Book Review: Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb

Desperation in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 55)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (September 6, 2022)

Description: The #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a gripping new thriller that pits homicide detective Eve Dallas against a conspiracy of exploitation and evil...

New York, 2061: The place called the Pleasure Academy is a living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed. Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway who’d been imprisoned there, might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who’d hatched the escape plan. Mina was the more daring of the two―but they’d been equally desperate.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get away fast enough. Now Dorian is injured, terrified, and wandering the streets of New York, and Mina lies dead near the waterfront while Lt. Eve Dallas looks over the scene.

Mina’s expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas that she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking―and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits. Her billionaire husband, Roarke, may be able to help, considering his ties to the city’s ultra-rich. But Roarke is also worried about the effect this case is having on Dallas, as it brings a rage to the surface she can barely control. No matter what, she must keep her head clear--because above all, she is desperate for justice and to take down those who prey on and torment the innocent.

My Thoughts: When Dallas is called in because the body of a thirteen-year-old is found impaled with a splintered stake, Eve has questions. Some things just don't add up. Why was the beautifully groomed child left in the park? Why does the blood on her clothes lead to another thirteen-year-old who's missing?

As Eve searches for the missing child and begins to discover facts that lead her to believe that someone is kidnapping and grooming children for the sex trade. Naturally, this brings back horrible memories from Eve's own childhood. But she has Mira and Roarke to support her as she investigates.

This was very much a police procedural as Eve and her team, with Roarke's techy help, gradually find information and put it together getting closer and closer to the villains. Woven in among all the police procedural elements are the strong emotions that Eve goes through as she sees so many parallels with her own past.

This was an excellent, fast-paced story filled with great characters. 

Favorite Quote:

She knew the expression was "finding a needle in a haystack," but that was bogus. Who the hell would put a needed in a haystack? Plus, she wasn't exactly sure what a haystack was, exactly.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

When they made the bargain, they knew they risked death. But living - if you could call existing in the Pleasure Academy living - wasn't much of a bargain.

Friday 56:

Desperate to ignore it, she jerked a thumb at the AC. "Want coffee?"

Suspicion flickered into his cop's eyes, but he stepped over to program some. When you got a shot at Dallas's coffee, you took it.

This week I'm spotlighting Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb. This was a "drop everything and read" title. I started it as soon as it downloaded to my Kindle on release day. 

Here is the description from Amazon:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a gripping new thriller that pits homicide detective Eve Dallas against a conspiracy of exploitation and evil…

New York, 2061: The place called the Pleasure Academy is a living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed. Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway who’d been imprisoned there, might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who’d hatched the escape plan. Mina was the more daring of the two—but they’d been equally desperate.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get away fast enough. Now Dorian is injured, terrified, and wandering the streets of New York, and Mina lies dead near the waterfront while Lt. Eve Dallas looks over the scene.

Mina’s expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas that she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking—and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits. Her billionaire husband, Roarke, may be able to help, considering his ties to the city’s ultra-rich. But Roarke is also worried about the effect this case is having on Dallas, as it brings a rage to the surface she can barely control. No matter what, she must keep her head clear--because above all, she is desperate for justice and to take down those who prey on and torment the innocent.

Book Review: The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro

The Jigsaw Assassin
Author: Catherine Asaro
Series: Major Bhaajan (Book 4)
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (July 5, 2022)

Description: Selei City is the capital of the Imerialte and one of the most desired locales in all of the Skolian Empire. But its thin veneer of civilization is cracked when a series of brutal crimes implicates those in political power in a vast conspiracy. Three prominent scientists have lost their lives to a serial killer—and notes at the scenes of the crimes lead to a connection to the Royalist political party.

Major Bhaajan, former military officer turned private detective, is called back to Selei City to solve the crime. Bhaaj and her crew of Undercity Dust Knights plunge into the Byzantine world of Imperial politics—a jigsaw world where none of the pieces seem to fit. As the assassination plot becomes more and more convoluted, Bhaaj is kidnapped, threatened with death, and must fight for her life against the growing number of people threatened by her investigation. Bhaaj has faced all this and more, but now she must deal with something far deadlier—interstellar politics.

My Thoughts: Major Bhaajan is called to Selei City to investigate three very mysterious murders. There are no clues, and there seems to be no reason these people would be targeted. The case becomes political really fast...and Bhaaj hates politics.

With five major political parties, fingers are pointed at each and tensions between them threaten the stability of the government. Bhaaj calls in two of her Undercity Dust Knights to help her with her very complex case. 

