Den of Iniquity is the twenty-sixth book in the J. P. Beaumont series and the first one of the series I have read,

J.P. "Beau" Beaumont was a Seattle Homicide Detective and is now keeping busy as a private investigator. A young man is murdered but the death is classified as a drug overdosed and closed. His grandmother hires Beau to prove that her grandson was murdered and did not accidentally overdose. The grandmother noticed something important and overlooked by the police. As Beau digs into the case, he begins to see a pattern and expands his search to include other deaths that should have been investigated.

The story itself is a bit slow, but it held my interest in the steady pace. The characters were easy to like and relatable. I would recommend reading the entire series if given the chance to start at the beginning.

This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. I literally couldn’t put it down I stayed up way to late reading this book!

It is Valentine’s Day, 2020, and the world is on the brink of of the start of the pandemic. J. P. Beaumont a former Seattle Homicide Detective whose now working as a private investigator, has plans on taking his wife, Mel, to a nearby restaurant for the evening to celebrate. When J.P. and Sarah (their dog) return from a walk and find grandson, Kyle, parked in the drive. It’s soon discovered theres mess at home. Kyle left and brought with him things to stay. He had a very good reason to show up as his family (J. P.’s daughter, her husband, and Kye’s sister) has, basically, imploded. While Mel and J.P. try to come to terms what has happened and now they have a teenager staying with them. Ben Weston reaches out to Beaumont. When Ben was a child he survived a horrific family murder that J.P helped with. Ben is now a Seattle Homicide Detective as is Scotty, J.P. Beaumont’s son, he has a case for J.P. We meet Matilda Jackson whose grandson is dead. He died of a drug overdose back in November of 2018. The police followed the medical examiners ruling of accidental death due to fentanyl overdose and closed the case. Mrs. Jackson is sure that he was sober and things were going right. She is absolutely sure it was murder. It isn’t long before J.P. Is sure Matilda Jackson is right. Her son was murdered. 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.

This was a great read that gripped me right from the start! I jumped into the series with this book and loved it and now I have to read all the other books in the series! I can't wait to see how we got to where we were in book 26 and where we go from here!

#DenofIniquity
#NetGalley

JA Jance does it again. I absolute love this author's books, and this one did not disappoint. I could not put it down! I highly recommend this, and anything else by this author to those mystery/thriller lovers out there. I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and William Morrow

In this 23rd in the series, despite being retired and with 'two fake knees'), Beau brings to justice a 'serial killer on steroids'.

All this happens during the pandemic and Beau sorts out a family mystery as well, in a most satisfying read.

You can convince me to read any book by J.A. Jance! She's a master of mystery and her characters are so realistic! In this latest episode of the J.P. Beaumont series, set in the Seattle area, his grandson shows up at his home, wanting to move in. When J.P. learns that his daughter and son-in-law are separated, he begins to investigate the son-in-law's new mistress. At the same time, he's asked to investigate the supposed drug overdose death of a young man who had been sober for some time. That uncovers a whole string of related cases.

I have loved this series since the very first novel. Unlike a lot of long-running series, these never seem tired or repetitious. This one is set at the start of the Covid pandemic, so that adds a little more depth to the story, as the main characters begin to realize their lives will change significantly. I highly recommend this novel and look forward to many more in this series!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

These books feel like a return to a friend. It is set right before the COVID lockdown when JP’s grandson unexpectedly comes to stay. JP gets involved in a case for his grandson and also works on a case for a grandmother who insists her grandson was murdered. It all came together rather quickly in the end but it was still a fun ride getting there.

Review from ff
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).

One of the best mystery writers, I have read all her books and look forward to future reads.

Anyone following J.A. Jance’s bestselling J.P. Beaumont series will want to immediately pick up the 23rd installment, Den of Iniquity. Beau is working as a private detective on his own, and is asked by a friend to look into the death of a woman's grandson, who she feels was murdered. As Beau looks into the case, he finds several other cases that were similar, all with previous drug users and all who had been accused of domestic violence. As Beau looks into the case, his grandson, Kyle shows up on his doorstep asking if he can stay with him and his wife, Police chief, Mel because his parents are divorcing; Beau’s daughter has moved out and his son-in-law has taken in a girlfriend. Beau wasn’t aware of any trouble, and Kyle has some issues for Beau to look into, as well, making two mysteries to solve and two different plots.

