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javamamanc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
krystlekouture's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the characters, and writing style. However, the mystery was too easy to solve.
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
2.0
Not one of JP Beaumont's better mysteries...there was no motive, and it was confusing. ok, disclaimer, read it during 24 hours of travel but still...
jeo224's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
4.75
I figured out who had done it early - and yet nothing prepared me for the end. Very good read.
skiracechick's review against another edition
3.0
I continue to be easily entertained by the fact that this takes place in places I know. For example, the private school in Beaverton? Doesn’t actually exist. But I have a feeling it’s based loosely on St. Mary’s school for boys. Just a gut feeling.
cnorbury's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not a huge Jance fan but the woman is a pro's pro in her genre. Hardbitten detective J.P. Beaumont is a throwback to the 1940s film noir style private eye/detective, which is fun when transposed into a modern day setting (in this case, modern is the 1980s).
Jance's style is concise, witty, and appropriate for the genre, but it sometimes falls back on cliches and excessive adverbial dialogue tags. I think cliches are useful to a point, but when I notice "There's another one," and "Hmm, there's another one," that indicates a bit of formulaic or lazy writing.
The plot was inventive, a little mundane, but I didn't guess the identity of the killer too soon. The subplots (JP's money, his relationship to Ames, and his own parenting issues, could have been developed more, but this is a long series, so maybe that comes gradually over several books.
A pleasant, easy, page turner for vacation or a day at the beach or reading on the porch in the shade.
Jance's style is concise, witty, and appropriate for the genre, but it sometimes falls back on cliches and excessive adverbial dialogue tags. I think cliches are useful to a point, but when I notice "There's another one," and "Hmm, there's another one," that indicates a bit of formulaic or lazy writing.
The plot was inventive, a little mundane, but I didn't guess the identity of the killer too soon. The subplots (JP's money, his relationship to Ames, and his own parenting issues, could have been developed more, but this is a long series, so maybe that comes gradually over several books.
A pleasant, easy, page turner for vacation or a day at the beach or reading on the porch in the shade.
inger70's review against another edition
3.0
These continue to get better (I was happy there were no drawn out, awkward sex scenes in this one), and either the narrator is also improving, or I'm getting used to his rhythm.
ncrabb's review against another edition
4.0
Someone murdered the black basketball coach of a posh Mercer Island, Washington high school. They didn’t just murder the guy; they lynched him. They discovered him the next day with the noose around his neck. They determined it was murder because the coroner found a pinprick hole in the guy’s butt and evidence of morphine in his blood. It’s up to J.P. Beaumont and his somewhat understated partner, Ron Peters, to figure out why the guy died and who did it.
This is one of Jance’s best series efforts. The writing is consistently compelling, and the descriptions of Seattle are vivid and memorable. This is super-dated. There are pages about the advantages and disadvantages of an answering machine. At one point in the book, Beaumont admits he doesn’t like gays. He insists he’s not prejudice against them; he just doesn’t like them. That left me more than a little puzzled, I admit. So, it’s way dated. But the plot is so lazar focused and on-point, and the cliffhanger for this book stokes hard-core your appetite for the next book in the series.
This is one of Jance’s best series efforts. The writing is consistently compelling, and the descriptions of Seattle are vivid and memorable. This is super-dated. There are pages about the advantages and disadvantages of an answering machine. At one point in the book, Beaumont admits he doesn’t like gays. He insists he’s not prejudice against them; he just doesn’t like them. That left me more than a little puzzled, I admit. So, it’s way dated. But the plot is so lazar focused and on-point, and the cliffhanger for this book stokes hard-core your appetite for the next book in the series.
jnguyen428's review against another edition
5.0
Favorite author
J. A. Jance is one of my favorite authors. I love her plot lines and the easily flow of her books. I can’t wait to start the next one in this series.
J. A. Jance is one of my favorite authors. I love her plot lines and the easily flow of her books. I can’t wait to start the next one in this series.