Bhaaj herself was born in the Undercity and used her intelligence and determination to find her way out via the military. When she left the military, she became a private eye who works for the very powerful Majda family. But Bhaaj has never forgotten her Undercity roots and is determined to help her people improve their lives. 

The story is filled with action as Bhaaj survives a bombing and is kidnapped. But the strength of the story is the great worldbuilding which includes Evolving Intelligences who assist people and other unusual technologies. Bhaaj has all sorts of body mods that give her abilities that helped her as a soldier and still help her as a private investigator. 

I really enjoyed this story.

Favorite Quote:

I swam to consciousness like a sea dragon in an ocean of molasses. Or something. My thoughts, never poetic, were even more blunted today.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

My supposedly nefarious self couldn't get into the city.

Friday 56:

I plunged on, branches whipping past my shoulders. This was so different from the City of Cries, where you couldn't even walk on a lawn without a drone accosting you, informing you of whatever city ordinances you'd broken while giving you a ticket. 

This week I'm spotlighting a recent arrival on my TBR mountain - The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro. This is the fourth book in a futuristic mystery series. Here is the description from Amazon: 

Selei City is the capital of the Imerialte and one of the most desired locales in all of the Skolian Empire. But its thin veneer of civilization is cracked when a series of brutal crimes implicates those in political power in a vast conspiracy. Three prominent scientists have lost their lives to a serial killer—and notes at the scenes of the crimes lead to a connection to the Royalist political party.

Major Bhaajan, former military officer turned private detective, is called back to Selei City to solve the crime. Bhaaj and her crew of Undercity Dust Knights plunge into the Byzantine world of Imperial politics—a jigsaw world where none of the pieces seem to fit. As the assassination plot becomes more and more convoluted, Bhaaj is kidnapped, threatened with death, and must fight for her life against the growing number of people threatened by her investigation. Bhaaj has faced all this and more, but now she must deal with something far deadlier—interstellar politics.

Book Review: Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb

Brotherhood in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 42)
Publication: Berkley (February 2, 2016)

Description: In this thrilling novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy when she investigates the disappearance of a former U.S. Senator.

Just as Dennis Mira is about to confront his cousin Edward about selling the West Village brownstone that belonged to their grandfather, he gets a shock: Edward is in front of him, bruised and bloody...and then everything goes black.

When Dennis comes to, Edward is gone. Luckily Dennis’s wife is a top profiler for the NYPSD—and a close colleague of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Now Eve is determined to uncover the secrets of Edward Mira and learn what enemies he may have made in his long career as a lawyer, judge, and senator. A badge and a billionaire husband can get you access to places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate...and a new case that no one saw coming.

My Thoughts: This is the 42nd In Death book but, in the internal chronology, only about three years have passed since Eve and Roarke first met. Eve (and Roarke) have made massive changes since the first book. Because Eve is the viewpoint character, we see her changes more closely. In this episode, Eve is called in when her friend Dr. Mira's husband is struck from behind in a house he inherited from his grandparents. He had come there to, very reluctantly, confront his cousin who inherited half the house and was determined to sell it despite the promises they made to their grandfather to keep it in the family.

Dennis Mira's cousin Edward is missing. This doesn't seem like Eve's kind of case since she is a murder cop but Dr. Mira is a friend and Eve has quite a crush on Dennis Mira who is a thoroughly nice man. When investigating Edward, she quickly learns how different he was from his cousin. They are quickly led to a number of women that Edward, very much married, had seduced in just the past year which leads Eve to think about marriage and fidelity. She knows she would not look the other way if Roarke chose to stray.

The case quickly turns to murder when Edward is found hanging from the chandelier in the foyer of his grandparents' house. He was beaten and tortured before his death. Because of the nature of the torture, focus turns to the crime being a result of some sexual relationship gone wrong which helps Eve's focus. 

I will say that the identities of the murderers were known pretty early in the story and the focus shifted on finding them before they could kill their next target. What made this story particularly interesting to me was that Eve had much more sympathy for the murderers than she had for the victims. However, her job was to stand for the victims no matter how unlikable or how unpleasant they were while they were alive. Also, the nature of the crimes committed by these men brought back memories of her own abused childhood. It was good to see the support network that she has built over the past three years. There's Roarke, of course, but there is also Dr. Mira and her partner Peabody who know her story. 

The nature of the case provides unique stress to Eve but so does Roarke's plan to redo her home office. He had created a duplicate of the apartment she lived in before they met and now he feels that it is time for a change. Eve was caught by surprise by the idea and it takes a while before she figures out why. This creates some tension between Eve and Roarke for a time. 

