Salvation in Death [Mass Market Paperback]

J.D. Robb (Author)

Book Description

Series: In Death | Publication Date: March 29, 2011

A priest is conducting the funeral service for a beloved member of his congregation. But when he lifts the chalice to his lips, he dies suddenly and horribly - poisoned by the blood of Christ. Who would want to murder a parish priest in such a way? And who could get access to the closely guarded communion wine? Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the scene to investigate. Although initially there seems to have been nothing out of the ordinary about the priest's life, there is something about the situation that just doesn't add up. And then she starts to uncover the evil lurking behind the ceremonial robes. The dead priest was not who he seemed to be - he harboured a dark, deadly secret that could bring Eve's own demons rushing back...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Holy communion spells death for Fr. Miguel Flores, a popular Catholic priest in New York City's Spanish Harlem, after he swallows wine laced with cyanide during a funeral in bestseller Robb's unusually introspective 27th crime thriller to feature Lt. Eve Dallas (after Strangers in Death). The ensuing homicide investigation suggests that Flores could actually be Lino Martinez, a former member of a disbanded gang, the Soldados, suspected of two bombings before he disappeared. The death by cyanide of another religious figure, Jimmy Jay Jenkins, founder of the Church of Eternal Light, complicates matters. Are the two murders connected? Sussing out the answer to that question involves some serious digging. Dallas's husband, Roarke, and fun sidekick, Det. Delia Peabody, lend support. Robb offers a multilayered solution to several crimes that serves as yet another reminder that wolves sometimes hide in sheep's (or priest's) clothing, but justice, like faith, has no expiration date. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The Eve Dallas series of near-future mysteries rolls comfortably along in this latest installment, the twenty-ninth. The series began in 1995 so the author can fairly be accused of cranking them out (she’s also published a book or two under her real name, Nora Roberts). Despite being a lesser product of the Roberts machine, the Dallas novels have a certain charm, in a mass-produced kind of way. The near-future setting (the mid-twenty-first century) is nicely realized without being too excessively detailed; the protagonist, homicide detective Dallas, is a likable and strong character, well able to support a multivolume series; and the cases—including this one, about a murder in an ancient church, the aftermath of which reveals that the victim might not have been the gentle Catholic priest his parishioners thought he was—are imaginative and suspenseful. The dialogue is a little clumsy, and the narrative passages sometimes seem a bit contrived, but there’s a reason so many Dallas novels have appeared in so short a time: they sell. So will this one. --David Pitt --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (March 29, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042522693X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425226933
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,528 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

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Super, November 4, 2008

By 

Bibliophylax (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Salvation in Death (Hardcover)

I loved it.

The book is more about the crime rather than any development of the interpersonal relationships from the In-Death series. Roarke and Peabody are there of course, with a few glimpses of Mira, Mavis, Nadine, Sommerset, as well mentions of other fav characters like Charles and Louise.

I loved the way Lt Dallas goes about solving the crime. I even loved the mini story-in-story about the mega church and its preacher. The premise was was good and of course Ms Robert's expertise in weaving magic with her words is well known.

Why four stars then, and not five? *****SPOILER ALERT***** In the beginning of the book the victim is portrayed as a gray character, someone who has apparently talked about the possibility of redemption for past sins with a colleague in the church, someone who feels strongly about an abused child that he would risk giving up his cover to protect her. As the story unfolds, we see the character as a cold and calculating monster. While I understand that sometimes you can find both personalities in the same individual, I felt that I was reading about 2 different people, not the same person with major defects and some redeeming traits.

But I will say this again, I loved the book. I loved the little scenes between E and R when they are discussing religion. Roarke is majorly uncomfortable with it and he comes across as cutely imperfect. I am glad. He was being painted as SO PERFECT, it was getting annoying.

Next - Suite 606, and then Promises In death in February.

47 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Part great, part phoned in, November 11, 2008

By 

movieaholic44 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Salvation in Death (Hardcover)

How the mystery is laid out, and the final take down are very consistent with every other book in the series and quite well done. Because one of these murders brings up an ethical question related to Marlena's death, Eve and Roarke end up delving into that situation, and how things rippled out from his form of justice. There are at least two great discussions between Eve and Roarke, two wonderful love/sex scenes that really stand out (one quite funny), and some funny bits of dialog concerning Mira and a purse, Eve and learning the rhumba, Peabody and donuts, coffee or food in general, and a touching moment involving petunias (which Eve had in her wedding bouquet).

Now for the drawbacks. Unlike every other book in the series, the use of the supporting characters is kept to an absolute minimum if they're shown at all (Charles and Louise). Peabody is shown the most but less than usual, and Mira, McNab, Nadine, Feeney, Mavis, Baxter, Trueheart and even Summerset are reduced to plot points. We see more of Ariel, a woman that Eve saved in a previous book, than we do those who are nearest and dearest. Roarke has invested in her cake business, she's brought a stunning one by for Eve, and she's already working on Charles and Louise's wedding cake.

Speaking of Charles and Louise. Their wedding is at Eve and Roarke's, and the wedding shower is mentioned as something that Eve will be hosting but will only have to show up for...and that's it. We didn't get Eve & Roarke's wedding, and it looks like this isn't something the reader will be a part of either.

Another reviewer said that she'd like to see more conflict between Eve & Roarke given their clashing personalities, but I disagree. They've already worked out a lot of their issues after nearly two years of marriage, and I'd rather not repeat a whole variety of things that have been dealt with. For a less-extreme example, in a few books Eve has an insecure moment where she wonders why Roarke is with her, and after the first time, he starts getting frustrated and then angry. He views it as an insult of not only herself but of him, and that should be so over by now. IMO we'll always have the clash of her black/white and his gray standards, but we don't need to see them in every book with every case.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is Dallas Mellowing????, November 9, 2008

By 

Sally M. Wilson (Georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Salvation in Death (Hardcover)

Was it just me, or did Eve seem to be mellowing in this book? If this was Robb's intention, then I applaud it. I like to see characters evolve, grow, change, develop.
Dallas didn't seem to be clawed as horribly by her demons as in past books. More evidence of growth. Another reviewer mentioned that this book was more about the crime and less about the characters. That's okay. The characters are all compelling.