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J.P. Beaumont #20
Betrayal of Trust
Seattle investigator J. P. Beaumont investigates a dark and deadly conspiracy At first glance, the video appears to be showing a a teenage girl with dark wavy hair smiles for the camera, a blue scarf tied around her neck. All of a sudden things turn murderous, and the girl ends up dead. It’s as bad as a snuff film can get, and what’s worse, the clip has been discovered on a phone that belongs to the governor of Washington State’s grandson. Fortunately, the governor is able to turn to an old friend, J. P. Beaumont, for help. Along with Mel Soames, Beaumont soon discovers that what initially appears to be a childish prank gone wrong has much deeper implications, reaching into the halls of state government itself. But Mel and Beau must follow this path of corruption to its very end, before more innocent young lives are lost.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2011
1873 people are currently reading
2791 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Jance
117 books4,173 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 577 reviews
July 17, 2021
In this 20th book in the 'J.P. Beaumont' series, Detective Beaumont investigates the death of a girl who was apparently the victim of a new fad. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowledge of the characters' background is a plus.
*****
When Governor Marsha Longmire of Washington finds a snuff film on her step-grandson Josh's cell phone she calls her old classmate, Detective J.P. Beaumont (Beau), to investigate.
The snuff film shows the death of a young girl during "the choking game", apparently a fad among some teens.
Beau and his wife Melissa, also a homicide detective, get on the case.
They question Josh, who purports to know nothing about the film. Josh is uneasy however, and further developments suggest he might know more than he admits. 😓
Beau and Melissa soon trace the dissemination of the film to 'Janie's House', a facility where poor or homeless teens can hang out, shower, wash their clothes, have access to computers and cell phones, and so on.
The detectives find that the Governor's family has a connection with the facility since Longmire's daughter - along with some of her private school classmates - volunteer there. They also discover that bullying emails found on Josh's computer were sent from Janie's House.
Additional deaths complicate the case, as does sabotage at Janie's House. With the involvement of the Governor's family the detectives need to tread carefully. Nevertheless, they skillfully navigate the investigation, and the case is resolved in a highly satisfactory manner. 👌
There's also a sub-plot in which Beau finds out more about his father (who died before he was born) and the Texas family he never knew. This helped round out Beau's history but didn't add much to the plot.
The book is well-written with believable characters and interesting twists. Good mystery, highly recommended. 💕
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
February 7, 2012
I think I have by now made it clear that I am a very great fan of J. A. Jance's novels, even though I have noticed in a few of them, as is the case here, that sometimes her endings seem to be superfluous subplot add-ons that she had originally intended to do more with but ran out either of steam or of publishing space. I don't really have a problem with that, other than that I had expected a more elaborate development of that subplot, which really is independent of and irrelevant to the mainline story.
This novel is the latest (in 2011) installment of the J. P. Beaumont series. Beau and Mel are continuing to enjoy their married life as S.H.I.T. detectives (you have to read one of the books to understand) when Beau gets an unexpected E-mail from a woman down in Texas, who thinks that he may just happen to be the son of her mother's long-lost brother, and would he like to come down to Texas to meet her mother before the latter kicks the bucket? Meanwhile, the Washington State District Attorney, who is their boss's boss, calls them in to do a special job: resolving an issue that involves the step-grandson of the Governor, who just happens to have been one of the girls in Beau's high school class--and who has just found a snuff video on her step-grandson's cellphone. The requirement is obvious: solve the crime but do it in such a way that does not bring embarrassment to the Governor. Unfortunately, …
This novel is the latest (in 2011) installment of the J. P. Beaumont series. Beau and Mel are continuing to enjoy their married life as S.H.I.T. detectives (you have to read one of the books to understand) when Beau gets an unexpected E-mail from a woman down in Texas, who thinks that he may just happen to be the son of her mother's long-lost brother, and would he like to come down to Texas to meet her mother before the latter kicks the bucket? Meanwhile, the Washington State District Attorney, who is their boss's boss, calls them in to do a special job: resolving an issue that involves the step-grandson of the Governor, who just happens to have been one of the girls in Beau's high school class--and who has just found a snuff video on her step-grandson's cellphone. The requirement is obvious: solve the crime but do it in such a way that does not bring embarrassment to the Governor. Unfortunately, …
March 28, 2023
A perfect addition to the cannon of JP Beaumont. I listen to this series and a few books ago we got a new narrator. It has taken me a while to get use to him and finally in this book JA Horne is Beau. There is nothing new in this book as Beau and Mel work together to solve a mystery.