I loved this story and this opportunity to catch up on the lives of characters who are so real to me that I wouldn't be at all surprised to meet them on the street some day.

Favorite Quote:

"Could I what?"

"Forgive that. I mean, it's never going to happen, but hypothetically if, say, Roarke and I lost our minds for one wild night and had hot. crazed sex involving many multiple orgasms, then came to our senses and begged your forgiveness. Owned it, you know? Could you forgive us?"

Eve drove in silence a moment. "Well, it would be hard. It would be work, but marriage is work. So's partnership. I think I could. It would take time and that work, but I think I could forgive both of you. After I boiled you in big vats to make it easier to peel the skin, very slowly and carefully, off your bones while I danced to the music of your agonized screams. Then I made you watch while I fashioned people suits out of your skin for a couple of sparring droids I would then beat into rubble that I'd bury along with your quivering, skinless bodies in unmarked graves. After that," Eve said with a considering nod, "I think I could forgive you."

I bought this one in 2016 and read it right away. I chose to reread it now because I saw that Nora Roberts' publicist was pulling quotes from this one on their Facebook page. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Loyalty to the dead had him traveling to SoHo in icy rain rather than heading home. At home he could have put up his feet -- tired today, he admitted. He'd have enjoyed a cozy fire, a good book, and a small glass of whiskey while waiting for his wife to get home.

Friday 56:

"I'll be stripping off the uniform as soon as the ceremony's over."

"I really hate to miss that."

This week I am spotlighting a reread. Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb is the 42nd in the In Death series starring Eve Dallas and Roarke. It was published, and I read it first, in 2016. I chose to read this one again because a Facebook group was discussing it and posting intriguing quotes. It made me want to read the story again.

Here is the description from Amazon:

In this thrilling novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy when she investigates the disappearance of a former U.S. Senator.
 
Just as Dennis Mira is about to confront his cousin Edward about selling the West Village brownstone that belonged to their grandfather, he gets a shock: Edward is in front of him, bruised and bloody...and then everything goes black.
 
When Dennis comes to, Edward is gone. Luckily Dennis’s wife is a top profiler for the NYPSD—and a close colleague of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Now Eve is determined to uncover the secrets of Edward Mira and learn what enemies he may have made in his long career as a lawyer, judge, and senator. A badge and a billionaire husband can get you access to places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate...and a new case that no one saw coming.

Book Review: Naked in Death by J. D. Robb

Naked in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (July 1, 1995)

Description: In the year 2058, technology completely rules the world. But for New York City Detective Eve Dallas, one irresistible impulse still rules the heart: passion…

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all—and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire—and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about—except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

My Thoughts: This story begins with Eve - Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD - dealing with the aftermath of a case when she killed an addict just after the addict has sliced up and murdered a three-year-old child. Before she can go into Testing, she's called in for a Code Five case.

Licensed Companion Sharon DeBlass has been murdered with an illegal firearm. This is a political hot potato because her grandfather is Senator DeBlass. The Senator is a strong right-wing conservative against legal prostitution, the gun ban, professional mothers and all sorts of other realities in the United States in 2058. He also has a great deal of influence with her superiors in the NYPSD. 

As Eve begins to investigate, with the help of her former partner Ryan Feeney, she learns that one of the last people to see Sharon was Roarke. Roarke is a mysterious billionaire with no first name and no past that anyone can find. She certainly doesn't expect to be powerfully attracted to the mysterious Roarke. And he wasn't looking for her either. 

When Sharon's death is only the first with two more following - also licensed companions but not having anything else in common - Eve along with an assist by Roarke has to find out why someone wanted them all dead and stop him before he kills again. 

I liked the way the worldbuilding was woven into the story without long info-dumps. I liked the way the characters were introduced with just enough information to begin to get to know them. I loved the beginning of the romance between Eve and Roarke who were remarkably alike despite outward appearances. 

Favorite Quote:

God, what a face, he thought. All those angles and expressions, all that emotion and control. Just now she was fighting off showing both surprise and pleasure as the taste of the wine settled on her tongue. He was looking forward to the moment when the taste of her settled on his.

I bought this one in 1995 and read it the first time then. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Naked in Death by J. D. Robb

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

She woke in the dark. Through the slats on the window shades, the first murky hint of dawn slipped, slanting shadowy bars over the bed. It was like waking in a cell.

Friday 56:

Eve treated herself to one precious cup the next morning. Even her temperamental AutoChef hadn't been able to spoil the dark, rich flavor. She drove to the station, with her faulty heater, under sleeting skies, in a wind chill that came in just under five degrees, with a smile on her face.

This week I am circling back to a book I first read in 1995. Naked in Death by J. D. Robb is the first of (currently) 56 books in the In Death series. While I have kept up with the series and, in fact, eagerly anticipated each new one, it has been quite a while since I read the first book. I found that it held up very well for me and made me want to read more.

Here is the description from Amazon:

In the year 2058, technology completely rules the world. But for New York City Detective Eve Dallas, one irresistible impulse still rules the heart: passion…

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all—and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire—and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about—except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

Book Review: Abandoned in Death by J. D. Robb

Abandoned in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 54)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (February 8, 2022)

Description: Homicide detective Eve Dallas must untangle a twisted family history while a hostage’s life hangs in the balance—in Abandoned in Death by New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb.

The woman’s body was found in the early morning, on a bench in a New York City playground. She was clean, her hair neatly arranged, her makeup carefully applied. But other things were very wrong—like the tattoo and piercings, clearly new. The clothes, decades out of date. The fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon around her neck. And the note: Bad Mommy, written in crayon as if by a child.

Eve Dallas turns to the department’s top profiler, who confirms what seems obvious to Eve: They’re dealing with a killer whose childhood involved some sort of trauma—a situation Eve is all too familiar with herself. Yet the clues suggest a perpetrator who’d be roughly sixty years old, and there are no records of old crimes with a similar MO. What was the trigger that apparently reopened such an old wound and sent someone over the edge?

When Eve discovers that other young women—who physically resemble the first victim—have vanished, the clock starts ticking louder. But to solve this case she will need to find her way into a hidden place of dim light and concrete, into the distant past, and into the cold depths of a shattered mind.

My Thoughts: This episode of the Eve Dallas In Death series pits Eve against a person who is kidnapping young women, murdering them and leaving them posed with a sign saying BAD MOMMY. The rush is on to identify and track down the killer before victim number three is found dead.

The flashbacks outline the motives of the killer and the switch to victim number three's viewpoint shows what she is dealing with. 

This episode is definitely a police procedural with the investigating and gradually discovering information about the killer. It still leaves plenty of time for Eve and Roarke moments. Eve is in fine form with her misuse of idioms and snarky attitudes. It also illuminates the fact that both Eve and Roarke survived BAD MOMMYs without turning into psychopaths.

I loved Eve's interactions with her friends in this episode. She has built herself quite a support network since this series began fifty-four episodes ago. 

The mystery was engaging and twisty and kept me reading long past my bedtime. 

Favorite Quote:

"Anyway, congratulations on the grandchild thing."

The ice melted into a kind of dreamy mist. "Thank you." She lifted a framed photo from her desk. "Isn't she gorgeous?"

Eve saw what appeared to be the result of a strange mating of a trout and a very angry, possibly constipated old man. She said, "Wow."

I bought this one on publication day. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Forgotten in Death by J. D. Robb

Forgotten in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 53)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (September 7, 2021)

Description: In the latest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas sifts through the wreckage of the past to find a killer.

The body was left in a dumpster like so much trash, the victim a woman of no fixed address, known for offering paper flowers in return for spare change—and for keeping the cops informed of any infractions she witnessed on the street. But the notebook where she scribbled her intel on litterers and other such offenders is nowhere to be found.

Then Eve is summoned away to a nearby building site to view more remains—in this case decades old, adorned with gold jewelry and fine clothing—unearthed by recent construction work. She isn’t happy when she realizes that the scene of the crime belongs to her husband, Roarke—not that it should surprise her, since the Irish billionaire owns a good chunk of New York. Now Eve must enter a complex world of real estate development, family history, shady deals, and shocking secrets to find justice for two women whose lives were thrown away…

My Thoughts: Eve is called to the scene of the murder of a homeless woman knows to the cops of the area as a woman who offered paper flowers to people in return for some spare change. She was also known to write down infractions - rule breaking - and bring them to the attention of the police. 

As Eve investigates the woman's death - Alva Quirk by name - she is called to another scene. Bones of a woman and fetus were found in the demolition of a building site that Roarke's company is rehabbing. Since Dr. DeWinter - forensic anthropologist - has to do her magic to identify that woman, Eve is concentrating on Alva.

She brings in Roarke to help identify her since her ID is bogus. Medical examination indicates that she had likely suffered abuse in her younger years which causes a resonance with Eve's own past. While identifying who murdered her now, Eve is also determined to find and bring down the person who abused her in the past. 

