Betrayal in Death (In Death 12) [Paperback]

Nora Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2004 | Series: In Death 12

However the act of murder was committed, in cold blood or hot, Eve Dallas was sworn to pursue it to its root. And serve the dead.' At the luxurious Roarke Palace Hotel, a maid walks into suite 4602 for the nightly turndown - and steps into her worst nightmare. A killer leaves her dead, strangled by a thin, silver wire. He's Sly Yost, a virtuoso of music and murder; a hit man for the elite. Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows him well. But in this twisted case, knowing the killer doesn't help solve the crime. Because there's someone else involved. Someone with a very personal motive. And Eve must face a terrifying possibility that the real target may, in fact, be her husband, Roarke

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

J.D. Robb fans are fanatical about New York City supercop Eve Dallas and her mysterious billionaire husband Roarke. Robb's futuristic (circa 2059) ...In Death series wages a two-front narrative war (the battle of good and evil and the battle of the sexes) and both author and readers come out winners.

When Darlene French, a maid at the Roarke Palace Hotel, is brutally beaten, raped, and strangled with a silver wire, Eve is at a loss to explain the apparently professional nature of the murder. Who would hire a hit man to kill such an ordinary woman? As she and her team of detectives (with a little grudgingly accepted help from Roarke, whose money, name, and talents can dig up a wealth of information) investigate the evidence, they find themselves in pursuit of Sylvester Yost, a vicious hired gun who's made millions in his bloody pursuit of career excellence. But it isn't until more victims appear that Eve realizes Yost's real target is Roarke himself. To discover the driving force behind the murderous campaign, Eve and Roarke will have to delve into their own pasts, which holds secrets and terrors for them both.

Robb is the nom de plume of romance writer Nora Roberts, and this series certainly delivers the same sexually charged tension and improbably gorgeous characters as Roberts's extremely popular romances. But even those readers, who generally try to steer clear of heaving bosoms and ripped bodices, will have little to fear and much to appreciate in Betrayal in Death. Eve and Roarke are impressive physical specimens, but they're also witty, gritty, and often antagonistic, irritably staking out their territories and reluctantly collaborating in the crimes that come their way (think Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in Moonlighting, or Nick and Nora Charles on steroids and in a mood). Add in Robb's surprisingly light touch with humor, and the 13th installment in the series is a lucky find indeed. --Kelly Flynn --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

This 12th installment in Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) popular and critically praised futuristic cop series, set in the year 2059, finds Lt. Eve Dallas butting heads with the FBI in a race to take down a hired killer who appears to be targeting the employees of her wealthy hotelier husband, Roarke. Adding to Eve's suspicions is the sudden and unexpected visit by one of Roarke's boyhood chums from Dublin a shady character named Mick Connelly who used to run with Roarke when they were petty thieves and con men shortly after the first murder. Eve knows Mick is not the killer; in fact, she's tussled with the prime suspect, Sly Yost, before, and his signature modus operandi, what he would call "murder with class," is unmistakable. Sly's an anal sort with a taste for fine art, classical music, rape and strangulation by silver wire. But, master of disguise that he is, finding him is virtually impossible. Since the murders all take place at Roarke's hotel, Eve allows him to assist in the investigation, a stroke of creative genius on Robb's part that plays on the strengths that brought them together way back in book one (Naked in Death), and that serves to bring out Eve's softer side. So certain is Robb at maintaining an atmospheric setting for this well-paced and expertly rendered series, followers will feel as if they have gone home to the future. (Mar. 6)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Paperback (September 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749934387
• ISBN-13: 978-0749934385
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,586,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J.D. Robb is the pseudonym for a number-one New York Times-bestselling author of more than 170 novels, including the futuristic suspense In Death series. There are more than 300 million copies of her books in print.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Winning installment to a wonderful series!, November 25, 2001

By 

"intentaccess" (Boca Raton, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Betrayal in Death (Mass Market Paperback)

This latest in the "In Death" series sure does not disappoint fans! Eve Dallas, is tough as ever and satisfies all those who enjoy women with attitude and style. Roarke is as sexy and clever as ever and in this latest installment Eve gets the chance to be that loving wife with tenderness to Roarke.

Each book in this series adds a new degree to the relationship between Roarke and Eve as they come up on their first year of marriage. The relationship Eve hates between McNab and Peabody gets more interesting and while there's more heat going on there, Eve ignores it mostly but does let Peabody cry on her shoulder with a lot of ice cream and tears

The main plot of the story, is the case in which Eve is tracking a contract killer that even the FBI hasn't been able to catch for over 25 years. Roarke still is of help with his computer equipment. There is a visit from one of Roarke's boyhood friends from Dublin. You learn more of Roarke's past and even a new side to him.
The ending was surprising and touching. "Betrayal in Death" is absolutely the best in this series yet!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great futuristic romance, February 15, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Betrayal in Death (Mass Market Paperback)

In May 2059, New York Police Department Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her spouse wealthy billionaire Roarke take a rest between cases. Since Roarke worked both sides of the law, he has enemies from his past wanting him dead as well as some new foes who also prefer he no longer breathes. Thus, he is not surprised when a paid assassin brutalizes, rapes, and kills an employee in one of his hotels, but he personalizes the ugly incident.

Eve is assigned as primary investigator on the case. When a second homicide occurs with the victim being a close friend of Roarke's, he and Eve conclude that someone wants to hurt and distract the businessman. The police know the identity of the killer, but have no earthly idea where the hitman is hiding. However, the dynamic duo knows the main event is coming soon.

Not since the "silver age" of Neal Adam's Green Lantern and Green Arrow has a crime duo won the hearts of readers as Eve and Roarke have. The current tale contains a well-executed mystery with many puzzle pieces that need placing together to obtain the full picture of the plot. Although the who-done-it remains the primary story line, the love story subplot between the lead protagonists provides cross genre appeal to romantic suspense fans. The audience will find this exciting novel impossible to put down until all the questions are answered.

Harriet Klausner

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another step in the lives of Eve and Roarke, March 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Betrayal in Death (Mass Market Paperback)

It had to happen, and it is a mark of how good Nora Roberts is that she recognized the need for some role reversal. In this book, for the first time, we see Eve as the nurturer, and the giver, while Roarke is the vulnerable one. However, even the softest moments have the edge that this series is famous for, and the reader is always more inclined to laugh than to cry, and to fall in love instead of in a depression. In this installation, Roarke is the target of a hitman who wants him to lose people he cares for before he dies. However, Eve is not the one in risk, and the book remains interesting, with some unnerving twists. For avid followers of the series, it is fascinating to see Roarke lash out under tension, and become the one who uses his tongue to hurt the person he loves. The book overall takes us forward into the marriage between two such different people, and naturally, into the problems as well as the love that Eve and Roarke have to learn to deal with.