Failure to Appear

J.A. Jance

Beau's daughter Kelly ran off a few months ago. Kelly's stepfather calls Beau because his private investigator has found Kelly down in Oregon. He asks Beau to go see Kelly and try to bring her home before they tell her mother Kelly has been found. Beau and his friend Alex go down to Ashland, Oregon, for a romantic weekend. Alex visits her friends at the Shakespeare festival. Beau finds Kelly.

Kelly has been living with actors at a farmhouse owned by a woman who supports the acting community. These young folk pay a lower rent and pitch in with chores and tasks that need done. When Beau arrives, he finds Kelly is engaged to Jeremy, a young actor who has a number of parts in the Shakespeare festival. The wedding is planned for the following Monday.

An old acquaintance of Beau's is also in Ashland. The night they arrive, the man is killed. A friend of Kelly and Jeremy is blamed. Beau isn't sure she did it. When another body is discovered, Beau gets involved in a murder case outside of his own jurisdiction that includes child pornography. Kelly's accident that puts her into a coma is just one more problem of a long, dangerous weekend.

The J.P. Beaumont series is a strong group of detective mystery novels. Beau is a hard homicide detective with a heart that is easily touched. This mystery is not one of the strongest mysteries in the series. Instead it is stronger on forwarding the personal story of the protagonist. The mystery twists and turns with an improbable, but acceptable solution.

Until Proven Guilty
Injustice For All
Trial by Fury
Taking the Fifth
Improbable Cause
A More Perfect Union
Dismissed With Prejudice
Minor in Possession
Payment in Kind
Without Due Process
Failure to Appear
Lying in Wait
Name Withheld
Breach of Duty
Birds of Prey
Partner in Crime with Joanna Brady
Long Time Gone
Justice Denied
Fire and Ice with Joanna Brady
Betrayal of Trust