Product Description
Sheriff's detective Jude Devine thought she'd left her past in Washington D.C., but when reclusive millionaire Fabian is found murdered in Paradox Valley, and a photograph of Jude's missing brother Ben is among his possessions, Jude finally has a chance to solve the mystery that has stalked her since childhood.

A place like the Four Corners is the perfect exile for people escaping from something or someone. But when that someone is yourself, the problem with running away is that you bring your worst enemy with you. Sandy "Lonewolf" Lane, a former paratrooper Jude suspects of being a domestic terrorist, has called the Four Corners home since the suicide of her lover, whose son was killed in Iraq. She's planning to kill the Vice-President, and her determination to carry out her mission, and Jude's to stop her, draws the two women into a lethal game of cat and mouse. All of this is quite a distraction from Jude's love life, which is probably just as well, since it's not going the way she was hoping. Jude is in a dilemma when Dr. Mercy Westmoreland's wife, actress Elspeth Harwood, is away shooting a movie and Mercy feels like company.

A Jude Devine Mystery

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 3 reviews)

Best in Series

In Place of Exile, the third installment in the Jude Devine mystery series, Jennifer Fulton/Rose Beecham gives us an exciting mystery with intelligent political commentary and complex personal and romantic relationships. She uses the backdrop of a murder investigation, a domestic terrorist plot, and a white supremacist movement to set the stage for the main character to discover important truths about her past, her relationships, and maybe even what she wants for her future. This novel was written in such a way that the true nature of each character makes perfect sense in the context of the choices they make, the relationships they pursue, and the way they choose to live their lives.

The other part of this book that I really enjoyed was the way that the relationship between Jude and Mercy developed. Not all couples fall in love and live happily ever after, and it often takes a long time for people to realize what is truly important. The author's portrayal of Jude and Mercy's progression within this process was realistic. Place of Exile provides a refreshing alternative to reading the typical romance.
April 17, 2008

The series is getting stronger

Jennifer Fulton, writing as Rose Beecham, has produced another in the Jude Devine mystery series. Unlike some series that become trite over time and show no character growth, Beecham's Devine books are getting stronger.

The Four Corners of the US Southwest is a perfect setting for these books. The area seems to be a magnet for cults, paramilitary organizations, White supremacist groups and every other loose cannon in American society. In Place of Exile Jude Devine, who is an undercover FBI agent working as a sheriff's deputy, finds herself dealing simultaneously with the murder of an arms dealer, fighting between rival supremacist organizations, a terror threat on the Telluride Film Festival and a rogue military veteran who is on a self-appointed assassination mission against Vice President Cheney. Jude has to do a delicate dance in trying to resolve these cases, changing her role to suit each situation, and trying not to have her cover blown. She doesn't mind taking on extra assignments however because they help to distract her from her tangled personal life. The woman she loves has "married" a famous actress, but she won't leave Jude alone and Jude finds that, no matter how hard she tries, she can't purge Dr. Mercy Westmoreland from her blood. And she does try, especially when Special Agent in Charge Aidan Hill arrives to coordinate the antiterrorism activities and strikes sparks with Jude.

The important thing to note about this series is that it isn't static. Jude isn't solving the same situation book after book and she's not always dealing with the same people. New characters drift in and out and new information is revealed that keeps adding to the character of Jude herself. This is the book that explains why Jude has sentenced herself to this place of exile and the personal torment from early in her life that drives what she does today. It's the perfect set up for the next book.

January 16, 2008

Pretty good for the third book in the series

Rose Beecham's Jude Devine series is getting curioser and curioser.

Jude's an undercover FBI operative working on a domestic terrorism unit out in the Four Corners part of the U.S. Lots of interesting characters hang out there, including her ex, Dr. Mercy Westmoreland.

Beecham has a sly sense of humor with her acronyms for domestic terrorist groups (Aryan Sunrise Stormtroopers, and the Christian Republic of Aryan Patriots). She puts an interesting spin on recent events in the U.S., including the war in Iraq. This book is not for the faint Republican of heart. ;-)

Lots of plots going on in this book: a murdered gay man, an attack on the Telluride Film Festival, and Sandy, the former soldier who plans on assassinating a major government figure. A VERY major government figure.

Beecham's able to bring all the plots together for a pretty good conclusion. It is left open for a sequel, and I hope more will be revealed about Ben. Ben's situation has been discussed, but not yet resolved, and I hope Beecham will resolve it the way she thinks is best.
December 27, 2007

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