Improbable Cause

J.P. Beaumont #5

by J.A. Jance

Perhaps it was fitting justice: a dentist who enjoyed inflicting pain was murdered in his own chair. The question is not who wanted Dr. Frederick Nielsen dead, but rather who of the many finally reached the breaking point. The sordid details of this case, with its shocking revelations of violence, cruelty, and horrific sexual abuse, would be tough for any investigator to stomach. But for Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont, the most damning piece of the murderous puzzle will shake him to his very core -- because what will be revealed to him is nothing less than the true meaning of unrepentant evil.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Detective, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Thriller

344 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1988

About the author

Judith 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

Reviews

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Improbable Cause: J. P. Beaumont, Book 5 (audiobook) by J. A. Jance read by Gene Engene.

A dentist was found murdered in his office and J. P. Beaumont is on the case. It’s kind of a complicated situation, there was a fight before the murder and it seems like several people were involved. And so many people didn’t like the guy but they should try and make sure that they arrest the right person.

[Skipper Steve Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE all the J.A. Jance novels. But realize that part of the reason for my enthusiasm is that I lived in Seattle during the seventies and really identify with the places in which she sets here story. My advice to a prospective reader is to print out a list of her novels featuring J. P. Beaumont and begin your reading with the very first book, the second one next and so on. She builds her characters and her story lines sequentially, and you will enjoy this book and others more by reading them in order. The characters are fun to watch develop as well as the plot.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 5 in the Beaumont series is my favorite so far, and I think it is because it is closing the gap of time and feels less dated and old-fashioned than earlier books. I am hopeful that when I pick up book 6 that trend will continue.

Improbably Cause is a book full of crazy characters, with even crazier stories. A dentist is killed, and there are a large number of suspects due to the man's reprehensible actions while alive. The book delves deep into some of the darker behaviors of people. Luckily, Beaumont continues to be a strong and smart detective with the ability to dig into the past and find all the appropriate clues. And thankfully for me, this one didn't involve any inane and stupid relationships with female murderers.

3.5 stars.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author, J. A. Jance comes up with some eccentric, shall I say bizarre, characters in this book. It was a good mystery and I plan to read more of the Beaumont series, but I admit I enjoy her other series with Johanna Brady more. Maybe that is because I m familiar with the southern Arizona area, but not Seattle. Beaumont will grow on me I’m sure.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good notch in Jance's belt in the Beaumont series.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read about JP the more I fall in love with him. In this novel Beaumont is investigating the murder of a dentist. The characters in this novel are so well written and so crazy that it just works. At times I found myself laughing out loud even though we were in the middle of a murder investigation.
The ore I read this series the more I love it. It is best to start with book 1 and read them in order as the characters develop over time and there are story arc's that run through the novels.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good installment in the J.P. Beaumont series. This one had some really funny characters - especially the LOLs (little old ladies). I'm not entirely sure about the dynamic between J.P. and his partner, Big Al... Al had very little overall involvement in the case - he went home with sore feet before the killer was even caught! But I did enjoy working the case with J.P. and am definitely looking forward to the next installment!

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Quick read. I like our MCs. I like a good murder mystery, this wasn't anything earth-shattering but a solid read and i will read more of this series

[Jillian Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Beaumont is investigating the murder of a dentist and has to speak with the dentist’s in laws and track down his wife.

[Megargee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This the fifth of Jance's J. P. Beaumont series which I am reading in order. Beau investigates the murder of an abusive dentist whose wife has recently left him and fled to a battered women's shelter. It takes a while for Beau to actually find and interview her. Meanwhile he has to deal with the dentist's elderly (70s?) mother and aunts who won't give him the time of day. His new partner, Big Al, is marginally helpful, but as usual elsewhere when Beau really needs him. (Al misses the final confrontation because his feet hurt.) I understand from my wife, who is also reading the series in order and is a number of titles ahead of me, that we can look forward to Beau eventually leaving the Seattle PD. I can see why given the amount of hassle his supervisors give him.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beaumont and his homicide detective partner are called in when an affluent dentist is found dead in his office. There is no shortage of suspects, starting with just about anyone who knows the guy. Throw in his wife who looks like is a victim of abuse, the carpet layer who's had words with him, and the husband of his receptionist, and it's hard to find someone who didn't want the guy dead.