J.P. Beaumont is a great protagonist, the readers really like. The supporting characters are very well developed and, just like Beau, seem like real people, mostly good real people. Jance is a master storyteller in this and her other series, and her book are easy to read and follow; they are organized, and the suspense builds from the beginning through to the dénouement.

All told, this is an excellent novel. It is fast moving, and keeps readers on the edge. The characters are likeable and readers who aren’t familiar with Beaumont, will want to go back and read the previous novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Den of Iniquity

J.A. Jance's books seldom disappoint and this does not either. Beau has grown a little older but still has got it. The family conflict is nicely done and as usual fits in well with the actual crime part of the story. I was sad to see the penthouse gone, but stuff happens. I hope we will get a few more stories out of Beau and co.

Den of Iniquity by J.A. Jance
Great story! I had read several of Jance's works but didnt follow the series. Den of Iniquity reminded me of why I liked Jance's writing. Engaging story that I read in 2 sittings. Not only that but I went back and have read two other JP Beaumont novels this week because I wanted more. With long series it is always a struggle for an author to provide enough background information about a character without have to feel as though you are reading the cliffnotes of all of the past works or have no clue as too what the author is assuming their readers understand. I was quite comfortable jumping in where I was meeting JP Beaumont. It was re-connecting with an old friend. Highly recommend.

I have been reading this series for over 20 years. I had not long before moved from the Seattle area to another state and needed an SSR book for school. My Dad took me to browse my local BN and the paperback of Breach of Duty was displayed facing out on the shelf, with the Space Needle prominently displayed on the cover. I bought the book without a second thought due to homesickness.

Was that book geared for a 14yo? Probably not. I think some of the most avid young readers that turn into lifelong readers end up falling in love with reading by picking up books that aren't meant for their age group and this series was no exception.

The most recent J.P. Beaumont books have all felt bittersweet. Beau's retirement seems to have brought forth a lot of cases that circle back to people we met early on in the series as well as add in new family dynamics that weren't always front and center in the plot earlier on. I've enjoyed this changing approach to the series as well the opportunity to watch Beau find his place in the world and his family.

Den of Iniquity is hardly a page turner in that it definitely does not keep one on the edge of their seat, but it was a very good story with a touch of mystery for the benefit of us longstanding readers of the series. There seem to be fewer stories to tell as the years go on and as Beau ages (Jance generally ages him in real time, though this book was written immediately before the pandemic), which is a bit sad for my heart, but I've quite enjoyed that his story continues to be told, even if they are a few years in between.

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. it will take everything Beau has to track down a dangerous vigilante killer.

I am a huge fan of J.A. Jance and have followed and read her J.P. Beaumont series from the beginning. I like the fact that she let J.P. age and lets him evolve into another kind of investigator by becoming a Private Investigator (NOT Private Eye which he hates!). I hope that she finds a way to keep writing the Beaumont series even though Beau is now 70 years old, as I love the character. She also deals with two relevant issues in this book: the beginning of the Covid Pandemic and the upsurge of Fentanyl deaths. I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this book.

I got introduced to J. A. Jance through advance reader copies of his other series (Ali Reynolds and Joanna Brady). While this is the first ARC in the J. P. Beaumont series, it is not the first I have read (actually I have listened to audiobooks of the first 7 in this series) and a lot has happened in the intervening time (the first book in this series was actually published in 1985). J.P. is now married and retired from the Seattle Police Department and is working as a private investigator. His eighteen year old grandson Kyle appears at his home out of the blue asking to stay with him because of issues with his parents - they are separated - mom is J.P.’s daughter and dad is living with a much younger woman who is expecting a child. He and his wife, Mel, reluctantly agree. At the same time, Ben Weston calls him. J.P. has known him since he was 5 years old and the only survivor when his family was brutally murdered. Ben asks J.P. to look into the death of Darius Jackson, the son of a lady who looked out for Ben those many years ago. Darius was a recovering (recovered?) drug addict who was found dead in an alley, his death having been ruled accidental due to a fatal amount of fentanyl. But Darius had moved on from his drug days, working to help others recovering from their addictions and dating a woman with young boys. The police closed the case as soon as the overdose was confirmed - why waste police resources? J.P. decides to look into it and quickly discovers there are other similar cases. He enlists the help of a Seattle Police Department detective, a private non-profit group called The Last Change (TLC) who look into cold cases on behalf of grieving families, and his son, Scotty, now a Seattle PD detective, to dig into the circumstances of Darius’ death which lead to a much bigger set of circumstances. Jance’s books are always entertaining, the lead characters in each series are likable, each book moves along at a great pace, and the stories have enough twists and turns to keep you guessing as to whodunit. And I can’t wait to continue reading this series to find out what happens to J.P. and friends in the intervening years.

