|
|
| |
Book ReviewsVengeance in Death (In Death (Paperback)) |
|
|
Book: Vengeance in Death (In Death (Paperback))
Written by: J. D. Robb Nora Roberts |
Publisher: Berkley
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5
|
|
First One to Fool Me!
Rating:
4 / 5
Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb is the fifth book in this "In Death" series by this author who is the alter ego of Nora Roberts. This pseudonym is only used for her futuristic series (don't let that genre fool you - these books are fantastic, even if you don't usually like science fiction type stories!)
It seems that each of the books in this series so far has the murders involving Eve Dallas' lover/husband, Roarke, in some form or another and this one is no different. If you've read these from the first book, Naked in Death, then you've followed the relationship evolution between the two strong main characters and you've been given a glimpse of each of their pasts. Vengeance in Death explores, in greater detail, Roarke's past and that of his butler, Summerset.
A killer is loose and he's killing men with Irish links; unfortunately, that Irish link is Roarke and his past crimes. Summerset's daughter, Marlena, had been brutally murdered in Dublin, Ireland many years before and Roarke avenged her death by killing the six men responsible. Now it seems that someone is killing Roarke's informants from the past. It's Eve Dallas' job as primary homicide detective in the cases to find out who this mad man is and stop him before another victim is found.
Sounds like a typical "who dun it?" type book right? Well with J.D. Robb, you can always expect to find a bit more intrigue, romance and humor thrown into the plot. The added character of Ian McNibb (Electronic Detective Division Wonder-boy) is a pure stroke of genius. And the undertones of a romantic entanglement between McNibb and Officer Delia Peabody (Dallas' able assistant) leaves the reader wanting more and not being able to wait to read the next book to find out if these two actually do get together.
One of my favorite support characters, Mavis, is missing from this book - actually, she makes a very brief appearance, and that leaves a bit of fun out of the story line. But don't worry - the other colorful characters are all there - Commander Whitney, Police Chief Tibble, Summerset, Peabody, Dr. Mira, and of course Eve and Roarke.
The identity of the killer wasn't predictable this time, and actually had me guessing up to the end of the book. The clues as to his identity were few and far between, but the outcome made sense once everything was in the open.
Vengeance in Death is more sound writing from J.D. Robb and her versions of the future are impressive. I want a turbo car that can go from New York City to New Los Angeles in three hours just as they have in this book! (With gas prices the way they are now, I'm wondering what kind of gas and gas mileage they're getting in the future!) It will be interesting to see if the world is any closer to these creations in the year 2058 - only 57 more years to go and we'll see! But I'm first in line for one of those AutoChef inventions that cooks your meal upon voice command - no cooking, no cleaning - ah, paradise!
Vengeance in Death isn't the best book in the series that I've read, but it is still excellent.
"The name of the little riddle is Revenge"
Rating:
5 / 5
The previous book in the series was good but left me with a somewhat bitter taste. The reason was the J.D. Robb plunged into the unnatural events genre alla Laurell K. Hamilton. Since I enjoy the work by both authors, I would rather see each one of them write about that which they "know" best. This is why I was pleasantly surprised when in this book I found no references to events outside the boundaries of the futuristic world of 2058.
Finally, the year 2058 is coming to an end, and it is unbelievable how much has happened in just a few months: Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke meeting and getting married, Eve remembering crucial events from her childhood, Mavis seeing her career surging forward, and many others. The current case involves a serial killer that punishes people that have strayed from the path of the Lord. The first victim Eve finds was not only killed, but also tortured savagely. To complicate matters further, the victim is an old friend of Roarke, from his time in Ireland, when Eve's husband was involved in certain activities that would not be appreciated by Eve.
In the case of the second victim, the killer's intentions become a little clearer, since he calls Eve and gives her a clue useful for finding the victim before the time of death. So now it is personal, since the killer wants Eve as an opponent and the second victim is also a friend of Roarke. The relationship between Eve and Roarke is put to the test, since Roarke's secrets from his past may aid Eve in the investigation, but these secrets make him criminally liable. Is Eve more concerned about justice than about keeping her husband? Things really heat up when Sommerset, Roarke's faithful servant, becomes a suspect in the investigation.
The quality picks up considerably compared to "Ceremony in Death", with Robb focusing on what she does best and also limiting the passionate scenes to more reasonable levels. These had gotten a little bit out of hand in previous works in terms of their frequency and lack of variation in their development. Now the author creates a much better balance, presenting the scenes for those that crave them, but not repeating them so much so as to make the book a little boring. Hopefully, the quality of the series will remain at this level until the end.
The best stories in a long time
Rating:
5 / 5
Nora Roberts/J.D Robb writes the most amazing stories I have read in a long time!! When I'm reading one of her stories I feel like I'm actually seeing the characters come alive on the pages. Her Roarke character is the best. He doesn't let anyone push him around including his wife. I love the way her male characters come out in her books, rough around the edges, bossy, demanding, want things done their way, and just a little rough with their women. Keep the stories of Roarke and Eve coming! I have everyone of her books on these two and I can't wait for the next one!!
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|