Customer Reviews

Salvation in Death (In Death Series)

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Salvation in Death poses some very exciting twists and deep, dark secrets. It begins with a funeral mass with the young Father Miguel Flores, a priest in NYC's Spanish Harlem. As he goes through the mass for a very popular and wealthy older man, he gets to the communion and as he swallows the wine falls and dies in spite of numerous attempts to revive him. Fr. Flores was very popular and known for his attention to young and old. However, as Lt. Dallas and Det. Peabody begin to investigate his death more and more secrets and violent acts come to light. Jimmy Jay Jenkins, an evangelical preacher who founded the Church of the Eternal Light is killed in a similar manner. As Dallas with the help of her husband Roarke, partner Peabody and her whole team including Captain Feeney and his division start digging into the backgrounds of both religious figures, the danger escalates and Dallas has to race to find the killer(s?)!

A really good read and with a lot of deep thoughts on religion as well as the criminal mind. I love this series and really enjoyed this offering.

Valerie Matteson
Ann Arbor, MI

At this point in their relationship I would have thought Roarke and Eve would have had a bit more conflict. The depiction of the relationship for two people with such violent and intense backgrounds has them settling down very quickly into marital routine, and Roarke's showing up at Cop Central and being citizen consultant is getting stretched a bit thin at this point. The book procedurally is fascinating but misses because it doesn't really allow Eve to delve into and exam what faith and salvation really mean to her. I love these characters and my husband and I both read the books and talk about all the people in them as if we knew them personally -- if I had just met them in this book I do not think I would invest my time in future books.

As all of the books in J.D. Robb's "Death" series, this book is superb. It's engaging from the first words and very difficult to put down. This series is my favorite line of books/stories to date.

Earlier this morning, I reviewed Nora Robert's most recent "original in paperback" book, and gave it three stars.

Since then, I've sat down and ignored all else in my life to read this book. I finished it. I love it.

Here is the character development I love. Here is an original storyline. Thank goodness.

Once again, we learn more about how Eve & Roarke think and work together. Eve IS evolving and that's a good thing. I notice one other reviewer noted that the minor characters are not as in play here. It's true. I don't mind it every once in a while. Eve & Roarke (and Peabody) are the heart here, and while I enjoy the others, sometimes it's nice to focus again. I would miss them if they don't show up again soon, but... I don't mind.

As always, I would advise a new reader to NOT start here. Probably, yes, you'd be mostly OK - some former cases are mentioned but not necessary for the plot - but you'd be missing a lot of nuances. Go to the beginning of the series and enjoy it all, but as a new installment, this is stellar.

While I may agree with some previous reviewers that Salvation in Death is not the nail-biting, rip-roaring intriguing reading material I have come to rely on with the series, I do give it a thumbs up for creativity. J. D. Robb has come up with a plot involving a murder at the very moment a priest turns wine into the sacred blood of Jesus Christ in the Catholic burial mass of one Hector Ortiz, head of a most cherished family in the neighborhood parish of St. Cristobal's Church. Eve gets right into the murder investigation, starting with trying to comprehend the basic rituals of the Catholic Church. At times I found both she and Roarke (who Eve claims is a "sort-of" Catholic) to be a little rough around the edges in their statements on religion. This did turn me off somewhat; however, looking at the big picture, the novel was well-written but not as exciting as J.D. Robb's previous stories. I find that the more recent books in this series do not have the same edge to them that the earlier stories had. I did enjoy this story but found it to be easily resolved and not hitting that "wow" factor when the killer is finally unveiled. The Jimmy Jay Jenkins storyline somewhat remindful of a Billy Graham revival meeting was somewhat unclear and seemed to be filler for the book. Nora, get back to the old days with Eve. Make her rough, tough and independent. Have her stand alone and not with Roarke holding her hand throughout a sting operation. Please put that spark back into this series that I saw time and time again in the earlier novels.

I do not see J.D. Robb's usual style in this book. The reading of it did not flow, there was not a lot of character development. It almost felt like a synopsis. Her use of discriptives varied from previous books, words she has used almost exclusively in past books were changed.
During the reading of the book I had envisioned a different and more satisfying reason for the main murder. One that would have reflected how the man had changed. I also missed the usual cast of characters, their use in this book seemed almost an afterthought.
I hope the next book will return the her usual great style.

This is one of my favorite J.D. Robb stories.
In the middle of two awful murder cases the characters live their own lives with humor, friendship and love while dedicating themselves to finding out "who done it".
And the entire story is complete on only one disc!