With great characters that I love and great characters I love to hate this series is one of my favorites.
We also get more of an insight in origins of Beau which was really great to read.
With great characters that I love and great characters I love to hate this series is one of my favorites.
We also get more of an insight in origins of Beau which was really great to read.
June 25, 2023
I like all of JA Jance's characters, and JP Beaumont has come a long way--I do like when the character in a long-time series change over time, and that has certainly been true of this one. A solid installment
September 9, 2011
Before saying more, I have to say that this was my first J.A. Jance novel. I would also read the book again, so I thought it was a good read overall.
Something was bothering me the whole time I was reading, and I could not figure out until the very end what it was. The characters were developed well, the plot was good, and the conclusion didn't leave anything to the imagination. In the end, I felt that the book lacked passion. To me, it felt that the author neatly developed the plot and made sure everything was tied up in the end. However, it felt to me like she was not really into writing this book. I do readily admit that I'm probably the only one thinking this.
I also thought the book was lacking in action. While I'm not necessarily a reader that needs a Michael Bayesque type of book to read it, I think an occassional action scene can help the reader to refocus on the analysis done by the detectives, of which I thought there was too much.
Lastly, I thought the family connection was superfluous in the book, but this is probably because I haven't read the other novels and was not familiar with the characters from the beginning. I will definitely read another Jance novel and hope to make that connection then.
Something was bothering me the whole time I was reading, and I could not figure out until the very end what it was. The characters were developed well, the plot was good, and the conclusion didn't leave anything to the imagination. In the end, I felt that the book lacked passion. To me, it felt that the author neatly developed the plot and made sure everything was tied up in the end. However, it felt to me like she was not really into writing this book. I do readily admit that I'm probably the only one thinking this.
I also thought the book was lacking in action. While I'm not necessarily a reader that needs a Michael Bayesque type of book to read it, I think an occassional action scene can help the reader to refocus on the analysis done by the detectives, of which I thought there was too much.
Lastly, I thought the family connection was superfluous in the book, but this is probably because I haven't read the other novels and was not familiar with the characters from the beginning. I will definitely read another Jance novel and hope to make that connection then.
June 18, 2020
Another good addition to the J.P. Beaumont series. Some of the issues dealt with were the disturbing distribution of snuff tapes, discovery of bodies perhaps related to the tapes, blended family challenges, children/young people with privilege and those without. In addition sexual abuse, bullying and abrupt realities of owning up to ones involvement in crimes initially meant only to disturb an innocent guy.
Of course Beaumont and his extended team managed to ferret out all the loose ends and see those responsible for crimes brought to justice. Isn't that what they do best?
Towards the end 'Beau' got drawn into a several personal issue(s), which left me with a keen interest in following up in Jance's next book.
Of course Beaumont and his extended team managed to ferret out all the loose ends and see those responsible for crimes brought to justice. Isn't that what they do best?
Towards the end 'Beau' got drawn into a several personal issue(s), which left me with a keen interest in following up in Jance's next book.
July 18, 2021
VERDICT: 1.85 stars.
More of a cozy mystery than a thriller. A good bit of unecessary (and dull) detail, and a irrelevant subplot.
SAY SOMETHING NICE: The initial crime was interesting. Book does not end on a cliffhanger.
SPOILER MAY FOLLOW:
.
.
.
AGGRAVATION: Good luck guessing the villain early on. .
More of a cozy mystery than a thriller. A good bit of unecessary (and dull) detail, and a irrelevant subplot.
SAY SOMETHING NICE: The initial crime was interesting. Book does not end on a cliffhanger.
SPOILER MAY FOLLOW:
.
.
.
AGGRAVATION: Good luck guessing the villain early on. .
