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Jude Devine #2
Sleep of Reason
When a small boy is kidnapped from his home, most of Montezuma County turns out for the search. But nothing is as it seems with this case, and Detective Jude Devine soon finds herself caught up in a small-town soap opera whose players seem more interested in their 15 minutes of fame than in the fate of little Corban.
234 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
4 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Rose Beecham
12 books16 followersRose Beecham is the mystery pen name of best-selling lesbian romance and mystery novels writer Jennifer Knight. She is the prolific author of romance and mystery novels under three pen names — Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, and Grace Lennox. She was first published by the Naiad Press in 1992. Jennifer is a recipient of the Alice B. Reader's award for Lesbian Fiction, multiple Golden Crown Literary Award winner, and Lambda Literary Award finalist for both romance and mystery.
Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, Grace Lennox
Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, Grace Lennox
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 27, 2018
This book was frustrating. As a mom, it was heartbreaking to read about a small boy being abused and murdered. The biggest frustration for me was the characters. I really did not like any of them. Jude seems like a strong intelligent person but she keeps going back to Mercy, who is clearly manipulating her. I didn't like the boy's parents/family at all(I think that was kind of the point though;they were all scum and supposed to be unlikable) And the whole Debbie/Lone Wolf thing was like an odd subplot.
I did like the return of Chastity Young. She may be a good match for Jude.
I did like the return of Chastity Young. She may be a good match for Jude.
May 27, 2022
The book doesn’t start well with a bit of an uninteresting domestic drama and unfortunately it doesn’t really improve until over halfway.
There is a police investigation, but this is mostly a repetitive interrogation of a suspect and the majority of the first half of the book is really an annoying soap opera.
I found the second half a bit better, but in the end the book is really is just too depressive, the investigation has an unsatisfactory conclusion and even Jude’s romantic relationships are pretty screwed-up.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
There is a police investigation, but this is mostly a repetitive interrogation of a suspect and the majority of the first half of the book is really an annoying soap opera.
I found the second half a bit better, but in the end the book is really is just too depressive, the investigation has an unsatisfactory conclusion and even Jude’s romantic relationships are pretty screwed-up.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
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June 18, 2020The second book in the Jude Devine series is a worthy successor to the first. Maybe more so, as author Rose Beecham doesn't have Fundamentalist Mormon sects to bash. Instead, she sets her sights on child abuse. A two-year-old boy goes missing from his home while the mother is out and her boyfriend babysits. Everyone in the book—and every reader—knows that the boyfriend is responsible, but he is somehow able to pile lie on top of lie to wiggle out of every inconsistency in his story.
The book reminds me more than a little of Katherine V. Forrest’s Murder by Tradition, where the murderer keeps changing his story every few minutes without actually convicting himself. Another comparison is that it is partly a courtroom drama, where the story plays out in the man’s trial, although with a much different conclusion. Beecham's style is not dissimilar to Forrest's and their protagonists are similarly aloof.
Jude’s relationship with Dr. Mercy Westmoreland goes way south when the good doctor decides to marry her English movie-star lover in a large, well-publicized ceremony (I wonder what happened to Mercy’s fear of being outed in the small Colorado town where she still works?). I never thought they were particularly well suited anyway. The good news is that Chastity Young—a character from the first book—drives back into Jude’s life and wins her heart. Her difficulty with sex will undoubtedly be brought out further in the next book in the series.
Another subplot here is the relationship between two new characters, Brenda and Lonewolf. Lone, unbeknownst to Brenda, is planning to assassinate Dick Cheney for helping move the U.S. into an unreasonable war--one that ultimately cost the life of Lone's previous lover. Jude suspects Lone of plotting something, but she isn't sure what. We'll undoubtedly find out next time.
As in the first book, there is a lot in the actual plot that doesn't actually make sense, but as I keep saying, we tend to overlook all but the more major plot glitches with the writing is good and the characters interesting. As they are in Sleep of Reason.
Note: I read the 2014 version of the e-book.
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
The book reminds me more than a little of Katherine V. Forrest’s Murder by Tradition, where the murderer keeps changing his story every few minutes without actually convicting himself. Another comparison is that it is partly a courtroom drama, where the story plays out in the man’s trial, although with a much different conclusion. Beecham's style is not dissimilar to Forrest's and their protagonists are similarly aloof.
Jude’s relationship with Dr. Mercy Westmoreland goes way south when the good doctor decides to marry her English movie-star lover in a large, well-publicized ceremony (I wonder what happened to Mercy’s fear of being outed in the small Colorado town where she still works?). I never thought they were particularly well suited anyway. The good news is that Chastity Young—a character from the first book—drives back into Jude’s life and wins her heart. Her difficulty with sex will undoubtedly be brought out further in the next book in the series.
Another subplot here is the relationship between two new characters, Brenda and Lonewolf. Lone, unbeknownst to Brenda, is planning to assassinate Dick Cheney for helping move the U.S. into an unreasonable war--one that ultimately cost the life of Lone's previous lover. Jude suspects Lone of plotting something, but she isn't sure what. We'll undoubtedly find out next time.
As in the first book, there is a lot in the actual plot that doesn't actually make sense, but as I keep saying, we tend to overlook all but the more major plot glitches with the writing is good and the characters interesting. As they are in Sleep of Reason.
Note: I read the 2014 version of the e-book.
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
March 2, 2017
Great series, I'm waiting for a part four of it.
May 27, 2015
Look, I read all three of these books in three days, okay.
I think I liked this one as much as the first but in a different way... I super like all her characters and the ways she writes them, though I still have some complaints? But not enough to make me stop reading continuously...
I think I liked this one as much as the first but in a different way... I super like all her characters and the ways she writes them, though I still have some complaints? But not enough to make me stop reading continuously...
May 4, 2008
I've just completed Sleep of Reason, and it was well worth the time spent. I could not put it down. The story is full, the plot insidious, and the characters are believable--not always likable--but definitely vibrant. This is a wonderful follow-up to Grave Silence.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews