Absolute Liability (A Southern Fraud Thriller, #1) by Jennifer Becton

Apr 27, 2013 Sarah Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a solid mystery/suspense book with a touch of romance as described, but I didn't find it to be very humorous, or the characters to be quirky. There were definitely a few humorous moments, such as the spa-going habits of one of the male characters, but readers looking for a funny mystery series will be disappointed. Instead, it had a decidedly gritty feel with a well-plotted mystery involving arson, insurance fraud, kidnapping and murder.

Julia is a former police officer now working for t...more This was a solid mystery/suspense book with a touch of romance as described, but I didn't find it to be very humorous, or the characters to be quirky. There were definitely a few humorous moments, such as the spa-going habits of one of the male characters, but readers looking for a funny mystery series will be disappointed. Instead, it had a decidedly gritty feel with a well-plotted mystery involving arson, insurance fraud, kidnapping and murder.

Julia is a former police officer now working for the state insurance office. On the side she has secretly been investigating her older sister's rape for the last seventeen years. When she was laid off from the police department she took a copy of the file and some evidence with her so she could continue to search for the rapist. The rape of her sister is the pivotal event of her life - Julia cites it as the reason she became a cop, and the reason her sister is now an alcoholic and her parents divorced and her family crumbled. The current arson/kidnapping/murder storyline is the primary one, but the hunt for the rapist is a close second. Julia's family allowed the event to ruin their lives, and this is evident in their behavior in the present and in Julia's memories. Her father retreated into himself emotionally, disappearing long before the divorce from her mother. And her mother retreated from her social life and pretty much neglected her younger daughter. Julia is much like her parents and sister in that she obsessively blames the rapist for everything that happened, when in reality it's obvious that both her parents failed the major test of their lives, leaving both their daughters adrift after such a horrific event. They are not very likeable characters.

The present-day mystery was really well-done. The identity of the bad guys kept me guessing up until nearly the end. The book is written in first person narrative by Julia, but every couple of chapters there is a very brief one from the villain's perspective. It was intriguing and tantalizing, because as the reader we're in the mind of the killer, and he leaves us little clues about his motivations and thoughts, but we still don't know who he is. A really effective construct.
As Julia and her new partner, Mark Vincent, continue to investigate the insurance fraud in the hopes of discovering the identity of the killer, Julia finds herself increasingly impressed by and attracted to Mark. He has secrets and a painful past of his own, and their cautious behavior around each other felt real.

All in all I enjoyed the story, but found the secondary rapist storyline to be more of a distraction, taking the book into a much rougher vision of reality and casting an unflattering light on many of the characters. It may be realistic as hell, but it was also sad and frustrating, and definitely took away from the main mystery for me as a reader.
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Mar 30, 2013 Diana Hockley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book lurked on my kindle from mid-November last year until last night! I wish it hadn't because I didn't realise I was missing out on an excellent read.

I won't tell the story again - reviewers have repeated the synopsis many times - but what I do want to say is that this novel is unusual because it is so calm. I don't mean it is flat or slow, because it is not. However, there is an air of calmness about the plot and the characters. No one is hysterical, no one is running off half-cocked to...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Desiree reilly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am going to say this book is great read.It keep you with the book the whole time i read up to 4 week and getting caought up with reviews.

The author give credit to her dad and then you like the idea of the way the book is made.The book start off with a cop who get laid off of the job she held and then now she doing insurance fraud now and then hears on the radio she was kidnapped form the office but she was on a coffee and pastry run.

