Customer Reviews

Holiday in Death (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (In Death (Prebound))

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

"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

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.

The Holiday Season is not all joy and celebration because in the year 2058 a woman is found murdered and left with a figurine showing "partridge in a pear tree" (The Twelve Days of Christmas). Lieutenant Eve Dallas is quickly summoned to the scene and becomes the primary investigator in the case. The killer's modus operandi is to knock at the victim's door dressed up in a Santa's costume and kill them after getting access to their house. Eve quickly finds a connection to a dating agency called Personally Yours that will lead to some very interesting developments.

Confirmation comes when a second victim is found; she has two turtle doves in her hair and has also requested the services of Personally Yours. And as the investigation progresses, we find Charles Monroe, a character who we met in the first book in the series, "Naked in Death", and who has also been using the services of the dating agency even though he is a licensed companion. I think Robb made an excellent decision in reintroducing Charles in the series, since he brings no small amount of smart comments and interesting personal interactions with Eve and Peabody.

Peabody, Eve's aide, is having the time of her life, because the search for the killer is taking the duo around town where they have a chance to visit shops and mingle in the crowd of holiday shoppers. Eve, on the other hand, hates the experience and besides being worried about finding a dangerous killer, has to deal with her personal issues regarding Christmas. She even has to figure out what to buy for her friends and husband, the billionaire Roarke. Finding a present for a man that has everything is no small task!

This series is moving ahead full steam, with interesting cases and characters that are becoming more complex and fascinating. I think the latter aspect is what I enjoy most about this series, since Robb spends a fair amount of time on the relationship between Eve and Roarke, Eve and Peabody, etc. For those of you that have not read other books in this series, I am fully confident that this book stands on its own, but you will be missing a considerable part of the appeal found in these books due to the relationships among the main characters. My recommendation is that you start with the first book in the series, and I guarantee that you will be hooked after that.

Undoubtedly, J.D. Robb has fashioned two characters with amazing depth and complexity in this series. That needs to be applauded, and it is what keeps me coming back to this series in order to find out more about Eve and Roarke. There is, however, still much room for improvement. I am often deeply unsatisfied with the mystery aspect of these novels. Holiday in Death, as with Rapture and Ceremony for example, has basic insanity as the reason why these people committed these crimes. They have no logical motivation for what they did, and I think this way of solving a mystery is a deplorable cop out in lieu of a plausible mystery plot line. Furthermore, I don't think the author takes full advantage of the fact that she has chosen to set the novels in the future. Besides superficially peppering the novel with new gadgets and flying cars, Eve's New York City is really not that different from the New York City today. True, human nature with all its problems probably dictates that the future will still have many of the same problems, but I feel that J.D. Robb has yet to fully recognize the potential of the science fiction element that she has introduced. Holiday in Death is a good example of how some of her novels are unbalanced in this manner. And her best and most satisfying novels so far, such as Vengeance, are better than the others because they have a more plausible mystery plotline. If the author can, in the future, blend the romance, the mystery and the science fiction in more balanced proportions, I believe the series can rise to new heights. As it is, it is already far better than most books out on the market. It just has higher heights to scale.

It is Christmas in Manhattan, and someone is celebrating the season by killing. The only link between the victims, is a dating service named Personally Yours. To help solve the murders, Eve puts Peabody and her arch nemisis, McNab undercover as clients of the exclusive dating service. As Eve uncovers secrets about the clients and owners of Personally Yours - secrets that might be worth killing over - she struggles with her past and the the cruel rape-murders. When the attacker goes after one of her own, Eve must fight the darkness with in her and obey her training as a law officer.
HOLIDAY IN DEATH is a great addition to the "IN DEATH" series. This is Eve's first Christmas where she actually has a family and is surrounded by people she cares about. It is very touching and amusing to watch her struggle with buying gifts and Roarke's tree trimming. In contrast to this beautiful season for Eve, is the cruel reality of her past. Eve and Roarke struggle to find the balance between past and present, so that they can go on with there future, and start new traditions together.

JBogue...
Specializing in paranormal romance and fiction.

I've loved two aspects of this romance/mystery series: We get to see the same couple over time, as their relationship develops, and the characters are tougher and less sweet than many in classic romances. Eve is coming along nicely in her development as a more well-rounded human being, integrating the traumas of her past, recognizing that to love and need someone is not a weakness. I like her toughness, though sometimes she seems unnecessarily rude, although she's capable of great compassion. An earlier reader noted that she hasn't gotten pregnant yet; much as I like her, she's so obsessed with her job and her identity as a cop that it's hard to imagine her as a mother. Roarke: Now there is a man to die for. His only weakness appears to be that he loves Eve to depths we haven't plumbed yet, which is a great thing in a romantic fantasy (which this is; we all know there really aren't any Roarkes out there). But it would be nice to see a little more of his demons, and how he makes peace with them, as we've watched Eve do the same. Like many romantic heroes, he seems to have no weaknesses: he understands Eve perfectly, is amazingly tolerant of her foibles and quirks, knows exactly how to handle her (in the best sense of that term), and defends her in exactly the right way depending on who has injured or threatened her. Who would not like a man like this? And gorgeous and sexually indefatigable as well! The mysteries do need a little work. Can there really be that many serial killers operating at breakneck speed (murders every day, practically), even in New York? Count up the bodies since Eve and Roarke met less than a year ago (in Naked in Death). The number must be staggering! I'm reading the series in order so I have three to go. I hope the mystery element improves, but I'm sure I'll keep reading them anyway, since most of the fun is in watching Eve and Roarke (and putting oneself in Eve's place). I'm completely hooked on them.

This book was very well written and kept me on the tip of my toes from beginning to end. It was the first of the series I read and it left me craving for more. Most of the time when I read a book that has a murder mystery plot I figure it out long before the detectives, but it kept me guessing right up until the end. I LOVED IT and you will too.

I've been a big fan of this series ever since the first one, Naked in Death--and ordinarily l don't like romance novels. These intrigue me.

I was a little worried after Vergeance in Death that Robb had lost her steam. (I'm sorry, I just can't buy that Whitney and the police chief buy Eve's story about the seral killer that covers up Roarke's true involvement in the earlier deaths.)

But that may be a minor quibble. She's back at the top of her form here. A good story with a nice twist. And I was glad to see Charles Monroe again. Maybe w/ a little competition, McNabb will get off the dime about Peabody.

Only down side -- nearly a whole year before the next one. Bummer!

Note to the author: At some point, Eve and Roarke have to end the honeymoon. It would be nice to have them have some serious difference of opinion and then work it out.

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! The "...in Death" series is fantastic! I've read every single one. I could DIE for a man like Roarke, and Eve is a woman after my own heart! I always love a woman character who can fight for herself! No weak women please! Holiday in Death is just another exciting, suspensful, humorous, fun-filled book in a series of books. LT Eve Dallas and her mysterious, rich husband, Roarke, are at it again when a serial killer decides to turn the 12 Days of Christmas into the 12 Days of Death. The secondary characters Peabody and McNabb are finally about to let all of that sexual tension loosed. It had to happen sometime, what else is all that arguing about!! This is a must read if you like thrillers and romance. J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) is a master story-teller. She never lets the reader down. I can't wait for Conspiracey in Death, only a few months to go!