Jance took several years off from her J. P. Beaumont series to concentrate on her more popular Joanna Brady novels, and since returning to action, J. P. has been a changed man--for the worse. First, in Breach of Duty (1999), the formerly hard-boiled Seattle cop started sounding like a veteran of one-too-many sensitivity classes, and now his transformation from Philip Marlowe to Phil Donohue seems complete. Forget the mean streets; Beaumont has been reduced to starring in a classic cozy set on a cruise ship! It gets worse. Beaumont is onboard the Starfire Breeze, cruising Alaska, as a companion to his honeymooning grandmother. Yes, it's a senior-citizen cruise, and there's all variety of cute byplay between the frisky seniors, until the bodies start piling up. It seems there's a crackpot onboard intent on killing doctors whose medical breakthroughs save lives. Beaumont sorts it all out before the ice sculpture on the buffet table has a chance to melt, but not soon enough for those who enjoyed this series back when it offered no-frills, hard-boiled fare. The new Beaumont will appeal to those who know Jance from the relatively cozy Brady novels, but J. P.'s old fans best look for a new drinking partner--unless they like the idea of bending elbows with Phil Donohue. --Bill Ott

From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.