What is going on now i got to call dad mo and my sister dam t...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Julia is fighting to find someone from her sisters past who tore her family apart, but in doing so, she has put her life on hold. She stopped living her life at 15 and started focusing on Tricia and how to find this person and became a police officer. When the police department downsized, she became an employee with the state department of insurance(DOI), but little known to everyone else, she took something along with her when she left the PD about her sisters case. Tripp, her boyfriend at the...more Julia is fighting to find someone from her sisters past who tore her family apart, but in doing so, she has put her life on hold. She stopped living her life at 15 and started focusing on Tricia and how to find this person and became a police officer. When the police department downsized, she became an employee with the state department of insurance(DOI), but little known to everyone else, she took something along with her when she left the PD about her sisters case. Tripp, her boyfriend at the time of Julia's world falling apart and also a now a detective, is still in her life. When it is reported that Julia has been kidnapped on a fact finding mission, she is in shock, when in fact, she just went to get coffee for herself and for a few interns. She calls Tripp and he can't believe she is okay and nearly cracks a few of her ribs when he sees her. But the person taken was to have been Julia and they continue to want to see her dead. The DOI decides to change its policy starting now and it will only send out 2 people when going on the fact finding missions for fraud and in comes Vincent. Tripp and Vincent are both so yummy. Julia realizes her family is at risk as well as her home because address book and house key are amoung the items taken from the office she was working at. Naturally, the guilty parties fumble and continue to mess up. Julia and Vincent conitnue to get to know one another and soon find out that they are somewhat alike. Tripp can't rest because the case is not turning over any leads. When Julia stumbles over something at a warehouse waiting on someone she is so horrified. And she struggles with it because it takes her back to the memories of how she could not help Tricia. I loved how the book took the time to give you the guilty persons side of it, without ever knowing who that person was. Julia figured it out but it was almost too late. And she again suffered for it. I just hope she gets closure for Tricia so she and Vincent can work on, it seems they have a bond that I hope will continue to grow in the next book of this series and I look forward to continuing it. (less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Kimberly Truesdale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jennifer Becton has gotten herself off to a good start with "Absolute Liability" -- listed as the first of six projected Southern Fraud thrillers. The first person narration of Julia Jackson is an inspired choice. While some authors might be limited by this point of view, Becton has used it to great advantage, making Jackson a snarky but likable insurance fraud investigator. Jackson is surrounded by a cast of characters that really make fictional Mercer, Georgia come alive: kooky neighbors, hard...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Betty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, kindle

Meet Julia Jackson. Apparently, she's been abducted....

A woman is taken at gunpoint from the downtown office of Southeastern Insurance, and the police believe the victim is Special Agent Julia Jackson. Only it isn't true.

Now, with the help of her new partner Mark Vincent, state fraud investigator Julia Jackson must find justice for the woman who was taken in her place.

As Vincent and Julia begin to unravel the multimillion-dollar frauds that led to the abduction, they encounter a cast of quirky c...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Jessica Grey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love mysteries and thrillers. I was raised right, which means on a healthy doses of Columbo and Murder She Wrote. I am very picky about my mysteries/thrillers because so many authors either try to hard (the wise-cracking lead comes off more like someone who missed a career in standup as opposed to someone whose just quick on their feet), or don’t try hard enough (I know who dunnit by chapter 4). When I find a really good mystery I cannot put it down and that is the case with Absolute Liability...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Nancy Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I love Jennifer Becton's work, so when I heard she had a mystery out, I bought it immediately for my holiday reading. Mysteries are hit or miss with me--more often than not, the supposedly quirky heroine is only annoying or daft. Cozy mysteries leave me wanting a little more edge, and thrillers keep me up at night. The plot is either way too predictable or the ending is such a surprise that it doesn't make sense looking back. Despite all this, I trusted Becton to navigate the perilous waters to...more I love Jennifer Becton's work, so when I heard she had a mystery out, I bought it immediately for my holiday reading. Mysteries are hit or miss with me--more often than not, the supposedly quirky heroine is only annoying or daft. Cozy mysteries leave me wanting a little more edge, and thrillers keep me up at night. The plot is either way too predictable or the ending is such a surprise that it doesn't make sense looking back. Despite all this, I trusted Becton to navigate the perilous waters to deliver a worthy tale. She did not disappoint.

Julia Jackson's story grabbed me from the opening paragraph. Julia is an insurance fraud investigator who ran out for a cup of coffee. On the way back to the office, she learns she's been abducted. The mystery then focuses on who wanted to abduct Julia, with a suspect list pulled from her current cases. Her employer, the Georgia Department of Insurance, assigns her a partner to finish those pending investigations.

I have to agree with a previous reviewer. Mark Vincent is hot. He's a reserve Naval enlisted man whose specialty is personal defense. Since it doesn't take a genius to see that Julia was obviously the intended target of the abduction, Mark's presence makes sense. The two of them work well together, and there's also a fair amount of chemistry.

Or maybe it was just hot in there--after all, Absolute Liability is set in the South during summer. Becton's setting details were as exquisite as they were subtle. I could feel the heat without being told it was hot. I actually wanted my own glass of sweet tea to cool myself down.

