US by David Nicholls

US by David Nicholls

 

Pages: 399

Date: October 22, 2015

Grade: 4

Details: Book Club Read

Library

The blurb:

'I was looking forward to us growing old together. Me and you, growing old and dying together.' 

'Douglas, who in their right mind would look forward to that?' 

Douglas Petersen understands his wife's need to 'rediscover herself' now that their son is leaving home.

He just thought they'd be doing their rediscovering together.

So when Connie announces that she will be leaving, too, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again.

The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed.

What could possibly go wrong?

My thoughts:

Years ago I read One Day by David Nicholls and I enjoyed the book, although it was, of course, the love story that wasn’t. And, this book continues that theme. Rather than a love story leading up to a twenty-five year relationship it is the unravelling of what, at first glance, appears to be a happy relationship after twenty-five years. Although, that’s not quite right either. Both the story of Douglas and Connie meeting and coming together and the story of the demise of their relationship are told, in alternating chapters, at the same time.

For me this set-up worked wonderfully well some of the time, and not at all at others. I think that the author meant for us to walk away from this story with a sense that sometimes ‘only’ love isn’t enough to sustain a relationship; that sometimes, no matter how well a couple live their lives together, it doesn’t suffice. And that would have been fine if I could have believed in Connie and Douglas as a couple. But, to be perfectly honest, almost from the start I found myself wondering how these two characters ended up together, never mind managed to stay together for twenty-five years. I’m all for opposites attract but Douglas and Connie appeared to have nothing in common and, for me at least, the wide distance between them was clear from the moment they met. Combine that with the fact that I never got the feeling either of them moved towards a middle ground where they might have been comfortable together, and I ended up feeling that Douglas should be grateful the relationship had lasted as long as it did rather than surprised is was ending.

Part of the problem for me was that the story is told in the first person, from Douglas’s perspective. And, to be fair, Douglas doesn’t try to paint himself as better than he is, quite the opposite in fact. As a result I found myself liking him less and less which meant I didn’t want his last ditch effort to save his marriage to succeed.

The book could have been shorter. I got a bit tired of the back story. I guess it was there to show how the relationship deteriorated while Douglas remained blind to the downwards spiral, but since I found the combination of him and Connie hard to believe from the moment they met, that part of the story didn’t feel really relevant to me. With about 100 pages still to go I just wanted the author to get on with it already and bring us to the, in my eyes, inevitable conclusion.

However, before you start wondering how on earth this book ended up with the grade it did, let me add that there was a lot I enjoyed about this book. The story takes the reader through a full range of emotions. I laughed out loud only pages before I’d feel sad. I would recognised a scene as if it had been taken from my own life before wanting to throw the book at the wall because the characters did something which to me was completely unimaginable. And throughout the book were little gems of insights, such as this one about the way a loved one looks:

“I’ve been expecting to watch you grow older ever since we met. Why should it trouble me? It’s the face itself that I love, not that face at twenty-eight or thirty-four or forty-three. It’s that face.”

And this one about grief:

“Grief is as much about regret for what you’ve never had as sadness for what you’ve lost.”

Overall this was an easy and comfortable read. For a book that depicts the demise of a relationship it was remarkably upbeat most of the time. And, what’s more, I look forward to discussing this book with my reading group. Because the book does pose a few interesting questions such as:

o   When is love not enough (any more)?

o   Can a relationship between two people who are polar opposites ever work?

o   If you were forced to blame either Connie or Douglas for the demise of their relationship, who would you pick and why.

CONNECTION by Brigham Vaughn: Excerpt and Review

CONNECTION by Brigham Vaughn

 

Pages: 189

Date: October 2015

Details: Equals Spin-off

             Received from author

Kindle

The blurb:

After a lifetime of being told he’s worthless, shy, sheltered Evan Harris is forced out of the closet and kicked out of his home.  Friends in Atlanta give him a place to stay while he gets on his feet, but despite his eagerness to explore the city, it isn’t exactly what he expected.

