Taking the Fifth

J.P. Beaumont #4

by J.A. Jance

There are many bizarre and terrible ways to die. Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont thought he had seen them all--until he saw this body, its wounds, and the murder weapon: an elegant woman's shoe, its stiletto heel gruesomely caked with blood. The evidence is shocking and unsettling, even for a man who prowls the shadows for a living, for it suggests that savagery is not the exclusive domain of the predatory male. And the scent of a stylish killer is pulling Beaumont into a world of drugs, corruption, and murder to view close-up a cinematic dream at its most nightmarish lethal.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Thriller

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Judith Ann Jance is the top 10 New York Times bestselling author of the Joanna Brady series; the J. P. Beaumont series; three interrelated thrillers featuring the Walker family; and Edge of Evil, the first in a series featuring Ali Reynolds. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

Series:
* J.P. Beaumont
* Joanna Brady
* Ali Reynolds
* Walker Family

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this 4th book in the 'J.P. Beaumont' series, the Seattle homicide detective investigates two suspicious deaths. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

This is an early book in the 'J. P. Beaumont' series, and the homicide detective is a jackass 🤨, unlike later books where he's more mature.

In any case, Beaumont (Beau) investigates when two gay lovers die in suspicious circumstances. One man is bashed with a high-heeled shoe near Seattle railroad tracks and the other dies in his bed, supposedly from AIDS.



The two deaths occurring so close together is too much of a coincidence, and Beau suspects two murders. Moreover, the apartment the men shared contains illegal drugs, which may figure in the deaths somehow.

Beau's investigation leads him to a pop singer on tour, who employed one of the victims as a stage hand.



Beau questions the singer and her entourage and other people who knew the victims, including the nurse who cared for the AIDS patient; relatives; etc.



There's a good bit of homophobia in the story, from Beau (mild homophobia) to Beau's police partner (strong homophobia) to the parents of one of the victims (rabid homophobia - they disowned their son). In addition, Beau can't keep it in his pants and actually gets sexually involved with a potential suspect in the case!!



The book is set in the 1980s when anti-gay sentiments, and horror at the idea of AIDS (which was basically a death sentence) were more prevalent and open. Still, it's uncomfortable to read the book today.

In addition, the case is so convoluted that Beau's resolution - and how he got there - has to be explained in detail at the end of the story. (Completely inorganic story-telling.)

Unless you're determined to read this series in its entirety, you can skip this book without missing much.



You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for Taking the Fifth: J. P. Beaumont, Book 4 (audiobook) by J. A. Jance read by Gene Engene.

This was my least favorite book of the series so far. It just seemed to me that the author was trying to juggle too many different elements and the story kind of suffered from it.

[Kathryn in FL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1987, this was a recently released for a second run. Though not updated, I didn't have an issue jumping into the story with both feet as Homicide detective J.P. Beaumont "Beau" is investigating what may be an isolated murder, that turns out to be an integral key to a drug ring in his city of Seattle. Beaumont is somewhat on his own, while his partner is recovering from injuries sustained in the line of duty but still has the sharp mind that gives feedback throughout the story line.
Beaumont cracks the case by following leads and thinking outside the box. This garners three stars for the mystery.

Meanwhile, I didn't really like Beau's slippery morals when it comes to keeping his pants on among those he's investigating. I found this aspect of him less appealing as both a cop and a person. One minute, he is diligently working a crime scene and the next minute he is chasing p*ssy. Soon, he goes back to looking for suspects and he finds a lot of possibilities in unlikely places. His astute genius helps him connect the dots and delivers the right criminals to the halls of justice.

This was a fun story to read. It wasn't particularly taxing to the brain cells, nor did I really make an effort to connect the dots (you didn't have enough info.). It was unnecessary to read the preceding books in the series to follow the plot, I have not read any others in this series. It was a pleasant, quick read to pass a few hours but otherwise forgettable.