Den of Iniquity by J. A. Janice is an engrossing and fast paced mystery. Beaumont gets caught up in solving a serial killer case in addition to a family puzzle.

I began reading the J.P. Beaumont series by J.A. Jance around 1990, just a few years after her first was published. I’ve enjoyed it ever since, an entertaining series that is usually set right here in my hometown, Seattle. My thanks go to NetGalley and William Morrow for the review copy. This book, the 26th in the series, is for sale now.

Our protagonist, J.P. Beaumont, known to his friends as Beau, has decamped from Seattle and has taken up residence in Bellingham, a medium sized college town near the Canadian border. However, much of the story takes place here in Seattle, so it’s almost as if he has never left us. Of course, most readers aren’t in it for the setting anyway. The plot is complex yet easily followed. At the outset, Beau is startled when a car pulls up to his residence. A young man steps out, and turns out to be his grandson, Kyle. Kyle grew up in Ashland, Oregon, which is a considerable drive away, and so Beau has only seen him during a few brief visits. Kyle wants to stay here now. His parents are divorcing, and he’s had it with them. Since Kyle recently turned 18, he isn’t considered a runaway, and can make his own choices. Beau’s wife, Mel, takes to the lad immediately, and he becomes part of their household.

Part of the problem has to do with the bizarre individual that Kyle’s dad, Jeremy, has taken up with. She’s closer to Kyle’s age than his dad’s, and when his dad isn’t around, she hits on Kyle’s friends! He senses that there is a lot that he doesn’t know about this woman, and Kyle wants to hire Beau, who works now as a private detective, to look into her past. Beau agrees, though he won’t charge for his services.

Before too long, details emerge about a series of recent killings. They may or may not have anything to do with the soon-to-be stepmom, but it’s hard to investigate one without the other, and before long, Beau is on the trail of a serial killer. Part of his investigations involve trips to the Rainier Valley in Seattle, my own stomping grounds, and soon I am practically purring like a cat as I read. The premise, that a killer may be lurking as an employee of the police department—not a “rogue cop,” which would be kind of a cliché, but someone that works behind the scenes, on the phones or in a clerical capacity—is fresh and works beautifully.

Alas, there’s one error that gets under my skin, and I am bothered by it enough to bring it up here, and it’s also where the fifth star disappears from my rating. In speaking to one bereaved family member after another, crimes get mentioned in conjunction with whether or not someone decides to “press charges.” Since I’m reading digitally, I highlight each such reference in blue to indicate a problem. You see—and Jance should know this, having spent most of her adult life right here in Washington State—you can’t press charges here. It’s the law! If someone is bereaved and they don’t want to pursue the case, they can choose whether to testify, or if they are subpoenaed, they can be unhelpful on the stand. But only the state of Washington gets to decide what charges go to court, and which ones die a quiet death. It’s true in Seattle, and it’s true everywhere in the state. I feel like a Washingtonian with a 40 year career writing crime fiction ought to know this. Such a large oversight by a veteran novelist is sloppy, and it annoys the bejesus out of me. To double down on it by referring to it eleven times in one book is egregious.

Fortunately, these distractions finally die down by the time we reach the climax, and it’s absolutely riveting. With this single caveat, I recommend this novel, which can be read as a stand-alone, to all that love the genre.