Fun, fast read that you don't have to think too much to enjoy.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read a J.P. Beaumont murder mystery in a while, so this was fun--full of sometimes crazy characters. A dentist is killed, and there are any number of suspects who might have had reasons to do the deed. Beau needs to keep more food in his apartment--the daughters of his old friend make raids on his pantry and fridge aa they are staying on another floor with an aunt. The last scene at the zoo was a riot--I love zoos anyway. If you haven't read one of this series, you should.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now listened to the first 5 books of the series. While its not the best book I have ever read I enjoy this series and enjoy listening while driving around town, and working around the house. I think part of my enjoyment is the reader. I have began listening to another series with a different reader and don't find myself enjoying it as much. Definately enjoying the series more as time goes on.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

Dentist's office scene
Dentist killed with dental pick
Did abused wife kill?

A little crazy
With old lady zoo docents
But entertaining

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just average. I hope Jance is not running out of ideas. This was a very "improbable" story.

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Improbable Cause by J.A. Jance is the 5th installment in the J.P. Beaumont series. A dentist found murdered in his office kicks off Detective Beaumont's latest investigation. It does not take Beau long to figure out that Dr. Frederick Nielson not only liked to dole out pain in his professional life, but he also enjoyed it in his personal life. As with the previous books in this series, Jance writes a gripping novel with interesting suspects and shocking revelations that lead J.P. Beaumont down a dark road to discover which suspect gave Dr. Nielson a dose of his own medicine.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. This the 5th in the J. P. Beaumont series and starts with a dentist having been murdered.

Beau is still temporarily partnered with Alan Lindstrom (Big Al). His prior partner (Ron Peters) is still incapacitated, but recovering.

Story moves along at a good pace even though there's more uncovered about each of the various suspects.
Looking forward to the next in this series.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did find that some of the suspects and their stories were interesting. I wasn't floored with the story as a whole. It was good. I did like the romantic irony reveal at the end of the story. It is always a bonus to get that with this main character because he seems so far from that sort of person. He is gruff and stoic. Not at all the charm and chase them sort of person you would expect the romantic stuff from. Good story overall.

[Debra W Pingel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This my 5th JP BEAUMONT and I will keep on going! My absolute favorite though is Second Watch. I am finding in this book that Jances' writing style has improved and her character is beginning to find his place. At last he has stopped becoming involved with either suspects or witnesses which was an unprofessional distraction.

[Heather Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great one and surprised me again

[Linda Lpp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 5 in the Beaumont series. Seems forever since I've read books in order... but at this rate I should have started much earlier!! There are 20 or so more to go.

[Megan Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery from the JP Beaumont series 😊 I wouldn't want to die from a dental pick to the throat 🤮

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good JP Beaumont yarn!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoying this series.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been around awhile, as is evident from the comments about computers and the methods of communication. Still a fun murder mystery, not overly dark or gory. There are plenty of suspects to choose from. J.P. Beaumont follows his hunches to the perplexity of his boss.

[Tracie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
(Available in Print: COPYRIGHT: (1987) 6/1/1992; PUBLISHER: Severn House Publishers; First Cloth Edition; ISBN: 978-0727843142; PAGES: ; Unabridged.)
(Available as Digital)
*This edition-Audio: COPYRIGHT: 2/19/2008; ISBN: 1581163673; PUBLISHER: Books in Motion; DURATION: 07:42:37; PARTS: 6; Unabridged; FILE SIZE: 222294 KB
Feature Film or tv: I don’t think so.

