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

Treachery in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Erickson
Series: In Death (Book 32)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (February 22, 2011)
Length: 13 hours and 38 minutes

Description: In a New York City fifty years in the future, Detective Eve Dallas tracks down those who break the law - including the ones sworn to uphold it.

Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a brutal, senseless crime - an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. And for the first time, Peabody is primary detective on the case, which means she has to get used to a new level of authority and responsibility. Good thing she learned the ropes from a master like Eve.

But after rounding up the perps, Peabody stumbles upon a much trickier situation. Determined to start working out as hard as she grills suspects, she chooses to do it at the old, rarely-used gym at Central. After a grueling workout, she squeezes into one of the narrow shower stalls, happy to have the place to herself. Just after she shuts the water off, the gym door clatters open - and while she cringes inside the stall, trying not to make a sound, Peabody overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. References are made to delivering product, and a house in the islands, and someone named Keener who’s supposed to look like an OD. It doesn’t take long for a naked and vulnerable Peabody to realize that both officers are crooked - guilty not just of corruption but of murder as well. Fortunately, the two clear out of the locker room without realizing there was a witness.

Eve Dallas may have trained Peabody well - but this is too dangerous for one person to take on alone. Now Peabody, Eve, and her husband, Roarke, must try to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down - knowing all the while that the two have already killed to keep their secret, and are no doubt willing to do it again.

My Thoughts: This is the 32nd book in the In Death series. It begins as a simple police procedural. Eve and Peabody are called to a Mom and Pop convenience store because three high patrons have murdered the elderly proprietor. Eve makes Peabody the Primary on the case, and it is quickly solved.

Afterwards, Peabody is working out in a seldom-used gym at Central because Eve has told her she needs to be lighter on her feet to chase down criminals. While showering, she overhears an angry conversation between two people that indicates that there is police corruption going on that has led to murder. 

Shaken, Peabody goes to Eve at home to tell her what she overheard. She is shaken and frightened since she knows she came within moments of being discovered and killed. Eve takes charge. First, they need to find the body of the murdered junkie and claim the case for Eve and Homicide. Then they need to find evidence to arrest the dirty Lieutenant of the Illegals Division. 

Since the Lieutenant is the only daughter of a legend in the Department, Eve has to keep her investigation quiet. Renee Oberman has managed to corrupt most of her department and has tentacles in many other departments. Eve calls in only people she knows she can trust. Feeney and McNab will handle the electronics. Lieutenant Webster will represent Internal Affairs. Mira and Commander Whitney have roles to play. And Roarke will be there to help with the electronics, find the hidden financial details, and support Eve in any possible way. Even Mavis and baby Bella have roles to play in this one. 

Besides the police procedural, this is a story about fathers and their children and what it means to have a leadership role. Eve and Roarke didn't hit the jackpot with their birth fathers but the men who mentored them more than filled the roles. Feeney for Eve and Sommerset for Roarke. There was a stark contrast between the way Eve runs Homicide and the respect she has from her detectives and officers and the way Oberman runs Illegals. 

This was an excellent story. It allowed Peabody to shine and included many favorite characters from earlier books in the series. I missed Nadine Furst's presence since she was only mentioned near the end but enjoyed the cameo from Mavis and Bella. 

I bought this audiobook December 1, 2023. I bought the book when it was released in 2011. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: On Her Watch by Melinda Leigh

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

The fairy tales in Jen's imagination leaned toward the dark, Grimm variety, but in the real world, the worst monsters looked like everyone else. 

Friday 56:

"You want to laugh."

"I'm sorry. I do." She pressed a knuckly to her mouth and cleared her throat. "I'll try to clean them."

"Hard pass I'll order a new pair," Matt said. Vomit had soaked the insoles and the leather interior. "They're old anyway. We need a closet with a door."

This week I'm spotlighting On Her Watch by Melinda Leigh. This is the third in the Bree Taggert series which is one of my favorite series. Here's the description from Amazon:

Sheriff Bree Taggert becomes a target when she follows the twisting trail of a serial killer in a bone-chilling novel of suspense by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

A pair of hikers find a tarp-wrapped body in a clearing in the woods. When a search in the surrounding area yields two more, Sheriff Bree Taggert knows they’ve stumbled onto a serial killer’s dumping ground.

With the help of investigator Matt Flynn, Bree works the case. They go to interview Jana, the best friend of one of the victims. But when they arrive at her apartment, it’s been ransacked and set on fire. And Jana is missing.

It’s clear the killer is escalating. To make matters worse, he threatens Bree’s family and a young mother vanishes. Will Bree and Matt uncover the link between the victims before more women die?

Book & Audio Review: The Target by Catherine Coulter

The Target
Author: Catherine Coulter
Narrator: Sharon Williams
Series: An FBI Thriller (Book 3)
Publication: Berkley (August 1, 1999); Brilliance Audio (July 17, 2008)
Length: 362 p.; 11 hours and 4 minutes

Description: FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock are faced with the case of an abducted child in this “absorbing” (Publishers Weekly) FBI Thriller.

Escaping unwanted media attention after a notorious incident, Ramsey Hunt retreats into the solitude of a cabin high in the Colorado Rockies. But his isolation is shattered when he rescues a small girl in the forest and strangers invade his private meadow with intent to kill.

Molly Santera, the little girl’s mother, catches up with Ramsey and her daughter, mistaking him for the kidnapper. When she discovers that he instead saved Emma, there’s little time for thanks. With the strangers in pursuit, the trio flee to Chicago for sanctuary.

With an unexpected assist from FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, Molly and Ramsey begin to unravel the clues, and in the process they make an astonishing discovery as to the true nature of the target.

My Thoughts: District Court Judge Ramsey Hunt has retreated to a cabin high in the Rockies to get away from the publicity and paparazzi who have haunted him since he took down killers in his courtroom when they attacked. Things are quiet until he finds an unconscious young girl in the woods near his cabin. She has been assaulted and raped and is mute. Ramsey is determined to protect her, which includes keeping her away from cops and reporters. Over the course of a few days, they bond and she begins to trust him.

But the bad guys are still on her trail. When they come pretending to be drunk, Ramsey defeats them, chases them off with gunshot wounds, and is shot in the thigh himself. While he is still recovering, they are found by the little girl's mother Molly Santera who first believes that Ramsey was the kidnapper.

The two adults are determined to protect young Emma even if it means taking her to Molly's crime lord father. But the attacks keep coming and Molly's ex-husband rock star Louey Santera is a victim when a car meant for Ramsey, Molly and Emma explodes.

The problem is that none of them know who is behind these attempts on Molly. Ramsey and Molly's father both have enough enemies to provide lots of possibilities. Ramsey asks his friend Dillon Savich for some help and she shows up with his new wife Sherlock.

The story had lots of twists and turns and was filled with action. I liked that Ramsey and Molly fell in love despite all the other things going on around them. Emma was a real sweetheart and I enjoyed reading about her. 

Sharon Williams did a great job with the voices and with the pacing of the story. 

Favorite Quote:

"Life is one day at a time and trying to enjoy each day we're given. You've got to discover the knack for doing that. Do you understand?"

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