Holiday in Death [Mass Market Paperback]

J.D. Robb (Author), Nora Roberts (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: In Death | Publication Date: June 1, 1998

Futuristic cop Eve Dallas is back on the job. This time it's Christmas in New York, and all the lonely hearts are easy pickings for a serial killer spreading death through a dating service.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the seventh of J.D. Robb's futuristic romance thrillers, NYPD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is on the trail of a serial killer terrorizing the city during the holidays. The only link between the victims--all are patrons of an exclusive dating service, Personally Yours. Working with her aide Officer Peabody, Peabody's nemesis Ian McNab, and her own intriguing husband, Roarke, Eve uncovers secrets that link the victims: secrets that involve both the owners and the clients of Personally Yours and which might be worth killing for. Whether she's writing as Nora Roberts or as J.D. Robb, Roberts weaves a taut and powerful story with lush sensuality and masterful characterization. This murder mystery combines elements of romance, science fiction, and police procedural genres in an entertaining mix that will keep readers turning the pages. --Lisa Wanttaja

From Publishers Weekly

The year is 2058. Guns are banned and medical science has learned how to prolong life to well beyond the century mark. And man has yet to stop killing man. At Cop Central, it's Lieutenant Eve Dallas's job to stand up for the dead. So begins the seventh riveting installment in Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) futuristic romantic suspense series (following Vengeance in Death). With Christmas only weeks away, Eve is stressing out trying to find the right gift for her new husband, Rourke, who "not only had everything, but owned most of the plants and factories that made it." More to her concern is the latest serial killer who is using "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as a theme for his heinous rape and murder spree. The case touches Eve on a personal level, and while flash-backs from her abusive childhood are flinchingly repetitious, it defines Eve's gritty, hard-boiled character and validates her obsessive determination to bring down the killer any way she can.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425163717
• ISBN-13: 978-0425163719
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( R ) > Roberts, Nora
  • #48 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals
  • #82 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

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

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even the Holiday Season attracts Killers...., August 27, 2001

By 

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

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

Holiday In Death is another great addition to this thrilling series. Not only is it Eve and Roake's first Christmas together but there is a serial killer running around. A serial killer who dresses up like Santa Clause, is very neat and tidy and uses "The Twelve Days of Christmas " as his theme. The suspense in this series just keeps getting better. I never know the "who done it " until the very end. This is an excellent installment.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Definitely NOT perfect ..., December 5, 2004

By 

M. B. Alcat "Curiosity killed the cat, but sa... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Holiday in Death (Mass Market Paperback)

"Holiday in Death" is the seventh book in J.D. Robb's "In Death" series, and not one I would recommend for someone who just wants to give the series a try. If that is your case, please make yourself a favour, and read the first book in the series, "Naked in death". That book is excellent, and will give you such a good introduction to the main characters that you will enjoy the rest of the books in the series much more :)

Now, if you are still reading this review I must suppose that you already have read that book, and so you know what the "In death" series is about: a very good cop (Eve), her unlikely husband (Roarke), and the crimes they somehow end up solving together. Of course, by summing up the series in such succinct manner I leave aside a lot of the details that make the series so good but then, if I want to be concise I have to sacrifice something: nothing is perfect :)

"Holiday in death" definitely isn't perfect either. The plot is pretty simple: it is almost Christmas time, and Lieutenant Eve Dallas not only has to buy presents for her loved ones (she hates shopping!!!), but also to deal with a killer who dresses up as Santa Claus, rings the doorbell of his victims and kills them. The only link between the victims is a dating service, and so Eve decides some undercover work is in order to catch the killer, before he continues with his "special" way of celebrating Christmas. Officers Peabody and Mc Nabb will be the undercover agents, and also the protagonists of a secondary storyline that the fans of the series have been waiting for some time :)

I certainly cannot say that this is my favourite book in the series. Despite that, and strangely enough, I DO RECOMMEND IT. Why?. Well, because it has more than average "entertainment value", if you like to mix suspense, a bit of romance and an interesting futuristic spin. I want to point out, though, that the crime scenes that all the books in the series have are specially horrific in "Holiday in death", so please don't read it if you can't stand gory scenes. I don't like them, and that is the reason why I gave this book 3 stars instead of at least 4, but that's your decision to make, after weighing the pros and cons of giving "Holiday in death" a try...

Belen Alcat

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holiday in Death another great addition to the series, October 14, 2000

By 

Marcia L. Hopkins - See all my reviews

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

The "...in Death" series by J.D. Robb continues with the holiday season and a serial killer on the loose. The killer uses the Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as his theme for the murders and leaves with each victim a partridge in a pear tree at the first murder scene and two turtledoves at the second scene. Eve discovers that the murderer dresses up as Santa Claus to gain easy entry by the victim.

As in the other books in the series, the spicey romance between Eve and Roarke is a pleasant diverstion from murder and mayhem.

The book is fast paced and holds the readers interest. If you haven't read any of the other books in this series, start with Naked in Death and read them all. It's a terrific series that will have you waiting and anticipating the next book.