J.P. Beaumont returns for a 17th go-round that has an interesting premise: A nun undergoing hypnosis recovers memories of a murder she witnessed as a young girl 50 years ago. J.P. is brought in to solve the case as a favor to some very powerful people, and soon finds that there are many more questions than answers. Admittedly, he's a bit distracted:  An ex-partner is being questioned by J.P.'s friends in the Special Homicide Investigation Team for the murder of the man's ex-wife. But is he guilty, or is he covering for someone else? With all this going on, does J.P. even have the time to deal with the possible beginning to a romantic relationship with a fellow investigator? 

If my synopsis lacks any particular sense of drama or excitement it's because, frankly, the same is true for the book. For the most part the characters, though rich and complex in all the right places, are just going through the motions. That J.P. will resolve all his two cases is a given - they may not end happily for everyone involved, but the answers will be found.  Regardless, I had a hard time getting myself to care. 

The ending in particular seems somewhat plebeian and anti-climactic, given the setup. I also found a tendency towards cuteness (A boss named Harry I. Ball? And get a load of the acronym for the Special Homicide Investigation Team -  you can almost see the author smirking to herself as she writes) distracts from getting totally involved in the story. This is not to say I don't think Jance is a fine writer; she is, and there are genuine moments of suspense in the book, a couple of decent plot twists, with occasional dialogue that rings remarkably true. It's more that, after 17 novels, it may be time to raise the stakes with her characters.