Celebrity in Death [Kindle Edition]

J. D. Robb (Author)

Book Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb knows that some roles are to die for…

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It’s a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks as though she could be her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody—drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.

Talented but rude and widely disliked, K.T. Harris made an embarrassing scene during dinner. Now she’s at the center of a crime scene—and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster to step into the role she was born to play: cop.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

NYPD lieutenant Eve Dallas doesn’t do glitz or glam, but she has no choice when Hollywood director Mason Roundtree and his wife, Connie Burkette, issue an invitation to dine with the cast of The Icove Agenda. Based on one of Eve’s earlier cases, the movie is just wrapping up production, and everyone wants face time with the real Lieutenant Dallas. Everyone except actress K. T. Harris, who plays the part of Eve’s partner, Delia Peabody, onscreen but in real life is just as bitchy to Eve as she is to everyone else. So when K. T.’s body is found floating in the Roundtree and Burkette’s penthouse lap pool, it really isn’t that big of a surprise. The real challenge for Eve will be narrowing down her list of suspects since practically everyone at the dinner party had at least one motive for murder. Readers count on Robb to deliver the goods, and her thirty-fourth (!) Eve Dallas book will not disappoint. The plot is cleverly conceived, cinematically riveting, and sexily charming, and Eve is her usual no-nonsense self. --John Charles

Review

There's plenty of suspense as Eve digs for the truth in this gripping tale Star Eve Dallas - tough as nails and still sexy as hell Stephen King The epitome of popular fiction Dennis Lehane This series gets better with every book Publishers Weekly Gut-searing emotional drama David Baldacci Gripping and adrenaline-fuelled Star Magazine Curious corpses, tangled twists and one sizzling sleuth Kathy Reichs

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Product Details

• File Size: 1138 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Reissue edition (February 21, 2012)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005GSZIZS
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,261 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #48 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

140 of 149 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Low key but full of emotion-good addition to this series. February 21, 2012

By Sharon R. Schall

Format:Hardcover

Celebrity in Death is the latest book in the Eve Dallas series and it is almost contemplative compared to some of the earlier books. Eve is the subject of a vid that is being made based on Nadine Furst's book about the Icove case. A dinner has been planned with the cast members and their real life counterparts to celebrate the near completion of the movie. As usual, Eve is grumpy about getting dressed up and having to attend a fancy social function. All of that changes when one of the actors ends up dead and Eve and Peabody have to solve the murder.
The victim, K.T. Harris, was disliked by everyone who worked with her and even had a tussle with Eve during the dinner. She was playing Peabody in the vid and her resemblance causes Eve and the rest of the NYPSD staff some moments of unease. As they dig deeper into her life and death, they discover that K.T. had lots of secrets and was doing her best to disrupt the lives of her co-workers by various methods such as blackmail and coercion. It seems to Eve and Peabody that everyone has a motive and with the majority of the suspects being actors it is going to be difficult to really find out what happened.
This book has less of the action that earlier books had but more introspection into Eve and Roarke's lives. Peabody and McNab have their special moments as well. Eve is moving on from the events that happened in Texas and coming to some measure of peace. Roarke still worries about Eve but looks back on his life and realizes how much balance Eve brought to him. Their relationship just keeps getting stronger and more loving. There are thirty four books in this series and they only cover a little over two years which adds to the continuity of Eve's relationships both personal and work related. The overlying theme of this book is about choices and how making a certain choice at a particular time has caused events to happen in each of the lives of the characters in the book. This is also the means that Eve uses to finally solve the murder-looking at choices made and how that person's life was affected by them. It all ties together and makes this a satisfying addition to the series.

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a quiet almost soothing mystery February 21, 2012

By C. Quinn

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

After the emotional roller-coaster of the last installment, this quiet tale of mass murder was almost soothing. Eve and Roarke, still reeling from the aftermath of their time in Dallas, are caught up in the movie being made of Nadine's book about the Icove clones. When one of the stars of the film dies during a dinner with all the cast and real-life personalities, Eve is of course right on the scene and plunged back into a murder investigation.

This would not be a good entry point into the series in my opinion because anyone not already in the know about the Icoves and not already invested in the characters is unlikely to find this particular tale compelling. That said, for those of us who read every book as soon as it comes out, this was a welcome quiet story, a chance for Eve to take a much needed emotional breath while exercising her considerable police skills. I was surprised to see how much I enjoyed Eve with some of her sharper edges softened; it certainly seems like recent experiences, while painful, are finally helping her to let go of some of her past and enjoy more of her present.

Not fast-paced, not a constant thrill ride, yet nevertheless a satisfying addition to the Eve and Roarke story that showcases a softer side of both characters.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I love the series but this installment just...misses February 23, 2012

By Booklover848

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I adore this series but this latest book just...misses and sadly it shows in the manner in which I read it. Normally I devour these books in one sitting and I do so with an escalating feeling of suspense and exhilaration as I absorb more and more of the plot even as a feeling of dread hits when I realize I am 50% through the book or 75% through the book and will soon be done reading it. I picked this last book up and put it down numerous times before finishing it and I wasn't at all unhappy about saying good-bye to this installment.

The pace of this book is much slower and shows little of the actual detective work and collaboration with EDD we've seen in previous books which diminishes the sense of urgency normally felt throughout these books.

I also felt the rhythm of the characters was...off. Roarke and Eve are more deeply in love and more dependent on each other for emotional support as they wade through the aftermath of the happenings in the last book but the repercussions from that last book are never truly addressed. The dialogue between Eve and Roarke was same old, same old in a lot of ways but the interaction between Eve and Peabody seems to have regressed. Other than an early scene between Peabody and McNab that was truly heartwarming and mature the character of Peabody seems to have reverted to an earlier, less secure version of the character. Eve is treating Peabody more like her aid as opposed to her partner which devalues the relationship they've been building and that was so strongly displayed during the recent "Treachery in Death". I miss the smart mouth with a heart Peabody who has grown stronger and more capable with every book.

It was nice seeing more of Nadine and I felt this book allowed that character to grow a bit but otherwise I don't see much growth here. Eve doesn't really even solve the case in my opinion; it's Roarke who offers the insight that breaks the case and that is one of several occasions where Eve seems to be missing things. Perhaps this is deliberate and part of Nora's plan and she will address it in the next book but I didn't get that sense.

I am wondering if perhaps Nora is allowing the relationship oriented books she writes as Nora Roberts to more heavily flavor the JD Robb books to their detriment because this book has lost the edge that traditionally defined the "In Death" books. I'm sure it's difficult to jump back and forth between books but I would rather have one truly great "In Death" book every year as opposed to two hybrid Roberts/Robb books. I am a little disappointed in this book but I am not ready to let go of these characters or this series so I am going to hold out hope that the next book is a return to the grittier series I fell in love with.

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.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#66 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Suspense

#5 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

#7 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#9 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#10 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Suspense

#5 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

#7 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#9 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#10 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals