Tag: In Death

Throwback Thursday Review: Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb

Posted February 13, 2020 by Holly in Reviews | 6 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: Fantasy in Death by J.D. RobbReviewer: Holly
Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb
Series: In Death #30
Also in this series: Creation in Death, Strangers in Death, Suite 606, Salvation in Death, Kindred In Death, Naked in Death, Glory in Death, The Lost, Rapture in Death, Immortal in Death, New York to Dallas, Celebrity in Death, Brotherhood in Death
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: February 23rd 2010
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world—to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king—in his company’s latest top-secret project, Fantastical.
The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game...

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a problem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks—as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U-Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death...

*** Every Thursday, we’ll be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books. Enjoy! ***

This review was originally posted on February 22, 2010.

The last few In Death books have kind of been off for me. It isn’t that I didn’t enjoy them, it’s just that I didn’t enjoy them as much as I expected to given the previous 5 billion books in the series. I went into this book with some trepidation because of that.

I really enjoyed Eve’s case. A young entrepreneur is found decapitated inside his locked holo room. Security indicates he was the only one inside the room, and in fact his whole apartment. Investigation shows the weapon to be a broadsword. Eve knows it takes two to murder..one to do the killing and one to die. Since he didn’t cut his own head off, there hasn’t be a missing factor.

Some cases are better developed than others, and some are just more interesting to me personally. I’m not sure if this falls into the former, but it definitely falls into the latter. I was truly interested in seeing Eve puzzle her way through the case. It wasn’t long before I figured out who the killer was – it generally doesn’t take me long – but that wasn’t the appeal of this case anyway. It wasn’t the who, but the why and, more intriguing, the how.

As for Eve and Roarke’s relationship, I wasn’t as impressed. After taking a minute to reflect on the overall relationship arc, I’ve decided that’s to be expected. That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m happy about it, but I am going to work on being more forgiving. They had a couple arguments, but they seemed kind of contrived.

The focus in this book was more on the case than the personal relationships, but most of our favorites made appearances or were mentioned. There is quite a bit of humor in this book. Eve is still battling it out with the Candy Thief, which always cracks me up. But Roarke is what killed me in this scene:

She took a tool from her desk, then squatted in front of her recycler. After a few twists, she removed the facing and pulled an evidence bag from the back.

“Your guile and wit contest causes you to keep candy in the recycler, with the trash?”

“It’s sealed.” She broke the seal with a little pop and whoosh to prove it, then took out one of the three chocolate bars. She tossed it to him, then bagged the remaining two with a fresh seal before hiding them again. She glanced back to see him studying the candy.

“If you’re going to be so dainty give it back.”

“There was a time I rooted through alley garbage for food, without a thought. Things change.” He unwrapped the candy, took a bite. “But apparently not that much.”

Not only is this particular quote hilarious, but the scene it comes from shows some vulnerability in Roarke, and Eve’s way of taking care of him. Relationships and how they work is one of the underlying themes of the book. Eve puzzles over the various relationships in her life throughout.

Another example is Eve’s relationship with Peabody. Peabody and McNab have to go to a gaming conference and Peabody brings a gift back for Eve. It just illustrates how well they know each other (and offered the added bonus of amusing me):

“What is it?”

“It’s a toy gun. A derringer – like cardshaprs and saloon girls carry in western vids. It’s like a clutch piece.”

“Hmmm.”

“And check it.” Peabody cocked it, and a sultry female voice purred out of the barrel. Put those hands where I can see them, cowboy.

“It has all sorts of audio streams- male, female. I figured you’d want the female. Plus -”

She aimed it at Eve, pulled the trigger even as Eve said: “Hey!”

The little gun let out a brave little bang. Next one goes lower, and you won’t be poking a woman with that stick of yours for the rest of your miserable life.

“Isn’t it cute? You could play saloon girl and Roarke could be high-stakes gambler, then…and that’s entirely none of my nevermind.” Peabody offered a big smile.

“Yeah, it’s cute, no, it’s none of your nevermind.” Eve took the derringer, recocked it. You’d better hightail it before that tail’s sporting another hole.

“It could use better dialogue, but it’s apt enough. Hightail it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Peabody? Thanks.”

Eve studied the gun, shook her head. Unable to resist, she shot her computer, her AutoChef, amused by the lame insults that followed.

That was another thing about partners, she decided. They knew what would make you laugh, often before you did.

And just because I love Peabody’s crush on Roarke (this comes from later in the book):

“Roarke might be late. He’s working on something for me.”

