Betrayal of Trust: A J. P. Beaumont Novel    by J. A. Jance Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2011 (2011) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Any time I can get my hands on a J. A. Jance book, I know I'm in for a good read. Betrayal of Trust is not an exception. Another good book from one of the masters of storytelling. A copy of a snuff video is sent to a teenage boy's phone. At first, a young girl smiles for the camera. Then a blue silk scarf tightens around her neck and she seems to be strangled to death. The young teenager involved is the step-grandson of Washington State's governor. The governor turns to an old friend to help because the boy is thought to be responsible for the film and a possible death. Seattle investigator J. P. Beaumont and his partner Mel (a couple in their private lives) take on the search for the supposed victim and to clear the boy's name. The poor kid had a troubled background and denied even knowing the girl, let alone killing her. He suffers bullying in school - which allows the author a chance to expand on the horrors of bullying. And rightly so. Since kids are using the choking game to get a high, it is suspected that this is probably what happened to the girl. A lot of what ifs slip into the plot. Beau and Mel call in a few markers and trace the origin of the original call. There is so much that stays in the background in life of which the average citizen knows nothing. Jance lets us into that life and a whole new scene is presented. Betrayal of Trust has a tightly written plot – I don't want to expound any more on it. Might give the whole mystery away. Just take it from me that this is a good one. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews