Random in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death Series # 58

Publisher: Piatkus

Publishing Date: January 2024

E-book

 

Blurb

 It's the best night of her life. It's the last night of her life.

Sixteen-year-old Jenna Harbough's parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It's the best night of her life. It's the last night of her life.

Minutes later, Jake's in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it's no use. It's time to call Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Who could want this level-headed teen, passionate about her music, dead? Was she targeted or could she have been the victim of a random attack? And if she was, who's next..?

 

Review

Writing an original review for an In Death title is impossible by this stage. I have read and enjoyed every single book in this series and have run out of words to express my love for these mysteries, the setting, and the characters featured. From the moment I read Naked in Death, I have been intrigued by the near-future setting and the main characters. The interactions between Eve and Roarke, and the way they compliment each other enhance every single book.

As always, J.D. Robb brings us an original and heartbreaking murder in Random in Death. And, also as always, she and her team bring the mystery to a satisfying conclusion despite the odds being stacked against them. Fans of these books will enjoy the investigation of the crime as much as the personal news of the main and secondary characters. And if they are as big a fan as I am, they are already counting down the days until the release of, Passions in Death, In Death #59. 😊

Encore in Death by JD Robb

In Death #56

403 pages

Isis Large Print / Library

 

Blurb

 

The Sunday Times bestselling series is back. Eve Dallas is investigating the murder of a much-loved actor at a glittering party. The spotlight has never been brighter. Or deadlier...

It was a glittering event full of A-listers, hosted by Eliza Lane and Brant Fitzhugh, the most glittering of all celebrity couples. Everyone had expected the party to be in the newspapers the next day but not because one of the hosts was murdered! As the crowd had gathered to watch Eliza sing, Fitzhugh had raised a final toast to his glamorous wife and fallen to the floor. Death by cyanide poisoning. It's time for Lt. Eve Dallas to make her entrance.

From all accounts, Fitzhugh wasn't the kind of star who made enemies. Eliza, on the other hand, had many rivals, and a few of them could class as enemies. Since the champagne cocktail that killed Brant was originally intended for Eliza, could it be that she was the real target?

With so many people at the party, Eve has her work cut out determining who could commit murder in the middle of a crowd. As one who's not fond of the spotlight, she dreads the media circus surrounding a case like this. All she wants is to figure out who's truly innocent, and who's only acting that way...

 

Review

 

Reading a new In Death story is like coming home, like wrapping myself in a soft warm blanket and sinking into its comfort. Sure, I first came to these stories for the mysteries, and I still thoroughly enjoy the clever plots, the imaginative crimes and motives, and the riveting conclusions. But the characters—Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNab, etc—and the interactions between them appeal to me at least as much as those crimes and investigations. Eve questioning common sayings never fails to amuse me just as I always have to concede she actually has a point. We do say a lot of weird things without ever questioning them (unless our name is Eve Dallas 😊).

And, as always, Robb delivered. The crime was imaginative and the investigation riveting. The cast of secondary characters was colourful and fascinating. If I missed anything in this story, it was an update on the house Peabody and McNab are renovating seen through Eve’s eyes. I also wouldn’t have minded Mavis and Leonardo making an appearance in this story. But apart from that, I just lost myself in this tale. The pages almost turned themselves and I found it next to impossible to put the book down. 56 books in, I’m still not getting bored with this series and I have a hard time imagining I ever will. In fact, the only other thing I want to add here is: is it September yet?

 

***Contains minor spoilers***

 

I called this one from the very start and I think my recent deep dive into mystery and Agatha Christie specifically may have a lot to do with that. In fact, almost immediately this story reminded me of a Miss Marple story I read not too long ago, and that impression was constantly confirmed since this story is full to the brim with what I would call Christie tropes: ‘Always look at the partner’, ‘never trust actors’ and ‘never underestimate the help’ go a long way to solving the puzzle here.

This is not a criticism of JD Robb by the way. There are more than enough original plot points in Encore in Death to make it its own story. It just made me smile when I spotted the similarities between a book by the undisputed Queen of Crime and the equally undisputed Queen of Romance Writers.

Faithless in Death by J.D. Robb

 

In Death #52

390 pages

 

Blurb

It's a beautiful Spring day in NYC when Lt. Eve Dallas gets an early morning murder call. A talented young sculptor hasn't had such a perfect day in May. Killed by her own hammer, at first it looks like an argument with a jealous partner but it soon becomes clear that there is much more to this case than a lovers' quarrel turned fatal.