September 30, 2023
I am surprised that I am rating this so high as the plot synopsis did not appeal. But Jance is THAT good of a writer :)
December 23, 2021
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; DECEMBER 22, 2021
Narrator: J.R. Horne
It had been awhile since I picked a J A Jance book but each time I do, I know I will get a decent story, well-executed and no unrealistic behavior to irk me. And so it was with this 20th installment of the J P Beaumont series.
The book follows the blurb and there are no odd swings in another direction or the addition of characters or events unconnected to the plot but merely for padding. I was engaged throughout the book and can say that Ms Jance is able to take a simple plot and run with it though the storyline here seems simple at first - Josh is clearly the perp. Until he isn't.
Narration-wise, I am glad it was not Gene Engene narrating, as he did for all the previous books until book 14. He gives the books a very dated feel because of his cadence and it's the only negative in what is one of my favorite murder mystery series.
Narrator: J.R. Horne
It had been awhile since I picked a J A Jance book but each time I do, I know I will get a decent story, well-executed and no unrealistic behavior to irk me. And so it was with this 20th installment of the J P Beaumont series.
The book follows the blurb and there are no odd swings in another direction or the addition of characters or events unconnected to the plot but merely for padding. I was engaged throughout the book and can say that Ms Jance is able to take a simple plot and run with it though the storyline here seems simple at first - Josh is clearly the perp. Until he isn't.
Narration-wise, I am glad it was not Gene Engene narrating, as he did for all the previous books until book 14. He gives the books a very dated feel because of his cadence and it's the only negative in what is one of my favorite murder mystery series.
January 14, 2025
Maybe if I'd read previous books in the series I'd care more. Or maybe if I'd read 19 books in the series before this I'd be even more bored than I was just reading this book.
Either way, I didn't find the mystery itself very compelling. I don't read cozy mystery because the genre bothers me on a mental level, but it felt like a cozy mystery where bodies kept dropping, but the writing style kept everything on such a surface level that nothing was actually impactful. On that note, these are /homicide/ detectives and that video that starts the story is what turns their stomach and they find super disturbing? If that's the case, I could be a homicide detective (I do not have the stomach to be an actual homicide detective). And then the characters were annoying on top of that, so it left me with a big fat oh well. I tried it.
Either way, I didn't find the mystery itself very compelling. I don't read cozy mystery because the genre bothers me on a mental level, but it felt like a cozy mystery where bodies kept dropping, but the writing style kept everything on such a surface level that nothing was actually impactful. On that note, these are /homicide/ detectives and that video that starts the story is what turns their stomach and they find super disturbing? If that's the case, I could be a homicide detective (I do not have the stomach to be an actual homicide detective). And then the characters were annoying on top of that, so it left me with a big fat oh well. I tried it.
October 29, 2021
Two-haiku review:
Governor's problem
Snuff film on step-grandson's phone
Then people dying
Mean girls to extreme
And privileged kids thinking
No consequences
Governor's problem
Snuff film on step-grandson's phone
Then people dying
Mean girls to extreme
And privileged kids thinking
No consequences
January 1, 2016
I’ve waited years for this book and it didn’t disappoint. We finally learned about Beau’s father’s side of the family. Beau’s dad’s parents were cut from the same cloth as his mom’s parents: hard core mean and filled with religious rage and hate.
Beau’s cousin, his dad’s sister’s daughter, finds old letters of her mom’s that had been intercepted by her mom’s mother talking about Beau and his mother. Her mother is dying from cancer so she thought what could be a better present than meeting her beloved brother’s son. She sends Beau an email.
Beau is not sure how to respond so he asks his attorney to look into the matter. Beau’s attorney learns that the cousin is on the up-and-up and encourages Beau to get in touch with her. Beau delays contacting his cousin until he solves his latest case
Betrayal of Trust had everything a reader would want in a police thriller: drama, deflection, suspense, a believable story with well developed characters and good editing. Fans of the series will enjoy Betrayal of Trust while first time readers will want to go back and read every book in the series.
J.R. Horne performance held us enthralled He captured the personalities and emotions of all the characters.
May 4, 2024
So glad to get to venture along with J.P. Beaumont. It seems I have missed out on at least one or two previous books. I will have to go back and retrace and read missing pieces.
