by J. A. Jance
Part of J.P. Beaumont, book 13
First published 1997
A biotech executive's body floats in Elliott Bay, and Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumont faces an unusual problem. Too many people want to claim credit for the killing. The victim traded industrial secrets illegally and committed rape, earning hatred from multiple quarters. Beaumont struggles with his own personal crises while working the case. The investigation pulls him into a corporate world filled with secret deals and bitter rivalries. Blood flows too freely as Beaumont tracks leads through this business nightmare. The detective finds himself pursuing a killer he may not want to catch. The case forces Beaumont to question whether some murders deserve solving. Corporate corruption and personal vendettas collide as the truth emerges. Beaumont must decide how far justice should reach when the victim may have deserved his fate.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Elliott Bay, Seattle
400 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Avon
Content warnings: violence