Eve finds herself drawn into the dark and dangerous world of a secret order. A world in which white supremacy, misogyny and religious fanaticism are everyday activities. Eve has dealt with some tough cases before but is it too much even for her to take on a wealthy, influential organisation with friends in very high places.....?

 

Review

After 52 books I'm running out of things to say about the In Death books. Not because I'm loving them any less but because there are so many ways to gush about books and I think I've repeated myself often enough.

This instalment was especially harrowing because the premise felt all too likely in these days with right-wing and religious voices getting ever louder and more extreme. Sure, the theme was somewhat reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale but given how scary and realistic that particular plot is, that is not a complaint. Quite the opposite in fact. Fiction is (one of) the most accessible ways of getting a message across or making people think, and that can only be a good thing.

While the mystery in this story was captivating, the suspense is only one of my reasons for reading this series and awaiting each new release with bated breath. I remain hooked on the In Death books because of Eve and Rourke and the fascinating cast of secondary characters and colleagues. Yes, the crimes are imaginative and the investigations thrilling, but I live for those moments when Eve gets frustrated about the English language and the updates on the personal lives of her friends. As per usual, this book didn’t disappoint on any of those aspects.

High praise again for J.D. Robb, the only author who has not only managed to keep my attention for this number of books, but also provides me with a 5-star read (almost) every single time.

When is the next In Death title landing?

Vendetta in Death (In Death #49) by J.D. Robb

352 pages

Publisher: Piatkus

Blurb

“He needed killing.

She’d researched, studied, planned the who, when, how and why for more than a year and had chosen Nigel B. McEnroy to be the first.”

When a family man is tortured, killed and left in front of his family home for all the world to see, Eve Dallas knows she is on the hunt for a particularly dangerous killer.

But death uncovers secrets and the killer leaves a note revealing the victim to be far from the family man he appears. As Eve scrambles to find out what she can to link victim and killer, another body is found. Another man with a dark and murky past.

The race is on before the killer strikes again but Eve must wrestle with her demons and her conscience as she decides whether she really wants to protect men who probably deserve everything they get...

Review

For the first time ever, I’m reviewing an In Death title by J.D Robb before it is actually available in the shops. I’m totally addicted to this series and usually bring the latest edition home as soon as it arrives in the library branch where I work, so being fast with my review isn’t new—beating the publication date is. 😊

So, how did I get my hands on an early copy you ask? Well, picture this:

Nora Roberts was recently on holidays in Ireland (check out her blog for wonderful descriptions and photos) and took an afternoon out of her travel schedule to meet with about 170 readers/fans in the gorgeous The Lodge at Ashford Castle. I booked a ticket to the event as soon as I found out about it, turned it into a long overdue weekend trip to Ireland’s west coast, and enjoyed every single minute of it.

The ‘meet the author / book signing event’ started with a conversation between local writer Kate Kerrigan and Nora. From the start it was clear that Kate was at least as big a fan-girl as the audience which meant she touched on many subjects during what was more a friendly chat than an interview I would have mentioned too and all in a relaxed, intimate feeling atmosphere.

When I booked my ticket, I saw there would also be an opportunity to get books signed and I have to admit that I was silently raging that the event would take place about three weeks too early for the release of Vendetta in Death. So, imagine my delight when I discovered that the book seller on the day also had copies of that title available. Getting my hands on that book and getting Nora’s signature was the crown on an already perfect day.

As for the book, Vendetta in Death is exactly what I've come to expect when I open a JD Robb book. It is always a delight to return to this cast of characters who, after 49 titles, feel more like family than made up creatures, and join the while they deal with gruesome crimes.

But, for me, these crimes (horrific as they were) came with an extra layer in this book. It is very hard, in a time of ‘me too’ and men getting away with sexual assault because judges don’t want to ‘destroy their lives’, not to sympathize with a woman who decides to take matters into her own hands and extract her own, nightmarish, form of ‘justice’ where the courts and society at large have failed. (And no, I’m not advocating people taking the law into their own hands, just saying that there are times when fantasizing about it can be very satisfying).

Eve Dallas being who she is has no qualms about hunting down and arresting our vigilante, but while doing so also takes the time to make sure that those women for whom justice has been elusive find a path that might lead them there. It was the perfect balance in this book and made the story that much more realistic as well as touching for me.

For what is probably the 49^th time I’m going to state that I can’t imagine ever getting tired of these books, the characters and their developing story lines, or the exquisite banter between Eve and the various other regulars, especially Roarke. It is safe to say that I’m already looking forward to book #50, even if I do have to wait until the new year for ....

