, the former chief of police on Mercer Island, had been a sometime thing, someone to chum around with and take to bed occasionally until she up and turned serious on me. With a lucrative job offer from Santa Clara, California, in hand, she had come to me with an ultimatum to either get with the program as in marriage or else forget it because she was leaving. She took the job in Santa Clara.
“She got married,” I said. “Just before Christmas last year. To some big-time electronics wizard down in California. She sent me an announcement.” “You’ll get over her eventually,” Ralph said.
I shrugged. “It wasn’t that big a thing, really.”
Ralph shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about Marilyn Sykes,” he said carefully.
Without another word, I got up and went to the kitchen to get more coffee. Ralph Ames was one of the few people who knew just how big a hole Anne Corley’s death had torn in my heart. It’s not something I like to advertise. Years later, I still don’t much want to talk about it. Not even with Ralph."
RATING:
4 stars
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
3-7-2023 to 3-11-2023
July 11, 2014
Beau and Big Al get called to a familiar address when an officer down call goes out. Turns out it is to an address where a good friend of Big Al lives. Plus, the call came with a warning that families of cops would be shot. They get to a crowded, bloody scene where Ben, his wife and three children were slaughtered with a knife. Beau is basically trying to keep Big Al from seeing his friend's body. They hear a noise from the closet. It turns out that one of the three dead boys was a neighbor and not Junior. Question is: did Junior see the killer? Can he give a description? Apparently only when he is talking to Uncle Al.
Kramer, Beau's nemesis, is certain that Ben was crooked. And it begins to look that way. Al says no way and this raises questions for Beau. He's got to find out, if only for Al's sake.
Pretty taut story.
Kramer, Beau's nemesis, is certain that Ben was crooked. And it begins to look that way. Al says no way and this raises questions for Beau. He's got to find out, if only for Al's sake.
Pretty taut story.
April 20, 2019
Didn't see the ending coming . . .
But the ending made sense of all leading up to it. Some moralizing on gangs and race and injustice from Jance's heart. Agreeable if not delightful characters I look forward to seeing in the future.
But the ending made sense of all leading up to it. Some moralizing on gangs and race and injustice from Jance's heart. Agreeable if not delightful characters I look forward to seeing in the future.
June 23, 2023
A freaking trainwreck of a mystery, one that steps into repetition and cliche to plod forward. Beaumont is a null of a lead character, one so boring that not even Jance can seem to work up enough enthusiasm about him to make him do more than the cookbook police routine.
This book is staid and unoriginal, the little 'surprise reveals' of the book are simpleminded (there is only one reasonable explanation for why a paragon of a cop would co-sign student loans for gang members), and the who-dun-it solution reveals an essential hole in the plot (the crime is completely out of proportion to motive, and virtually guarantees the wrongdoer's eventual capture).
This book is lazily written and boring.
This book is staid and unoriginal, the little 'surprise reveals' of the book are simpleminded (there is only one reasonable explanation for why a paragon of a cop would co-sign student loans for gang members), and the who-dun-it solution reveals an essential hole in the plot (the crime is completely out of proportion to motive, and virtually guarantees the wrongdoer's eventual capture).
This book is lazily written and boring.
October 27, 2017
This was my favorite JP Beaumont book so far. I give it a 4.5.
August 18, 2018
Still liking Beau and the cast of characters.
September 29, 2018
OMG THE BEST BOOK YET
WILL RE READ AGAIN
SO SO GOOD
A MUST READ
WILL RE READ AGAIN
SO SO GOOD
A MUST READ
October 21, 2018
I liked this book, it had suspense, grief, anger, and love. Some characters I really liked and some I really hated.
November 15, 2018
I'm partial to these books because of the setting - as someone who used to live in the Seattle area. This one may have been the best one so far.
July 10, 2023
A straightforward, basic whodunit for a reader like me is akin to drinking a mug of chamomile tea. It just hits my spot and goes down nicely. Soothes my need-to-know-whodunit soul. I’m continuing my streak of reading books by women authors I’ve heard of, but not yet read. The last two days, I read J.A. Jance’s 1992 novel, Without Due Process. I could have sworn I had read another novel of hers, but I guess not. Anyhow, this novel is the 10th in her J.P. Beaumont series, following Beau, a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department (Seattle is one of Jance’s homebases). Today I learned, J.A. Jance, or Judith Ann, went by J.A. because the publisher said a female author writing a male detective would be a “liability.” Yuck. Well, J.A. Jance has a had a very long and successful career despite sexism in the publishing industry. And she can absolutely write a male detective series.