It is fun to see Beaumont moved into the technology age, and is using modern conveniences. Also funny when his co-hort mention Twitty I laughed out loud.
Troubled kids and long lost cousin add to the adventure.
Love the return of Harry I. Ball, and wondered how long it would be before Ralph Ames turned up.
I have to say I love Mel's magical handbag, I want one just like it. Hopefully it would be as well stocked.
The plot of poor little spoiled rich kids and their bullying was something I liked to see addressed.
I liked that at least one group of adults stood for what is right.
Thank you, J.A. Jance! Wonderful way to spend a hot summer afternoon.
It is fun to see Beaumont moved into the technology age, and is using modern conveniences. Also funny when his co-hort mention Twitty I laughed out loud.
Troubled kids and long lost cousin add to the adventure.
Love the return of Harry I. Ball, and wondered how long it would be before Ralph Ames turned up.
I have to say I love Mel's magical handbag, I want one just like it. Hopefully it would be as well stocked.
The plot of poor little spoiled rich kids and their bullying was something I liked to see addressed.
I liked that at least one group of adults stood for what is right.
Thank you, J.A. Jance! Wonderful way to spend a hot summer afternoon.
August 8, 2017
Not having read any of the previous books I was able to build a full picture of the characters with the descriptions given. This story works as part of a series or a stand alone. The characters were interesting and the plot intriguing. I enjoyed the author's writing style and will be looking into reading other books in the series.
October 2, 2018
I've been reading this series from the beginning and it still holds up. In fact this may be my favorite book in the series so far. It is the perfect balance of horrible crimes, and great character development. We also finally get to learn about the main character's paternal parentage at the same time he does.
May 12, 2025
J P Beaumont and Mel are shown a photo video of a girl being strangled on the phone of the step-grandson, Josh, of the governor of the their state. While they are looking for the dead girl, Josh commits suicide and they find out the girl was actually killed later. A side line to the main story is the finding of J P Beaumont's family and his bad knees.
July 3, 2018
J.P. Beaumont and his wife, Mel Soames, are called by their boss, Ross Connors, to report to him immediately. They meet in a coffee shop near Ross' office and he shows them a video, that may or may not be a snuff film. The catch? It is on the phone of the governor's step-grandson. As Beau and Mel investigate, they begin to question if the film is real, but then the body of the young woman who was filmed turns up. Except she has only been dead a shorter time frame than the film indicates. The young man commits suicide. The governor's daughters appear to be involved in some manner, connected to the dead girl through their volunteer work at a local shelter for runaways in Olympia WA. Meanwhile, Beau has been contacted, out of the blue, by a woman who claims to be his cousin, from Beaumont TX, the place Beau's mother always told him his father came from before he enlisted in the Navy and got killed in a motorcycle accident before Beau was born. Jance writes nice twisty plots with few loose ends. I always enjoy checking in with Beau to see how his life is going. I am looking forward to finding out more about his long-lost family.
October 7, 2025
If you like cliches this book is for you. Confession: My wife checked out the audio book and we listened to Betrayal of Trust on a recent road trip. Decent story but too much “hot as blue blazes” … “quiet as a field mouse” … etc. for me. Not to be rude, but it was my first Jance book. And probably my last. I never know what my bride will find on Hoopla.
February 5, 2018
It was a very nice read. I enjoyed it a lot, even though it took me some time to read it. I am guessing this book is part of a series. i will have to find the rest hopefully they are entertaining as this one was.
October 29, 2017
Not one of the best in this series, but still a good story. I love the characters!
January 30, 2019
It started with a Snuff film.
June 14, 2020
Another great book from this series. Also enjoyed the tear jerking great character development for JP Beaumont.
May 26, 2019
I've read Joanna Brady novels by this author. This is the first J P Beaumont. I enjoyed it more than the Brady books.
November 27, 2019
This was an excellent, multifaceted story! Well done, Jance!
May 4, 2019
My general overall impression of this book was--meh.
I mean the story was fine. The ending wasn't particularly surprising or interesting. The characters were okay, I guess. The writing was. . .fine, acceptable, whatever. This was a book that a guest had left at my house, not wanting to carry it back to the US with them, so since it was laying around, I thought, "Sure, why not?". But in general, this book left me a little bored.