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.

Leverage in Death (In Death #47) by J.D. Robb

385 pages

Blurb

What would you do to protect your family?

When Paul Rogan sets off a bomb at his office, killing eleven people, no one can understand why. He was a loving husband and father, with everything to live for. Then his wife and daughter are found chained up in the family home and everything becomes clear. Rogan had been given a horrifying choice—set off the bomb or see his loved ones suffer and die.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows the violence won’t end here. The men behind the attack were determined, organised and utterly ruthless. In this shocking and challenging case, both Eve and husband Roarke are heading into serious danger.

Review

This is the 47^th book in the In Death series, and I’ve read all of them. So, it wasn’t a huge surprise that J.D. came up with rather horrific crimes in this book. It wasn’t the first time and it almost certainly won’t be the last. It has been a while though since a plot didn’t only horrify me but also left me wondering ‘what would I do?’, ‘how far would I be prepared to go to keep my family safe?’.

My heart broke for Paul Rogan when this story opened. In fact, I almost skimmed my way through the first chapter and Paul’s ordeal because it was too painful and suspense-filled to read in detail.

The subsequent investigation was as intriguing as it always is and the climax had me reading on the edge of my seat…literally. Not that either of those facts surprised me; I wouldn’t expect anything less.

But, just in case you’re worrying that this is the book in which J.D. Robb went all dark, foregoing the usual banter and sexiness, allow me to reassure you. Of course, Leverage in Death was filled with her trademark characters having the sort of interactions I’ve loved them for ever since the first book. I’ll never stop laughing out loud at Eve’s observations about things most of us don’t think about twice, like this conversation about thumb sucking between Eve and Peabody.

“How good could your own thumb taste?”

“It’s not the taste, it’s the sucking action. Oral satisfaction and comfort.”

“So, basically, they’re giving themselves a blow job?”

I also love that no matter how perfect Roarke and Eve are for each other, their on-page relationship never gets too sugary. In this book they even engage in a massive battle of wills only to end it with a fabulous session of angry sex. Because that’s just how they role.

The fact that I read this book from start to finish in one day, really says it all. I adored this book. I even shed a few tears while reading the last two pages. As I said, over 47 books these characters have turned into close friends and when they experience all the happies, my eyes leak a little.

I can’t begin to tell you how delighted I am that even after all these books the In Death series has lost none of its magic. I’m so happy I’ve still got #48 waiting for my attention; it almost makes up for the fact that once I read Connections in Death I’ll have to join the thousands of readers eagerly awaiting the next In Death story.

Dark in Death (In Death #46) by J.D. Robb

372 pages

# 46 In Death

Blurb

There’s always a reason for murder. But when a young actress is killed in a swift and violent attack at a cinema screening, that reason is hard to fathom—even for Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team.

It’s only when bestselling crime writer Blaine DeLano arrives at the precinct that the shocking truth is revealed. Someone is recreating the murder scenes from her latest series, book by book. With six more books left in the series, Eve now knows how the killer will strike next. But why has Delano been targeted. Could her abusive husband be involved?

As fiction is transformed into bloody reality, Eve will need all her skill and experience to solve this unique case. Luckily for her, husband Roarke happens to be a fan of DeLano’s work. And he’s more than happy to work side by side with his brilliant wife—no matter how dark things become.

Review

Boy did I love this book. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve adored this series from book one, but every now and again there’s an instalment I like just that bit better; this was one of them.

On the back of plenty of crazy in the world of romance and its writers, J.D. Robb takes the obsession with writing and (a) writer(s) a few steps further to a somewhat horrifying level. I can’t imagine writing murder mysteries and having some crazy person replicating my murders in real life, but I’m fairly sure I’d never write another word if it happened to me (or at the very least switch genres).

But, apart from the gruesome nature (especially from a writer’s perspective) of the murders, this book is in many ways an ode to reading, to books and yes, also to writing. This is a thriller, a page-turner, but there was time to describe the delight of walking into a well-stocked library, the joy of sitting in front of a fire and read a book (with a cat draped over your lap). Even for the murderer it’s an obsession with the written word that motivates their actions—even if they do take it to the level of cray-cray.

