BIRDS OF PREY by J.A. Jance
William Morrow - February 19, 2001
ISBN: 038097407X - Hard Cover
Police Procedural

Reviewed by Elaine Broome, MyShelf.com
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When recently retired Seattle detective J.P. "Beau" Beaumont packed for an Alaskan cruise, he looked forward to a little seasickness, relaxation and sightseeing. He didn't anticipate disappearances at sea, the explosive revelation of long-kept secrets, or secret terrorist plots. In J.A. Jance's BIRDS OF PREY, Beau is unexpectedly thrust into the center of a deadly storm while on a honeymoon cruise with his grandmother and her new husband.

When brash and wealthy Margaret Featherman disappears from the Starfire Breeze, her friends are reluctant to accept suicide as the reason. At the request of a shipboard FBI agent, Beau agrees to quietly look into her disappearance as well as threats against her ex-husband, a prominent doctor. He has no idea just how many mysteries will ripple out of Margaret's disappearance. He also has no idea how it will affect him personally.

BIRDS OF PREY is a terrific book! It's got several complex and clever mysteries, which unravel one thread at a time. And it has the wonderful character of J.P. Beaumont. Still shaken from the death of his homicide partner in Seattle, Beau senses that he is at a crossroads, but is unsure what the future holds. He is forced to confront his own weaknesses and prejudices, and to find his way back to contentment. By the end of the book, you believe that happiness (for once) just might be in Beau's future.

With this being the 15th book in the series you might expect that Jance other characters are getting stale and boring. Not at all! In fact, BIRDS OFPREY is one of the richest and most satisfying books in the entire series. It's got great mystery, human drama, intrigue . . . a real winner.