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J.P. Beaumont #11
Failure to Appear
Unabridged, 1 audiobook file (9 parts), 10 hours 15 minutes 58 seconds
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A desperate father's search for his runaway daughter has led him to the last place he ever expected to find her: backstage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But the murders in this dazzling world of make-believe are no longer mere stagecraft, and the blood is all too real. The hunt for his child has plunged former Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont into a bone-chilling drama of revenge, greed, and butchery, where innocents are made to suffer in perverse and terrible ways. And many more young lives are at stake, unless he can uncover the villain of the piece before the final, deadly curtain falls.
_______________
A desperate father's search for his runaway daughter has led him to the last place he ever expected to find her: backstage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But the murders in this dazzling world of make-believe are no longer mere stagecraft, and the blood is all too real. The hunt for his child has plunged former Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont into a bone-chilling drama of revenge, greed, and butchery, where innocents are made to suffer in perverse and terrible ways. And many more young lives are at stake, unless he can uncover the villain of the piece before the final, deadly curtain falls.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 1993
480 people are currently reading
1266 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Jance
117 books4,149 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 201 reviews
January 4, 2010
J.P. Beaumont is a Seattle homicide detective whose 18 year old daughter has gone missing for several months. Eventually, she is tracked down to Ashland,Oregon by a private dectective. Beaumont heads to the Oregon town, a haven for theater and particularly Shakespeare plays. He finds his daughter, Kelley, living at a communal-type home and is shocked to learn she is soon to be married and hugely pregnant.
Before Beau has time to come to grips with this shocking news, Martin Shore, a Seattle P.I. is stabbed and hit by a passing car. Shore had affiliations with the porn industry and soon a porn tape of Shore and an underage Tanya Dunseth, a lead actress in several plays at the festival. Beau is warned off the case by the detective in charge, Gordon Fraymore , but Tanya's case has eerie parallels to the life of Anne Corley, Beau's dead second wife. Along with his lawyer friend, Ralph Ames, Beau begins investigating the case. However, the two do not get very far into the investigation before Kelley is injured in a terrible fall and a second body found. Beau uncovers a web of greed, lust, and power as well as plenty of lies--lies within lies even until it seems the truth will be impossible to uncover.
I could definitely feel for the father suffering blow after blow and his mental anguish as Tanya's story seems to follow Anne Corley's. I enjoyed the family dynamics and Beau's coming to terms with his little girl growing up. This is a mystery but so much more as we delve into Beau's personal life. It is not a light book by any means, but Beau does have a wry sense of humor that makes him a very likeable and believable character.
Before Beau has time to come to grips with this shocking news, Martin Shore, a Seattle P.I. is stabbed and hit by a passing car. Shore had affiliations with the porn industry and soon a porn tape of Shore and an underage Tanya Dunseth, a lead actress in several plays at the festival. Beau is warned off the case by the detective in charge, Gordon Fraymore , but Tanya's case has eerie parallels to the life of Anne Corley, Beau's dead second wife. Along with his lawyer friend, Ralph Ames, Beau begins investigating the case. However, the two do not get very far into the investigation before Kelley is injured in a terrible fall and a second body found. Beau uncovers a web of greed, lust, and power as well as plenty of lies--lies within lies even until it seems the truth will be impossible to uncover.
I could definitely feel for the father suffering blow after blow and his mental anguish as Tanya's story seems to follow Anne Corley's. I enjoyed the family dynamics and Beau's coming to terms with his little girl growing up. This is a mystery but so much more as we delve into Beau's personal life. It is not a light book by any means, but Beau does have a wry sense of humor that makes him a very likeable and believable character.
April 15, 2013
J. P. Beaumont's 18-year-old daughter, Kelly, has been missing for four months when a detective finally locates her in a small town in Oregon known for its Shakespearan festivals. Beau and his current girlfriend (although he thinks that is a rather silly title at their age) book a week-end and head out to find Kelly. When she is found, Beau phones his ex-wife, Karen, and her husband, with whom Kelly had been living, and they also appear on the scene. Although, of course, there is murder involved, this book concentrates a little more on Beau's private life. I think that is part of the charm of these books. The kids grow older, the girlfriends and circumstances of his life change, and it all keeps the interest on high, combined with some very good murder mysteries.
September 1, 2021
Two-haiku review:
Beau's daughter ran off
She's pregnant, getting married
Then murders begin
Good story, good plot
Nice seeing Beau's emotions
He's good character
Beau's daughter ran off
She's pregnant, getting married
Then murders begin
Good story, good plot
Nice seeing Beau's emotions
He's good character
January 2, 2020
J P Beaumont’s 18 year old daughter runs away to join a theatrical commune and to get married. Beau goes to find her. She is pregnant and living in an old house with a group from the local theater group. A man is found dead and the star of the show is the suspect. Beau agrees to try and clear her name. He finds many secrets and long past crimes are uncovered. As usual the horrible things people do show up in this book.