Both sites where bodies were found belong to, or belonged to, the Singer family who had a connection with a Russian mobster that went back decades. As Eve looks into the Singer's business dealings, she gets much closer to solving both crimes.

I enjoyed this episode in the long-running In Death series even though it lacked some of the banter between Eve and Peabody and Eve and Roarke that were hallmarks of earlier books. It was still an engaging and intense episode.

Favorite Quote:

Rolling, she reversed their positions, then just turned her cheek to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, feel it.

It soothed and calmed and helped her believe everything could be all right. At least here. At least now.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb

Faithless in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 52)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (February 9, 2021)

Description: In the new Eve Dallas police thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb, what looked like a lover’s quarrel turned fatal has larger—and more terrifying—motives behind it…

The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wineglasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don’t add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body—but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?

As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within—and soon they’re getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.

My Thoughts: Eve's next case starts out simple. What looks like a lover's quarrel leaving a young female sculptor dead in her studio quickly becomes a much deeper and darker case. First of all, why did Gwen Huffman wait more than an hour before calling in the discovery of the crime? And why did she call her lawyer-fiancé before she called the cops?

Gwen's lies and inconsistencies quickly alert Eve and Peabody to the idea that something is being hidden but neither could have imagined the scope of her secrets. As they investigate Gwen and her background and contacts, they discover that she is part of a cult called Natural Order. It hates anyone who isn't straight, anyone who is mixed-race, and women generally. 

Founded by Stanton Wilkey who Roarke describes as "a charismatic lunatic", it has been growing in great secrecy for years. Eve's friend reporter Nadine Furst tried to investigate it when she was a young reporter with no success. All attempts to get the details, including the FBI's attempt to get an agent undercover, have been unsuccessful. But when Eve goes to interview Wilkey, she is surreptitiously passed a note which indicates things are even worse than everyone feared; a young woman is being held captive after being abducted and having her identity erased.

As Eve investigates possible killers of the young sculptor, she also discovers the members of the cult are imprisoning women and forcing them into marriages and motherhood. This triggers all sorts of reminders of her own childhood and deepens Eve's determination to destroy this cult and its members. Luckily, her contacts in the FBI and Interpol are also determined to do the same thing.

While this story deals with a deep and dark crime, there are still happy notes. Mavis and Leonardo have bought a house with the intent to grow their family. The house also has a sort of guesthouse/mother-in-law suite that they intend to rent to Peabody and McNab. Roarke found the house, which is a real fixer-upper, and is helping with the rehab. There are also the usual problems with idioms this time including "lo and behold," "a flash in the pan," and "irons in the fire" that added some humor to a story with lots of darkness.

Fans of the In Death series will enjoy this latest episode and be glad to spend time again with Eve, Roarke, and the family they have built around themselves. 

Favorite Quote:

She made her way downstairs and found Peabody walking her way.

"My charm's on high today." After a little hip wiggle, Peabody tried a hair toss.

"Never, never do that again."

"You're going to want to do the same when I tell you Dickhead already had the sheets done. Two separate DNAs from fluids, both female. One from the victim, one not in the system."

"Good, solid. But I don't do the wiggle and toss."

"'Cause you've got no hips and really short hair. But inside, you're wiggling and tossing."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Paperwork could kill.

Nothing, to Eve Dallas's mind, reached the same heights -- or depths -- as paperwork's terminal boredom.

And if the boredom didn't kill you, the frustration would.

Friday 56: 

"She wouldn't be the first to kill to maintain appearances."

This week I am spotlighting Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb. It is the 52nd in this futuristic mystery series. It is a real favorite of mine! Here is the description from Amazon:

In the new Eve Dallas police thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb, what looked like a lover’s quarrel turned fatal has larger—and more terrifying—motives behind it…

The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wineglasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don’t add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body—but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?

As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within—and soon they’re getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.

Book Review: Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb

Shadows in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 51)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (September 8, 2020)

Description: In the new novel in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series, Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband’s dangerous past…

While Eve examines a fresh body in Washington Square Park, her husband, Roarke, spots a man among the onlookers he’s known since his younger days on the streets of Dublin. A man who claims to be his half brother. A man who kills for a living—and who burns with hatred for him.

Eve is quick to suspect that the victim’s spouse—resentful over his wife’s affair and poised to inherit her fortune—would have happily paid an assassin to do his dirty work. Roarke is just as quick to warn her that if Lorcan Cobbe is the hitman, she needs to be careful. Law enforcement agencies worldwide have pursued this cold-hearted killer for years, to no avail. And his lazy smirk when he looked Roarke’s way indicates that he will target anyone who matters to Roarke…and is confident he’ll get away with it.