Thank you to Goodreads, the publisher and the author's estate for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

JP Beaumont is presented with an unusual murder weapon: a woman's stiletto-heel shoe. The fact that it would take some strength to pound such a heel into someone seems, to me, to suggest a male culprit. Nevertheless, Beau must find the owner of the shoe. The woman turns out to be a rehabilitated former druggy, who is performing in Seattle. I like Seattle Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont. It's fun that he is wealthy, (Read earlier books of the series to learn how this happens.) which means he can do things no other police officer could afford. But he doesn't forget who he is or his friends. He is fallible, and makes mistakes, but as a reader, I am pulling for him. Another good book in the series.

[Mary MacKintosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

J.P. Beaumont usually is good company, at least I have found him so on the printed page. I listened to this book, and found him pompous and difficult to like. It might have been the fault of the reader, but I don't think so. I had the story figured out early on, too, which is rare for me, so this probably wasn't one of Jance's best efforts. I have heard her speak twice and read several of her books. She is a bright woman who easily mesmerizes an audience during a book talk.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Beaumont is forced to face is own prejudices when he investigates the death of a gay man. I am not going to lie to you the homophobia is running rife through this book so if that is a trigger for you give this book a miss. We are also confronted with the AIDS epidemic and the feelings that this stirred up in the early years of the disease. This book was written in the 80's so I am guessing you will know what you are going to get.

The mystery itself was pretty good, but I will never understand why every detective ever written needs to sleep with a witness.

Pretty good book but as I said earlier there may be some triggers for some people. Skip the book if that is you I really don't think your reading experience with the rest of the novels will suffer.

[Megargee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is OK but Beaumont No. 4 is not one of the better Beaumont novels. Jance ships off many of the continuing characters. Peters is still in his Stryker frame, Big Al's son has an emergency appendectomy, and the Peters kids are on a trip to Disneyland, so Beau is free to thoroughly investigate a beautiful and talented singer who is making a comeback after a trip to the Betty Ford Center. As others have noted, he behaves unprofessionally, failing to notify bereaved parents of their son's death while he pursues the singer.
This book may have seemed timely in 1987 with its references to the Ford Center and AIDs related homophobia, but the convoluted plot, revolving around a high level conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine, lacks credibility. It is a tossup who is more incompetent, the evil conspirators, the Seattle PD, or the drug enforcement officials.

[jaxnsmom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to make clear that part of my rating is based on my extreme dislike of the narration. It was horrible. Beaumont was the only character who sounded strong, although the women came close. The rest of the men sounded anywhere from simpering to idiotic to unsure of themselves and deferential - and they were mostly cops, with some being his superiors.

I don't think I would have cared much for the story anyway - it was uneven, and parts didn't make sense. After reading the Joanna Brady and Ali Reynolds series, I was very disappointed in this one.

[VickiLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel seemed to ripple with some outdated notions about LBGTQ individuals which set me on edge with some of the characters.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A not-terrible, not fantastic outing in the J. P. Beaumont series involving a beautiful singer, drugs, AIDS, cross dressing, and murder by stiletto. The charm of this series is Beau and the cast of friends and partners. I was annoyed that he, once again, slept with the young, beautiful blonde who may or may not have been involved in the case. For a good detective, he has terrible taste/no self-control when it comes to women. Some of the AIDS and "queers" references now seem rather dated, and Beau's prejudices towards gay men grates, but this book was originally published in 1987, so for the time, Beau is actually quite progressive. There's some nice progress with Beau's former partner, Ron Peters, hospitalized and partially paralyzed by the outcome of the last novel, and Beau's new partner Big Al has some promise as well. The case is relatively forgettable, but that's okay because I spent a few quality hours hanging out with Beau.

[Linda K. Melzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love J A Jance novels!