June 28, 2023
Loved this. Beaumont and his family, Ralph and Ron too.
Nice pacing, interesting story line.
One of my favs so far
Nice pacing, interesting story line.
One of my favs so far
August 12, 2018
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; AUGUST 11, 2018
Narrator: Gene Engene
Too much internal monologue and navel-gazing. This is usual for this series but it felt like there was more of it in this book. Next thing - that Alex woman has to go! Meddling, pushy cow. And a stupid one at that - she gets all self-righteous and upset at Beaumont because he not only watched a particular kiddie porn (part of the investigation) he watched it to the end. She thinks he's disgusting for having done that and he has to explain to her that he had to watch it to the end, in the hope that the video would reveal some clue and help them in their investigation. Said cow storms off. Beaumont is already distressed by the whole sexual exploitation of kids angle and having to watch that video is particularly abhorrent. To have to deal with his new girlfriend's stupidity was hard for me to stomach.
Other than that, there were some twists and turns, perhaps too many characters, and could have been a good installment for me if not for the two negative points I mentioned.
This installment is, so far, the one I enjoyed least. I hope the author pairs Beaumont up with someone worthy of sharing page-time with her protagonist and also cut down on the internal monologue because, by now, I already know what J P Beaumont is like. Just get on with the plot, please.
Narrator: Gene Engene
Too much internal monologue and navel-gazing. This is usual for this series but it felt like there was more of it in this book. Next thing - that Alex woman has to go! Meddling, pushy cow. And a stupid one at that - she gets all self-righteous and upset at Beaumont because he not only watched a particular kiddie porn (part of the investigation) he watched it to the end. She thinks he's disgusting for having done that and he has to explain to her that he had to watch it to the end, in the hope that the video would reveal some clue and help them in their investigation. Said cow storms off. Beaumont is already distressed by the whole sexual exploitation of kids angle and having to watch that video is particularly abhorrent. To have to deal with his new girlfriend's stupidity was hard for me to stomach.
Other than that, there were some twists and turns, perhaps too many characters, and could have been a good installment for me if not for the two negative points I mentioned.
This installment is, so far, the one I enjoyed least. I hope the author pairs Beaumont up with someone worthy of sharing page-time with her protagonist and also cut down on the internal monologue because, by now, I already know what J P Beaumont is like. Just get on with the plot, please.
October 2, 2020
Dear authors, I'm certain you can convince me a character was brutally abused without describing the abuse in exquisite detail. It really does a disservice to actual victims to exploit that kind of suffering on page. And while we're at it, if you're trying to convince me that your detective is a stand up guy because he'll take care of a baby, maybe don't have him explicitly state that a 12 year old probably voluntarily appeared in child pornography and wasn't actually abused. Anyway, I think I'm done with this series. This was just gross.
February 1, 2015
I like all the J.A. Jance written JP Beaumont books, but this one struck a chord for a number of reasons. If you have ever been to Ashland, OR this will be a special treat. It also has a lot JP emotional experience which doesn't always resonate in many of the other books of the series. It's a good story.
May 18, 2012
Runaway daughter Kelly surfaces in Ashland Oregon and Beau has to go to the rescue. Any place that Beau goes, there is sure to be murders.
November 25, 2019
I love this series. I am hoping to get caught up with it soon.
I love the author's blog, too.
I love the author's blog, too.
April 13, 2021
Enjoyable as always. Love her books.
May 4, 2021
Failure
This is most definitely not a favorite of mine in this series. To slow moving. I have read it now twice and still feel the same.
This is most definitely not a favorite of mine in this series. To slow moving. I have read it now twice and still feel the same.
January 2, 2022
Meandering who done it which takes place at Ashland Shakespeare festival. Let's hear it for Sunshine- the best part of the book.
May 23, 2023
Failure to Appear by J A Jance
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
-Print: COPYRIGHT: (1994 per Wikipedia) Amazon: 1/29/1996; PUBLISHER: Random House Value Publishing; ISBN 978-0517147641; PAGES 539; Unabridged (Hardcover)
-Digital: Amazon: COPYRIGHT: 3/17/2009; PUBLISHER: William Morrow; Reprint edition; PAGES 384; Unabridged (Kindle edition)
*Audio: COPYRIGHT: 1/20/2005; PUBLISHER: Books in Motion; DURATION: 10 hours (approx.) [and yet the Libby app now says I ‘read’ it for 14 hours and 47 minutes]; Unabridged (Libby app-LAPL)
Feature Film or tv: Not that I’m aware of.