Now look, I know that I am extremely picky. I notice things that other people don't notice. Things bother me that probably don't bother other people. But there are certain things that I expect from mysteries. Some things this book delivered on, some it did not so much.
Things that went well were first of all, that the plot was sufficiently complex and interesting enough. After we find out who 'done it', the motivations and character choices were believable. Some of the minor, more two dimensional characters were interesting and amusing. There is also a very significant sense of place, as it is set in Seattle, and the author clearly knows the area well.
There were some things that I had trouble with, however. The first is that even though I know that the average audience member is quite dense, there was a lot of repetition of 'clues' and it took the investigators a long time to put two and two together after this reader had already gotten there ten pages ago. It made the investigators look stupid and the reader feel like the author thought she was stupid as well. This happened mostly at the beginning of the book and tapered off as the plot moved along.
I think the thing that I liked least about this mystery was the protagonist or lead investigator. First we are treated to A LOT of internal dialogue--basically this guy making judgments about whether or not he liked this or that character and for what reasons. While a little of this would have been okay, there was too much for my taste. I would much rather know what he thought of whether or not the characters could be involved in the crime and why. I didn't care that much about his personal opinions or whether he liked someone or not.
In fact, I didn't care much about him at all. He was decidedly uninteresting to me. He is a guy in fifties who has been married a few times, has kids that he has an okay relationship with, and is married to a beautiful woman half his age. Oh, and he has bad knees and used to be an alcoholic. I mean, there is nothing about this guy that I connect with at all. Maybe that is just me. And then there was just a lot of unrealistic stuff about him. I was confused at the beginning of the book because he is a homicide detective, right? And we all know those guys don't make that much money. I mean, they are not destitute, but its not a high-power job. But the beginning of the book has him driving a Mercedes and his wife driving a Porsche, and they live in an apartment in downtown Seattle that overlooks the water-I'm from Seattle; I know how expensive that has to be. I was just really confused. The book eventually explains that he inherited a bunch of money from an earlier wife who committed suicide. Huh? And get this, at the end of the book, he finds an extremely wealthy, dying, long-lost aunt, who immediately changes her will when she meets him. I mean seriously Jance, how much money does this guy need to have?
The main character's wife, who is also his partner, is also a bit problematic to me. Jance does her best to portray this beautiful, much younger woman as strong and smart and her own person. She is sort of successful, not the least because Mel unusually and somewhat amusingly responds to unwanted sexual overtures with violence, but in the end, Mel exists mostly to support the main protagonist. Don't get me wrong, she had potential. I mean I would read a book where she was the main investigator without the ageing husband and lead partner. I think it might be a much more interesting read. But as it is, she is the main supply carrier (everything is in her rather large and mysterious bag) and self-esteem booster for the main character. And that was kind of disappointing.
And disappointment was my general feeling for this book. It wasn't particularly bad. Neither was it particularly good. It had potential but never quite lived up to it. And maybe some people really like this lead investigator. But, in general, the whole book was very lukewarm for me.
I mean the story was fine. The ending wasn't particularly surprising or interesting. The characters were okay, I guess. The writing was. . .fine, acceptable, whatever. This was a book that a guest had left at my house, not wanting to carry it back to the US with them, so since it was laying around, I thought, "Sure, why not?". But in general, this book left me a little bored.
Now look, I know that I am extremely picky. I notice things that other people don't notice. Things bother me that probably don't bother other people. But there are certain things that I expect from mysteries. Some things this book delivered on, some it did not so much.
Things that went well were first of all, that the plot was sufficiently complex and interesting enough. After we find out who 'done it', the motivations and character choices were believable. Some of the minor, more two dimensional characters were interesting and amusing. There is also a very significant sense of place, as it is set in Seattle, and the author clearly knows the area well.
There were some things that I had trouble with, however. The first is that even though I know that the average audience member is quite dense, there was a lot of repetition of 'clues' and it took the investigators a long time to put two and two together after this reader had already gotten there ten pages ago. It made the investigators look stupid and the reader feel like the author thought she was stupid as well. This happened mostly at the beginning of the book and tapered off as the plot moved along.
