Still Dead, J. A. Jance
Still Dead, J. A. Jance
List: $11.99 | Sale: $8.40
Club: $5.99

Still Dead
A J.P. Beaumont Novella

Author: J. A. Jance

Narrator: Alan Sklar

Unabridged: 1 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 08/08/2017


Synopsis

Since the disbanding of the Special Homicide Investigation Team, J. P. Beaumont’s biggest concern is pondering whether he and his wife Mel should finally get a dog. But one voicemail from his old friend Ralph Ames is about to change that. Through Ralph, Beau has become involved in an organization called The Last Chance, which enlists a number of retired homicide investigators to tackle long unsolved cold cases. The one that has just landed on Beau’s plate is a thirty-year-old missing persons case.The facts are muddy at best; Janice Marie Harrison’s car was found abandoned near a bridge, and scratched in the dirt nearby was the word “sorry”. It’s possible her death was a suicide, but her body was never found. And as Beau begins to investigate, he discovers that no one connected to Janice—not her once all-star football player widower, Anders; not her long-grieving, sister, Estelle; not sheriff Gavin Loper, who was deputy sheriff at the time of Janice’s disappearance; and not Anders’ second wife Betsy—is exactly what they seem. The question is, which of them knows the truth?And why have they kept it buried?

About J. A. Jance

Sometimes it is through necessity that the best experiences are born. Such is the career of author J. A. Jance, who after many years of wanting to become a writer, found her way to that end. However, it took a lot if sacrifice and detours before she finally became the writer she always wanted to be.

Upon being denied admittance into a creative writing class by a professor who thought women belonged at home or in teaching, she gave up and married a young man who aspired to be another Faulkner or Hemingway. The only similarities to those writers was his love for alcohol. He became a severe alcoholic and proclaimed to his wife, whom he knew wanted a writing career, that he would be the only writer in that family. She grew weary of his addiction, and divorced him just two years before he died at a very young age. Jance had been writing when he was away or asleep, but she now had to find a way to support her children as a single mother. She spent her days selling insurance and her nights writing......many times writing all night. After the disappointment of not having her first book published, her agent advised her that she might be best at writing fiction. She followed that advice, and has written 22 Detective Beaumont books, 17 Joanna Brady books, and 10 Ali Reynolds books. There were also four thrillers added to the body of work.

Jance says that one of the best parts of writing is hearing from fans that her books have helped many as they were going through illness, or were sitting with a loved one who was going through difficult times. She says........"it gratified me to know that by immersing themselves in my stories, people are able to set their own lives aside and live and walk in someone else's shoes. Jance feels that she is doing the best job that she can at the best job in the world.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joanne on March 27, 2023

Another short story in the JP Beaumont world. There are no major changes in the world of Beau in this book, he simply manages to close an old case.......more

Goodreads review by Betty on September 20, 2017

A novella that bridges Beaumont and Mel' s lives from the shutting down the Special Attorney Department as Beaumont moves into cold cases. In this one, he is asked to investigate a 30-year case that was closed as a suicide. With the help of Mel and the local sheriff, there is a final resolution to t......more

Goodreads review by Joan on August 12, 2017

This is a satisfying though very short novella. The aspect I liked the best about it was that much of it takes place on Whidbey Island. As a native, it is always fun to read of familiar places. The plot is a good one with Beaumont retired but helping solve cold cases in a volunteer capacity. The way......more

Goodreads review by Anne - Books of My Heart on September 06, 2017

This novella is in a world I know well with characters I love. It has the intelligence of police following the information and making reasonable deductions as to what information they need next or who they need to interview. There is satisfaction in solving a cold case from perhaps 30 years past to......more