SERIES: J. P. Beaumont Series, Book 11
CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive)
Jonas Piedmont Beaumont-J.P. Beaumont (Beau)—Seattle Washington Detective
Kelly Beaumont – Beau’s daughter
Scott Peterson – Beau’s son
Karen Livingston – Beau’s x-wife
David Livingston – Karen’s second husband
Alexis Downey – Beau’s romantic interest
Ralph Ames – Beau’s friend and lawyer
Ron Peterson – Beau’s former partner
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED: I have decided to listen to all of Jance’s books and this was the next one in this series. She began another series around this time, but we’ll stick to this series and circle back to the other(s).
ABOUT: When Beau’s x-wife, Karen’s 2nd husband, David Livingston learns the location of Beau’s daughter, who’d disappeared a week shy of her 18th birthday and just before her high school graduation, he contacts Beau to request that Beau drive down to Ashland, Oregon and see if he can return Kelly to California. Best laid plans. A murder is discovered an Kelly’s new acquaintances seem suspect.
LIKED: I really enjoy the characters and their relations with each other. The plot is good as well.
DISLIKED: Sometimes the narrator uses voices for characters that are unpleasant to listen to, but that wasn't the case here, so I can't think of anything I didn't like.
OVERALL: Another great 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:
Family relations; Sobriety; AA / NA ; Child Pornography; Stage theater; Shakespeare
LOCATIONS:
Seattle, Washington; Ashland, Oregon; Cucamonga, California
TIME FRAME:
Contemporary (1994--possibly updated in places--for example I don't recall messages left on answer machines being referred to a voice mail in the early 90's, but maybe they were.)
DEDICATION:
“To Leah and Florence, two of Ashland's goodwill ambassadors, and to Lynn K., the best "Loredo Kid" ever. Also to Steve and Juli, who signed the napkin.”
EXCERPT: From Prologue:
“I hate hospitals. I hate the smell of them and the shiny glow on long, empty-looking corridors. I hate the ominous swish of white clothing that precedes nurses as they bustle down hallways or march unannounced into rooms. But most of all I hait waiting. Even for supposedly tough-guy homicide cops, there's nothing in the world that makes you feel more powerless than cooling your heels in some obnoxious waiting room while a person you love goes under the surgeon's knife.
When I couldn't take it any longer, I escaped outdoors, retreating to the relative safety of a concrete bench next to an overflowing ashtray. There I sat exiled to the smoker's outdoor dungeon, even though I don't smoke and never have. There was no tree to keep off the worst of southern Oregon's blazing late June sun, but then I wasn't looking for shade. I felt chilled. From the bones out. The 90-odd-degree weather could neither penetrate nor melt the ice floe building up around my heart.”
RATING:
5 stars
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
5-4-2023 to 5-22-2023
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
-Print: COPYRIGHT: (1994 per Wikipedia) Amazon: 1/29/1996; PUBLISHER: Random House Value Publishing; ISBN 978-0517147641; PAGES 539; Unabridged (Hardcover)
-Digital: Amazon: COPYRIGHT: 3/17/2009; PUBLISHER: William Morrow; Reprint edition; PAGES 384; Unabridged (Kindle edition)
*Audio: COPYRIGHT: 1/20/2005; PUBLISHER: Books in Motion; DURATION: 10 hours (approx.) [and yet the Libby app now says I ‘read’ it for 14 hours and 47 minutes]; Unabridged (Libby app-LAPL)
Feature Film or tv: Not that I’m aware of.
SERIES: J. P. Beaumont Series, Book 11
CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive)
Jonas Piedmont Beaumont-J.P. Beaumont (Beau)—Seattle Washington Detective
Kelly Beaumont – Beau’s daughter
Scott Peterson – Beau’s son
Karen Livingston – Beau’s x-wife
David Livingston – Karen’s second husband
Alexis Downey – Beau’s romantic interest
Ralph Ames – Beau’s friend and lawyer
Ron Peterson – Beau’s former partner
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED: I have decided to listen to all of Jance’s books and this was the next one in this series. She began another series around this time, but we’ll stick to this series and circle back to the other(s).
ABOUT: When Beau’s x-wife, Karen’s 2nd husband, David Livingston learns the location of Beau’s daughter, who’d disappeared a week shy of her 18th birthday and just before her high school graduation, he contacts Beau to request that Beau drive down to Ashland, Oregon and see if he can return Kelly to California. Best laid plans. A murder is discovered an Kelly’s new acquaintances seem suspect.
LIKED: I really enjoy the characters and their relations with each other. The plot is good as well.
DISLIKED: Sometimes the narrator uses voices for characters that are unpleasant to listen to, but that wasn't the case here, so I can't think of anything I didn't like.