Eve is desperate to protect Roarke. Roarke is desperate to protect Eve. And together, they’re determined to find Cobbe before he finds them—even if it takes them across the Atlantic, far outside Eve’s usual jurisdiction…

My Thoughts: This mystery centers on an old enemy of Roarke's from his childhood in Dublin. It begins with the murder of a woman in a park. While Eve is investigating, Roarke spots an old enemy in the background. He knows that Lorcan Cobbe has become a paid assassin.

It doesn't take Eve long to prove that the woman's husband is guilty of hiring Cobbe to murder his wife so that he can get revenge for her daring to have an affair and so that he could inherit her substantial wealth. Eve's willing to make a deal on the sentence if the husband will turn over information on Cobbe.

The main thrust of the book is trying to track down Cobbe before he can get his revenge on Roarke by killing everyone he loves and then killing Roarke. Eve's detectives are quick to join in on the hunt because they consider Roarke to be one of their own. Also, Cobbe has a previous history of murder in New York which was never solved but which Commander Whitney and Captain Feeney worked. They both want to catch Cobbe and throw in their expertise too. 

I enjoyed all the details of the investigation to find Cobbe. I liked the strong relationship between Roarke and Eve and its contrast with the life of Cobbe. Cobbe was jealous of Roarke when they were kids and always claimed that Roarke's father was his father too and that he was the older son who should be his heir. That jealousy is leading him to make mistakes in the case Eve is investigating that will allow her to finally capture him.

I both read the Kindle version and listened to the audio version of this book. It is the first I've listened to. I thought the narrator sounded a little too old to be Eve and didn't think Roarke sounded Irish enough. Otherwise it was an engaging experience to listen to. 

Favorite Quote:

"Eve. For all my life before you, and had fate been so cruel as to deem I'd never meet you, I'd have nothing, just nothing that could compare even to this single moment."

"Where we're standing in your closet strapped with weapons?"

He laughed, cupped her face. "Yes."

"Let's go find this bastard, and make an even better moment."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

As it often did since he'd married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch in Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

Friday 56: 

"Name of wit?"

"Roarke."

That put a small hitch in Reo's purposeful stride. "That's complicating matters. How does Roarke know a paid killer?"

"He knew him when they were kids in Dublin."

"Friends? Associates?"

"Neither. You can say the opposite."

"Slightly less complicated."

This week I am spotlighting Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb. This is the 51st book in the In Death series. Here is the description from Amazon:

In the new novel in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series, Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband’s dangerous past…

While Eve examines a fresh body in Washington Square Park, her husband, Roarke, spots a man among the onlookers he’s known since his younger days on the streets of Dublin. A man who claims to be his half brother. A man who kills for a living—and who burns with hatred for him.

Eve is quick to suspect that the victim’s spouse—resentful over his wife’s affair and poised to inherit her fortune—would have happily paid an assassin to do his dirty work. Roarke is just as quick to warn her that if Lorcan Cobbe is the hitman, she needs to be careful. Law enforcement agencies worldwide have pursued this cold-hearted killer for years, to no avail. And his lazy smirk when he looked Roarke’s way indicates that he will target anyone who matters to Roarke…and is confident he’ll get away with it.

Eve is desperate to protect Roarke. Roarke is desperate to protect Eve. And together, they’re determined to find Cobbe before he finds them—even if it takes them across the Atlantic, far outside Eve’s usual jurisdiction…

ARC Review: Golden in Death by J. D. Robb

Golden in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 50)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (February 4, 2020)

Description: In the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates a murder with a mysterious motive―and a terrifying weapon.

Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body―and killed him.

After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team―and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed―it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. Not every victim Eve encounters is an angel, but it seems that Abner came pretty close―though he did ruffle some feathers over the years by taking stands for the weak and defenseless. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman―or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims.

My Thoughts: The 50th In Death mystery has Eve hunting for a killer who used a terrifying chemical weapon to kill a pediatrician. Dr. Kent Abner was a beloved doctor. He was also a beloved husband to Martin Rufty who is the Headmaster of an elite private school, two grown children and grandchildren too. No one can understand who would have done something so terrible to a man like Dr. Abner.

But then there is a second murder using the same chemical weapon. This time the victim is the wife of a Professor at Columbia. She works in her family bookstore but spends most of her time raising the couple's two teenage sons. Again, there doesn't seem to be any reason that she would have angered anyone enough to be the target of such a brutal attack.

