Stand Down by J A Jance

Stand Down by J A Jance

An e-original novella from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance.

Life has shifted for J. P. Beaumont. After a tragic accident that devastated--and ultimately disbanded--his Special Homicide Investigation Team, he accepts that he has left homicide detection behind at this point, but he has a lot of unanticipated free time on his hands. He's keeping busy with renovations on the new house that he and his wife, Mel Soames, the newly appointed chief of police in Bellingham, Washington, have bought. But new fixtures and paint palettes can occupy only so much of Beau's daily life, and Mel is encouraging him to return to where he is needed: investigating crimes.

In the meantime, she is struggling to gain control of her new situation, cast into a department where some are welcoming--and some are not. It's been a few months, and the tension in the police department is rising, but Beau realizes Mel has to tackle things in her own way, so he refrains from advising. But when Beau shows up one afternoon to survey the construction at their new house and finds Mel's car there but no sign of her, his investigative instincts kick in. Suddenly he's back in the game--except this time, his heart is on the line as well as his professional dignity.

Jance is the bestselling author of the Ali Reynolds series, as well as the J. The Walker family is featured in a variety of works, including the Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, and the Joanna Brady series. Jance worked as a librarian and a teacher on a Native American reserve before becoming an novelist. Jance and her husband live in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona. She was born in South Dakota and grew up in Bisbee, Arizona.