SERIES:
J.P. Beaumont Book 5

MAJOR CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive--I was listening rather than reading, so may not have spelled names correctly)
J. P. Beaumont – Seattle Police Department Homicide Squad Detective
Dr. Howard Baker – King County’s Medical Examiner
Allen Lindstrom (Big Al) - Seattle Police Department Homicide Squad Detective (Beaumont’s temporary partner)
Ron Peterson - Seattle Police Department Homicide Squad Detective (Beaumont’s incapacitated partner)
Debi Rush – Dental office receptionist
Tom Rush – Debbi’s husband, a dental student
Dr. Frederick (Fred) Neilsen - Dentist
LeAnn Neilsen – Dr. Neilsen’s wife
Dorothy (Dottie) Nielsen – Dr. Nielsen’s mother
Daisy – Dr Neilsen’s Aunt
Rachel - Dr Neilsen’s Aunt
Larry Martin – Carpet installer with Damm Fine Carpets

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it: It was the next as yet unread novel in the J.P. Beaumont series.
A dentist, apparently murdered in his dental chair, is the opening scene. Beau and his temporary partner, Big Al, are present with the county’s ME, Dr. (Doc) Baker; a photographer; reporters; and sundry crime scene personnel. Beau & Al begin doing what they do to discover who the killer is and, in the process, decide said killer probably did the world a favor with this one.
The series continues to hold my interest. I enjoy the characters and the setting—learning some of the history of Seattle.

AUTHOR:
J. A. (Judith Ann) Jance-10-27-1944: Jance is an “American author of mystery novels. She writes at least three series of novels, centering on retired Seattle Police Department Detective J. P. Beaumont, Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady, and former Los Angeles news anchor turned mystery solver Ali Reynolds. The Beaumont and Brady series intersect in the novel Partner in Crime, which is both the 16th Beaumount mystery and the 10th Brady mystery.[1] They intersect again in Fire and Ice.” __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. Gene Engene Audiobooks at http://www.booksinmotion.com” __Facebook.com

GENRE:
Fiction; Suspense; Mystery

LOCATIONS:
Seattle, WA

TIME FRAME:
Contemporary (1987)

SUBJECTS:
Murder, Domestic Abuse

DEDICATION:
"This book could not have been written
without the help of many different people.
but it is dedicated to three of them:
To Gary,
the finest of Seattle's Finest,
To Carol,
a criminalist who is not a criminologist,
and
To Andrea,
the only real live Woodland Park docent I know."

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From “Chapter 3””