As I said, Without Due Process, is pretty straightforward, but it’s basicness is its strong suit, in fact. The story starts off with a horrific mass murder: “Gentle Ben” Weston, his wife, two of his kids, one of his kid’s friends, and the family dog, were all brutally murdered in the middle of the night. Ben is a police officer with the Seattle Police Department working in the gang unit. Or as the department euphemistically calls it, Coordinated Criminal Investigations. Of course, that’s a red flag in my book. If a department has a gang unit, there’s a good chance the gang unit is itself operating like a gang, and that seems to have been the case with this one in Jance’s book. Corrupt cops were getting protection money from the three warring gangs in Seattle. And when Ben caught on to that fact, they killed him for it. Just as dangerously, Ben’s 5-year-old son, Ben Weston Jr., survived by hiding in a closet and is now a sought after as a target because he’s a witness.
Scuttlebutt back at the department is that Ben was also corrupt, but as point-of-fact, he was working on a detailed gang database, and as I mentioned, getting close to nailing the corrupt cops. In addition to that, he had created his own, as he called it, Underground Railroad, taking troubled kids from gangs to college and footing the bill for their schooling. He was one of the good ones.
Eventually, Beau and some choice members of the department, including the Captain of Internal Investigations, are able to unravel the whodunit: A former Marine who is a mechanic for the department did the actual killing (and then was either purposefully killed or accidentally overdosed); a Patrol officer there the night of the murder, guarding the house after-the-fact incidentally; and a cop who kept lurking around Beau trying to supposedly sell him life insurance. What a rib that is! And contrary to the title and the sense (as Jance addresses) that cops will go beyond due process to avenge the loss of one of their own, no extrajudicial action occurs in the book. Which I liked!
What I love about Jance’s book here, and the reason I called it straightforward as a compliment, is because there weren’t a lot of overdone twists and turns and unnecessary plot complexities. It was a straightforward story of a good cop gunned down by his fellow bad cops, and a few good cops trying to figure it out. I appreciated a straightforward story like that told exceedingly well and fast-paced.
I also appreciated that Jance put in some race relation issues between the cops and the African American community, i.e., the latter didn’t trust the former and for good reason. So, when an entire African American family gets wiped out, a high-profile one at that, tensions are understandably high. I thought Jance handled that subplot deftly.
Finally, given the book came out in 1992, I found the jokes about Beau not understanding a fax machine or wishing his colleague’s vehicle had a cellular phone so they could respond to a beeper, a fun and funny throwback to a different time.
I look forward to reading more of Jance’s work. I’m intrigued by her Joanna Brady series set in Jance’s other homebase of Arizona. This one, though, made me want to visit Seattle, oddly enough given how on-edge the top officials in her book were with whether folks would still want to visit Seattle due to the gang issues. I still do, thank you very much.
As I said, Without Due Process, is pretty straightforward, but it’s basicness is its strong suit, in fact. The story starts off with a horrific mass murder: “Gentle Ben” Weston, his wife, two of his kids, one of his kid’s friends, and the family dog, were all brutally murdered in the middle of the night. Ben is a police officer with the Seattle Police Department working in the gang unit. Or as the department euphemistically calls it, Coordinated Criminal Investigations. Of course, that’s a red flag in my book. If a department has a gang unit, there’s a good chance the gang unit is itself operating like a gang, and that seems to have been the case with this one in Jance’s book. Corrupt cops were getting protection money from the three warring gangs in Seattle. And when Ben caught on to that fact, they killed him for it. Just as dangerously, Ben’s 5-year-old son, Ben Weston Jr., survived by hiding in a closet and is now a sought after as a target because he’s a witness.
Scuttlebutt back at the department is that Ben was also corrupt, but as point-of-fact, he was working on a detailed gang database, and as I mentioned, getting close to nailing the corrupt cops. In addition to that, he had created his own, as he called it, Underground Railroad, taking troubled kids from gangs to college and footing the bill for their schooling. He was one of the good ones.
Eventually, Beau and some choice members of the department, including the Captain of Internal Investigations, are able to unravel the whodunit: A former Marine who is a mechanic for the department did the actual killing (and then was either purposefully killed or accidentally overdosed); a Patrol officer there the night of the murder, guarding the house after-the-fact incidentally; and a cop who kept lurking around Beau trying to supposedly sell him life insurance. What a rib that is! And contrary to the title and the sense (as Jance addresses) that cops will go beyond due process to avenge the loss of one of their own, no extrajudicial action occurs in the book. Which I liked!
