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A review of "Judgment of fury" by JA Jance

“Trial by Fury”, JA Jance’s third novel with homicide detective JP Beaumont (Beau) can be summed up as average reading, less interesting than some of his other works in the series and far less engaging than his other series with Joanna Brady. It’s more of a police procedure than an actual thriller, although for some readers who enjoy the act of reading an otherwise well-written book, it can still be relaxing to read a book that goes more or less where you think it is. For me personally, when I read a series that features a particular character that I have already come to appreciate, it is still lovely to see them in a book again, even if it is not a powerful read.

The book begins with the discovery of a dead body in a Seattle dumpster, a high school coach who was apparently lynched. As we learn about the heavily pregnant wife he left behind, we also learn that she was far from the ideal husband. The gruesomeness of a black victim being lynched certainly adds racial overtones to the story, and perhaps exploring these are potential motifs could have been developed further to give the story more depth. However, this is clearly another mystery revolving around a scorned woman, although there are enough twists and turns and in a slightly surprising ending, there is more than one scorned woman and finding out the truth of the matter has dangerous consequences for Ron Peters, the Beau’s partner.

One thing I like about Jance’s Beaumont series is the development of his character. Unlike other series, the books in Beaumont’s series can also be read independently, as Jance spends almost as much time on the character’s personal lives and interactions as he does developing the mystery. In this book, we see Beau struggling with the acceptance of his own shortcomings as a father as he faces the reality of what could happen to Peters’ children when his life hangs in the balance. It’s a fight that many can relate to and I just love reading a book where the main characters have to overcome basic human struggles as well as display whatever higher gifts they can display.

Overall, this is a light and enjoyable read and I highly recommend it for fans of JA Jance, although it may not be the best introduction to the series for those readers who are not yet in love with Beau and Peters.

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