Strangers in Death (In Death) | J.D. Robb | Another enjoyable addition to the "in Death" series

Strangers in Death (In Death) | J.D. Robb | Robb is Back On

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Strangers in Death...

	Strangers in Death (In Death) J.D. Robb Putnam Adult, 2008 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 80 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Another enjoyable addition to the "in Death" series

To any newcomers to the "in Death" series: you will enjoy this book even if you haven't read any of the preceding books in the series, but you won't enjoy it quite as much as if you had. The authors of long-running series have a balancing act between giving enough history of the characters for new readers to be up to speed and so much repetition that long-time fans get bored. This book is more on the long-term fan end of the scale. There has been a lot of character history and developing relationships over the course of the series that J.D. Robb does not repeat in this book. The book definitely stands on it own; but it is richer in texture and nuance if the reader knows how the characters got where they are. This is especially true because the book contrasts Eve Dallas with another woman who married a wealthy man. The plot devices Robb uses to compare the women's attitudes toward money aren't as good as having read the history of Eve coming to grips with Roarke's money in the prior books.

Another caution: if you like the "whodoneit" part of the mystery the best, you will be disappointed. Unlike nearly all of the prior books where Eve Dallas is tracking an unknown killer, in this one she sets her sights on a suspect fairly early. The mystery is in finding the evidence to prove her theory. I found this an interesting and enjoyable change of pace.

My only disappointment is that over the life of the series, Eve and Roarke have developed relationships with an increasing number of interesting side characters and not all of them made appearances in this book. Even without some of my favorite side characters, I really enjoyed this book.

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Robb is Back On

Doing a 180 after the last lackluster Eve Dallas mystery, Robb takes us back to New York 2060 when Eve tags a new case. Thomas A. Anders, the sportswear king, is found dead in his bed, naked and apparently in the throes of something pretty kinky when he died. Something about the scene is off, however. Anders was drugged up to his eyeballs and passed out cold when he choked to death, and the security disks show that his killer left the scene well before he died. Eve's investigation doesn't turn up any motive to murder Thomas Anders...except money.

Anders left two beneficiaries, a widow and a nephew he raised as a son. Benedict Forest stands to gain control of his uncle's company, but his affection for the dead man seems sincere and Eve bumps him off the suspect list rather quickly. The widow, Ava Anders, catches Eve's eye right off the bat, appearing just a little too polished and put together for someone who should be devastated by shock and grief. When Eve finally gets some people to admit they don't like the widow Anders, and actually find her to be quite self-centered and cold, Eve starts doing some serious digging, determined to get to the bottom of things and put her away. What she uncovers is a carefully masterminded plot that took years to execute, but she has to be careful how she investigates because her top suspect is chummy with the wife of the chief of police, and the media is all over the case because of the lurid sex angle.

This book brought back several popular elements of this much-loved series, giving the side characters a few more scenes and lines. And, as Eve's suspect was a client of her high-class prostitute friend Charles Monroe, Charles and his love interest Louise had a decent chunk of the story. The only thing missing in this book was restraint. There were a few aspects to the killer that went over the top when the story would have seemed more believable had not absolutely every opportunity for an evil deed been exploited. Some things should have been left to chance, leading an opportunist to make a fatal decision at a fork in the road, thus bringing about subsequent events and actions, rather than a rotten apple seamlessly ingratiating itself with decent people and scheming and plotting for over a decade. It rang false the way it played when just a little restraint would have made the story more believable and interesting. I'm tired of Eve chasing serial killers, and unraveling the progression of a character from simply selfish to manipulative and downright murderous in order to get what they want would be a refreshing change from Eve's typical sick, heartless monster.

Though this book opened Eve and Roarke's lives again, Eve and Roarke could stand a few hobbies. Whereas in the past, Roarke would occasionally take Eve on a vacation or the two of them would go out to dinner or attend social functions, of late they seem to have abandoned all pursuits but Eve's work, save an occasional romp in the pool. I make these complaints because I hold this series to the highest of standards, and since there have been over 30 stories between the books and short stories, the everyday lives of the characters are important. Their lives have all progressed since the first novel, so it is disappointing when the main characters seem to regress.

In all, this was a satisfying mystery for anyone, and a return to what we love for longtime JD Robb fans. The series is still going strong, and the author has the talent to keep it fresh and fun, so I expect it will stay that way, despite an occasional complaint.

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Stranger in Death

Good book. I love the Eve Dallas series and will read any of J.D. Robb's books.

Back to Good!!!

The last few J.D. Robb books haven't been all that great (including the novellas), but this one was really good! The only downside was that McNab wasn't there for very long. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted a good futuristic procedural, even though Loyalty in Death is still my favorite of this series.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, page 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

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