What I love about Jance’s book here, and the reason I called it straightforward as a compliment, is because there weren’t a lot of overdone twists and turns and unnecessary plot complexities. It was a straightforward story of a good cop gunned down by his fellow bad cops, and a few good cops trying to figure it out. I appreciated a straightforward story like that told exceedingly well and fast-paced.
I also appreciated that Jance put in some race relation issues between the cops and the African American community, i.e., the latter didn’t trust the former and for good reason. So, when an entire African American family gets wiped out, a high-profile one at that, tensions are understandably high. I thought Jance handled that subplot deftly.
Finally, given the book came out in 1992, I found the jokes about Beau not understanding a fax machine or wishing his colleague’s vehicle had a cellular phone so they could respond to a beeper, a fun and funny throwback to a different time.
I look forward to reading more of Jance’s work. I’m intrigued by her Joanna Brady series set in Jance’s other homebase of Arizona. This one, though, made me want to visit Seattle, oddly enough given how on-edge the top officials in her book were with whether folks would still want to visit Seattle due to the gang issues. I still do, thank you very much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 6, 2017THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
**
This is one of my favorites of the series so far. There were a few laugh out loud moments, including when Beau was lecturing Ron Peters about how he really needs to get a cell phone installed in his car - Beau who is about as technologically averse as they come. I was happy that Ralph(Lawyer) paid another visit to Beau as I love his character. Ron (crippled cop from a few books back) had a nice role in this story too and I would love to see Tony Freeman (Internal chief) make appearances in future books. The story itself was fast moving and really made it hard to put the book down.
**
For me, this might be the best yet of the Beaumont series. It was fast moving, the characters were all interesting, and the story elements were interesting. As the novel opens, we see Beaumont and his partner, Big Al answering a call that turns out to have been the brutal murder of one of Big Al's closest friends along with his entire family including the dog. The murdered cop was one of the few African-Americans on the Seattle police force and Beau's "old buddy" Kramer wants it an open and shut race related killing. Along the way it is discovered that the actual killer or killers may have been Seattle cops and Beau winds up working secretly for Internal Investigations.
**
Beau and Big Al get called to a familiar address when an officer down call goes out. Turns out it is to an address where a good friend of Big Al lives. Plus, the call came with a warning that families of cops would be shot. They get to a crowded, bloody scene where Ben, his wife and three children were slaughtered with a knife. Beau is basically trying to keep Big Al from seeing his friend's body. They hear a noise from the closet. It turns out that one of the three dead boys was a neighbor and not Junior. Question is: did Junior see the killer? Can he give a description? Apparently only when he is talking to Uncle Al.
Kramer, Beau's nemesis, is certain that Ben was crooked. And it begins to look that way. Al says no way and this raises questions for Beau. He's got to find out, if only for Al's sake.
**
This is one of my favorites of the series so far. There were a few laugh out loud moments, including when Beau was lecturing Ron Peters about how he really needs to get a cell phone installed in his car - Beau who is about as technologically averse as they come. I was happy that Ralph(Lawyer) paid another visit to Beau as I love his character. Ron (crippled cop from a few books back) had a nice role in this story too and I would love to see Tony Freeman (Internal chief) make appearances in future books. The story itself was fast moving and really made it hard to put the book down.
**
For me, this might be the best yet of the Beaumont series. It was fast moving, the characters were all interesting, and the story elements were interesting. As the novel opens, we see Beaumont and his partner, Big Al answering a call that turns out to have been the brutal murder of one of Big Al's closest friends along with his entire family including the dog. The murdered cop was one of the few African-Americans on the Seattle police force and Beau's "old buddy" Kramer wants it an open and shut race related killing. Along the way it is discovered that the actual killer or killers may have been Seattle cops and Beau winds up working secretly for Internal Investigations.
**
Beau and Big Al get called to a familiar address when an officer down call goes out. Turns out it is to an address where a good friend of Big Al lives. Plus, the call came with a warning that families of cops would be shot. They get to a crowded, bloody scene where Ben, his wife and three children were slaughtered with a knife. Beau is basically trying to keep Big Al from seeing his friend's body. They hear a noise from the closet. It turns out that one of the three dead boys was a neighbor and not Junior. Question is: did Junior see the killer? Can he give a description? Apparently only when he is talking to Uncle Al.