Physically and emotionally scarred from a devastating car accident, Jeremy Lewis struggles to reconcile the brash, outgoing man he used to be with the social recluse he’s become.

Loneliness draws them to each other, but a strong mutual attraction isn’t enough to overcome their pasts.  In order to be together, Evan must discover his own worth and Jeremy must trust someone to see past his scars.

Excerpt:

Thank you for having me here, Helena! 

This is a scene from fairly early on in the story, after Evan is kicked out of his house. By the time he arrives at Russ and Stephen’s place, he’s exhausted, overwhelmed, and a little terrified.

Enjoy!

***

“You made it,” Russ said with a relieved smile, as if he’d been worried about Evan. No one ever worried about Evan.

“I think so,” Evan croaked.

Russ laughed as if he’d said something funny and held the door wide open. “Come on in.”

Evan followed, trying not to gawk at the fancy kitchen and perfectly decorated … well, everything. It looked like the kind of place you’d see in a magazine, but comfortable. He blinked dumbly when he realized he’d missed what Russ said. “Sorry. What was that?”

“I asked how the drive here went.”

“Um, okay, I guess.” Evan shrugged. He recalled an endless feeling of panic at the overwhelming sprawl of Atlanta and the confusing tangle of highways leading into Midtown, but not much else.

Stephen stepped out of another room, smiling as he held out a hand. “Hello, Evan. I don’t think we’ve officially met. I know you were there when I buried my father, but to be honest, I was so focused on that, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to anything else around me.” His tone was apologetic, as if Evan might be offended that Stephen hadn’t noticed him before.

Evan had been a pallbearer for the funeral, and it was true Stephen had seemed to look right through him, but he hadn’t taken offense to it. Evan was used to people looking through him. He was quiet and introverted, and even the school bullies, who picked on the noticeably weird kids, had left him alone.

The real question was why would a guy like Stephen notice him? He flushed when he realized Russ and Stephen were both staring at him. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” he mumbled. “And thanks for letting me come here. I—I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” His eyes stung with tears when, once again, it hit him how alone he was. Dependent on a couple guys he barely knew. Sure, he and Russ had texted and talked on the phone a handful of times since the funeral, and he felt like he could trust him, but how well did Evan actually know Russ?

“Hey, it’s okay, Evan.” Russ patted his shoulder and squeezed. The touch was innocent enough but it made Evan feel warm all over and the panic subside a little. “Come on, let’s sit down and talk,” Russ coaxed as he let go. Evan sucked in a deep breath. “You want something to drink? Beer? Something stronger?”

Stephen glanced at Evan. “Are you twenty-one?”

“Uhm, not until the end of February,” Evan admitted.

“I think under the circumstances we can ignore a few weeks.” Stephen shot him a smile that made him feel a little weak in the knees. Technically, he was probably old enough to be Evan’s father, but he sure didn’t look like any older man Evan had ever seen. Guh. He made Evan a little woozy just looking at him. “I wanted to be sure you weren’t … quite as young as you looked.”

Despite his discomfort, Evan managed a small joke. “Sixteen?”

Stephen gave Evan a rueful smile. “No, Russ mentioned you’d been working at the funeral home for a few years, so I assumed you were an adult, but I wanted to be sure. I know you still lived at home.”

Evan sighed, all the air going out of him and making him feel like a deflated balloon. “I was only living there until I could save up enough to leave Putnam.”

“You want to tell us about what happened today?” Russ asked.

“I guess.” Evan shrugged.

Russ fixed him a rum and Coke—the only drink Evan could think to ask for—and he sat on one end of the fancy L-shaped sofa, feeling horribly out of place.