Life as we know it came to a crashing halt in March 2020, as America reeled under the impact of the COVID pandemic. Businesses closed, almost all public events were canceled, and many people retreated to their homes for several months. But crime and criminal investigation did not stop, and neither did J.A. Jance’s detective, J.P. Beaumont. In the latest Beaumont mystery, “Den of Iniquity,” he takes on two cases that are very personal, searching for answers even though readers understand he’s running out of time. Although the author doesn’t use the pandemic’s looming arrival as effectively as she could, the book is still a highly entertaining procedural.

“Den of Iniquity” is the 26th novel featuring J.P. Beaumont, that the author has written in the last 40 years. During that time, Beaumont rose through the ranks of various units in the Seattle Police Department, and he is now retired. To pass the time when he’s not walking his dog or doing crossword puzzles, Beaumont takes on occasional cases as a private investigator. Although Beaumont is a one-person detective agency, he’s got many outside resources he’s cultivated over the years who provide the technical help he needs. These include his son, now a Seattle cop, and various other cops throughout the State of Washington. They also include a world-renowned DNA expert, a brilliant computer researcher, and an economist who has done extensive research into drug overdose deaths in the Seattle area in recent years.

This last expert comes in very handy for Beaumont in his current case. An elderly woman asks Beaumont to investigate the fentanyl overdose death of her grandson two years earlier. The police closed the case as an accident, but the man’s grandmother is convinced he was murdered. As Beaumont investigates, he researches the economist’s records and discovers a troubling pattern among several of the overdose deaths that had been closed as accidents or suicides. Beaumont suspects these deaths were murders committed by the same person. As Beaumont investigates the mysterious overdose deaths, he takes on a second, far more personal case. His 18-year-old grandson, Kyle, moves in with him after an ugly incident involving Kyle’s father’s new girlfriend. Beaumont investigates the girlfriend’s past and discovers that she’s got a very suspicious history.

J.P. Beaumont is a likable protagonist who takes to his new “roommate” well. Kyle is a rarity in current fiction, a decent young man who doesn’t mind sharing time with Grandpa (they watch a couple of movies together). Beaumont also has a comfortable relationship with his current wife, Mel, who’s chief of police in another Seattle suburb, Bellingham (I confess I still do not know where all these locations are, except that it usually takes Beaumont quite a while to drive from one town to another.) The pleasant home life (except for Mel’s bad cooking) anchors the book when contrasted with the horror stories of domestic and substance abuse Beaumont uncovers in investigating the overdose deaths.

J.A. Jance is one of the best crime fiction authors I’ve read at creating realistic, interesting backstories for the secondary characters in “Den of Iniquity.” Many authors would have summarized the overdose victims’ stories in a paragraph or two. Jance fleshes them out, including interview transcripts and Beaumont’s own talks with family members. As a result, the victims’ (and their families’) stories come alive. The combination of realistic, well-developed supporting characters and detailed police procedure (with the aid of Beaumont’s various helpers) makes the bulk of “Den of Iniquity” an interesting read. (Some readers will be disappointed when a secondary character conveniently provides Beaumont with the vital clue needed to solve the case.)

Each chapter in the book begins with a headline containing the date. The story begins on Valentine’s Day, 2020, and progresses inexorably towards the COVID shutdown. The author raises the book’s suspense level by keeping readers wondering whether Beaumont can solve the overdose mystery before the eventual lockdown. Jance also provides occasional tidbits about how the area readies for a shutdown. However, I felt a bit let down by the details the author included. Perhaps, the Seattle area reacted differently in March 2020 from other parts of the country. But it seemed to me that, except for Kyle’s school going to distance learning and Beaumont’s favorite restaurant going to takeout only, life went on much as before. I had expected a more dramatic conclusion to the overdose case in the face of the looming shutdown.

While the middle of “Den of Iniquity” is a page-turner, the beginning and ending chapters leave a bit to be desired. Jance’s tendency to provide complete backstories for her characters makes the opening chapters slow, with too many details thrown at readers at once. (We even learn the story of Beaumont’s neighbor, whose primary connection to the plot is going on daily dog walks with Beaumont.) Then, at the end, the author doesn’t seem to know how to end the book, with a few listless closing chapters that tie up the loose ends.