Kramer, Beau's nemesis, is certain that Ben was crooked. And it begins to look that way. Al says no way and this raises questions for Beau. He's got to find out, if only for Al's sake.
September 5, 2024
All the cops in the fictional Seattle precinct where J. P. Beaumont worked referred to the dead cop as “Gentle Ben.” He had a wife and three kids. He was one of the good guys.
The call came deep in the night. Someone had murdered Ben Weston, his wife, and their three kids. When the cops got there, they saw carnage beyond description. Whoever killed the family was despicably sick beyond measure. The wife tried to fight for her life, but he made short work of her, as he did the cop and the children.
But one of the kids was a neighbor boy. They didn’t learn that until the real Weston child crept out of a closet asking whether the bad man had gone.
Beaumont turns the little boy over to his partner and to the boy's grandfather. Once he finishes that, he moves on to the next phase of the case, which involves notifying the single mother physician of a neighbor child that her son will never come home again alive. The killer mistook the neighbor child for one of the Weston children and murdered him indiscriminately.
Beaumont is an unconventional cop, but he's one of the good guys. You can't help but like his curmudgeonly attitude when life calls for that. He is also deeply thoughtful and empathic when he needs to be. Lots of folks around the Seattle cop shop where Beaumont works question whether Ben Weston was a dirty cop. The gossip grows, but so does the evidence that the family's killer may have likewise been a cop.
The chapters are short. They run about 5 minutes each at 2.62X. The plot is interesting throughout and the pace is excellent. I did not use the commercial audio edition of this, but the volunteer narrator from the Washington State Library for the Blind did an excellent job.
Beaumont refers back to the death of his first wife, the ultimate and real love of his life, in this book. For that reason, it makes sense to me that you should start with the first book in the series if you've not touched the series yet. It will make this book much richer in content and easier to understand.
The call came deep in the night. Someone had murdered Ben Weston, his wife, and their three kids. When the cops got there, they saw carnage beyond description. Whoever killed the family was despicably sick beyond measure. The wife tried to fight for her life, but he made short work of her, as he did the cop and the children.
But one of the kids was a neighbor boy. They didn’t learn that until the real Weston child crept out of a closet asking whether the bad man had gone.
Beaumont turns the little boy over to his partner and to the boy's grandfather. Once he finishes that, he moves on to the next phase of the case, which involves notifying the single mother physician of a neighbor child that her son will never come home again alive. The killer mistook the neighbor child for one of the Weston children and murdered him indiscriminately.
Beaumont is an unconventional cop, but he's one of the good guys. You can't help but like his curmudgeonly attitude when life calls for that. He is also deeply thoughtful and empathic when he needs to be. Lots of folks around the Seattle cop shop where Beaumont works question whether Ben Weston was a dirty cop. The gossip grows, but so does the evidence that the family's killer may have likewise been a cop.
The chapters are short. They run about 5 minutes each at 2.62X. The plot is interesting throughout and the pace is excellent. I did not use the commercial audio edition of this, but the volunteer narrator from the Washington State Library for the Blind did an excellent job.
Beaumont refers back to the death of his first wife, the ultimate and real love of his life, in this book. For that reason, it makes sense to me that you should start with the first book in the series if you've not touched the series yet. It will make this book much richer in content and easier to understand.
August 10, 2018
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; AUGUST 9, 2018
Narrator: Gene Engene
As good as the first book as far as pacing goes but the first book, Until Proven Guilty probably wins in terms of plot despite the very 80s, now-hackneyed evil cult trope. This installment was very evenly paced and my attention did not waver, as it ends to do with British police procedurals. As the blurb says, this installment sees a well-respected and liked cop murdered in his home, along with the rest of his family and a task force is set up to find the killer.
While the reason behind the killing was predictable, I enjoyed this because it never lagged at any point, nor did I have to put up with Beaumont bedding yet another woman. Narration-wise, I've gotten over my dislike of Gene Engene's style enough to listen to a whole book without taking a break from him. The man has only one type of voice for his secondary male characters - they all speak in either a low, crackly, gruff voice, or in exaggerated tones, sounding like characters from a 60s sitcom (Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres...).
I've already uploaded a couple more onto my phone:)
Narrator: Gene Engene
As good as the first book as far as pacing goes but the first book, Until Proven Guilty probably wins in terms of plot despite the very 80s, now-hackneyed evil cult trope. This installment was very evenly paced and my attention did not waver, as it ends to do with British police procedurals. As the blurb says, this installment sees a well-respected and liked cop murdered in his home, along with the rest of his family and a task force is set up to find the killer.