He took a sip of the drink—strong enough to make his eyes water—and stared down at the glass. He peeked up through his lashes as Russ sat down next to Stephen on the other section of the sofa, watching them surreptitiously. Stephen draped an arm over Russ’s shoulder, and Russ rested an elbow on Stephen’s bent knee. They were so casual about it, so comfortable touching each other.

“Evan?”

He raised his head, staring wide-eyed at Russ, who gave him a sympathetic smile. “You don’t have to, but if you want to talk about what happened …”

Evan didn’t. Not at all, but since they were letting him crash here, he figured it was the least he could do. He took another gulp of his drink before he began, hoping the liquid courage would do its job. “Um, so there was this casket sales rep,” he explained, thinking back to what had happened earlier that day.

My thoughts:

We first met Evan in ‘Partners’ when he worked in the funeral home and Russ (from the Equals Series) befriended him. Evan is gay and has been hiding the fact from his family and the town he lives in. When his secret is revealed his father kicks him out of his home and in his desperation he turns to Russ who doesn’t hesitate but immediately offers him a place to stay in the apartment he shares with Stephen.

Jeremy is Stephen’s ex and has been trying to rebuild his life after a devastating car crash left him alone, scarred and with permanent injuries. In the process he has become a bit of a recluse. He goes out to work but doesn’t have a social life and doesn’t believe he’ll ever be in a relationship again now he’s as damaged as deems himself to be.

Neither man has a whole lot of confidence. Both view the world and their place in it with suspicion. Evan would like to hope but doesn’t believe his dreams could ever come true while Jeremy has all but given up on hope and just tries to make it through his days without giving into despair.

When the two men meet, they engage in what can best be described as a slow and tenuous dance. The attraction is strong on both sides but neither man believes that the other could possibly feel the same. Throw in Jeremy’s hang-ups about his scars and limitations and a coming together appears very unlikely, until….

No, you’ll have to read the book J

I adored this story. Both Jeremy and Evan touched my heart. I was constantly torn between wanting to wrap them in my arms to keep them safe and make them feel loved and wanting to slap them around the head for not communicating more honestly with each other. To say I got emotionally involved in this story would be a gross understatement.

I love that there are no stereotypes in this book; the seemingly weak and defenceless may be stronger while he who appears self-assured and world wise may the one with most insecurities and lessons to learn. No typical stronger character ‘healing’ or strengthening someone weaker. This is much closer to reality; two men with issues, fears, and insecurities find each other and have to find a way to be together without crushing each other or themselves. These men are beautiful in their flaws – maybe because of them. Their journey so far has been breathtaking, engrossing, at times heartbreaking but ultimately beautiful and uplifting. But of course this is only the first part of Jeremy and Evan’s story. When we leave them we are allowed to hope they’re on their way to a future together but given their pasts and the realistic way in which the author tells their story, I have no doubt they’ll be running into another obstacle or two before they get there. And I’ll be with them, every step of the way.

To summarize: I adored this story. I’m in awe of the way in which Brigham Vaughn managed to portray these two damaged men without turning them into weak or boring characters. I loved the way we’re allowed to see Jeremy and Evan’s strength, even when they’re at their weakest. And I’ll never stop admiring this author’s use of the English language – her sentences are a thing of beauty and something I can only aspire to. In short, Connection, like the Equals series it sprang from, comes highly recommended.

Buy links:

Amazon                 Amazon UK            Are

The Equals Series:

 

Click on the title for my thoughts on the books:

Equals

Partners

Family

Husbands

About the author:  

Brigham Vaughn is starting the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Brigham Vaughn’s Website

SHE'S GOT IT ALL by Jewel Quinlan, Promo Post

Link to trailer on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/_NAe-Du28pQ   

Blurb:

She’s living her dream, not knowing she’s stolen someone else’s…

For Kayla Cross, getting a job as a DJ at legendary club Grace in Ibiza is a dream come true. It’s what she has worked for her entire life. Even if she had to do it behind her parents’ back, like a dirty secret—then and now. She left everything behind in order to give it her all, and she finds it’s going to take far more than the level of confidence she has in order to pull it off.