"Sitting with its end gates wide open, the trailer was parked beside a shaky pile of assorted household goods and boxes. A wooden rocking chair, moving slightly with every hint of breeze, sat next to the trailer’s open end, while nearby two women struggled to load an unwieldy four-poster bed-frame canopy into the trailer. They hadn’t bothered to take it all the way apart.
“Looks to me like Mrs. Nielsen is bailing out and taking all her worldly possessions with her,” Big Al commented as he parked our vehicle as close as he could to the mountain of household goods.
He switched on our yellow hazard lights, and we both climbed out of the car. We had moved only a step or two toward the end of the trailer when a voice exploded from the shadowy interior of the trailer.
“Freeze, sucker!”
The reflex is automatic. We froze, but only for a moment. Clutching desperately for the loaded Smith and Wesson in my shoulder holster, I dove for cover. On the other side of the car Big Al dodged behind the front wheel, groping for his own weapon as he too hit the ground.
“Buddy!” a woman’s voice scolded sharply. “You knock that off right this minute! Do you hear me?”
“Buddy’s a bad boy, Buddy’s a bad boy,” replied a suddenly artificial, singsong voice.
One woman entered the trailer and emerged with a huge multicolored parrot perched jauntily on one shoulder. With his yellow head cocked to one side, he regarded Big Al and me with what seemed to be a lively interest.
The woman, a silver-haired lady in her sixties or seventies, clambered down from the trailer and hurried over to me. She recoiled a full foot when she encountered my drawn .38.
“Goodness gracious! Buddy’s just a harmless bird. You’re not going to shoot him, are you?” she demanded.
Police officers live and die by the unexpected. Response to danger, real or imagined, is reflexive, instantaneous, decisive. Hesitating a moment too long can be crucial. And deadly.
But now as the sudden burst of adrenaline dissipated uselessly in my system, I fumbled sheepishly with my gun. My hand trembled violently. That silver-haired little old lady with her loudmouthed bird had come very close to dying in a hail of bullets. It would have been hell explaining that to a shooting review board.
“No,” I managed with some difficulty. “I’m not going to shoot him. We’re police officers.” I finally succeeded in shoving my Smith and Wesson back into its holster and pulled my identification from my pocket.
I glanced at Big Al, who was also struggling to his feet, his face gray and ashen. It had scared him as badly as it had me. For all the same reasons.
“See what you did, Buddy?” the woman said crossly, turning back to the offending bird. “You caused these nice men all kinds of trouble.”
“Buddy’s a bad boy, Buddy’s a bad boy,” the parrot agreed cheerfully, nodding his head up and down.
A second woman, almost a carbon copy of the first, appeared at the open end of the trailer. Both women wore their hair cut short, with a thin fringe of straight bangs across the forehead—Mamie Eisenhower bangs in my book. Both wore gold wire-rimmed glasses and stood ramrod straight.
“What’s going on, Rachel?” the second one asked briskly, smoothing her gray skirt and stepping to the ground in one easy movement. She was a spry old dame wearing what my mother always called sensible shoes.
“Oh, nothing,” Rachel replied. “Buddy’s up to his old tricks again. He scared these two nice men half out of their wits, but there’s no harm done.”
The second woman shook her head and clicked her tongue. “That bird never did have a lick of sense,” she said.
Rachel turned back to me. “You’ll have to forgive him. Buddy spent his formative years sitting in a living room with his cage next to a television set. He grew up on ‘Police Story’ and ‘Starsky and Hutch.’”
Big Al, getting a grip on himself, made a stab at polite conversation. “How old is he?” he asked.
“Watch it, buster,” warned the bird. “Don’t come any closer.” Al stopped dead in his tracks.
One look at Al’s face as he backed away from that parrot, and it was all I could do to keep from laughing. For two cents I think he would cheerfully have wrung that parrot’s cocky neck.
“Buddy!” Rachel exclaimed, handing the bird over to the other woman, who had come to stand beside her. The three of them made quite a picture, the twin old ladies with the wise-ass bird between them. I surmised the women must be sisters.
“Put him in the car, would you please, Daisy?” Rachel asked.
Without a word, Daisy took the parrot and placed him in the back seat of an old two-toned brown and beige Buick Electra that was hooked to the trailer. As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, Buddy hopped up to the back window and sat there, hunched over, glaring out at us."

RATING:
4 stars.

STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
5-24-2022 to 5-27-22

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and twist at the end!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one much more then Taking the Fifth... I think it is because Beau was presented better, more likeable - at least by me :-)

The crime: a dentist is found dead in his own dental chair, something thin and sharp was shoved down his throat - ewwww

That sounds like a terrible way to die...and then we find out that he was an abusive, cheating poor excuse for a husband/father/son. Not only did he abuse his wife for 10 years, but he abused his mother as well, the last time causing her to break her hip and end up hospitalized. I said all along, let the one who did it go, don't find him/her, this guy deserved it.

Suspects, an ex-con carpet installer, the abused wife...sort of, his receptionist/lover...none of these did it. Then a piece of evidence exposes the most unlikely suspects... one or both of his 2 aunts, aka LOL's. side note: this book was written in 1987 and LOL was short for "little old ladies" LOL

Beau was also not keen on sending this LOL to jail and ooops, he forgot to read her the rights before she confessed...it ends with we don't know if she goes to prison or not...and I liked it that way :-)

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me some time to get into it, so I did as my good friend, Tim, once told me to do...I put it down for a couple of weeks and came back to it. Because I took it with me on a trip, I finally was able to get past the mundane and into the interesting part of the story. But by then, I was ready to move on...I like the last 50 pages, but wouldn't read it again. I got this book free, and now I know why.

[Ski Croghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book!,

Death in a dentist chair!! Not your everyday murder. Who killed the abusive dentist? Was it his wife, her (possibly) boyfriend, his obligingly receptionist or someone else? Beau has his hands full trying to determine whose guilty. Peter's is thinking about getting remarried, yes, in his condition! A very twisty case this time. Don't miss this outstanding story. Highly recommended.