(1985)Pretty good police procedural/mystery that introduced Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumont. He is swept off his feat by a woman writing a book about child abuse while investigating a child's murder. She turns out to be a deadly avenging angel who is out to rid her world of child abusers.

My overall impression of this book is that I didn't like it. I've decided I really don't like the 'hero' J.P. Beaumont. He's not a very good detective and he shows he's much too passive here. He was too easily seduced by the woman in red and I never really quite believed her character at all. Unfortunately, she turned out to be even more key to the story than I was led to believe.

That being said, the writing is not too bad. The Seattle settings are vivid. The supporting characters and plot are interesting. And the overall plot was imaginative and surprising. I just won't be spending any more time with detective Beaumont right now. ( )

Sick ( )

Sick ( )

J. P. Beaumont is a police detective, divorced with kids. He gets assigned to investigate the murder of a young child, which leads him to a cult where the child’s mother lives. At the child’s funeral, he meets an usual and intriguing woman. They both want justice for the dead child, and over dinner, discover they have even more in common. The mystery is a good one, but the romance is really far fetched. It’s hard to believe that a seasoned detective would be so gullible to fall so fast for a stranger, especially one who keeps secrets. Still, it’s not bad for the first book in a series. Beau - and his new partner - are interesting, and since this is the first of 25 books and counting, the series must be a winner. ( )