After getting a double knee-replacement, J.P. Beaumont
should be focusing on his physical therapy and recovery.
Instead, he's tracking down clues into the death of a young
girl, Monica Wellington, who'd been strangled and stuffed
into a barrel back in 1973. It was J.P's first case as a
homicide detective. It was a case he'd never solved, a case
that he'd forgotten until he saw Monica sitting by his
hospital bed as he came out from under the anesthesia. He
knows he must keep a forty year old promise to a grieving
mother to find Monica's killer and his subconscious is
obviously telling him that something wasn't right about the
'Girl in the Barrel' case. Piecing together his memories of
that time leads J.P. down a dangerous road as he starts his
sudden promotion during that case and if he could have done
more for Monica and her mother.
SECOND WATCH by J.A. Jance is an intensely emotional journey
into the past that reveals how seemingly random acts can
change the course of a person's life. I'm a huge fan of
Jance's Joanna Brady Mysteries and her J.P Beaumont
Mysteries. This is the tenth book in J.P.'s series and they
continue to draw the reader into the fantastic world she's
crafted.
One of my favorite aspects of SECOND WATCH was the deft
handling of J.P.'s memories. Beautifully written,
emotionally charged, and seamlessly interspersed within the
stories these flashbacks worked double duty to parcel out
clues and to develop J.P.'s character. The qualities that
make J.P. a wonderful detective and fascinating character
are there in his young self. There are two sets of memories
Jance delves into for this story; J.P.'s experience as a new
soldier in the Vietnam War and his first ever homicide case.
J.P.'s memories of his experience in Vietnam are the perfect
balance for this mystery and they create intense internal
conflict and emotion. They are the heart and soul of this
story.
I'll admit to being a bad reader sometimes and skimming
through long chunks of backstory or setting description to
get to the good stuff. With Jance everything is the good
stuff. Her eye for detail brings each scene into sharp focus
and every word is picked for impact. Each sentence helps
build the scene, the character, the mystery, and does so
with a strong narrative voice.
SECOND WATCH is an intense mystery as J.P. comes to terms
with the guilt of his failures. If you've never read J.A.
Jance's series, you are truly missing out. It isn't
necessary to start at the beginning of the series to
understand these characters, so go grab a copy of SECOND
WATCH and you won't be disappointed. I also highly recommend
reading Jance's other titles because she is a strong voice
in the mystery genre who not only spins a good mystery but
creates characters who remain fascinating through numerous
appearances.
With Second Watch, New York Times
bestselling author J. A. Jance delivers another
thought-provoking novel of suspense starring Seattle
investigator J. P. Beaumont.
Second
Watch shows Beaumont taking some time off to get knee
replacement surgery, but instead of taking his mind off
work, the operation plunges him into one of the most
perplexing mysteries he's ever faced.
His past
collides with his present in this complex and thrilling
story that explores loss and heartbreak, duty and honor,
and, most importantly, the staggering cost of war and the
debts we owe those who served in the Vietnam War, and those
in uniform today.
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