Lex Granger thought the job was his. But it wasn’t. And not getting the DJ job means another season of bartending, and watching longingly as others play on stage. When his boss orders him to make Kayla feel at home, he almost rebels. But his need to pay bills wins over his emotions. He resents his competition but can’t help being affected by her sunny disposition, talent, and long, lean form. Walking the line between admiration and envy can be agony...

Now available for only 0.99!

Amazon|  iTunes  |  Kobo  |  Nook

Add it to your shelf on Goodreads

Excerpt:

Kayla had seamlessly taken control of the sound system a few minutes ago and the stuff she had been playing was good, better than the typical pre-recorded shit. But what caught his attention now was the sound of her voice. She was singing into the mic on her headset. Not lyrics but a beautiful stream of notes that seemed to flutter from her gut up to her vocal cords in a lilting sound that was captivating.

The notes she sang rose and fell, exotic and mysterious with the intriguing underlying beat. Her voice called, it drew…and soon women rose from their seats to the small dance area to move and sway with the music, and the men followed them. The same people who had been oblivious of the music a moment before as they’d smoked and talked were now giving their full attention to Kayla.

It wasn’t just the music that mesmerized them; it was Kayla herself. She was a vision. Her blonde hair gleamed under the lights, and her shoulders and hips writhed in a sexy dance, and all the while she continued to turn knobs and flip switches to make the music she sang to. She was absorbed in it and having a great time. Sometimes her hair flicked when she gyrated, as if in punctuation to her movements. Combined with the sound of her voice, she was like a beacon—the song of an angel caressing and drawing everyone in. It was like nothing he’d ever heard before.

 “Hola!” said a man in an aggressive tone, waving a one hundred Euro bill. “Can we get ten shots of Patrón?”

“Of course. Right away, friend.” Lex focused back in on his job.

It was awhile before he could come back up for air. But when he did, he noticed that the space was packed with bodies dancing to the music Kayla played. And, although she was keeping it mellow as instructed, it was the biggest crowd he’d ever seen on the terrace during the day. Security continuously went through, trying to keep key paths clear.

Hands holding cell phones were up in the air, outstretched toward her, as they took pictures and videos. Through it all, she wore the brightest smile he’d ever seen, occasionally lifting one hand to press the earphones closer. She changed the tempo to a faster beat and the crowd responded with cheers. She bounced up and down in joy, hand waving above her head with exhilaration, and the people lifted and pumped their fists in mimicry.

She was every bit as good as any DJ they’d had before and more. She was the embodiment of everything he thought he would have experienced and felt had it been him on the stage. Somehow, she caught him watching, and gave him a cheery wave. Embarrassed, he waved awkwardly back, and then pulled his eyes back down to the bar. And, even though he could acknowledge that Rick had been right, that she was good, he couldn’t help feeling the tiny nugget of palpable distaste lodged deep in his chest.

      

To join the Facebook Release Day Party click here.

About the author, Jewel Quinlan:

Restless by nature, Jewel Quinlan is an avid traveler and has visited 16 countries so far. Lover of ice cream, beer and red wine she tries to stay fit when she’s not typing madly on her computer concocting another tale. In her spare time she likes to do yoga, hike, learn German and play with her spoiled Chihuahua; Penny. It is Penny’s mission in life to keep Jewel from the keyboard. But, with the help of dog-chew-making-companies, Jewel has been able to distract her canine companion and continues to get thousands of words on the page for your enjoyment.

For more information about Jewel Quinlan

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NORA WEBSTER by Colm Tóibín

NORA WEBSTER by Colm Tóibín

 

Pages: 310

Date: October 18, 2015

Grade: 3+

Details: Book Club Read

Library

The blurb:

It is the late 1960s in Ireland. Nora Webster is living in a small town, looking after her four children, trying to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. She is fiercely intelligent, at times difficult and impatient, at times kind, but she is trapped by her circumstances, and waiting for any chance which will lift her beyond them.