OVERALL: Another great 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:
Family relations; Sobriety; AA / NA ; Child Pornography; Stage theater; Shakespeare
LOCATIONS:
Seattle, Washington; Ashland, Oregon; Cucamonga, California
TIME FRAME:
Contemporary (1994--possibly updated in places--for example I don't recall messages left on answer machines being referred to a voice mail in the early 90's, but maybe they were.)
DEDICATION:
“To Leah and Florence, two of Ashland's goodwill ambassadors, and to Lynn K., the best "Loredo Kid" ever. Also to Steve and Juli, who signed the napkin.”
EXCERPT: From Prologue:
“I hate hospitals. I hate the smell of them and the shiny glow on long, empty-looking corridors. I hate the ominous swish of white clothing that precedes nurses as they bustle down hallways or march unannounced into rooms. But most of all I hait waiting. Even for supposedly tough-guy homicide cops, there's nothing in the world that makes you feel more powerless than cooling your heels in some obnoxious waiting room while a person you love goes under the surgeon's knife.
When I couldn't take it any longer, I escaped outdoors, retreating to the relative safety of a concrete bench next to an overflowing ashtray. There I sat exiled to the smoker's outdoor dungeon, even though I don't smoke and never have. There was no tree to keep off the worst of southern Oregon's blazing late June sun, but then I wasn't looking for shade. I felt chilled. From the bones out. The 90-odd-degree weather could neither penetrate nor melt the ice floe building up around my heart.”
RATING:
5 stars
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
5-4-2023 to 5-22-2023
June 25, 2017
THIS 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
J.P. Beaumont is a Seattle homicide detective whose 18 year old daughter has gone missing for several months. Eventually, she is tracked down to Ashland,Oregon by a private dectective. Beaumont heads to the Oregon town, a haven for theater and particularly Shakespeare plays. He finds his daughter, Kelley, living at a communal-type home and is shocked to learn she is soon to be married and hugely pregnant.
Before Beau has time to come to grips with this shocking news, Martin Shore, a Seattle P.I. is stabbed and hit by a passing car. Shore had affiliations with the porn industry and soon a porn tape of Shore and an underage Tanya Dunseth, a lead actress in several plays at the festival. Beau is warned off the case by the detective in charge, Gordon Fraymore , but Tanya's case has eerie parallels to the life of Anne Corley, Beau's dead second wife. Along with his lawyer friend, Ralph Ames, Beau begins investigating the case. However, the two do not get very far into the investigation before Kelley is injured in a terrible fall and a second body found. Beau uncovers a web of greed, lust, and power as well as plenty of lies--lies within lies even until it seems the truth will be impossible to uncover.
I could definitely feel for the father suffering blow after blow and his mental anguish as Tanya's story seems to follow Anne Corley's. I enjoyed the family dynamics and Beau's coming to terms with his little girl growing up. This is a mystery but so much more as we delve into Beau's personal life. It is not a light book by any means, but Beau does have a wry sense of humor that makes him a very likeable and believable character.
**
J.P. Beaumont travels to the theatre town of Ashland, OR to find his runaway daughter, Kelly, pregnant and engaged. A murder at the festival has child pornography links with one of the actresses, and a second murder endangers Kelly's life. The actress is suspected by the town's detective but Beau's lawyer Ralph Ames takes on her defense. Beau's ex-wife Karen has cancer.
J.P. Beaumont is a Seattle homicide detective whose 18 year old daughter has gone missing for several months. Eventually, she is tracked down to Ashland,Oregon by a private dectective. Beaumont heads to the Oregon town, a haven for theater and particularly Shakespeare plays. He finds his daughter, Kelley, living at a communal-type home and is shocked to learn she is soon to be married and hugely pregnant.
Before Beau has time to come to grips with this shocking news, Martin Shore, a Seattle P.I. is stabbed and hit by a passing car. Shore had affiliations with the porn industry and soon a porn tape of Shore and an underage Tanya Dunseth, a lead actress in several plays at the festival. Beau is warned off the case by the detective in charge, Gordon Fraymore , but Tanya's case has eerie parallels to the life of Anne Corley, Beau's dead second wife. Along with his lawyer friend, Ralph Ames, Beau begins investigating the case. However, the two do not get very far into the investigation before Kelley is injured in a terrible fall and a second body found. Beau uncovers a web of greed, lust, and power as well as plenty of lies--lies within lies even until it seems the truth will be impossible to uncover.
I could definitely feel for the father suffering blow after blow and his mental anguish as Tanya's story seems to follow Anne Corley's. I enjoyed the family dynamics and Beau's coming to terms with his little girl growing up. This is a mystery but so much more as we delve into Beau's personal life. It is not a light book by any means, but Beau does have a wry sense of humor that makes him a very likeable and believable character.