Eve and her partner Peabody find a connection when they begin digging deeply to see what the two victims have in common. They discover that both of the husbands were or are associated with the same private school at a time when the school was going through turmoil - bullying, cheating, inflated grades for students who parents were substantial donors. Duran was a whistle blower and Rufty was brought in to right the ship.

The investigation digs deep into that time of turmoil to look for people who could be holding a grudge that only murder will satisfy. I enjoyed the police procedural aspects of this mystery. I also enjoy the relationship between Eve and Roarke who prove that even horrible childhoods can lead to successful adults and that the past doesn't determine future possibilities.

Favorite Quote:

It's never just the dead, Eve thought as they got back in the car. Death--but most especially murder--ripped so many lives to shreds. And no matter how they were put back together, they were never, never the same.

For some killers, she thought, that miserable truth was a kind of bonus point. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Golden in Death by J. D. Robb

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Dr. Kent Abner began the day of his death comfortable and content.

Friday 56:

He drank. "Added to it, the priceless lesson she taught me. Marriage is for fools. Why legalize and complicate what you can simply enjoy?"

This week I am spotlighting Golden in Death by J. D. Robb. This is the fiftieth book in the series. Here is the description from Amazon:

In the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates a murder with a mysterious motive―and a terrifying weapon.

Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body―and killed him.

After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team―and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed―it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. Not every victim Eve encounters is an angel, but it seems that Abner came pretty close―though he did ruffle some feathers over the years by taking stands for the weak and defenseless. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman―or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims.

ARC Review: Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb

Vendetta in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 49)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (September 3, 2019)

Description: Lieutenant Eve Dallas must keep the predator from becoming the prey in Vendetta in Death, the newest thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb.

She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims―but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…

My Thoughts: In this 49th in the In Death series, Eve pits her wits against a murderer who tortures, mutilates and murders men and who calls herself Lady Justice.

The first victim is Nigel McEnroy who is a wealthy businessman with a genius for matching the right person to the right job. He is also a serial rapist who has a thing for redheads and the habit of drugging them and then videotaping the sexual encounters. As she and Peabody look into his life, they find a couple of women who worked for him and took settlements to keep them from reporting him. When talking to the women, they find their way to a support group called Women for Women.

They also run afoul of Mrs. McEnroy who refuses to believe that her husband did the things that Eve and Peabody have ample evidence to prove. She vows to go all the way to the Mayor with complaints and she does. Fortunately, Eve's superiors know who they can believe.

The second victim is Thaddeus Pettigrew. He cheated on his wife, divorced her, cheated her out of the company she was the brains behind, and chose to live with the woman who helped him cheat. Darla Pettigrew is the granddaughter of famous actress Eloise Callahan. She lives with her Grand who is getting over a rather serious illness. Darla has also attended the support group.

The third victim is a man who raped and beat his wife and who didn't pay attention to the restraining order she took out on him. She is also an attendee at the same support group.

With Lady Justice picking a new victim every day, Eve and her team are under time pressure to discover and stop the murderer. We, along with Eve, learn who the murderer is by about the mid-point of the book. However, Eve doesn't have any evidence that supports her instincts and that would generate a search warrant.

I love this series. The relationship between Roarke and Eve is my favorite of all the romantic relationships I've read. Their banter and Eve's banter with her partner Peabody is always entertaining and humorous. I like that Eve is learning to deal with the many traumas of her childhood through the love of her husband and friends.

Favorite Quote:

"We joke about what each would do if the other strayed - and I admit you usually outdo me in creativity there. But the fact is we never would. It's not only love that keeps us faithful. It's respect, for each other, for ourselves. That's a bond that holds."

"I know it. Still, I cn be even more creative if you ever tested it."

"And I know that."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Connections in Death by J. D. Robb

Connections in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 48)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (February 5, 2019)

Description: In this gritty and gripping new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Eve Dallas fights to save the innocent―and serve justice to the guilty―on the streets of New York.

Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…

My Thoughts: The story begins with Eve and Roarke going to a fancy cocktail party at Nadine's new home. It is interesting to see Eve realizing how many people are now a part of her life. And it is rather dismaying for Eve too.

Eve meets Rochelle Pickering. She's a child psychologist who is dating Crack who is one of Eve's friends from even before she met Roarke. Roarke is planning to hire her to be the head therapist an An Didean - a residential project to help young girls. Naturally being Eve, she takes an opportunity to check her out for any criminal past.