While the reason behind the killing was predictable, I enjoyed this because it never lagged at any point, nor did I have to put up with Beaumont bedding yet another woman. Narration-wise, I've gotten over my dislike of Gene Engene's style enough to listen to a whole book without taking a break from him. The man has only one type of voice for his secondary male characters - they all speak in either a low, crackly, gruff voice, or in exaggerated tones, sounding like characters from a 60s sitcom (Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres...).
I've already uploaded a couple more onto my phone:)
October 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Its a murder "whodunit" with a solid good vs evil undertone. The characters are not slick and polished, and the story is written from a middle class, working man perspective. Because of the nature of the plot, it could have been written in a much grittier, harsh fashion but was not. It's free of profanity, needless violence, ugly proclivities, or other "attractions" many authors feel necessary to make their stories relevant. Despite the sad circumstances, it is a story with warmth, pride, values, a little humor, and a lot of hope.
The whole story takes place within the short period beginning with the brutal murder of a Seattle homicide detective and his family and largely ending with the five-casket funeral. The investigative process is painstakingly methodical and tedious, as is likely most police work of that nature. Throw in some workplace politics, maverick personalities, dangerous gangs, and the reality of them working in the dirty underbelly of a nasty city where the leaders pretend it is a nirvana, and you get the makings of a lot of frustrated good cops.
By the end, you feel a solid connection with the protagonist and his associates.
The whole story takes place within the short period beginning with the brutal murder of a Seattle homicide detective and his family and largely ending with the five-casket funeral. The investigative process is painstakingly methodical and tedious, as is likely most police work of that nature. Throw in some workplace politics, maverick personalities, dangerous gangs, and the reality of them working in the dirty underbelly of a nasty city where the leaders pretend it is a nirvana, and you get the makings of a lot of frustrated good cops.
By the end, you feel a solid connection with the protagonist and his associates.
April 19, 2018
I enjoy reading J.A. Jance books. The latest one that I picked up at the library was "Without Due Process". This book is a mystery inside a murder investigation wrapped around an internal affairs probe. I really enjoy the character of Detective J.P.Beaumont. He is the center character in this book and you are led through the investigation by his detective skills. There are many twists and turns throughout the book and you are a better detective then me if you figured out who done it because I was surprised all the way through the book. It amazes me that an author can keep a character and a story fresh even when I have read many of her books. I would definitely recommend any of the books written by this author and look forward to the next book that I can find to read. If you like suspense and a murder mystery read any of this authors books and you will be hooked.
July 25, 2019
This is an early J.A. Jance, J.P. Beaumont mystery novel. It's another great read, by one of my favorite authors. The story is an intricate mystery, that Beaumont solves with many twists and turns, another fun read.
From the Publisher:
What kind of monster would break into a man's home at night, then slaughter him and his family? The fact that the dead man was a model cop who was loved and respected by all only intensifies the horror. But the killer missed someone: a five-year-old boy who was hiding in the closet. Now word is being leaked out that the victim was "dirty." But Seattle P.D. Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont isn't about to let anyone drag a murdered friend's reputation through the muck. And he'll put his own life on the firing line on the gang-ruled streets to save a terrified child who knows too much to live.
From the Publisher:
What kind of monster would break into a man's home at night, then slaughter him and his family? The fact that the dead man was a model cop who was loved and respected by all only intensifies the horror. But the killer missed someone: a five-year-old boy who was hiding in the closet. Now word is being leaked out that the victim was "dirty." But Seattle P.D. Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont isn't about to let anyone drag a murdered friend's reputation through the muck. And he'll put his own life on the firing line on the gang-ruled streets to save a terrified child who knows too much to live.
August 16, 2020
This one was good. I agree with others that the first few books of the series aren’t as good, and you can technically skip them, I recommend reading them all for a better understanding of references throughout the series (such as Anne Corley and Ralph Ames, and understanding the backgrounds of Ron Peter’s family). At the very least read the very first book, as a lot of the later stories build on it.
I’ve never so much as stepped foot in the state of Washington, but even I can appreciate the love Janice has for Seattle. I’ve read the Ali Reynolds and Joanna Brady books (both of which I adore) and while she clearly loves Arizona, there’s something about the way she writes about and describes Seattle that makes it clear it’s a special place to her. I can’t say exactly why, but for some reason this makes the series more special.