So how did Absolute Liability stack up against my list of typical complaints?

1) Julia was a fantastic heroine. The story is told in first person, which allows the reader to learn things about her that she doesn't actually share with anyone. Her background and her dysfunctional family go a long way to establishing who she is, so it was important to learn that upfront. Beyond that, she's clever without being a know-it-all, funny without being slapstick, and flawed without being annoying.

2) I wouldn't classify this as a cozy, but it also wasn't a heart-racing thriller. There was definitely an undercurrent of danger--our heroine was the target from the first page. Somehow though Becton managed to convey that element of suspense without making me double check my locks before I went to bed.

3) The solution to this case was twofold. I figured out one half on my own, but the second was an absolute shock. After I thought about it for a moment, it made perfect sense. It also solidified my hunch regarding the other half... which did turn out to be correct. That's the perfect blend of logical solution and suspenseful whodunit.

Absolute Liability was the best mystery I've read in ages. The best part? It's the first in a series.(less)

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Feb 14, 2012 Jeannie and Louis Rigod rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel was about an Officer of the Georgia Insurance Fraud Division of the Department of Insurance. The Officer's name is Julia Jackson. Julia was a very complex person and as the book develops you get to see the motivation behind her career choices as well as her personal relationships.

Julia is put on two investigations, a wastewater treatment plant and an probable arson. As she begins her investigations, she turns on her radio and learns "Julia Jackson..." has been abducted. This added a v...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Jakki rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great mystery! (And a quick read too)! To be honest, I was not sure how I would like this considering that Becton writes novels in two different genres (historical fiction & thrillers). However, this is a must read for any mystery lover. Becton's characters are true to life people one could picture in their town or amongst their acquaintance. The reader is left wondering who committed the crime until the very end! In addition to the great mystery, there is also some sexual tension bet...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: murder she wrote fans

I was searching for a book to try out the lending library on amazon.com & came across 'Southern Liability'. I like series, I'm not going to lie, so that played in it's favor. A mystery & claims of a southern setting? Sold.

It was a quick & easy read. It was sort of slow to begin with. I felt like there was some unnecessary details along the way to pad the pages.. I figured out the 'who-dun-it' before the book revealed it, but that's nothing new for me, so I wouldn't knock it for that...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Kate Dana rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love a good mystery. I was spoiled on Agatha Christie and Anne Perry on account of my mother when I was growing up. I was introduced to author Jennifer Becton when I read her debut novel Charlotte Collins: A Continuation of Pride and Prejudice so it was with mild surprise that her next published book was a thriller, but hey if Georgette Heyer can write Regencies and then mysteries then so can Jennifer Becton.

Absolute Liability: A Southern Fraud Thriller is the first in what will be a six part...more I love a good mystery. I was spoiled on Agatha Christie and Anne Perry on account of my mother when I was growing up. I was introduced to author Jennifer Becton when I read her debut novel Charlotte Collins: A Continuation of Pride and Prejudice so it was with mild surprise that her next published book was a thriller, but hey if Georgette Heyer can write Regencies and then mysteries then so can Jennifer Becton.

Absolute Liability: A Southern Fraud Thriller is the first in what will be a six part series from author Jennifer Becton. I loved every minute of this book. It is a great weekend or beach read and I didn’t have a clue who the killer was until practically the end. I found this book to be in the vein of Gemma Halliday another mystery writer who I adore.

The heroine, if you will, of Absolute Liability is Julia Jackson and she investigates insurance fraud. Julia is extremely likable. She can handle herself and yet she still has her vulnerabilities. In the course of her investigations she is abducted---or rather someone abducted what they thought was Julia----which brings out a sense of responsibility and justice in her. So the hunt to unfold the mystery begins. Who really wants Julia Jackson gone?

Throw in Tripp, an ex-high school sweetheart who is just a friend and a cop and a hunky and extremely mysterious Special Agent, named Mark Vincent, sent down especially from Atlanta to partner with Julia and the south just got a bit hotter. I really just want to talk about Mark Vincent. I think I drooled just a little when he was introduced. Mark Vincent was intriguing because he’s so mysterious and we don’t know much about him. I do hope he turns up again. Yum!