I think the thing that I liked least about this mystery was the protagonist or lead investigator. First we are treated to A LOT of internal dialogue--basically this guy making judgments about whether or not he liked this or that character and for what reasons. While a little of this would have been okay, there was too much for my taste. I would much rather know what he thought of whether or not the characters could be involved in the crime and why. I didn't care that much about his personal opinions or whether he liked someone or not.
In fact, I didn't care much about him at all. He was decidedly uninteresting to me. He is a guy in fifties who has been married a few times, has kids that he has an okay relationship with, and is married to a beautiful woman half his age. Oh, and he has bad knees and used to be an alcoholic. I mean, there is nothing about this guy that I connect with at all. Maybe that is just me. And then there was just a lot of unrealistic stuff about him. I was confused at the beginning of the book because he is a homicide detective, right? And we all know those guys don't make that much money. I mean, they are not destitute, but its not a high-power job. But the beginning of the book has him driving a Mercedes and his wife driving a Porsche, and they live in an apartment in downtown Seattle that overlooks the water-I'm from Seattle; I know how expensive that has to be. I was just really confused. The book eventually explains that he inherited a bunch of money from an earlier wife who committed suicide. Huh? And get this, at the end of the book, he finds an extremely wealthy, dying, long-lost aunt, who immediately changes her will when she meets him. I mean seriously Jance, how much money does this guy need to have?
The main character's wife, who is also his partner, is also a bit problematic to me. Jance does her best to portray this beautiful, much younger woman as strong and smart and her own person. She is sort of successful, not the least because Mel unusually and somewhat amusingly responds to unwanted sexual overtures with violence, but in the end, Mel exists mostly to support the main protagonist. Don't get me wrong, she had potential. I mean I would read a book where she was the main investigator without the ageing husband and lead partner. I think it might be a much more interesting read. But as it is, she is the main supply carrier (everything is in her rather large and mysterious bag) and self-esteem booster for the main character. And that was kind of disappointing.
And disappointment was my general feeling for this book. It wasn't particularly bad. Neither was it particularly good. It had potential but never quite lived up to it. And maybe some people really like this lead investigator. But, in general, the whole book was very lukewarm for me.
March 12, 2017
This was the first book I have read by this author. It kept my interest and kept me guessing. It made me want to read more.
February 5, 2014
I love J. A. Jance's several series, but the one featuring homicide detective J. P. Beaumont is my favorite. For some reason I can identify with him. He's had a tough life beginning with a childhood in poverty and no father. His mother was rejected by family when she discovered she was pregnant shortly after her sailor boyfriend died. His family refused to have anything to do with her either, so she struggled to raise him alone. (My childhood was lovely, thank you.)
Only recently has he had a wonderful life, since he married Mel Soames, another homicide detective. They work for the Special Homicide Investigative Team with its unfortunate acronym, as partners. Their skills complement each other's.
In this case they are assigned to a hush-hush problem in the governor's mansion. Josh, the governor's step-grandson, had been brought to live in the mansion after his mother died of an overdose. Obviously he has had a horrid life, and he's a troubled teen. The governor's two teenage daughters have differing reactions to his presence, but he ignores them anyway. He is caught coming home after a night out without permission. The guv confiscates his phone as punishment and discovers a snuff film on it. She immediately calls the Attorney General.
Thus begins a story of two sorts of teens, the rich kids who get away with anything, and the poor kids from terrible homes who frequently are their victims. Also there is Janie's House founded by a woman who desperately wants to lift the poor kids out of the cycle of poverty they were born into. The house provides washers and dryers, computers, cell phones, and other necessities of modern life that those kids lack. It's meant as a safe place where they can improve their lives.
I don't want to give away anything else because this is an excellent homicide case and our detectives are both shrewd and compassionate throughout. We also learn something surprising about Beaumont's background that will totally floor him.
Highly recommended
Source: purchased from amazon.com
Only recently has he had a wonderful life, since he married Mel Soames, another homicide detective. They work for the Special Homicide Investigative Team with its unfortunate acronym, as partners. Their skills complement each other's.