**
J.P. Beaumont travels to the theatre town of Ashland, OR to find his runaway daughter, Kelly, pregnant and engaged. A murder at the festival has child pornography links with one of the actresses, and a second murder endangers Kelly's life. The actress is suspected by the town's detective but Beau's lawyer Ralph Ames takes on her defense. Beau's ex-wife Karen has cancer.
August 3, 2022
library ebook
beau gets a call from his x wifes new husband that he first layed eyes on in az when he was in rehab (they were in a bar but he wasnt drinking). his daughter has been missing for months and the pi he hired couldn't find her , but the new husband also hired a pi who did find her in OR. he is afraid to tell his wife, which beau understood, so beau drove out there to find her. he did find her, pregnant and getting married the next week to a actor in a play. shes 18 yrs old.
there were murders and beau thinks the girl they arrested was framed. he got reported to his boss for interfering by the cop in town, but thats not stopping him. his attorney is handling the case for free. the girl had been abused first by her dad, then the movie industry people. she has a 2 yr old she doesnt want her parents to get hold of. beau is watching the baby. his current girlfriend is alex
the girl in the play arrested for murder turned out to lie about who she was. beau found out when he went to her abusive 'parents' house and found out they were black, she was white and their baby daughter died at 4 months. she took the id from the dead baby. he felt bad the wife collapsed and broke her ankle when he showed up at their door with questions
he had a fight with the girlfriend , he was off solving the case instead of taking her to dinner
his daughter got hurt, but had the baby , a girl, and they are both ok but the wedding got postponed
the land lady blew up her house, killing the man but beau got the girl out in time
the landlady , who was having a affair with the town cop, died. beaus daughter adopted the old dog. beau helped her and her new husband get a house and she was going to do child care and rent out rooms to actors in the plays
beaus porsche got blown up , it was from his second wife. he got a replacement but it was never the same
his first wife had cancer and was going thru chemo. it doesnt look like shes going to make it.
beau gets a call from his x wifes new husband that he first layed eyes on in az when he was in rehab (they were in a bar but he wasnt drinking). his daughter has been missing for months and the pi he hired couldn't find her , but the new husband also hired a pi who did find her in OR. he is afraid to tell his wife, which beau understood, so beau drove out there to find her. he did find her, pregnant and getting married the next week to a actor in a play. shes 18 yrs old.
there were murders and beau thinks the girl they arrested was framed. he got reported to his boss for interfering by the cop in town, but thats not stopping him. his attorney is handling the case for free. the girl had been abused first by her dad, then the movie industry people. she has a 2 yr old she doesnt want her parents to get hold of. beau is watching the baby. his current girlfriend is alex
the girl in the play arrested for murder turned out to lie about who she was. beau found out when he went to her abusive 'parents' house and found out they were black, she was white and their baby daughter died at 4 months. she took the id from the dead baby. he felt bad the wife collapsed and broke her ankle when he showed up at their door with questions
he had a fight with the girlfriend , he was off solving the case instead of taking her to dinner
his daughter got hurt, but had the baby , a girl, and they are both ok but the wedding got postponed
the land lady blew up her house, killing the man but beau got the girl out in time
the landlady , who was having a affair with the town cop, died. beaus daughter adopted the old dog. beau helped her and her new husband get a house and she was going to do child care and rent out rooms to actors in the plays
beaus porsche got blown up , it was from his second wife. he got a replacement but it was never the same
his first wife had cancer and was going thru chemo. it doesnt look like shes going to make it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2024
Kelly Beaumont is 18 and pregnant. Her dad, J.P., a Seattle cop, doesn’t know she’s pregnant. He’s barely aware she’s 18. Kelly is the product of divorce, and she’s lived on the bleeding edge of the rule books most of her young life. Her dad gets word that she has moved to Ashland, Oregon with a 23-year-old boyfriend who fancies himself a Shakespearian actor. He’s determined to go there, straighten her out, and send her packing for her Arizona home. He takes his latest plaything with him to Oregon. She is Alex, a widow, and someone J.P. thinks might be easy to fall in love with. Alex understands the theater scene in Seattle, and she has contacts in Ashland who can find them a place to stay and get them tickets to whatever’s playing.
But the theater scene they discover is anything but collegiate. It teams with petty jealousies and cutthroat fundraising practices. It’s under that teaming cloud that someone dies, and law enforcement accuses Kelly’s friend of murder.
Before this ends, an accident will hospitalize Kelly, endanger her baby, and postpone the wedding. Meanwhile, Beaumont commits himself to using his money and resources to help Kelly’s friend avoid prison, but as you read this, you’ll wonder if he’s putting his bucks on the wrong horse, so to speak.
