Connections in Death (In Death #48) by J.D. Robb

370 pages

Blurb

When recovering drug addict Lyle Pickering is found dead of an overdose, it looks like a tragic accident. But his sister Rochelle knows better, and so does Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Lyle was murdered, and the evidence points directly to his old street gang.

As Eve and husband Roarke track the killer through the city’s dive bars, drug dens and strip joints, another body is discovered. With connections growing between the living and the dead, and the body count on the rise, Eve knows she needs to close this case fast, before the killer’s lust for power turns the city’s streets into a bloodbath.

Review

As you may know, I’m kinda addicted to the In Death series by J.D. Robb. I haven’t missed a single book in the almost 50 titles long series and can honestly say that I enjoyed every single one of them. Some of them I adored, some made it on to my ‘extra special’ list, and others were ‘just’ good reads but, if I remember correctly, not a single one of these books ended up disappointing me or warranting a score less than four stars, although the vast majority scored five.

Connections in Death was one of the rarer four stars stories. Not because there was anything wrong with the book, as such, but because it seemed to lack that wow factor. I mean, Eve is still as snarky as she always is, and still has her usual hang-ups about the English language, and hitting the nail on the head every time a saying exasperates her. Her interactions with Roarke remain clever, tender, sexy, and heartwarming, while her verbal exchanges with Peabody made me smile, as they always do.

And yet, somehow all of it was a little bit less than it usually is. The snark wasn’t as sharp, the intimate scenes with Roarke weren’t as sexy, and her verbal jousting sessions with Peabody lacked some of their usual fire. And the same can be said for the mystery in this book; it just didn’t have the depth I’ve gotten used to and I can’t help feeling a bit too much time was given to what happens after the arrests have been made.

I’m probably not making myself very clear here. If I’m honest, I have to admit it’s not easy to put my finger on exactly what didn’t feel right to me this time. I just know I didn’t feel the same desperate read to keep on reading. The story just didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat as the In Death books usually do. At the same time I have to admit that the last chapter, in which Roarke helps Eve find peace with everything that has happened, truly warmed my heart and ensured that I was satisfied and uplifted when I closed the book.

Having said all that, I would have read this book even if I’d known all of the above in advance. These are really minor quibbles. There’s nothing wrong with the story as such, it just wasn’t as fabulous as some other titles in the series have been. And I’m already looking forward to the next In Death book; it can come soon enough for me.