I’ve never so much as stepped foot in the state of Washington, but even I can appreciate the love Janice has for Seattle. I’ve read the Ali Reynolds and Joanna Brady books (both of which I adore) and while she clearly loves Arizona, there’s something about the way she writes about and describes Seattle that makes it clear it’s a special place to her. I can’t say exactly why, but for some reason this makes the series more special.
April 26, 2018
What kind of monster would break into a man′s home at night, then slaughter him and his family? The fact that the dead man was a model cop who was loved and respected by all only intensifies the horror. But the killer missed someone: a five-year-old boy who was hiding in the closet. Now word is being leaked out that the victim was "dirty." But Seattle P.D. Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont isn't about to let anyone drag a murdered friend's reputation through the muck. And he′ll put his own life on the firing line on the gang-ruled streets to save a terrified child who knows too much to live.
This was a good story, enjoyed the case as much as the interactions between J.P. and the other characters.
This was a good story, enjoyed the case as much as the interactions between J.P. and the other characters.
August 31, 2022
library ebook
beau was working with his friend big al when big als former partner and his family was murdered. the one son was hiding in the closet and lived, but a drs son spending the night was also killed.
big al was taken off the case, but beau along with a task force is looking into it. beau also narrowly missed getting shot himself. he and sue are working in secret with IIc to see if its a cop doing the killings
alex gets into the book with the lawyer and she is interested in the bently
beau puts the boy in his apt with his lawyer while hes solving the case with the help of all the gangs
it was a few cops who did it and they caught them all
the boy was adopted by the dr whos son was killed when he slept over at their house that night
beau was working with his friend big al when big als former partner and his family was murdered. the one son was hiding in the closet and lived, but a drs son spending the night was also killed.
big al was taken off the case, but beau along with a task force is looking into it. beau also narrowly missed getting shot himself. he and sue are working in secret with IIc to see if its a cop doing the killings
alex gets into the book with the lawyer and she is interested in the bently
beau puts the boy in his apt with his lawyer while hes solving the case with the help of all the gangs
it was a few cops who did it and they caught them all
the boy was adopted by the dr whos son was killed when he slept over at their house that night
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
Good J.P. Beaumont story! A whole family is killed: Dad who is a Seattle police officer, his wife, his daughter and older son and a young boy who was spending the night, only his youngest son is saved because he hid in a linen closet - what can he tell JP to help solve the case. Even as the investigation starts things are looking like the dad was a crooked cop and brought the disaster on himself and his family. JP's got to get to the bottom of this horrible crime and find out who the bad cop/cops really are even if Gentle Ben is the rotten apple.
I really liked the way this ended and the positive solutions that were started to help a huge problem that all cities are dealing with. Finally a baby step in the right direction.
I really liked the way this ended and the positive solutions that were started to help a huge problem that all cities are dealing with. Finally a baby step in the right direction.
December 28, 2017
It is hard to believe that I have read or listened to 10 JP Beaumont books....and....I'm still not bored with the character. Beau keeps growing and changing as a character making him feel 'real' vs. just a cop machine. The supporting characters have all gotten a place in the stories and that helps keep the threads over time together. His 'lady loves' were a little to pat in the middle novels so far. It is good that there have been some without him jumping into bed each novel and then they disappear at the end. Continuity or closure on why they don't re-appear would be good.
This was a particular challenging plot to listen to as the clues were subtle. Good story.
This was a particular challenging plot to listen to as the clues were subtle. Good story.
January 5, 2025
Beau uncovered corruption in Seattle P.D.
Again Jance spins an incredible tale if mystery and excitement. The reader should enjoy this pager where the elements of goid and evil comes together to bring justice to the community after the murder of four members of Ben Weston's family and an innocent child.
The main characters continue to develop with dangling additional plots suggested for JP Beaumont, his friend, Attorney and matchmaker, Ralph Ames; Ron Peters, former partner; Alexis Downey potential romantic partner; Big Al and the other occurring characters at SPD. A read well worth time invested.
Again Jance spins an incredible tale if mystery and excitement. The reader should enjoy this pager where the elements of goid and evil comes together to bring justice to the community after the murder of four members of Ben Weston's family and an innocent child.
The main characters continue to develop with dangling additional plots suggested for JP Beaumont, his friend, Attorney and matchmaker, Ralph Ames; Ron Peters, former partner; Alexis Downey potential romantic partner; Big Al and the other occurring characters at SPD. A read well worth time invested.
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