using System;

using Newtonsoft.Json;                  

using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;

​

public class Program

{

    public static void Main()

    {

        var json = "{\r\n  \"firstName\": \"John\",\r\n  \"lastName\": \"Doe\",\r\n  \"IDNum\": 123456,\r\n  \"phoneNumbers\": [\r\n    {\r\n      \"number\": \"6123334444\"\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"number\": \"7635556666\"\r\n    }\r\n  ]\r\n}";

​

        JObject rest = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<dynamic>(json) as JObject; 

        Console.WriteLine(rest);

        string cleanRest = rest.ToString().Replace("{{", "{").Replace("}}", "}");

        Console.WriteLine(cleanRest);

        // this works, since phoneNumbers is an array

        JArray obj = JArray.Parse(rest["phoneNumbers"].ToString()) as JArray;       

        // this fails

        obj = JArray.Parse(rest.ToString()) as JArray;      

    }

}