This was a solid three-star addition to the series, and I’ve been reading the series slowly since we were at the peak of the pandemic.
But the theater scene they discover is anything but collegiate. It teams with petty jealousies and cutthroat fundraising practices. It’s under that teaming cloud that someone dies, and law enforcement accuses Kelly’s friend of murder.
Before this ends, an accident will hospitalize Kelly, endanger her baby, and postpone the wedding. Meanwhile, Beaumont commits himself to using his money and resources to help Kelly’s friend avoid prison, but as you read this, you’ll wonder if he’s putting his bucks on the wrong horse, so to speak.
This was a solid three-star addition to the series, and I’ve been reading the series slowly since we were at the peak of the pandemic.
December 13, 2017
Jumping in midseries requires grading on a curve, so this 2.5 effort gets a rounded three.
There is considerable world-building that I missed in the previous 10 volumes, and that effort created a likable homicide cop with a credible backstory how he ends up driving a Porsche 928 and other accoutrements that relieve him of having to worry about appeasing his bosses and being a boring cop who has to actually work for a living.
The circumstances of this novel are ridiculous, above and beyond the usual "investigator goes to random location and finds dead bodies" necessity of the genre. The eventual motive proves to be incredibly weak and the endgame is utterly soaked in situations that require us to suspend belief about pretty much every rule of reality for the sake of a weak cliche. The actual murderer is apparent from their first appearance, and Jance isn't very talented at misdirection. (PROTIP: WHEN READING A MURDER MYSTERY, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE WELL DESCRIBED, BUT SEEMINGLY PERIPHERAL CHARACTER).
But the book is entirely readable, and despite the many deep flaws in logic, timing, and staging (heh, the book takes place at a theater festival), I enjoyed the read. As a midseries effort that refuses to challenge any genre tropes, it succeeds better than most.
There is considerable world-building that I missed in the previous 10 volumes, and that effort created a likable homicide cop with a credible backstory how he ends up driving a Porsche 928 and other accoutrements that relieve him of having to worry about appeasing his bosses and being a boring cop who has to actually work for a living.
The circumstances of this novel are ridiculous, above and beyond the usual "investigator goes to random location and finds dead bodies" necessity of the genre. The eventual motive proves to be incredibly weak and the endgame is utterly soaked in situations that require us to suspend belief about pretty much every rule of reality for the sake of a weak cliche. The actual murderer is apparent from their first appearance, and Jance isn't very talented at misdirection. (PROTIP: WHEN READING A MURDER MYSTERY, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE WELL DESCRIBED, BUT SEEMINGLY PERIPHERAL CHARACTER).
But the book is entirely readable, and despite the many deep flaws in logic, timing, and staging (heh, the book takes place at a theater festival), I enjoyed the read. As a midseries effort that refuses to challenge any genre tropes, it succeeds better than most.
May 16, 2020
J.P. Beaumont is one of my favorite detectives. I was surprised and pleased to find this story that I had not read before. I have read most of the other 22 books in the series. This is book #11. Beau is a homicide detective in Seattle, Washington. After his divorce, his children had been raised by his first wife and her new husband. The story opens as Beau learns that his now 18 year old daughter is planning to get married in a few days – in Ashland, OR. Beau and his ladyfriend head down to OR to find out what is going on. When he arrives he finds his daughter and her soon-to-be husband living in an actor’s coop – and that his daughter Kelly is quite pregnant. Before Beau can do much, Kelly falls down the basement stairs and is seriously hurt – but also in the basement is a body hanging from a beam. Of course, the Ashland police don’t want Beau entering into their processing the crime… but Beau finds there are more connections than he imagined and must use his skills in tracing down leads. A good mystery!!
September 6, 2021
Hmmmm
OK, it has to be said. Kelly ran away a month before her 18th birthday but had been missing for 4 months. SPOILER!!!! She safely delivers a baby through cesarean who is healthy and doesn’t need the NICU unit. Common sense tells you that she had to be at least 7 months along which means Jeremy was having sex with a minor. At 23 he was far beyond the ‘2 yr’ age difference to legitimize their relationship. Of course Kelly is a spoiled rotten little twit in all of the previous books and for her to transform into this level of responsibility is just unbelievable. The author offers up yet another character whose last name is Davenport. Why? Are there no proof readers that can point out…oh hey this is the second time you have used a character with the same name as another book. Is she trying to get people to compare to Lucas? Because, if so, its a pale comparison. These books are interesting and while I recover from covid it gives me something to do but they are not the level of others.
