Rating: 1 / 5 stars
The latest entry in the In Death series is the least memorable one in a while. This book’s case is the murder of someone readers met in a previous installment: Larinda Mars. Some digging by Lieutenant Eve Dallas reveals that Mars had spent years blackmailing people just because she liked it.
Spoilers below the cut.
Rating: 2 / 5 stars
The 55th entry in the In Death series brings nothing new. Lieutenant Eve Dallas and billionaire husband Roarke stumble upon a naked woman while on the drive home from a social event. They track her address and discover the woman’s dead husband. Dallas works the case to capture a man who uses makeup and costume to give his victims the idea that he is a demon when he attacks them.
After fifty-five books, the series has become stale. Within the first couple interviews between Dallas and her suspects, I was able to correctly predict who the killer was. There was no significant character or overarching plot development. I surmise the only ones enjoying the latest entry are people who enjoy the consistent and unchanging elements in every book. The In Death series is dependable, in its own way. But for those craving an exciting detective mystery/suspense, I suggest looking elsewhere.
Rating: 3 / 5 stars
When I first fell in love with Nora Roberts/JD Robb, I was a completely different person. The last few books I’ve read (JD Robb only, I’m already done with her regular books), I’ve been pretty bored. All white, all hetero, all cis cast of characters? I have almost zero interest in them these days. And the series has been going on so long that the little quirks about the characters that I used to be amused by, I am now annoyed by (or that might be due to how I’ve changed as a person). I can see why she’s able to churn out so many books every year. These JD Robb books feel like copy and paste versions of each other. All very predictable.
This book in particular felt like a two-part Law & Order SVU episode. The scenes with Dennis Mira were intriguing but the rest of it was S.O.S – same old shit. I’m glad I checked the book out from the library instead of buying it.
Originally published on BookLikes on March 12, 2016.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
Just want to clarify that the way I review – I don’t really give summaries, since you can just click on the book and see what’s written in the description – I prefer to write about my reaction to the story.
In this case – I was pretty bored. I was interested in the beginning but it dragged on so long I just got bored and start skimming. But the scene of catching the bad guy was pretty good.
All in all, a very average book in the series. Nothing particularly interesting (little to no personal stuff, mostly case work) but nothing so boring that I didn’t want to finish.
Moving straight into Devoted in Death, the next book in the series.
Originally published on BookLikes on November 12, 2015.
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
The latest installment in the length In Death series written by Nora Roberts (under the penname J.D. Robb) is an intriguing twist on the usual path the books take. This time, Lt. Dallas and her team know who exactly they’re after – they just need to find him before more bodies pile up. Because of this, Robb dedicates quite a few chapters so the reader finds out how the killer, well, kills. Most of the other In Death books don’t do this at all. Reunion in Death and Creation in Death are the ones that spring to mind immediately that follow the killer’s path.
The book also delivers a bigger dose of Dallas and husband Roarke’s personal life than previous installments. As it’s Thanksgiving, Roarke’s Irish family is once again visiting (the last Thanksgiving was Origin in Death) and along with them is Nixie, the sole survivor of the murders in Survivor in Death who looks up to Eve as hero (and as a result, some humorous and emotional interactions happen between the two). Alongside this is some interesting police-related yet personal matters show up for Dallas and Roarke. For their brilliant life-saving work in Delusion in Death the two are to receive medals (the ceremony is in the book, thankfully, with a speech by Roarke and Dallas individually) and a neat surprise for Dallas, which I won’t spoil. Of course, it’s not all rose petals and sunshine on the personal side, there’s a rather spectacular fight and make-up written in.
Personally, I always favor the personal side more than the police work. After all, the series is about Dallas growing as a person and a cop after meeting the love of her life and finally, after thirty years, letting more than one or two people into her life. As such I like it a lot more than the last books between New York To Dallas and this one.
Originally published on BookLikes on September 29, 2013.
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