Slowly, through the gift of music and the power of friendship, she finds a glimmer of hope and a way of starting again. As the dynamic of the family changes, she seems both fiercely self-possessed but also a figure of great moral ambiguity, making her one of the most memorable heroines in contemporary fiction.

The portrait that is painted in the years that follow is harrowing, piercingly insightful, always tender and deeply true. Colm Tóibín's Nora is a character as resonant as Anna Karenina or Madame Bovary and Nora Webster is a novel that illuminates our own lives in a way that is rare in literature. Its humanity and compassion forge an unforgettable reading experience.

My thoughts:

I’m going to be in the minority here. As far as I can tell most people think this is a fabulous book. Critical acclaim has been widespread and lavish. It is quite possible I missed something, but as with Brooklyn before, I was not so much unimpressed as under-impressed with Nora Webster.

The story idea was fascinating. Being a widow with four children in Ireland in the nineteen-sixties must have been very hard, and the same is true for being forced to go back to work when you didn’t expect to ever have to do that again. I recognized the way small town Ireland is described on these pages – not so much has changed in 45 years after all. The curiosity of others and the way people seem to study you, as if to make sure your dealing with your grief in the ‘right way’, were easy to recognised.

My problem with the story was not what it was about but how it was written. To me it felt as if it was being told by a distant narrator, or a narrator trying very hard to keep his distance. Since this is apparently the story of Colm Tóibín’s mother dealing with her grief when Colm was growing up, it is quite possible he wrote it that way deliberately. The thing is, it just didn’t work for me. Although there were some moments when I could almost feel Nora’s pain, loneliness, and desperation, I felt separate from her and her feelings for most of the story. And, to be honest, I couldn’t really bring myself to care very much either; not about her, and not about her children. And I really didn’t enjoy reading about her lack of involvement with those four children.

There were parts I did like. The moments when Nora crept out of her lethargy and decided to stand up for herself or one of her children, or when she made tentative moves to create a new life for herself, were easier to read. Those moments were few and far between though. For the most part I felt bogged down by Nora’s internal dialogue—which never seemed to go anywhere— and her passivity.

Between very little happening in the story and the writing style almost forcing a distance between the subject matter and the reader, I ran into several occasions when reading on felt like a chore. I’m not sure if I would have finished the book if it hadn’t been a bookclub read. Not because the book was hard to read but because I didn’t feel as I was getting anything out of it. When I finish a book I want to be left feeling emotional in one way or another. This book just left me feeling ‘meh’. And to be honest, only two hours after finishing the book, most of the story seems to have evaporated from my mind. And that does not bode well for having to discuss it, twenty days from now. J

KING JOHN by Edmond Manning

KING JOHN by Edmond Manning

 

Pages: 245

Date: October 15, 2015

Details: no. 4 the Lost and Founds

Own / E-book

The blurb:

English attorney Alistair Robertson can’t quite believe an astonishing tale of kingship and transformation he hears at Burning Man, the annual counter-culture art festival in the Black Rock desert. Who are the Found Kings? Is “being kinged” as magical as it sounds? 

Determined to find the mysterious garage mechanic named Vin who helps men “remember who they were always meant to be,” Alistair catches his quarry amid the extravagant sculptures, fire worshipers, mutant cars, and lavish costumes. After searching for three years, he’ll finally get to ask the question burning inside him: “Will you king me?”

Wandering together through the desert, Vin Vanbly and Alistair explore Burning Man’s gifting culture and exotic traditions, where they meet the best and worst of their fellow burners. Alistair’s overconfidence in Vin’s manipulative power collides with Vin’s obsessive need to save a sixteen-year-old runaway from a nightmarish fate, and the two men spiral into uncontrollable, explosive directions. 

