Detective Fiction, Thrillers, Crimes - Fiction, Crime Fiction, Police Stories

Name Withheld (J. P. Beaumont Series #13)

Name: Name Withheld (J. P. Beaumont Series #13)
Author: J. A. Jance
ISBN: 9780062086419

by J. A. Jance

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Overview

An explosive novel of betrayal and blood vengeance featuring Seattle detective J.P. Beaumont from the New York Times bestselling author of Betrayal of Trust

There are those who don't deserve to live—and the corpse floating in Elliott Bay may have been one of those people. Not surprisingly, many individuals, too many in fact, are eager to take responsibility for the brutal slaying of the hated biotech executive whose alleged crimes ranged from the illegal trading of industrial secrets to rape. For Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumont—who's drowning in his own life-shattering problems—a case of seemingly justifiable homicide has sinister undertones, drawing the haunted policeman into a corporate nightmare world of double deals, savage jealousies, and real blood spilled far too easily, as it leads him closer to a killer he's not sure he wants to find.

Seattle homicide detective J.P. Beaumont finds himself caught up in the ruthless world of bio-technology as he investigates a New Year's Eve murder. The victim's past leads Beau into a deadly morass of jealousies, personal betrayals, more corpses and corporate double-dealings--and closer to a killer he doesn't really want to find. National ads. HC: William Morrow. (Fiction--Mystery)

Synopsis

An explosive novel of betrayal and blood vengeance featuring Seattle detective J.P. Beaumont from the New York Times bestselling author of Betrayal of Trust

There are those who don’t deserve to live—and the corpse floating in Elliott Bay may have been one of those people. Not surprisingly, many individuals, too many in fact, are eager to take responsibility for the brutal slaying of the hated biotech executive whose alleged crimes ranged from the illegal trading of industrial secrets to rape. For Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumont—who’s drowning in his own life-shattering problems—a case of seemingly justifiable homicide has sinister undertones, drawing the haunted policeman into a corporate nightmare world of double deals, savage jealousies, and real blood spilled far too easily, as it leads him closer to a killer he’s not sure he wants to find.

About the Author, J. A. Jance

J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, and four interrelated thrillers about the Walker family. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

Biography

Considering J. A. Jance's now impressive career -- which includes two massively popular mystery series and status as a New York Times bestseller -- it may be difficult to believe that she was initially strongly discouraged from literary pursuits. A chauvinistic creative writing professor advised her to seek out a more "ladylike" job, such as nurse or schoolteacher. Moreover, her alcoholic husband (a failed Faulkner wannabe) assured her there was room in the family for only one writer, and he was it. Determined to make her doomed marriage work, Jance put her writing on the back burner. But while her husband slept, she penned the visceral poems that would eventually be collected in After the Fire.

Jance next chose to use her hard times in a more unlikely manner. Encouraged by an editor to try writing fiction after a failed attempt at a true-crime book, she created J. P. Beaumont, a homicide detective with a taste for booze. Beaumont's drinking problem was clearly linked to Jance's dreadful experiences with her first husband; but, as she explains it: "Beaumont was smart enough to sober up, once the problem was brought to his attention. My husband, on the other hand, died of chronic alcoholism at age 42." So, from misfortune grew one of the most popular characters in modern mystery fiction. Beaumont debuted in 1985's Until Proven Guilty -- and, after years of postponing her writing career, Jance was on her way.

As a sort of light flipside to the dark Beaumont, Jance created her second series in 1991. Inspired by the writer's happier role as a mom, plucky small-town sheriff Joanna Brady was introduced in Desert Heat and struck an immediate chord with readers. In 2005, Jance added a third story sequence to her repertoire with Edge of Evil, featuring Ali Reynolds, a former TV reporter-turned-professional blogger.

And so, the adventures continue! A career such as Jance's would be extraordinary under any circumstances, but considering the obstacles she overcame to become a bestselling, critically acclaimed novelist, her tale is all the more compelling. As she explains it: "One of the wonderful things about being a writer is that everything -- even the bad stuff -- is usable."

Good To Know

Geographically speaking, Jance is equal parts J. P. Beaumont and Joanna Brady. She splits her time between Beaumont's big-city home of Seattle and Brady's desert residence of Arizona.

Before her writing career become truly lucrative, Jance made little more than "fun money" off her books, and on her web site, she wryly recalls "the Improbable Cause trip to Walt Disney World; the Minor in Possession memorial powder room; the Payment in Kind memorial hot tub."

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Editorials

The Oregonian (Portland)

"One of the country’s most popular writers."

Orlando Sentinel

"Credible and entertaining."

Washington Times

"J.A. Jance does not disappoint her fans."

Dallas Morning News

"Suspenseful, action-packed."

Entertainment Weekly

"Taut . . . entertaining."

The Oregonian (Portland)

“One of the country’s most popular writers.”

Publishers Weekly

Investigating the shooting death of a man whose corpse is found in Elliott Bay, Seattle homicide detective J.P. Beaumont, seen last in Lying in Wait, turns up an excess of suspects. Nobody grieves when the victim is identified. An executive at biotechnology start-up company, he had been involved in everything from corporate power grabs to rape. The rape victim's aunt, a local antiques dealer, confesses and demands to be arrested; the dead man's boss declares himself a prime suspect. Meanwhile, a woman-possibly the murder victim's wife-is found shot to death. The one person who may understand what's happening, a wheelchair-bound PI, vanishes. Faced with these puzzles, Beaumont also confronts personal problems: his ex-wife is dying of cancer; his sometime partner remains jealous of Beau's independent wealth; and a social worker seems to be trumping up charges of child abuse against him. Juggling these elements with her usual sure hand, Jance also controls a supporting cast that ranges from diabolical to dotty. The big finish, when Beaumont and his unlikely allies battle the killer, by itself deserves a movie sale. (Jan.)

Emily Melton

Seattle cop J. P. Beaumont is a renegade. Not only does he play by his own rules, but he's also not particularly macho: sensitive, polite (at least, usually), and very politically correct. His latest case starts with the discovery of a "floater" dredged out of the water on New Year's Eve. The victim is a prominent biotech executive who died, not by drowning, but from a bullet hole in the back of the head. Two more bloodied corpses show up, J. P. finds out that the biotech company was down the tubes, and one of Seattle's more prominent citizens confesses to the murders. Then J. P. finds out that his ex-wife is dying of cancer and that some overeager social worker is trying to prove he's a pedophile. It's enough to make anybody crazy--even the usually cool J. P. The story's a little thin on plot, but readers won't mind because J. P. is such a likable fellow, struggling with life's ups and downs just like the rest of us, and in his own way, shaking his fist at fate.