OK, it has to be said. Kelly ran away a month before her 18th birthday but had been missing for 4 months. SPOILER!!!! She safely delivers a baby through cesarean who is healthy and doesn’t need the NICU unit. Common sense tells you that she had to be at least 7 months along which means Jeremy was having sex with a minor. At 23 he was far beyond the ‘2 yr’ age difference to legitimize their relationship. Of course Kelly is a spoiled rotten little twit in all of the previous books and for her to transform into this level of responsibility is just unbelievable. The author offers up yet another character whose last name is Davenport. Why? Are there no proof readers that can point out…oh hey this is the second time you have used a character with the same name as another book. Is she trying to get people to compare to Lucas? Because, if so, its a pale comparison. These books are interesting and while I recover from covid it gives me something to do but they are not the level of others.
March 22, 2023
Failure to Appear by J.A. Jance is a fantastic mystery read. It is about one detective's daughter going missing again. This time, she is found. He finds her well, safe, and pregnant. To top it off, she announces to her dad that is getting married. Beau has his hands full with this case. He loves his daughter, but he also wants to throttle the young man she's in love with, but also starts to respect his daughter's wishes.
It was very easy to connect with all the characters including the detective, his divorced wife, the stepdad, the rebellious daughter, and the girlfriend of the detective. The boyfriend of the daughter was also very fun to follow. This cozy mystery soon spirals deadly when a dead person is accidentally hit by a car. Soon there is a crime investigation, and everyone is wondering who did it. This is the first novel I have read by the talented J.A. Jance. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I received this copy from the publisher this is my voluntary review.
It was very easy to connect with all the characters including the detective, his divorced wife, the stepdad, the rebellious daughter, and the girlfriend of the detective. The boyfriend of the daughter was also very fun to follow. This cozy mystery soon spirals deadly when a dead person is accidentally hit by a car. Soon there is a crime investigation, and everyone is wondering who did it. This is the first novel I have read by the talented J.A. Jance. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I received this copy from the publisher this is my voluntary review.
April 9, 2023
#11 in the J P Beaumont series. Beau is a Seattle homicide detective, and in this episode he's racing to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, accompanied by his gf Alexis, to retrieve his runaway daughter Kelly who thinks she's getting married next week. When he finds her, he discovers she's pregnant, and is reminded that she's 18 and can decide for herself if a musician/actor is the husband for her. As the wedding day draws closer, Beau's ex (and Kelly's mother) Karen shows up with her husband Dave, as well as Scott (Kelly's brother) and Ralph Ames, Beau's attorney/buddy. Meanwhile, there is a murder, and a second, and Beau's homicide instincts collide with the local homicide dude, who doesn't want a big-city cop intruding on his turf. How does it end?
JAJ is a master at characterization, which is why Beau is so easy to follow through now-25 books. She's also very good at evoking a setting, making Ashland and the Shakespeare festival feel like you've been there. Recommended.
JAJ is a master at characterization, which is why Beau is so easy to follow through now-25 books. She's also very good at evoking a setting, making Ashland and the Shakespeare festival feel like you've been there. Recommended.
January 11, 2025
Beau becomes a Grandfather as mysterious Marjorie Connors commits Failure to Apoear
In a twisted tale of intrigue involving Beau's run away daughter, the life of a thespian company in southern Oregon is the stage for the next adventure of J. P. Beaumont.
While on vacation Beau is called on to find his runaway daughter. Which he dies while swept into a outsider role of detective in solving three deaths entangled with producers and actors in kiddie porn. Beau becomes involved as an aggressive art promoter convinced him to convince his fellow investors in his high luxury condominium complex to donate their trademark Bentley as an auction item for the Seattle Rep.
Ultimately the wretched characters die by the hand of another. Beau and Detective Fraymore finally find the murderer but not before the murderer commits suicide.
A mixture of goid versus evil leaves the reader excited to figure the mystery and sympathize with many craftifully woven stories. Well worth the read time.
In a twisted tale of intrigue involving Beau's run away daughter, the life of a thespian company in southern Oregon is the stage for the next adventure of J. P. Beaumont.
While on vacation Beau is called on to find his runaway daughter. Which he dies while swept into a outsider role of detective in solving three deaths entangled with producers and actors in kiddie porn. Beau becomes involved as an aggressive art promoter convinced him to convince his fellow investors in his high luxury condominium complex to donate their trademark Bentley as an auction item for the Seattle Rep.
Ultimately the wretched characters die by the hand of another. Beau and Detective Fraymore finally find the murderer but not before the murderer commits suicide.
A mixture of goid versus evil leaves the reader excited to figure the mystery and sympathize with many craftifully woven stories. Well worth the read time.