In this case they are assigned to a hush-hush problem in the governor's mansion. Josh, the governor's step-grandson, had been brought to live in the mansion after his mother died of an overdose. Obviously he has had a horrid life, and he's a troubled teen. The governor's two teenage daughters have differing reactions to his presence, but he ignores them anyway. He is caught coming home after a night out without permission. The guv confiscates his phone as punishment and discovers a snuff film on it. She immediately calls the Attorney General.
Thus begins a story of two sorts of teens, the rich kids who get away with anything, and the poor kids from terrible homes who frequently are their victims. Also there is Janie's House founded by a woman who desperately wants to lift the poor kids out of the cycle of poverty they were born into. The house provides washers and dryers, computers, cell phones, and other necessities of modern life that those kids lack. It's meant as a safe place where they can improve their lives.
I don't want to give away anything else because this is an excellent homicide case and our detectives are both shrewd and compassionate throughout. We also learn something surprising about Beaumont's background that will totally floor him.
Highly recommended
Source: purchased from amazon.com
February 25, 2015
Nel 2011 viene pubblicato per la prima volta l’ennesimo romanzo di una serie che vede come protagonista una coppia che lotta contro il crimine. Sono i coniugi Jonas Piemonte Beaumont, meglio noto come J.P., e sua moglie Melissa Soames, o Mel. In realtà, lei è la sua terza moglie, ma poco importa se c’è feeling durante le indagini. In questo nuovo bestseller, qualcosa modifica la normale routine di coppia e li coinvolge in un’indagine particolarmente scottante poiché include una famiglia molto in vista, quella del governatore dello Stato di Washington. Il signor e la signora Beaumont sono pronti a fare, ancora una volta, qualcosa fuori dal comune.
La loro indagine inizia con un filmato su un cellulare. Una ragazzina sorridente con una sciarpa blu al collo viene strangolata da mani misteriose. È uno snuff movie in piena regola. È pane per i denti di J.P. Beaumont e della sua partner, Mel.
La loro speciale squadra investigativa è particolare, ma funziona alla perfezione. Ecco perché i casi di omicidio più delicati vengono assegnati a loro. Il cellulare appartiene al nipote del governatore dello stato di Washington, un ragazzo con una storia tormentata alle spalle. L’evidenza dei fatti sembra incastrare proprio il ragazzo, ma l’indagine non è semplice come sembra. Anzi. È destinata a scoperchiare un abisso di orrori che solo la coppia Beaumont può gestire per portare alla luce la sordida realtà.
Questa indagine, dopo tante già svolte insieme, ha comunque qualcosa di originale e mai visto. La scrittrice J.A. Jance ha saputo, ancora una volta, sorprendere piacevolmente e interessare i suoi lettori più affezionati, confezionando una detective story in piena regola.
September 14, 2019
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
In this 20th book in the 'J.P. Beaumont' series, Detective Beaumont investigates the death of a girl who was apparently the victim of a new fad. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowledge of the characters' background is a plus.
*****
When Governor Marsha Longmire of Washington finds a snuff film on her step-grandson Josh's cell phone she calls her old classmate, Detective J.P. Beaumont (Beau), to investigate. The film shows the death of a young girl during "the choking game", apparently a fad among some teens.
Beau and his wife Melissa, also a homicide detective, get on the case. They question Josh, who purports to know nothing about the film. Josh is uneasy however, and further developments suggest he might know more than he admits. 😓
Beau and Melissa soon trace the dissemination of the film to 'Janie's House', a facility where poor or homeless teens can hang out, shower, wash their clothes, have access to computers and cell phones, and so on. The detectives find that the Governor's family has a connection with the facility since Longmire's daughter - along with some of her private school classmates - volunteer there. They also discover that bullying emails found on Josh's computer were sent from Janie's House.
Additional deaths complicate the case, as does sabotage at Janie's House. With the involvement of the Governor's family the detectives need to tread carefully. Nevertheless, they skillfully navigate the investigation, and the case is resolved in a highly satisfactory manner. 👌
There's also a sub-plot in which Beau finds out more about his father (who died before he was born) and the Texas family he never knew. This helped round out Beau's history but didn't add much to the plot.