“Wouldn’t mind if he worked on something for me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hmm? Oh, just talking to myself,” Peabody sang. “You know how it is.”

Eve strolled over, clipped the back of Peabody’s head with the flat of her hand.

“Ow.”

“Oh, sorry, just an involuntary reflex. You know how it is.”

There is an inconsistency I found. Eve is telling Roarke about the first time she took a life as a police officer, as it segued into how she murdered her father. She’s talking about how she felt when she killed him (her father) and she says:

She let out a breath. “I’m the one who aimed and fired. Fifteen years between. It took me that long to be sure, absolutely sure, I wouldn’t feel that excitement, or that guilt, or that hardening when I had to take another life.”

But until Eve met Roarke, she didn’t remember having killed her father. So this didn’t ring true for me. There was also some inconsistency in the language. Some of the things sounded more modern-day and weren’t in keeping with the time period and the way Robb has written prior books. For example:

[…] She pushed in, slamming her fist in his face. Blood erupted from his nose.
“That’s how we do it in New York!”

Although a good line, this isn’t how Eve normally talks. It kind of pulled me out of the story, because I can’t imagine her saying it.

Still, I enjoyed the book. As Casee noted awhile back it seems like some books focus on the personal relationships and some focus on the cases. This book falls into the latter category.

3.75 out of 5

See a full list of the series here.

This book is available from Putnam. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars


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Sunday Spotlight: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Posted January 22, 2017 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 4 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be  raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Sunday Spotlight

Naked in Death is the first book in Nora Roberts’ In Death series. It’s the beginning of Eve and Roarke. Roarke and Eve. Oh how I love these two. Naked is the foundation of Eve and Roarke’s relationship. This is where it starts. This is where it grows from. Rereading it, I was reminded about every reason that I adore this series.

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death
Also in this Series: For a full list, go here.
Genres: Futuristic, Romantic Suspense, Mystery
Release Date: July 1, 1995
Publisher: Berkley

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.

Order the Book:

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || KOBO

Excerpt

This is the first time Eve and Roarke laid eyes on each other. Swoon.

He was alone. There were other lines in the pew with him, but Eve recognized the solitary quality that surrounded him. There could have been ten thousand in the building, and he would have remained aloof from them. His striking face gave away nothing: no guilt, no grief, no interest. He might have been watching a mildly inferior play. Eve could think of no better description for a funeral. More than one head turned in his direction for a quick study or, in the case of a shapely brunette, a not so subtle flirtation. Roarke responded to both the same way: he ignored them. At first study, she would have judged him as cold, an icy fortress of a man who guarded himself against any and all. But there must have been heat. It took more discipline and intelligence to rise so high so young. It took ambition, and to Eve’s mind, ambition was a flammable fuel. He looked straight ahead as the dirge swelled, then without warning, he turned his head, looked five pews back across the aisle and directly into Eve’s eyes. It was surprise that had her fighting not to fold at that sudden and unexpected punch of power. It was will that kept her from blinking or shifting her gaze. For one humming minute they started at each other. Then there was movement, and mourners came between them as they left the church. When Ee stepped into the aisle to search him out again, he was gone.

Even though Eve fought it, fought him, she couldn’t make Roarke go away.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For whatever’s upset you.”

Except for that one flush of temper, she’d been pale when she’d come into the apartment. But her cheeks were colorless now, her eyes too dark. When he started toward her, she shook her head once, fiercely.

“Go away, Roarke.”

“Going away’s easy. Too easy.”

Very deliberately, he put his arms around her, felt her stiffen.

“Would it matter, really matter to anyone but you, if you took one minute to let go?”

She shook her head again, but this time there was weariness in the gesture. He heard the sigh escape, and taking advantage, he drew her closer.

“You can’t tell me?”

“No.”

He nodded, but his eyes flashed with impatience. He knew better; it shouldn’t matter to him. She shouldn’t. But too much about her mattered. “Someone else then,” he murmured.

“There is no one else.”

Then there is Mavis. How can you not love Mavis?

“I slept with him,” Eve blurted out, and Mavis responded with a fit of helpless choking.

“You–Roarke.” Eyes watering, she reached for more tissue. “Jesus, Eve. Jesus Christ, you never sleep with anybody. And you’re telling me you slept with Roarke?”

“That’s not precisely accurate. We didn’t sleep.”

Mavis let out a moan.

There are just so many wonderful things about this series and they all started with this book. If you haven’t read the series, give this a try and you will love it!

