The governor, an old friend of Beau’s, turns to him for help when a very disturbing video shows up on the cell phone belonging to her husband’s grandson. It appears to be a snuff film, and she wants him to find out if this grandson is involved some how. There are several complications in this case. With the governor’s blended family and her position as well as her husband’s compromised health, Beau has to tread carefully. Things go south, and everyone will have to deal with the aftermath. As usual, J A Jance has written another thriller that will keep her readers flipping pages to the very end. ( )

Writing doesn't seem to be as tight as in previous books. Whodunit was pretty obvious to me fairly early on. I spent a good part of the second half mentally rewriting sentences that seemed entirely too long. ( )

This series continues to provide good solid police procedurals, well drawn character, and a well-paced strong plot. Jance is adept at weaving several crimes in different jurisdictions into a seamless story. I've been reading this series in order now for the past seven months. This one is one of the best, from an intricate plot, to a portrayal of a very human aging detective, to the introduction of new characters, it keeps the reader-- whether new to the series or an old fan--turning pages and trying to outguess what's next. ( )

Beaumont now works as a detective for the Washington State Attorney General's Special Homicide Investigation Team (yup, the acronym for this entity is a crappy one), and fellow detective Melissa Soames are sent to investigate what is possibly a snuff video. The Governor of the State of Washington found the video on her step grandson's cell phone. This makes the inquiry very sensitive. It also presents several thoughtful examples of betrayal, whether it is adults betraying their responsibilities to youth and to each other, youth betraying their responsibilities to adults and to each other, or characters betraying their responsibilities to themselves and to society.

As Beaumont and Soames look into the matter, they find themselves dealing with people from opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum, teenagers with enormous problems, bullying, and the exploitation of vulnerable youth. Much of what they see reminds Beaumont of his own adolescence, which reminds him of growing up with a single mother who struggled to make ends meet and being looked down upon by classmates who had more money and social status. An unexpected email from a woman claiming to be his dead father's niece disturbs him. The email also persuades him he might finally discover who his father was.

Having read dozens of her books, this is right up there at the top ! It got me so involved - I read it in 24 hours. Accolades to the author and 5 bright and shining stars for the book. ( )

I've been reading J.P. Beaumont novels for decades, and reading this one was like coming home to a favorite character. The crimes and police procedural parts of the book were intriguing, as well as, of course, the relationships involved and Beaumont's take on everything. ( )