Review: Treachery in Death by J. D. Robb

Treachery in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Publication: Putnam Adult (February 22, 2011)


Description: Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master. 

But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret.



My Thoughts: This was a bit of a change of pace for the series. Eve wasn't looking for a killer this time. She was dealing with dirty cops. Peabody overhears something that leads to a massive investigation. Lt. Renee Oberman is the daughter of a decorated and well-respected police officer. She has had all the advantages that Eve missed during her messed up childhood. But Lt. Oberman has decided to go wrong and take most of her squad with her. The contrast between her and Eve forms the heart of this book.


We see Eve reacting to the anger she feels when a cop goes bad and we see her interacting with her colleagues so that we can see how good cops act. This one didn't dig up any more of her or Roarke's past but gave us a clear picture of her ethics and values. The Eve-Roarke moments showed a deepening relationship and showed that they both are learning to compromise and to argue without damaging the relationship.


There wasn't a lot of Eve's personal life in this one. The one moment of lightness came when Mavis left Bella with Eve while she took a quick break. It was funny to see Eve interact with a toddler as though she were a valued adult  with opinions of her own. She does seem to be getting more comfortable with the baby. Most of the story concerned the investigation of the dirty cops and the planning needed to expose them and not leave them any loopholes for potential plea bargains or deals. 


This was an excellent addition to the In Death series. I look forward to the next one.


Favorite Quote:

She sucked in a breath. "You're still mad at me."

"I am, and you're still mad at me. But we both understand there are more important things just at the moment."

They could count on each other for that, she thought. Count on each other to hold the line when it needed to be held. "So, truce."