Although the beginning and end of “Den of Iniquity” leave a bit to be desired, the rest of the book is a solid read for genre fans. J.P. Beaumont is an engaging protagonist, and his senior citizen status is accurately portrayed, and not a plot gimmick. The book’s central mystery (and villain) is also unique. I haven’t read any previous Jance novels featuring Beaumont or her other series protagonists. However, “Den of Iniquity” is the type of book readers will love taking into their dens for a long night’s read.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

A JP Beaumont book that lives up to the others in the series. Two storylines but no conflict. They worked well separately but alongside each other. This time, there was some new family drama involved and the Covid-19 pandemic was looming. Can be read as a stand-alone but I was glad I knew the history.

A complex and smoothly written new J.P. Beaumont mystery that will keep you turning the pages until the amazing end! J.P. aka Beau is retired from law enforcement and married to Mel Soames, the police chief in Bellingham, Washington. Beau, who occasionally takes on a private investigative case, is asked by a friend and Seattle detective to look into a death that has been ruled accidental. The case will draw him into other deaths that appear to be consistent with his. Has he uncovered a serial killer who has gotten away with murder? When his eighteen-year-old grandson arrives to stay at their home, he and Mel have a decision to make. They know that this may not coincide with what Kyle’s mother, Beau’s daughter wants, but in this matter, he sees Kyle as his client. Beau’s investigation begins to include other jurisdictions and possibly other murder victims while Mel is dealing with a local school case. The way the author moves between and through the various additional cases is seamless while mentioning a few previous cases that Beau was involved in from the past. I highly recommend this series and anything written by this author! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

It is Valentine’s Day, 2020, as Den of Iniquity: A J.P. Beaumont Novel by J.A. Jance begins. Bellingham, Washington, is clear and cold this morning. The news of Covid dominates, though the impacts have yet to be felt here. J. P. Beaumont plans on taking his wife, Mel, to a nearby restaurant for the evening. That is until J.P. and Sarah (their dog) return from a walk and find grandson, Kyle, parked in the drive.

It takes some time to drag out of Kyle why he made the nine-hour drive and arrived with no warning. There is a mess at home. Kyle left and brought with him his stuff and his troubles. He had a very good reason to show up as his family (J. P.’s daughter, her husband, and Kye’s sister) has, basically, imploded. While Mel and J.P. try to come to grips with what has happened and the sudden addition of a teenager to their house, Ben Weston reaches out to Beaumont.

Back when Beaumont was a Seattle Homicide Detective, he first met Ben as a five-year-old kid. There had been a violent home invasion leaving Ben the only survivor. Ben is now a Seattle Homicide Detective as is Scotty, J.P. Beaumont’s son, and they have desks close to each other. Ben needs a favor.

After Ben’s parents died, a woman at church, Matilda Jackson, always looked out for Ben. She had been good friends with Ben’s mom. Mrs. Jackson’s grandson is dead. He died of a drug overdose back in November of 2018. The police followed the medical examiners ruling of accidental death due to fentanyl overdose and closed the case. Mrs. Jackson is sure that he was sober and things were going right. She is absolutely sure it was murder.


As he talks to Mrs. Jackson, J. P. is not hearing anything that is very convincing, but Ben wanted him to look into it, because he can’t. For the cops, it is a closed case and that means Ben can do nothing. J. P. agrees, talks to her some more, and starts investigating. It isn’t long before he is sure Matilda Jackson is right. Her son was murdered.

He wasn’t the only one.

What follows is a fast moving read that switches back and forth between Kyle’s family issues, and there are many, and the Jackson case J.P. is working. Investigative skills come in handy for family and others. J.P. has a lot going on in Den of Iniquity: A J.P. Beaumont Novel by J.A. Jance.

While those that have read the series to this point will get more out of the book, one could start here as there is enough background material to get new readers comfortable in the read. This reviewer, a long-time reader of the series, enjoyed it a lot.

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3z5nG0F

My ARC digital reading copy came from the publisher, William Morrow, by way of NetGalley.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2024