As usual, all my favourites were present in this title too. I’m always delighted to reconnect with Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNab, Mira, Nadine and all the others. Eve’s exasperation with the English language and her very sexy and always entertaining relationship and interactions with Roarke are staples I look forward to before starting one of the In Death books. Just as I’m always happy to see Peabody and Eve or Eve and Nadine verbally spar. In fact, a big part of my love for this series is probably how well I’ve gotten to know these characters. In many ways they’ve turned into friends I get to visit with twice a year; always wishing it would be more, always grateful for what I’m given. (And, oh my god, now I sound almost as delusional as the perpetrator in this book.)

I have to say I’m surprised and delighted that these stories still bring me so much joy, even after 46 titles. With other series I’ve become hooked on in the past, I sooner or later lost interest, either because the books felt too much like more of the same or because the author started taking the story-line to what in my eyes was the ridiculous. And there’s no denying that the In Death stories contain many familiar scenes (like those I described above) but in these books they don’t bother me at all; in fact, that familiarity is one of my main reasons for always wanting more.

On which note I only want to add that I’m now more than ready for the next instalment.

Secrets in Death (In Death #45) by J.D. Robb - Review

 370 pages

Publisher: Little Brown

Blurb

A new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series: Lt. Eve Dallas must separate rumors from reality when a woman who traffics in other people’s secrets is silenced.

The chic Manhattan nightspot Du Vin is not the kind of place Eve Dallas would usually patronize, and it’s not the kind of bar where a lot of blood gets spilled. But that’s exactly what happens one cold February evening.

The mortally wounded woman is Larinda Mars, a self-described “social information reporter,” or as most people would call it, a professional gossip. As it turns out, she was keeping the most shocking stories quiet, for profitable use in her side business as a blackmailer. Setting her sights on rich, prominent marks, she’d find out what they most wanted to keep hidden and then bleed them dry. Now someone’s done the same to her, literally—with a knife to the brachial artery.

Eve didn’t like Larinda Mars. But she likes murder even less. To find justice for this victim, she’ll have to plunge into the dirty little secrets of all the people Larinda Mars victimized herself. But along the way, she may be exposed to some information she really didn’t want to know…

Review

Part of me wonders if, after 45 previous books and reviews, I really need to write another one. Surely by now, people will have caught on to the fact that I adore the In Death books by J.D. Robb. But, in all fairness, this instalment isn’t quite like most other books in the series. While the earlier stories were mostly high tension thrillers with multiple victims and a race against time that started on the first page, Secrets in Death is told at a more leisurely pace and reads as a more or less (given that it’s set in the future) standard police procedural.

I enjoyed the change of pace. It meant there was more room for the interactions between the recurring characters in this series. While I thoroughly enjoy the mysteries in this series, my addiction to them has more to do with how hard I’ve fallen, not only for Roarke and Eve, but for all people in their immediate circle. I’ll never get enough of Peabody, McNab, and Nadine (to name just a few).

I also appreciated that in this book, the victim was a most despicable creature. In fact, she was the sort of character than in another instalment in this series might well have been the perpetrator. I loved how this fact was used to illustrate that justice is justice, no matter who the victim happens to be and that principles are only true if you apply them under all circumstances.

If I do have one complaint about Secrets in Death it is that I had the murderer identified as soon as they were introduced. I realise that the scene in question was written the way it was to emphasise Eve’s investigative instincts, but it was laid on so thickly even a blind person would have recognised what was going on. I can’t help think a that a softer touch, would and could have worked just as well without making the resolution obvious long before it was spelled out. Having said that, I can’t say that this ‘issue’ was big enough to affect my overall reading enjoyment or rating. J

One of many things I love about this series is that it shows the ongoing relationship between Roarke and Eve. And while it is described as one of those couplings that make you wish you might run into a partner you connect with in similar ways, it doesn’t pretend all is perfect. Eve and Roarke, like everybody else, run into misunderstandings and problems, but, thankfully, they and their relationship are ‘grown-up’ enough to solve these issues through communication, honesty, good sex, and humour.

“So here we are, all pissed off, and likely to give this particular dead woman more of our sweat than she deserved in life.” – Roarke

And I’ll never get bored with Eve’s literal approach to life and language. All too often she wonders about a staying or word I’ve used for years without ever giving it a second thought, only to find myself agreeing with her that it is, indeed, weird.

“What sort of a name is waffle—where they just not sure what it was, so they, you know, waffled? Or does it mean something?”- Eve

Overall I have to repeat something I’ve said numerous times before: J.D Robb/Nora Roberts is in a league of her own when it comes to telling a captivating story. She may appear to be breaking every single rule when it comes to her writing, and I’m aware that her shifts in perspective shouldn’t work, but for me it all contributes to the qualities that have brought her to the top of my list of favourite authors.