**
J.P. Beaumont and his wife, Mel Soames, are called by their boss, Ross Connors, to report to him immediately. They meet in a coffee shop near Ross' office and he shows them a video, that may or may not be a snuff film. The catch? It is on the phone of the governor's step-grandson. As Beau and Mel investigate, they begin to question if the film is real, but then the body of the young woman who was filmed turns up. Except she has only been dead a shorter time frame than the film indicates. The young man commits suicide. The governor's daughters appear to be involved in some manner, connected to the dead girl through their volunteer work at a local shelter for runaways in Olympia WA. Meanwhile, Beau has been contacted, out of the blue, by a woman who claims to be his cousin, from Beaumont TX, the place Beau's mother always told him his father came from before he enlisted in the Navy and got killed in a motorcycle accident before Beau was born. Jance writes nice twisty plots with few loose ends. I always enjoy checking in with Beau to see how his life is going.
***
In this 20th book in the 'J.P. Beaumont' series, Detective Beaumont investigates the death of a girl who was apparently the victim of a new fad. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowledge of the characters' background is a plus.
*****
When Governor Marsha Longmire of Washington finds a snuff film on her step-grandson Josh's cell phone she calls her old classmate, Detective J.P. Beaumont (Beau), to investigate. The film shows the death of a young girl during "the choking game", apparently a fad among some teens.
Beau and his wife Melissa, also a homicide detective, get on the case. They question Josh, who purports to know nothing about the film. Josh is uneasy however, and further developments suggest he might know more than he admits. 😓
Beau and Melissa soon trace the dissemination of the film to 'Janie's House', a facility where poor or homeless teens can hang out, shower, wash their clothes, have access to computers and cell phones, and so on. The detectives find that the Governor's family has a connection with the facility since Longmire's daughter - along with some of her private school classmates - volunteer there. They also discover that bullying emails found on Josh's computer were sent from Janie's House.
Additional deaths complicate the case, as does sabotage at Janie's House. With the involvement of the Governor's family the detectives need to tread carefully. Nevertheless, they skillfully navigate the investigation, and the case is resolved in a highly satisfactory manner. 👌
There's also a sub-plot in which Beau finds out more about his father (who died before he was born) and the Texas family he never knew. This helped round out Beau's history but didn't add much to the plot.
**
J.P. Beaumont and his wife, Mel Soames, are called by their boss, Ross Connors, to report to him immediately. They meet in a coffee shop near Ross' office and he shows them a video, that may or may not be a snuff film. The catch? It is on the phone of the governor's step-grandson. As Beau and Mel investigate, they begin to question if the film is real, but then the body of the young woman who was filmed turns up. Except she has only been dead a shorter time frame than the film indicates. The young man commits suicide. The governor's daughters appear to be involved in some manner, connected to the dead girl through their volunteer work at a local shelter for runaways in Olympia WA. Meanwhile, Beau has been contacted, out of the blue, by a woman who claims to be his cousin, from Beaumont TX, the place Beau's mother always told him his father came from before he enlisted in the Navy and got killed in a motorcycle accident before Beau was born. Jance writes nice twisty plots with few loose ends. I always enjoy checking in with Beau to see how his life is going.
***
August 17, 2015
This is a first time read for me of author J.A. Jance mystery thriller. When I started "Betrayal of Trust" I wasn't enjoying the chatty get to know the main characters, detective J.P. Beaumont and his partner detective and wife, Mel Soames and almost gave up (might I add too soon). As the crime was introduced and the story went from personal to crime the characters jumped into their roles as focused sleuths. A video reveals what appears to be a game of a pretty teen girl being strangled then quickly changes to be more than a game - a "snuff film". Horrible! To add to the horror it's found on the cell phone of a very troubled young teen guy who is the step-grandson of the state's governor, Marsha Longmire. Solving that while J.P.'s secret past history comes to light gives the reader a must quickly solve crime of a murder as more are being heaped into it and the solving of a J.P. life mystery. The deeper I got into the characters, and presented real enough from snobby rich and powerful, to the toughest and poorest lot in the state of Washington, the more I couldn't put the book down. Definitely this author is on my "what's next?" book list.
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