The mystery of the abduction is solved by the end, but there are some unanswered questions in the book in regards to an incident with which happened in the past. There are also some more opportunities to explore Julia’s family dysfunctions. This is to set up the rest of the series. Miss Becton has a great series on her hands. She wove a fantastic mystery/thriller and I look forward to book two in the series.

Final Recommendation: If you love a mystery where you are guessing till the end who did it.

FTC Disclaimer: ARC ebook provided by author

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Jan 03, 2012 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-suspense-thrillers

This has all the markings of a series, but Jules is a different kind of heroine, she is not snarky, mean, silly, stupid, over-emotional like some others in this genre. She is everygirl and she does not act impulsively (go after known murderers all on her own, insist on staying all by herself when she is clearly in danger, turn down help from friends because of pride, etc.), and she cares about others and it shows in her actions.

This is a mystery and an introduction to two interesting characters...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, kindle-lending-library, mystery

This is the first in a series of six books centering around Insurance Fraud Inspectors Julia Jackson and Mark Vincent.

The book hit the ground running with Julia hearing about her alleged kidnapping on the radio as the book begins. What follows is a very solid mystery with touches of humor and the barest hint of romance. I did figure out the guilty party early on, but the book was still enjoyable nonetheless.

Loved the interaction between Julia and Vincent, and look forward to learning more about...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Bart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Despite the lighthearted cover and blurb, Absolute Liability is a well written, engaging, non-fluff story about a woman trying to reconcile her perceived failures while dealing with personal and familial chaos. Somehow, Jennifer Becton manages to write this without hitting all the standard cliches about heroism, cops, single women, self pity, sex and the South...and somehow keeps a sense of humor at the same time. The story is gritty without descending into the easy cynicism of the usual har...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Susan Ferguson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, mystery

Julia Jackson is a former Mercer Police Officer. She was laid off during budget cuts and finally found work with the Georgia Department of Insurance as a fraud investigator. She finds that she really enjoys this type of work - checking on insurance companies and people with fraudulent claims. She is investigating a couple of different claims, but the big one is a wastewater treatment plant that has an employee injury suit and she also has a fire claim that is probably arson. She is working at th...more Julia Jackson is a former Mercer Police Officer. She was laid off during budget cuts and finally found work with the Georgia Department of Insurance as a fraud investigator. She finds that she really enjoys this type of work - checking on insurance companies and people with fraudulent claims. She is investigating a couple of different claims, but the big one is a wastewater treatment plant that has an employee injury suit and she also has a fire claim that is probably arson. She is working at the insurance company office, Southeastern Insurance, when she decides to take a coffee break and asks one of the interns if she would mind scanning some files she needed. As she is coming back from the coffee shop with everyone's orders, Julia hears on the radio that she has been kidnapped. Rather stunned, she pulls off the road and calls a good friend in the police department to tell him she has NOT been kidnapped, at least that she is aware of. It turns out the intern scanning files for her was grabbed along with Julia's laptop, files and tote bag containing her camera, planner, notes and her house key. Her boss has also called in a Special Agent in the DOI. He is ex-military and very efficient. She calls the police to check her house since her key had been taken and called a locksmith to change her locks immediately. The Special Agent, Mark Vincent, follows her home and waits with her while the police check to make sure no one is in her house. There is a strong suspicion that the kidnapper had grabbed the wrong person, the intern had been taken from Julia's office, so someone was apparently uneasy about an insurance claim or policy she'd been checking. The two she had been working on were immediately closely scrutinized.

The book is written interestingly. There is a chapter or two from Julia's point of view, then one on the unknown perpetrator of the scheme. His name is never mentioned until Julia finds it out on her own. All you know is this person is a partner of the inept kidnapper.

Free Friday from B&N(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think this was a FREE download for my NOOK--wow! Never heard of the author, never heard of the series. I was stunned when I noted it had 808 pages since it was presented and read like the typical mystery series that I enjoy, e.g., Stephanie Plum books, Kinsey Milhone Books,HannahSwenson books, China Bayles books. Yeah, maybe it could've been 300 pages but it never seemed "wordy" or "padded." Liked all the characters and the plotline. Definitely glad there are, I think, four more in the series....more