Echoes in Death (In Death #44) by J.D. Robb

371 Pages

Publisher: Piatkus

Blurb

New York at night. A young woman stumbles out on to a busy street – right in front of Lieutenant Eve Dallas and husband Roarke. Her name is Daphne Strazza, and she has been brutally assaulted. Confused and traumatised, she manages to tell them one thing. Her attacker wore a devil’s mask.

As Eve investigates this shocking case, she soon discovers a disturbing pattern. Someone is preying on wealthy couples, subjecting them to a cruel and terrifying ordeal. Worse still, the attacks are escalating in violence and depraved theatricality. Eve and her team are now in a race against time to find the man behind the mask — before he strikes again. But for Eve, his case in particular has unsettling echoes of her own troubled past.

My thoughts

After having done so 43 times before today I’m running out of ways to rave about these ‘In Death’ books. In fact, it’s probably fair to say I ran out of ideas several books ago. So I’m going to keep it simple. I adore these books. I adore the characters in them. And I adore the horrific crimes the amazing (and somewhat scary) imagination of Nora Roberts, in the guise of J.D. Robb. She really has a special talent for coming up with sick twisted bastards which is as fabulous as it is somewhat disturbing. J

But it is of course more than that. In fact, one thing I adore about this series and always eagerly anticipate, is the wonderful balance between the tension caused by horrifying crimes and the subsequent investigation, and laugh out loud funny conversations. The following fragment is a good example of the latter:

“(…) If Mira’s right, we’re looking for a schmuck with an Edison thing.”

“Edison? Like Thomas?”

“Who’s Edison Thomas?”

“I mean Thomas Edison. The inventor?” Peabody explained. “The lightbulb?”

“No, for Christ’s sake, this isn’t about lightbulbs. Like the sicko guy who married his own mother, than whined about it.”

After a moment’ confusion, Peabody’s own lightbulb went off. “That’s Oedipus. I’m pretty sure that’s Oedipus.”

“Edison, Oedipus, Platypus. Whatever.”

Or how about this one:

‘“(…) she used to purchase a sheep station in Porongurup — that’s Australia.”

“Why do sheep need a station? Are they catching trains? Where are they going? Why do they have to go there?”

“I imagine they find themselves herded onto trains from time to time, but a sheep station’s a ranch.”

“Then why do they call it a station?”

“Blame the Aussies.”’

What I really love about these books — apart from the well plotted and imaginative (some might say scarily imaginative) mysteries, the fast and well constructed conversations, the wonderful interactions between the various characters, and the vivid descriptions of New York City in the 2050’s — is the relationship between Eve and Roarke. It doesn’t really play a major role in the plots anymore, not after all these books and all the time they’ve spent together , but it’s always there. And in every single ‘In Death’ book there has been at least one moment when an interaction between Roarke and Eve brought tears to my eyes. With every book their relationship grows, deepens, becomes even more beautiful than it was before. And it’s an utter joy — a bit like watching two friends you’re very fond of getting every closer to each other.

I’m not entirely sure what else to say. This book is great. The series is fabulous. And if you haven’t read the In Death books by J.D. Robb yet, you probably should. That’s all.

Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #43

375 pages

Library book

The blurb

Nature versus nurture... 
 
The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park’s ice skating rink. The victims: a talented young skater, a doctor, and a teacher. As random as random can be.

Eve Dallas has seen a lot of killers during her time with the NYPSD, but never one like this. After reviewing security videos, it becomes clear that the victims were killed by a sniper firing a tactical laser rifle, who could have been miles away when the trigger was pulled. And though the locations where the shooter could have set up seem endless, the list of people with that particular skill set is finite: police, military, professional killer.

Eve’s husband, Roarke, has unlimited resources—and genius—at his disposal. And when his computer program leads Eve to the location of the sniper, she learns a shocking fact: There were two—one older, one younger. Someone is being trained by an expert in the science of killing, and they have an agenda. Central Park was just a warm-up. And as another sniper attack shakes the city to its core, Eve realizes that though we’re all shaped by the people around us, there are those who are just born evil...

My thoughts

It is so much fun to pick up a book, lose myself in the story within a paragraph or two and nor resurface until I’ve read every last word contained between the covers. It is also something I don't get to do nearly often enough but, invariably that's what happens when I pick up a new instalment in JD Robb’s In Death series. That goes a long way towards explaining why this is the only series of books I’ve stuck with over the course of this many new stories. With most other series I’ll eventually reach a point where the ‘been there, done that, need something new’ feeling gets too strong and I find myself drifting away. Not so with the In Death series. Not only do I pick up the latest release as soon as it hits the shelves in my library, I actively keep track of when to expect the next one so I can be sure to bring it home as soon as it’s available. To say I’m addicted to Eve Dallas and Roarke would be a gross understatement.

