Good Story Which Contrasts Loving Couples

“She turned to him, her face lit like the sun, her eyes huge, full of wonder and want. ‘We killed somebody. Together.'”

“There has to be trust to work as a team.”

FINAL DECISION: The latest entry in the In Death series has an interesting premise where the murderous lovers are shown in contrast with Eve and Roarke. I found this book to be in the middle of the In Death series of books. I believe the best books connect personally with Eve. This book is more distant from Eve and her team and I think the book suffers for it.

THE STORY: It is 2061 and Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in pursuit of a team of spree killers that are traveling across the country committing murders in their wake. This pair of lovers kill together in gruesome ways. The couple has traveled to New York City. When they commit a murder in Eve’s jurisdiction, she catches their scent and uncovers their bloody wake. She has to work with her team including her husband Roarke to find these killers before their latest victims are found dead.

OPINION: The In Death series is popular because it continues to deliver its unique combination of futuristic police procedural and suspense with a wonderful romance that continues to grow and evolve.
This book is interesting because there is a direct contrast between the murderous lovers and Eve and Roarke. The underlying themes are about trust and love and what makes a relationship. Ultimately, of course, the relationship between Eve and Roarke is shown to be superior as they catch the bad guys. The complexity of how this issue is handled makes this an interesting read.

There is no mystery here. This is one of the books where the murderers are revealed immediately and thus it is the race to keep them for killing again that is the focus of the story. I don’t mind the books where the focus is not on “whodunnit” and in this book the identity of the killers being known allows the direct comparison between the different couples in the story.

Longtime readers of the series will know that things have calmed down for Eve and those she cares for in the last few books. There is more focus on the suspense stories and less on the drama of the relationships. I do miss that element of the stories, but I do like that Eve and Roarke have reached such a good place in their relationship. I also like that Eve is given some peace in her own life after having such sadness and pain. While there are 41 books in the series, the time that has passed in the story is less than 3 years. Thus, there is some relief in the happiness of the characters rather than drama.

I would rate this book in the middle of the series. I do think the best books are where Eve is personally engaged rather than professionally. This story is good, but not one of the great ones of the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: I missed Eve and Roarke in this book. They are both there, but their interaction is less than the best of the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DEVOTED IN DEATH Is the 41st book in the In Death series. The books have self-contained mysteries and thus can be read as standalones. The series, however, has continuing relationships between the characters. I believe these relationships are really the center of the series and thus it is better to read the series from the beginning (plus the first group of books are the absolute best).

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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.

Eve’s Personal Life More Interesting Than Mystery

FESTIVE IN DEATH is the latest entry in the long running In Death series. As usual, the story is divided between the personal life and growth of Eve Dallas, the New York murder cop, her husband Roarke and now her increasing number of friends and colleagues and the mystery of the book. This book’s personal focus is on the Christmas holiday. These books have a formula now and this book is right in the normal mold.

THE STORY: As Christmas approaches, Eve is learning to cope with her life as she has a more normal life having resolved most of her horrible childhood. As she says in this book, it never completely leaves her, but she can go forward. Over the past several years described in the preceding books, Eve has acquired a number of friends that she now has to shop for. She also has to deal with the annual Christmas party that Roarke hosts.

Eve is also investigating the murder of personal trainer Trey Ziegler who had a secret stash of cash and a whole lot of women who got his “personal” treatment. Eve dislikes the victim but dislikes the crime even more and aggressively looks for the murderer.

OPINION: For this book, I found the murder mystery pretty bland. I wasn’t particularly interested in the crime, the victims or the potential suspects. That being said, I really enjoyed the look into Eve’s mindset at this point. It is nice seeing her become more open as a person, being able to express caring for others more openly. She has matured quite a bit over the last several books and it is nice seeing her construct a happy life for herself. This book felt more like a reward for longtime readers as Eve touches base with various people in her life.

WORTH MENTIONING: My favorite part of the book — “pink magic coat”.

FINAL DECISION: This book has its moments that I really enjoyed. The murder was not particularly compelling but I am enjoying seeing Eve begin to adjust to a life with friends and family. There is a sense of relaxing into her life and the reaching of the promise that Eve having other people to care about makes her a better cop. The best part of this book is Eve’s personal life.