In Death

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About the Author

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

With a phenomenal career full of bestsellers, Nora Roberts was ready for a new writing challenge. As her agent put it, like Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and caffeine-free Pepsi, a pseudonym offered her the opportunity to reach a new and different group of readers. The first futuristic suspense J. D. Robb book, Naked in Death, was published in paperback in 1995, and readers were immediately drawn to Eve Dallas, a tough cop with a dark past, and her even more mysterious love interest, Roarke.

The series quickly gained attention, great reviews, and devoted readers. Since the debut of Loyalty in Death (the ninth In Death book) on Halloween 1999 on the New York Times bestseller list, every J. D. Robb title has been a New York Times bestseller. While fans had their suspicions, it wasn’t until the twelfth book in the series, Betrayal in Death (2001), that the publisher fully revealed that J. D. Robb was a pseudonym for bestselling powerhouse Nora Roberts. Unmasked, Nora Roberts fans who hadn’t yet picked up one of the Robb books were quickly playing catch-up.

Robb’s peers in the mystery world are fans as well, with accolades for the In Death series from such blockbuster authors as Stephen King, Jonathan Kellerman, Dennis Lehane, Kathy Reichs, Lisa Scottoline, Janet Evanovich, David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, Robert B. Parker, Ridley Pearson, Linda Fairstein, and Andrew Gross.

The In Death books are perpetual bestsellers, and frequently share the bestseller list with other Nora Roberts novels. J. D. Robb publishes two hardcover In Death books per year, with the occasional stand-alone original In Death story featured in an anthology.

Forty books later, there is no end in sight for the ever-popular In Death series.


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Review: Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

Posted March 30, 2016 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Brotherhood in Death by J.D. RobbReviewer: Casee
Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb
Series: In Death #42
Also in this series: Creation in Death, Strangers in Death, Suite 606, Salvation in Death, Kindred In Death, Naked in Death, Glory in Death, The Lost, Rapture in Death, Immortal in Death, New York to Dallas, Celebrity in Death, Fantasy in Death

Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

JUSTICE IS SERVED.

Edward Mira is a powerful man, with a lot of enemies. But when the former senator is violently abducted, Lieutenant Eve Dallas suspects his kidnap is more personal than political. Someone is seeking justice; the bloodier the better.

Edward's cousin Dennis was injured during the abduction - and that makes things very personal for Eve and her husband Roarke. Dennis is a beloved friend, married to NYPSD's top profiler Charlotte Mira.

But as Eve delves deeper into the case, dark secrets emerge that could tear the family apart. Edward Mira has friends in high places - and they all seem to be hiding something. As her investigation takes a shocking turn, Eve finds that not all victims are innocent, and that some bonds are forged not in friendship, but in blood.

Brotherhood in Death wasn’t what I was expecting, yet it made complete sense by the middle of the book.

Dennis Mira and his cousin, Edward Mira, are in a dispute over their grandparents house. Dennis made a promise that the house would never be sold. Edward on the other hand is doing everything he can to sell the house. When Dennis heard that Edward was meeting a Realtor, he headed to the house immediately. When he got there, he heard arguing. When he called out, the arguing stopped. After entering the house, Dennis goes into the study and sees Edward badly beaten. When he goes to help, Dennis is knocked in the back on the head, sending him into unconsciousness.

When he awakens, Edward is gone and he has a hole in the back of his head. He immediately calls his wife who is none other than Dr. Mira (if you read this series and don’t know Dr. Mira, you must live under a rock). Dr. Mira immediately calls Eve even though it’s a missing person case instead of a murder.

Eve is sure that Edward Mira will turn up dead within 24 hours and it turns out she’s not wrong.Tortured beyond belief. It doesn’t take Eve long to put the pieces together, including the fact that at least two women are responsible for his brutal torture. The only question is why? When another, then another ends up as dead Senator Mira, Eve is finally slapped in the face when what the women are doing and why. You’ll have to read the book yourself 😉

I love the In Death series. Eve and Roarke are one of my favorite romance couples. I especially like when they fight, which is sick, I know. But how do you go through a marriage with no bumps along the way? I like reading about the bumps Eve and Roarke go through because they always fall back on logic. As an illogical person, it’s something that’s fascinating to read. Even after years of being married to Roarke, Eve still doesn’t understand the rules of marriage. The give and take. It’s not because she doesn’t try, she just doesn’t know.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

four-stars


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Review: Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb (spoilers abound)

Posted May 18, 2015 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

obsession in death
Casee‘s review of Obsession in Death (In Death Series #40) by J.D. Robb.

Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She—and her billionaire husband—are getting accustomed to being objects of attention, of gossip, of speculation.

But now Eve has become the object of one person’s obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her—again and again…

With a murderer reading meanings into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate—and dangerous—psychological dance. And Eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her “true and loyal friend.” And in time, idols always fall…

Don’t get me wrong, I love the In Death series. However, it was nice to see a book that affected Eve in a personal way. This wasn’t a tidy case that she could wrap up with her team. This was someone that was killing in her name, someone that somehow thought they were righting the wrongs for Eve. As usual, Eve tried to take her normal approach. She was looking for a killer. Her friends wouldn’t have that.

First, there was Roarke who wouldn’t let her push it away. There was a killer out that that had focused on Eve in a bizarre way, but that could turn on her at any moment. Peabody and Dr. Mira agree. Eve is not used to worrying about the safety of Roarke and her friends. I loved that there was more emotion than just a mystery that Eve solving a case with her civilian consultant, Roarke. Eve and Roarke have to work closer. Even her team in Homicide may be targets. Eve is on high alert and protecting everyone she loves is almost all she can think about.

Eve has not given her stalker the accolades they need from Eve and they are devastated. It wasn’t until the person attempts to attack their third victim that they get their first break. The stalker thought the person was home alone, but didn’t know that he was in a relationship that they were both trying to keep quiet for the moment. Though she stunned the man, the woman came after the person with a wine bottle. Hurt and panicked, the person retreated. After the stunned victim (a photographer) was stable, he told Eve that he’s not looking for a man, but a woman.

Eve and her team is still stumped because Eve knows that no one has been following her. The people that were killed insulted or came after her up to three years prior. Eve is at a loss. And she is never at a loss. There are just too many suspects. The only thing her and Peabody are starting to come around to is that the person they are looking for is possibly in law enforcement or previous law enforcement. Which still doesn’t whittle down the list much. Eve still isn’t afraid for herself. She’s afraid of the people she cares about. It makes her realize how many relationships she’s cultivated ever since she met and married Roarke. She was once alone, except for Mavis. Now she has all these other people that she has to protect. She’s baffled by how that happened. Reading how it goes through her head is pretty amusing.

It takes more work than usual, but they finally nail it down to one person. By this time, she has decided that she and Eve can be together forever. The climax of this book is fantastic. You could all but feel the tension and terror from the people outside of Homicide (I probably gave it away already). Eve, as usual saves the day, but this was the best save ever!

4.5 out of 5

Reading Order (Holy freaking cow!):

This book was published by G.P. Putnam and Sons. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Lightning Review: Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

Posted May 8, 2012 by Holly in Reviews | 4 Comments

Lightning Review: Celebrity in Death by J.D. RobbReviewer: Holly
Celebrity in Death by J. D. Robb
Series: In Death #34
Also in this series: Creation in Death, Strangers in Death, Suite 606, Salvation in Death, Kindred In Death, Naked in Death, Glory in Death, The Lost, Rapture in Death, Immortal in Death, New York to Dallas, Brotherhood in Death, Fantasy in Death
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: February 21st 2012
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

#1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb knows that some roles are to die for…
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It’s a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks as though she could be her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody—drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.
Talented but rude and widely disliked, K.T. Harris made an embarrassing scene during dinner. Now she’s at the center of a crime scene—and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster to step into the role she was born to play: cop.

Eve and Roarke are at a party celebrating the release of The Icove Agenda, a movie based on the case Eve and Peabody solved in Origin in Death. Eve isn’t excited to be there, but the blooper reel they showed was enough to keep her entertained..until the party is interrupted by murder. The actress cast to play Peabody is found murdered. The problem? The list of suspects is pretty much confined to those at the party. Since no one seemed to like her, narrowing it down isn’t easy.

I really enjoyed this installment. My favorite books are the ones where Eve and Roarke are at odds, and though that wasn’t the case here I found the case interesting and the usual cast of characters engaging. There was quite a bit of humor laced throughout, more than in some of the later releases. It was a nice change of pace. The whodunit was pretty easy to figure out but I enjoy watching Eve puzzle her way through the evidence.

I have to give J.D. Robb credit. Even after 34 books this series is engaging. There are times I get frustrated with it, sure, but I can’t deny the readability of each book.

4 out of 5

See the full series list here.

This book is available from Putnam. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars


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