In this fourth adventure of The Lost and Founds, beneath the sweltering summer sun and the six billion midnight stars, one truth emerges, searing itself on their hearts: in the desert, everything burns.

My thoughts:

Allow me to start this review at the end: Really, Edmond Manning, I mean really? You’re leaving me hanging on not one but two cliffhangers? I’ve killed for less—that’s all I say.

Okay, now I have gotten that off my chest I should probably warn you that the chances of this turning into a coherent review are slim at best. It’s far more likely to turn into a quote-riddled gush fest, and you want to bear in mind I will have deleted numerous quotes which touched me as much as the ones I’ll keep did because, well, because this is supposed to be a review, not a novella J

I don’t want to say a lot about the story beyond what you can find in the blurb, I’m not sure I could do the story justice. My words are too clumsy, my interpretations too personal. Besides, the stories in this series should be experienced by the reader. It is more than ‘just’ an amazing reading experience. The Lost and Founds books provide us not only with fascinating characters and settings, they also force us to look at ourselves, our lives and the people around us. They invite us to ask ourselves if we are limiting ourselves and if yes, why we are doing that.

“Alistair, quit pressuring yourself. Kingship means something different for every man. Quit trying to box it up and get it right.”

As true as this is for Alistair in the book, I believe it’s equally true for us readers. I think while we all get the general message from these pages, we all discover individual truths in its words as well.

This is the fourth King story but it felt different from the previous three. The men in earlier books, Perry, May and Terrance, didn’t know they wanted or needed to be kinged, didn’t even know there was such a thing. Vin’s struggle was to keep them on a course towards a destination they didn’t know they wanted or needed.

Alistair on the other hand wants to be kinged. He searches out Vin and then refuses to follow Vin’s rules. This time it is Vin who needs to be constantly reassured that his protégé indeed wants what he says he wants, and realizes there’s a price to pay; a price both Vin and the reader fear may be too high for Alistair. But dealing with a man eager to find his inner King while reluctant to surrender to the process also forces Vin to look deeper into himself; is this hard because he’s dealing with a fraud or because he’s looking into a mirror showing him everything he needs to overcome in order to stop being a lost King?

“His King Weekend will be a huge disappointment, unless he stops seeking approval outside himself.”

“He wants to be discovered. He wants someone to find him, to reach beyond the iron fortifications he constructed, and see him. Love him, I know. We are cut from the same cloth.”

Alistair may be a lot like Vin, I think he’s also a lot like many of us, trying to learn lessons most of us could benefit from.

“The problem with a man like Alistair is no amount of praise, flattery of loving from the outside will impact his core. Not love from me, not love from any of the kings.”

“I don’t need you to be sorry, Alistair. I need you to understand the price you pay for getting your way. For choosing not to submit.”

“I don’t need to know your secrets, but as long as you don’t let anyone in, you’re trapped with them.”

This story hit me harder than the previous books did, the subjects it deals with are darker—dare I say it—uglier. And yet, while the tension grips you and the fear makes you read faster, they are dealt with in a loving, if not necessarily beautiful, way. It is tempting to go on about this. To spell out exactly what I mean, but I can’t do that without revealing those issues and that would mean spoiling the story for others, so that's a no go. I ask you to just trust me, to take my word for it. This story will shake you, may at times become very hard to read, and yet it will open your eyes and heart.

“Maybe I can’t become a Found King because I don’t remember who lives underneath this façade. Maybe this isn’t a façade at all and the real me is just really lost.”

“The more a man knows about his kingship, the less likely he himself will cross over.”

And Vin—oh Vin—I want to wrap him in my arms, hug him close and whisper in his ear that he already is a Found King. Because it takes one to know one. Because his love is huge. That all he needs to do is believe and it will be true. I want to tell him he makes me cry every time he recognises that another man is blocked because he’s made something huge out of a circumstance or past occurrence he never had any power over, while failing to see the same applies to him. Vin touches me in ways few, if any, fictional characters touch me. He’s more real to me than fictional characters have any right to be.

