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Be careful what you wish for . . . Before he retired, J. P. Beaumont had looked forward to having his days all to himself. But too much free time doesn’t suit a man used to brushing close to danger. When his longtime nemesis, retired Seattle crime reporter Maxwell Cole, dies in what’s officially deemed to be an accidental fire, Beau is astonished to be dragged into the investigation at the request of none other than the deceased victim himself. In the process Beau learns that just because a long-ago case was solved doesn’t mean it’s over. Caught up in a situation where old actions and grudges can hold dangerous consequences in the present, Beau is forced to operate outside the familiar world of law enforcement. While seeking justice for his "frenemy" and healing for a long fractured family, he comes face to face with an implacable enemy who has spent decades hiding in plain sight.I started reading this series 32 years ago with the very first Beaumont book. I wondered where this series was going when Beau retired. I was even afraid that he would just ride off into the sunset so I was thrilled to see [Proof of Life] come about. Beau hasn't lost his touch...he now even has a dog...what more could you ask for? A touch of humor reigns while he is dealing with the newly acquired Lucy, a.k.a.Rambo an Irish Wolfhound the size of a small horse. A touch of sadness as he investigates the fire that killed his sometimes friend, sometimes enemy, reporter Maxwell Cole. I was glad to see that Beau...in spite of the retirement...will still be doing what he does best.
