Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb | Book Review

Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #5
First Published: 1997
Paperback
Adult, Mystery
Rating:

Conducting a top secret investigation into the death of a fellow police officer has Lieutenant Eve Dallas treading on dangerous ground. She must put professional ethics before personal loyalties. But when a dead body is placed outside her home, Eve takes the warnning personally. With her husband, Roarke, watching her every move, Eve is drawn into the most dangerous case of her career. Every step she takes makes her question her own beliefs of right and wrong--and brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil...

I swear, J.D. Robb keeps getting better!

This time the investigation centers around Wicca and Witchcraft, sprinkling the already wonderful mix of action, suspense and romance with a dash of fantasy; ensuring that everyone can find something to enjoy in the latest installment in Eve & Roake's lives.

I love watching how, with every case, Eve trusts Roarke more. This time, she openly makes use of his abilities as she can't use her department's. Eve just keeps evolving, and I love her so much! That's not to say I wasn't annoyed with her in this installment. I kept shouting at her to listen to what her heart tells her - but she just wouldn't do it! Damn it, woman!

Roarke is a dream boat as always, and this eye-candy multimillionaire just got a whole lot more interesting when we learn he believes in magic. I swear, the guy gets more enticing with each read. Where is my own flesh-and-blood Roarke?!

Feeney kind of broke my heart in this one. The friendly geek mentor is grieving, and Eve is forbidden from bringing him on the case. That creates a bit of tension. And what I mean by that is that I was about to cry. For him and Eve and the whole messed up situation. I was being gutted from the inside!!

And the villain? I don't think you can shout messed up loud enough to convoy the right level of messed up. This time, Robb didn't even try to hide the killers, going as far as to show parts of their pov. *shudders*

Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb | Book Review

Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #4
First Published: 1996
Paperback
Adult, Mystery
Rating:

When the autopsies of three suspicious suicides reveal small burns on the brains of the victims, Eve's investigation turns to the provocative world of virtual reality games--where the same techniques used to create joy and desire could also prompt the mind to become the weapon of its own destruction. J.D. Robb is the pseudonym of author Nora Roberts.

With every book that I read, the In Death series seems to be getting better. Maybe I'm watching the growth of Robb as a writer in front of my very eyes. Maybe it's the characters developing. But whatever the reason, Rapture in Death is my favorite of the series so far, but something tells me it might not stay there for long--maybe not even as far as the next book.

We left Eve and Roarke finally married, and what comes after a wedding? a honeymoon! Only, a power couple like Eve and Roarke can't possibly have a normal honeymoon. Nope, their honeymoon has to end with a murder looking like a suicide.

Yikes.

If you don't know these books and are a bit confused, Eve is a tough homicide detective in 2058 New York whose sole mission in life is to bring justice to those who have been robbed of theirד. Her other half, Roarke, is the guy who owns half of this futuristic world. The guy who's picture you'd see in the dictionary underneath multi-billionaire. The guy who is the definition of wicked, smart and sizzling.

And if you're ever in search of a brilliant, sustaining, steady romance in books - this couple will always be at the top of my list.

The strongest part of this book was seeing the growth in Eve. She finally shows fear; both ordinary fears and emotional ones. That's a far cry from the detective we met in Naked in Death, who would've never even dreamed of letting someone else see her afraid.

Then there was the fact she finally trusts Roarke and his magical hands enough to go against procedures and the rules in exchange for a faster result. That is yet another thing she would've never done before.

But Eve isn't the only one developing - Roarke is, as well. We got to see a lot more of him and his past in this book, and we encountered his cruel and cold side when someone does something he can't forgive. Call me twisted or crazy, but I loved that side of him in this context. Sometime, a little evil is warranted.

And while this book deals with horrific murders, it never failed to make me laugh. I love that about J.D. Robb. The power to take something heavy and, without taking from it, make it into something a person can smile from is rare and valuable.

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb | Book Review

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #2

First Published: 1995

Paperback

Adult, Mystery

Rating:

It is 2058, New York City. In a world where technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion-in the heart.
Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second is murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects -- including her own lover, Roarke.

While Glory in Death is the second book in the fantastic In Death series, it is the first I'm writing a review for. Because, reasons.

“In their eyes, Eve saw the wolf gleam. The story was the prey, ratings the trophy.”

The story is set in 2058 - but even in the future, with all the gadgets and advanced knowledge, murder happens, and it's Eve Dallas's job to figure out by whom and bring them to justice. Eve is a strong, dedicated woman who is constantly hard on herself. She takes it on herself to protect and serve those who have been robbed of their life and can no longer be heard.

She is such an inspirational, human character! But she can be a bit hard to deal with on a personal level.

Luckily for her, her soulmate is the powerful, dangerously sexy, multimillionaire, Roarke, who pretty much sees into her soul, and is willing to do anything to make her his in every way, shape or form. He challenges her and makes it his job to take care of Eve when she's too consumed by the dead.

Roarke is seriously one of my biggest book crushes ever. I want one of him.

The romance between these two is not a fairy-tale romance--because it's not perfect, but it's completely real. It has it's ups and downs but ultimately, you never once question the rightness of these two. That they're meant to be. You root for them even when you know it's not necessary because there is just no way there will ever be anyone else for them. No one less demanding could force himself into Eve's heart, and no one less good will be able to convince Roarke to change his path to a more lawful one.

A le sigh.

The only "lacking" part of this story was the murderer. As this is a mystery novel, the frame plot revolves around these atrocious murders. But the villain was easy to spot from the moment he walked onto the page because he was just so suspicious. And he pissed me off big time. 

So, thank you J.D. Robb. I felt very satisfied with what happened to him, in an evil, wicked kind of way *slow clap*

For a noticeable scene from Glory in Death, click HERE!