Second Watch by J. A. Jance

". . .a fitting tribute. . ."

J P Beaumont has been a Seattle police detective for a long time. The wear and tear on his body has won and he has both knees replaced. While under medication in the hospital, he is visited by two ghosts from his past. A young girl from an unsolved murder and a soldier who saved his life in Vietnam. Both refuse to be denied closure and Beau has been chosen to finish what he started. With the help of old and new friends, he reopens both cases. The girl has been dead for decades and when Beau begins to probe, more violence erupts. Burdened with more guilt and greater resolve, he solves the murder. Paying homage to a hero proves to be harder. Beau contacts his former army friends and opens an old wound. He finds the dead man’s fiancée and visits the grave with her. At the resolution of his tasks, Beau realizes how much guilt he has carried around because now he is free.

J P Beaumont is a recurring character for this author. I have not read any prior books in the series, but it didn’t prevent me from understanding and enjoying this one. The dead soldier and the facts about his life and lost love are true. Jance details her relationship to Doug in a heartwarming remembrance at the end of the book. It adds a somber reminder of the hurt and sorrow that never goes away when a loved one doesn’t return from war. There is a fitting tribute to him in the story too. It adds a special and unforgettable dimension to the story.

Reviewer: K. T. Sullivan