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Oct 27, 2012 Trudi Jorda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my first book by this author and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. It was fairly fast paced but did quite a bit with character development-- did not have the main character hopping into bed with her hunky new partner-- but built a relationship with them-- and made you want to read the next book in the series to see if it continues. She is not perfect, but neither is he. They both have flaws but they work thru them to a really good story line. It kept me guessing for quite a while! If...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Believing this was a `semi-cozy mystery' I didn't expect well-developed characters or an intriguing plot. Sometimes, it's good to be wrong. The main character, Julia Jackson, is an insurance fraud investigator who seemed to me to be a hybrid of Stephanie Plum (Evanovich) and Jo Beth Sidden (Lanier) - the best of both. Tough at work yet a bit disjointed in her non-work life which made her an interesting character. Along comes Mark Vincent, a tight-lipped, stiff Naval reservist assigned to be Juli...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy-mystery, kindle, kindle-bargains

This story uses the increasing trend of swapping points of view in first and third person. The bulk of the story is told in first person by the main character, the rest is in third person from the antagonist's point of view. I felt like the latter was not as well written as the former, the characters not as believable and I think the story would have worked just as well without it and just sticking to the main character's first person PoV.

I also found it illogical that (view spoiler)...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Kip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

Excellent tale of lies, deceit and greed. One bumbling mistake after the other escalates the tale from simple fraud to kidnapping, murder and the inevitable coverup. Mixed in with the main story is the protagonists quest to find justice for her family destroyed by an unknown perp who has evaded detection for years.
The characters are well developed and complement each other very well. Just enough of a hint of romance to make the characters human and leave more for developing the relationships in...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Marilyn Brant rated it 5 of 5 stars

What grabbed me from the first chapter was the engaging and humorous voice of the narrator. Julia was a lot of fun and her interactions with Vincent were delightful throughout. I like a light mystery in general and appreciated the whodunnit aspect of the story, but the well-paced plot and comedic characters made Becton's novel an especially enjoyable read. Looking forward to the second book in the Southern Fraud series coming soon!

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Aug 14, 2011 Terri rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was pretty good. Held my interest. The story was interesting, some twists, some turns. No lack of peeking my interest in what was going on. I bought it in a deal for humorous mysteries or something like that. I gave it a three because I thought it lacked humor. There were attempts at humor, the first line is pretty funny, but all in all, it didn't have that kind of subtle humor I was expecting in a book like this.

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Jan 19, 2013 Mary L. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book. The only trouble was, it was offered as a romance, but there was no romance, only mystery/suspense. The pacing was good, and kept my interest throughout. I promptly read the second book and am impatiently waiting the third. I even stooped to nagging J.W. Becton when it was not done in 2012 as promised.

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Dec 12, 2012 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pretty decent book - started out a bit slow but picked up as I read - one of the storylines was wrapped up by the book's end but the other one wasn't - may have to read the next one to see what happens - kind of unsure if this was supposed to be more serious or more like Stephanie Plum novels...

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Mar 08, 2012 Lady Belinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, mystery

I love a good mystery. I decided to try out fraud mystery and I wasn't disappointed. I knew who the accomplice was about half way through, but didn't learn the identity of the mastermind until near the end. I love that. I like to be kept quessing who it is until the end otherwise the story just doesn't hold my interest. I am certainly going to be reading this entire series.

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May 05, 2013 Lillie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenge, mystery

Insurance fraud leads to murder. If I had ever thought about what an insurance investigator encountered, I would have expected it to be tedious and boring. In Mercer, Georgia, insurance fraud leads to murder, and investigating fraud can be life threatening

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Apr 06, 2012 Nelia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fluffstuff, mystery

A light, fun read. Not going to give it four stars, but if you like a flirty mystery, you won't be disappointed. I am currently reading the sequel because the first book interested me enough in the characters to want to see where the author goes with them.

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Jul 15, 2012 Shai Unfiltered rated it 3 of 5 stars

A surprisingly good who done it. Who knew the business of insurance could be interesting and dangerous. I enjoyed from beginning to and even though I guessed the killer I read on until the end. I look forward to more in the series.

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May 04, 2013 Llona Cunningham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Had a little trouble staying with all the descriptive stuff in the beginning, but once the action got going, I wasn't disappointed. Interaction between lead characters was very good. And even though I'm not a fan of inserted chapters that tell me what the criminal is thinking, it was done well enough to not give the complete mystery away too soon. I'll be looking for the next one in the series.

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Absolute Liability (Southern Fraud Thriller #1)

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