Den of Iniquity by J A Jance Book Review

About the Book:

Former Seattle homicide cop J. P. Beaumont faces trouble in the small town of Ashland, as both his personal and professional lives are thrown into turmoil. Beau’s daughter and son-in-law are having marital troubles, and his grandson, a senior in high school, shows up on his doorstep, wanting to live with Beau and his wife Mel as he finishes out the school year.

Meanwhile, a friend from his past asks for Beau’s help in looking into what appears to be an accidental death. A young man died of a fentanyl overdose, but those closest to him are convinced that he would never have used the drug, and that something much more sinister has happened. Beau agrees to unofficially reopen the case, and his investigation leads him to uncover similar mysterious deaths that all point to a most unlikely suspect.

As the case becomes more complicated than he could have imagined, and past and present mysteries collide, it will take everything Beau has to track down a dangerous vigilante killer. The result is an unforgettable read, and “newcomers and longtime series fans alike will be thrilled” (Publishers Weekly).

My Review:

I have been reading the Beaumont books since the very beginning. I have liked the novels enough to keep reading them but I think I like Beaumont even more now that he is retired and is a private investigator living in Bellingham. No longer carrying a gun on his hip, he has to think through his investigations differently and make good use of experts he knows.

Jance weaves together two story lines in this novel, keeping the pace moving along well. The more emotional story line involves taking in his grandson. He and his wife Mel help Kyle deal with the crumbling marriage of his parents. There is some interesting relationship wisdom evidenced there.

The other story line is a more traditional one as Beaumont pursues a potential serial killer. I like how he goes to several of his friends to seek out their expertise as he tries to identify the murderer. A couple of aspects of this investigation were quite interesting. One was the difficulty of getting the police to open a closed case. Another was touch DNA, about which I learned a great deal.

The characters are crafted well, the story lines are interesting and I like how Jance sets this novel at the beginning of the Covid shutdown. The novel is a good addition to the ongoing Beaumont series.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, she lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington.

William Morrow, 368 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)