It’s the quiet, easy to miss, observations Vin makes about himself that break my heart. They’re in the story as if they’re passing thoughts, hardly worth our notice, and yet I feel they hold the key to the deeper truth Vin is looking for.

“I revel in how ordinary this feels, as if I could do this back home. Take a date out dancing. Hang out with friends. I can’t. But here—here at Burning Man—freaks fit in. I’m one of the gang. I’m normal.

Burning Man is the closest I’ve ever come to family.

Burning Man is like home.”

As with the previous Lost and Founds books, King John has left me both shaken and stirred. I’m emotionally wrecked and cursing the fact I’ll have to wait several months at least before the story will continue. And yet I feel enriched too. It is as if my heart has expanded, as if I can now see, understand and feel things that were just beyond my grasp before I started reading. And for that I am grateful. I thank Edmond Manning for making me think and feel, for allowing me to look at the world through a different lens and thus showing me things which were always there, just not always visible. I bless the day these books were suggested to me and will treasure them for as long as I have eyes to read or a brain to remember them with.

As predicted the piece - I wouldn't go so far as to call it a review - I wrote is a rambling mess. I'll therefore end it with one more quote. Because both the author and his protagonist are far better with words than I can ever hope to be.

“Though our roots be earthed in misery, and nurtured with our humbled tears, tomorrow’s hope is today’s firm green sprig, pushing upward, barely seen. Eager to unfold, to manifest the unknowing directions, we grow. We are all destined for Spring.”

DEVOTED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

DEVOTED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

 

Pages: 374

Date: October 13, 2015

Details: no. 41 In Death

Library / Hard back

The blurb:

“It's a new year in New York city, and two star-crossed lovers have just discovered an insatiable appetite...for murder.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has witnessed some grisly crimes in her career and she knows just how dark things can get on the streets. But when a much-loved musician is found dead, Eve soon realises that his murder is part of a horrifying killing spree, stretching right across the country.

Now the killers have reached New York, and they've found themselves another victim. Eve knows she only has a couple of days to save a young girl's life, and to stop the killers before their sadistic games escalate. Eve's husband Roarke is ready to put his brains and his considerable resources behind the search. But even as the couple works closely together, time is running out...”

My thoughts:

As any follower of my reviews may have noticed, I’ve switched genres over the past two years or so. In the process I’ve started to neglect some series I used to read compulsively. Right now they’re just not calling my name and until they do that again, I’ll leave them be. The In Death books by J.D. Robb are an exception to this rule. Whenever a new instalment arrives in the library I make sure to be the first person to bring it home, eager to catch up with Eve Dallas, Roarke and the rest of their crew again.

These books are my go-to comfort read. I know exactly what to expect before I read the first word. There will be a gruesome crime(spree), a hard to solve mystery, an enticing and sexy ongoing romance between Eve and Roarke, lots of snarky and laugh-out-loud conversation and not a single dull moment. Yes, I guess these books are formulaic, but as formulas go, this one works very well.

As even the characters in Devoted in Death agree, the crimes in this book are more horrific than what we’ve seen in previous books. In fact, it makes me wonder about the way the author’s mind works. She describes the feelings and motivation of the killers so well I could almost believe she knows what she’s talking about. But I guess, that’s part of the magic; the fact that J.D. Robb / Nora Roberts has this wonderful gift when it comes to portraying characters – both the sympathetic ones and those you’d never want to meet in real life.

It feels as if I’ve build a relationship with the characters in these books. With Eve and Roarke for sure, but also with the other regulars. All their stories progress as the series moves on and it is fascinating to observe. And because I’m totally wrapped into all their stories now, it is safe to say I’ll continue reading the In Death books for as long as J.D.Robb continues to write them – regardless of what direction my reading taste may veer off in otherwise.