The next thing she knows, Crack is calling her because they have found Rochelle's younger brother dead of an apparent overdose when they return home. Rochelle doesn't believe that Lyle killed himself. He did have a troubled past with gang involvement and drug use but prison and rehabilitation worked for him. He's clean, he's working, he's happy and rebuilding trust with his family.

It doesn't take more than a brief look for Eve to realize that Lyle was murdered instead of falling off the wagon and overdosing. Her investigation takes her deep into the Bangers - Lyle's former gang - where she uncovers much more than the usual gang violence. There is dissension in the ranks, a corrupt disbarred lawyer, and plots and betrayals. There are also a whole bunch of stupid members of the gang.

While the case is pretty easily solved and lots of gang members are taken off the street, Eve is generally sad. She begins to think that the system that is her moral center has failed. It takes Roarke's support and his own explanation for why he helps her solve her cases before Eve regains her balance.

This was filled with the usual snarky banter between Eve and Peabody. It also explores more of Eve's unique viewpoint regarding social things and her usual mangling of idioms. Her relationship with Roarke and her friends remains strong and gives her emotional support as she does a difficult job.

The series continues to be strong even in this 48th episode.

Favorite Quote:

"We should do a girls' night," Peabody said. "Go to a club and -- no, a piano bar! Classy. We could all have fancy drinks, and --"

"Consider this conversation the closest you'll ever get me to a piano bar with a bunch of women drunk on fancy drinks. Who's on the mother?"

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Connections in Death by J. D. Robb

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

The legalized torture of socializing lined right up with premeditated murder when you added the requirement of fancy shoes.

That was Lieutenant Eve Dallas's stand on it, and she should know. She was a murder cop in fancy shoes about to socialize.

Friday 56:

She let out a puff of air. "If I'd known there was trouble for him, I'd've called the police. The man I had the bad sense to hook up with when I was younger than that boy in there had some run-ins with the police, and they weren't much good to me back then, either. But I'd have called you in to help Lyle and his sister."

This week I am spotlighting the latest in the In Death series by J. D. Robb - Connections in Death. Here is the description from Amazon:

In this gritty and gripping new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Eve Dallas fights to save the innocent―and serve justice to the guilty―on the streets of New York.

Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…

Book Review: Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb

Echoes in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 44)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (February 7, 2017)

Description: Echoes in Death, the chilling new suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb is the perfect entry point into the compelling In Death police procedural series featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

As NY Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke are driving home, a young woman―dazed, naked, and bloody―suddenly stumbles out in front of their car. Roarke slams on the brakes and Eve springs into action.

Daphne Strazza is rushed to the ER, but it’s too late for her husband Dr. Anthony Strazza. A brilliant orthopedic surgeon, he now lies dead amid the wreckage of his obsessively organized town house, his three safes opened and emptied. Daphne would be a valuable witness, but in her terror and shock the only description of the perp she can offer is repeatedly calling him “the devil”...

While it emerges that Dr. Strazza was cold, controlling, and widely disliked, this is one case where the evidence doesn’t point to the spouse. So Eve and her team must get started on the legwork, interviewing everyone from dinner-party guests to professional colleagues to caterers, in a desperate race to answer some crucial questions:

What does the devil look like? And where will he show up next?

My Thoughts: Coming home with Roarke after an evening being his wife complete with the fancy dress and killer shoes, Eve Dallas finds herself in a new murder investigation when a naked, disoriented woman stumbles out in front of their car. They rush her to the hospital and then Eve and Roarke go back to see where she came from. There they discover her dead husband.

Daphne Strazza is convinced that she and her husband were attacked by the devil. Her husband was assaulted and she was assaulted and raped. Eve gets vibes that all wasn't right in the Strazza marriage as she interviews Daphne and has flashbacks to her own childhood when she was assaulted and raped by her own father. She has to put her memories aside to find out who assaulted the Strazza's and killed Dr. Anthony Strazza.

Her investigation leads to two other cases that were eerily similar. Eve and her team including Peabody and McNab are in a rush to find the criminal before he strikes again since he seems to be escalating the violence each time he attacks.

This was an excellent police procedural as we follow the many threads of the investigation. It was also a wonderful romance as we see the relationship Eve and Roarke have built for themselves. I enjoy the mysteries in these stories but I think I like seeing Eve and Roarke's relationship best of all. I can't wait for their next adventure.

Favorite Quote:

"Goes without saying. I'll be home as soon as I can."

"I'll be there," he said, and kissed her.

And that, she thought as he left her, summed up the miracle of her life. She had a home with him, and he'd be there.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.