Obsession in Death (In Death, #40) by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #40
Published by Berkley on February 10th 2015
Genres: Futuristic, Mystery
Pages: 404
Goodreads

Couldn’t Put This One Down

“No suspects, no leads. No known connection between killer and victim — except for herself. No known motive — except for herself.”

THE STORY: Eve Dallas is enjoying the end of the year when an antagonist from her past is murdered. What brings the attention of the prominent homicide lieutenant, however, is the letter written to her left at the scene. The murderer is obsessed with Eve and is committing murders in an attempt to impress her. Eve must look back at her prior cases and interactions with people to discovery who might be a victim and look to those around her to find out who is the killer.

OPINION: This is one of the best In Death books in a while. While Eve has resolved most of her past, she is confronted here with her celebrity in a way that makes her feel guilty. When Eve is personally challenged by a case, the drama and tension of the story is increased. The entire story feels more open, more grounded and more natural. There are some very fun moments with the secondary characters and they don’t feel forced or put in to check off points. They arise naturally from the story. As with much of Eve’s story, the crisis in this book brings her to acknowledge the importance of those she has surrounded herself with in the last years. Even as Eve is challenged by this killer, it is refreshing to see her turning naturally to those around her rather than going it alone. Eve has come far from the isolated woman in NAKED IN DEATH and longtime readers can really appreciate her growth.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book rewards those fans who have read the prior books since there are plenty of references to Eve’s prior cases.

FINAL DECISION: This is my favorite In Death book in a while. I feel these books are best when Eve is personally engaged in the crime being solved. This book satisfies that requirement. There is good rapport with all the secondary characters and Eve and Roarke are incredibly in tune here.

CONNECTED BOOKS: OBSESSION IN DEATH is the fortieth book in the In Death series. While this book references old cases of Eve’s, a new reader should be able to catch up pretty quickly and could enjoy this book as well.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.