I have been reading about J P Beaumont for many years. He is truly a likeable character. This novel moves along at a good pace. It is a drug story par excellence, with lots of suspense and drama. There is even some romance which spices it up a little. I recommend all of Jance's series.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Beau and his adventures. I think he is a but gruff in his demeanor and laugh when he finds himself in some romantic element with women seemingly out of his league. still, good crime drama, different than other thrillers and crime books I read. always good to have some variety.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

In J.A. Jance's 4th Beaumont mystery I was hoping that our favorite detective would grow some as a character. It still hasn't happened. Once again, Det. Beaumont beds a beautiful alleged murderer. The only difference is this one actually ends up innocent. I'm hoping by the 5th novel Jance will have come up with a more unique plot.

In this book our homophobic detective deals again deals with gays and HIV/AIDS. He does seem to be coming along though, once again attributed to his gay interior decorator reupholstering his man-chair. As a character, this quirk does make him feel 'real' even if I don't really like him much.

This book does give an interesting view into the somewhat ignorant mindset of people "dealing with people with AIDS" in the late 80's as evidenced with this response from the coroner when Beaumont requests an autopsy for a man assumed to be recently deceased from AIDS
"You don't need an autopsy, you want one. There's a big difference. And who the hell do you think is going to do it? My people don't want to, I can tell you that much, and I don't blame them a bit."

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A former rock singer turned pop singer has a traveling show and they're in Beaumont's town, Seattle, for a series of performances.

Throw in a couple of murders, a drug ring, AIDS during it's mid-80s heyday, and J.P. is knee deep in shenanigans.

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking the Fifth by J.A. Jance is the 4th installment in the J.P. Beaumont series. It delivers a tightly woven mystery that kept me on edge. Jance does a great job of painting a vivid picture of Seattle’s darker corners and the flawed, determined detective, J.P. Beaumont, at the story’s center. The plot is suspenseful from start to finish, with well-paced twists and emotionally complex characters that deepen the impact of the investigation.

While this is not my favorite book in the series so far, I still enjoyed it. I am having a terrific time getting to know J.P. Beaumont (Beau). He may be flawed, but he is also compassionate, good at his job, and believes in justice for all. I think if readers enjoy classic crime fiction, they will find this a compelling and satisfying series. I am reading this series with a group of friends which also makes the reading experience even more satisfying.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, enjoyable read. Perfect for passing time on the plane. Poor Beaumont, he always seems to choose a gal that is not right for him! Murder, drug schemes and a a cast that includes theater workers & performers. How does the murder of a dying AIDS patient, his lover and the comeback of a once washed up rock singer connect? That is Beaumont's job once he gets on the trail of these crimes whether it's assignment or not.

Nice edition to this series. One item jumped out at me, as this was written in 1987, there was some dialogue that included the acronym LOL WAAAY before texting existed. In the context of the para, I could surmise it meant Little Old Lady. LOL!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The murder(s) and murderers are fascinating in this series, as they are all so different. I like how Beau's method are part brains and sometimes just part dumb luck.

The narrator tells the story in a very entertaining way. I'm willing to continue reading more of the series.

There is a reoccurring theme going on here in this series that's getting a little old though. I am however not a single male, so maybe my perspective is a little off. All I will say is that it's good to be Beau.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a huge fan of this one. I know I've skipped a few in the series, but I didn't feel like I missed anything in between. I still may go back and read more of this character's books, but only because I really like this author's other series and I'm hoping these will get better!

[Jillian Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beaumont is back to sleeping with potential murders after the short break in the last book. This time Jance includes AIDS as part of the investigation.

[Brian Fagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like J. A. Jance, but I've only read 3 or 4 of her novels so far. This is the first book I've gotten to in the J. P. Beaumont series, written in 1987.

Detective J. P. Beaumont works on the murder squad in Seattle. A man's body is found with unusual puncture wounds. The coroner later matches the wounds with a high-heeled shoe found near the murder scene. A man dying of AIDS is found murdered, and turns out to have been the other victim's roommate. Beaumont learns that a visiting woman singer is suspected of dealing drugs, but when the murder cases and the drug case become connected, he starts to suspect that her involvement is a frame job.