January 2, 2024
This is the first book that I have read in this series. JP Beaumont is a Seattle detective. His 18 year led daughter has run away from home, but she doesn’t appear to be the runaway type. Weirdly, she doesn’t have a drug problem. She runs away where she immediately falls in love with the perfect young man and gets pregnant. The only part that is rebellious is having unprotected sex. Jeremy, the young man, is a great kid.
JP has a good relationship with his daughter and she is excited to see him.. before the wedding can take place, 2 people are killed and his daughter is injured in a fall. JP is in trouble with local law enforcement as he is a meddler, yet they work together to figure out who is responsible
I do disagree with the author that Tanya, the crazy girl who was originally accused of the murders, is not a danger to her child and is a good mother. Crazy damaged people with no support system will not magically make good decisions.
JP has a good relationship with his daughter and she is excited to see him.. before the wedding can take place, 2 people are killed and his daughter is injured in a fall. JP is in trouble with local law enforcement as he is a meddler, yet they work together to figure out who is responsible
I do disagree with the author that Tanya, the crazy girl who was originally accused of the murders, is not a danger to her child and is a good mother. Crazy damaged people with no support system will not magically make good decisions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2017
It's a parent's worst nightmare when a child runs away. Detective JP Beaumont's nightmare is just beginning and is only getting worse. When his ex-wife's new husband calls to tell him that he had hired a private investigator to search for Kelly and that he had found her things seemed to be looking up. Kelly was no longer missing just living somewhere else. Beaumont is told that Kelly is in the small town of Ashland, Oregon famous for it's Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Beaumont's new lady friend, Alex ends up having ties to the festival so they both make the trip there to see and try to talk some sense into Kelly. Unfortunately some of the people involved in the festival have different plans in mind.
March 28, 2020
Hopefully I will be going on a trip to Ashland Oregon for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in September. That is where this mystery is set. JP Beaumont is a cop/detective from Seattle. He comes to Ashland to find his daughter who disappeared 4 months earlier. He finds out she is pregnant and about to be married. She is living in a co-op on a farm on the outskirts of town and working part time jobs to survive. Then a couple murders happen. The plot moves along and is not too complicated. If there is one thing that I found amusingly distracting it was Beaumont's funny detail about cars. Instead of "we drove back to town" it was "we drove the Ford Teodoro Model X back to town." Anyway, it was fun to read a bit about the area and the festival.
January 26, 2023
This intricate plot seems to go in one direction and then veers off into another. Beau’s runaway daughter has been found by her step-father’s detective, and Beau goes after her, right into the midst of a Shakespearean town with plays. He is confronted with one surprise after another, and it will take him some time to wrap his mind around it all. And then, an accident (or murder), is followed by another murder, and yet another accident, this one involving his daughter. It was nice to see the interaction between all the family members - Beau, his ex-wife and her current husband, and Kelly and her fiancé. The mysteries are great, but so is reading about the relationships and friendships in this series. The characters seem almost real, and seem like people you wish you knew.
August 19, 2020
I know lots of people say you don’t have to read the books in order, but I cannot stress enough how much you will miss if you don’t read book 1. Anne Corley has been mentioned throughout the series, and in this book her history with Beau and Ralph really plays a role. You’ll be able to figure things out through context, but understanding the history from book 1 will really help.
I’ll admit Beau’s current lady friend isn’t my favorite, but I do think she’s an important part of the story because the dynamic between them gives some insight into how Beau’s personality has evolved.
I had a hard time at the beginning of the book because Beau was acting like an immature ass, but his maturity showed through (over time).
I’ll admit Beau’s current lady friend isn’t my favorite, but I do think she’s an important part of the story because the dynamic between them gives some insight into how Beau’s personality has evolved.
I had a hard time at the beginning of the book because Beau was acting like an immature ass, but his maturity showed through (over time).
November 4, 2025
My Grandma Donna passed in 2018. She lived on 10 acres in Onalaska, WA on the Newalkum River. The property is still in our family, to eventually be split amongst my 2 sisters, cousin Joy, and I. One of my favorite places to go. Anyway she was a huge fan of Nora Roberts and JA Jance. Her books are still in the house. Whenever I visit I snag more books. Makes me feel closer to her knowing I'm reading what she did. This was a good story, a quick read, and the characters have heart, which I find is sometimes missing in these police procedural mysteries. This happened to be my first book by this author. Cool to find out shes from the Pacific Northwest too:-)
October 18, 2018
I was completely on board with this book until we got to the "Big Reveal", then it went off the rails and lost me. I even had a different culprit picked out until that point. I can buy into why the villain does what the villain does. My issue is with the way local law enforcement apprehends the villain. That just became too maudlin and unbelievable for me. This was a solid 4+ star read for me, but I felt that scene insulted my intelligence and my credulity. And even as sweet and emotional as the ending was, there was no salvaging my opinion after that.
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