As can be said for its 42 prequels, Apprentice in Death is a fast paced, thrilling, and totally engrossing story. JD Robb has, over the course of this series, created a cast of characters who have become part of my life. I know Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNabb and all the others and have no doubt I would recognise them should I run into them in the street. The near future version of the world she’s created continues to fascinate me. As for the criminals she introduces us to, and their methods and motives…let me just say that Mrs. Robb occasionally scares me. She invariably manages to give her villains just about enough of a human face and almost reasonable motives, to put me on edge and keep me compulsively turning the pages.

While I thoroughly enjoy the mysteries and suspense in these stories they are not the main reason for my addiction to this series. I keep on returning to the In Death books because of the continuing story about Eve, Roarke and those close to them. I laugh out loud at the banter, occasionally wipe away a tear at an especially touching moment, enjoy Eve and Roarke’s sexy times, and will never get bored with getting to know these characters better which each subsequent tale. After having read all 43 novels in this series so far, I still can’t imagine there will ever come a moment when I won’t be looking forward to the next In Death title. I fully agree with Harlan Coben's blurb on the cover of this book. J.D. Robb's novels are indeed 'can't-miss pleaures'. Is it time for the next book yet?

Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

Pages: 388

Date: March 1, 2016

Details: # 42 In Death

Library

The blurb:

Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy...

Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.

Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze. 

As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into 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:

I’ve started many series over the years. Most of them I followed religiously for a long time before losing interest for one reason or another. This has not happened with the In Death books, and I can’t see that changing any time soon either. There are numerous reasons why I love this series and continue to be addicted to it:

-      I like the mysteries in these books. Mrs. Roberts has a vivid and at times scary imagination and her crimes are often shocking. The investigation is always fascinating and thrilling and the finale never fails to take my breath away.

-      I enjoy the setting—New York about thirty odd years from today. I recognise the place and yet enough has changed, advanced, to make it obvious the story is set in the future. Having said that, now that we are actually getting closer to the timeframe in which this series is set I have to acknowledge that the author may have been somewhat optimistic when she decided how far we would have advanced by then.

-      I love how these books always manage to feel both familiar and original at the same time. Picking up a new In Death book is like revisiting a favourite place, recognisable and comfortable. And yet, the stories and characters always feel fresh and never, ever, repetitive.

-      I’ve come to adore the recurring characters in these books. I look forward to meeting them again, finding out how their lives are progressing and spending some time in their company.

-      And Eve and Roarke have to be one of the ultimate romantic couples ever written. 42 books into a series featuring one main couple and I’m yet to get bored or fed up with them. Sure there are moments when I want to slap either of them for misjudging a situation or each other, but that’s just because I get so very caught up in their story. For me, Eve and Roarke are as alive as it is possible to be for fictional characters. And my love for this couple brings me to my final reason.

-      I love the humour in the dialogue. I’ll give two examples:

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

“Why?” They’re idle when you’re sleeping—does he set up shop then? Are we all supposed to stay awake using our hands so the devil doesn’t make stuff? What if you broke your hand? Is he doing his workshop thing while you’re waiting to have it fixed?”

Roarke contemplated the pale gold ceiling. “Such a simple, if moralistic, phrase now thoroughly destroyed.”

“Thanks,” she said as she rose.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You were Satan’s mouthpiece.”

“Devil’s advocate.”

“That is the same thing.”

In fact, that is what JD Robb (Nora Roberts) does so very well—portray characters, emotions and dialogue that feel real. I’ll always find myself with tears in my eyes at least once or twice when reading one of her books just as I regularly laugh out loud. If anything, Brotherhood in Death was a more emotional read than previous In Death books have been. The case Eve Dallas has to investigate is ugly and brings back memories of her own traumatic childhood. I don’t want to say more about it than you can find in the blurb except to say that what you read there is only the tip of the iceberg. The crimes in this book were such that I could almost excuse the murderers and had no sympathy for their victims. And that made this a harder, more heart wrenching, book to read. It also means this story will stay with me for some time to come.

I have to take my hat off and salute J.D. Robb. She found the perfect balance between an enchanting, consistently exciting romance and a thrilling, at times heartbreaking mystery. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and grinned—in other words, I loved this book.