CONNECTED BOOKS: FESTIVE IN DEATH is the 39th In Death book. Because the personal parts of this book are better than the mystery, I recommend this for fans of the series. There are better In Death books for new readers.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

A More Settled, Happier Eve

CONCEALED IN DEATH is the 38th novel in J.D. Robb’s series following the cases of Eve Dallas, a lieutenant in New York in the near future. The novel begins for the first time from her husband Roarke’s point of view. While in the process of beginning a tear down of the interior of an old building, two bodies wrapped in plastic are discovered. Soon twelve skeletons of young teenage girls are discovered. Eve and friends are soon engaged in discovering what happened to end these young lives. The investigation brings Eve into the world of street kids that touches some of her past, Roarke’s and especially her friend Mavis’s.

I enjoyed this book. For me the last few books have been uneven. Since NEW YORK TO DALLAS, there hasn’t been a book that has really gripped me. This one doesn’t rise to the levels of earlier books in the series. Since the resolution of Eve’s past, much of the series angst and tension has dissipated. Eve feels more happy, more settled and more reconciled rob her past and her present.

The focus here is on the victims. As Robb does with most of the books in the In Death series, the theme of the crime is mirrored with our crew of regular characters. That works better here than in the last few books. Eve, Roarke and Mavis all recognize a kinship with the victims but the recognition is softer than some of the earlier books. Because the crimes are old, this has more of a cold case feel. The pave is slower, allowing for more contemplation about the connections and circumstances.

A longtime reader of the series will find plenty of references and continuity to revel in. We also have the chance to meet a new character, Dr. Garnet DeWinter, a forensic anthropologist, who seems destined to become a recurring character.

I would rate this book in the middle of the series. Not one of the best, but better than the last few.

I recommend it.

Just a Great Book

“She didn’t hurry as she walked to him. Something told her he was a man too used to people — woman certainly — rushing toward him. So she took her time, her long, slow strides flapping her borrowed coat against her chilly legs.”

THE STORY: Lieutenant Eve Dallas is a detective in New York in the mid-21st century. When the granddaughter of a powerful Senator is killed, Eve begins an investigation that takes her from the political powers in Washington and New York and the business powers where she meets the mysterious billionaire Rourke. Determined to solve the crime and prevent more death, Eve finds herself attracted to Rourke — who might be the man she is searching for — the murderer.

OPINION: NAKED IN DEATH is one of my favorite books and is the book that I recommend to anyone looking for a good read. Intense, fun, romantic, surprising, this book has it all.

Eve Dallas is one of the most well-rounded and interesting characters. She is powerful, smart and strong. She is well respected in her job and doesn’t need rescue of anyone. She has a quick mind that the reader will want to follow as she uncovers the truth about the crimes she is investigating. At the same time, she is vulnerable and as readers learn more about her, her success only becomes more amazing.

Rourke is mysterious and appropriately, readers know as much about him as Eve does. Sexy and dangerous, the question is raised whether this will be the man who ends up being the perpetrator of the horrific crimes that Eve is investigating. Eve’s attraction to Rourke is both understandable and also possibly deadly. I am a fan of stories where the romantic involvement is questionable and might be dangerous to the hero/heroine.

A bevy of intriguing secondary characters are set out here. Those characters will make reappearances in future books. Those characters will be fleshed out and the lives further revealed so readers can feel good about liking them.

The pacing of the book builds tension as secrets are slowly revealed. I truly recommend not reading spoilers on this book — not only because it ruins the mystery of the plot, but also because the character reveals are part of the character development. This is not merely a mystery, but the story always serves the purpose of character development. The close connection between story and character is one of the strengths of not only NAKED IN DEATH but the entire In Death series.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

WORTH MENTIONING: Content disclosure: This book and series deal in depth and seriously with rape and incest so those who are sensitive to those issues should consider themselves forewarned.

FINAL DECISION: Fabulous book that crosses genres. Near time sci-fi mystery with a strong romance, NAKED IN DEATH demonstrates some of the best of all these by having great writing, emotional connections with and between characters, and an interesting and engaging plot. This is THE book that I give to friends who want a book recommendation.

CONNECTED BOOKS: NAKED IN DEATH is the first book in the In Death series. The series follows Eve Dallas and the cases she investigates.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.