Beaumont narrates the action. Some of his philosophic musings are a bit too trite. Jance's writing prowess has grown since the time of this novel's publication. Here she is still doing too much in the way of unnecessary explanations. So for those reasons, and the fact that I particularly like stories taking place in the American Southwest, I enjoyed the Ali Reynolds and Joanna Brady novels much more.

[Bethel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one I missed when first published in 1987 when it was first out. Loved it and works for me! Great story

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth in Jance's J.P. Beaumont Mysteries series. The author has become more "familiar" with her lead Seattle homicide detective, and some of his irritating traits evident in the first two novels seem more realistic now. Jance is good at introducing new plot lines and new characters, using twists and surprises along the way to an exciting conclusion. While his ex-partner, Peters, introduced in the first book, is still here, he is sidelined after a severe injury left him fighting for his life and in the hospital. I would have liked to see the Beaumont-Peters relationship last longer, but time will tell. In TAKING THE FIFTH, a body is found near Pike Place Market, killed by a woman's spiked high heel, recovered at the crime scene. Initial investigation leads to discovery of another body, dead in his own bed. Was it from his illness or was it murder? Add in a story of a former rock star returning to the stage after recovering from a drug addiction, and you have the makings of this fast-paced detective story.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Jance's other series (Joanna Brady and Ali Reynolds), so of course, I started on the J P Beaumont series. This is the 4th book in the series and the 4th one I've read. So far, I haven't liked any of the Beaumont books nearly as much as the other two series and this one, in particular, was almost boring. The ending seemed to save it as it got a bit more interesting, but even so, it felt like "oh, it's time to end this book, so we need to quickly tie up loose ends." There was no development, no steady progression to the climax. Because I like Jance's other books, I'll probably read more Beaumont books. I just hope they get better, not worse.

[Skipper Steve Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE all the J.A. Jance novels. But realize that part of the reason for my enthusiasm is that I lived in Seattle during the seventies and really identify with the places in which she sets here story. My advice to a prospective reader is to print out a list of her novels featuring J. P. Beaumont and begin your reading with the very first book, the second one next and so on. She builds her characters and her story lines sequentially, and you will enjoy this book and others more by reading them in order. The characters are fun to watch develop as well as the plot.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really enjoying JP Beaumont's 80s-90s Seattle. This mystery, the fourth (shouldn't it have been the fifth?) touches on the early days of the gay scene, cross-dressing and the scare of AIDs. Beaumont is an admitted bigot, but you can tell he's learning that the people he meets are still people, so I think there is hope for him yet. Having been to the Fifth Avenue Theater, it was fun to have it as a central locale to the mystery. Good story!

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've been reading the beaumont series from the beginning, noting the improvment in each book in the series. this is the forth book in the series and it slips back a bit, mainly because, for plot purposes, the main character has to behave very stupidly for about a chapter and a half. almost quit the book at that point, but stayed with it to a generally ok conclusion.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stage hand is found murdered in Seattle. The J.P. Beaumont finds a brick of cocaine hidden in the pillowcase of a dead man who is supposed to have died from AIDS. His prime suspect is a beautiful singer who is a recovering drug addict.

[C-shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first J.A. Jance book, and it won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this short murder mystery, and I like her character Detective J.P. "Beau" Beaumont. As I said earlier, it was totally absorbing, every page of it.

[Nancy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot, including recovering drug addicted superstars, the seedy side of the entertainment business, and scourge of AIDS, and as always, Beaumont's weakness for a beautiful female. A good story, a quick read, not too taxing on the powers of concentration.

[Debra B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4

This is my first JP Beaumont book and I really enjoyed it. I'm already a big fan of Jance's Ali Reynold books.

Jance creates characters that you can sink your teeth into and the storyline and dialogue are natural and not contrived. I look forward to reading more in the Beaumont series!