Customer Reviews

Seduction in Death

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In this latest installment, Eve Dallas is investigating the serial murder of women who participated in on-line chat rooms, each A victim of romance that was a game set up for a deadly ending.

This novel was of a different format then the last 12 as you know who the killer is early on. The format may have changed but the suspense, wit and character building sure did not! Can eve beat the killer at is game before anybody else is killed???

J.D. Robb has the most wonderful skill of building her characters and this book gets better. Peabody and McNab continue to grow in their involvement and as main characters. Charles and Dr. Louise even grow as more important characters. This is Book 13 , which I have read them all, also read the two short stories and I cannot get enough! Way to go Robb you most certainly did it again!!!

Seduction in Death is a homerun! Highly enjoyable characters and more character development of the series' protagonists, Roarke and Eve; witty dialogue which sparks gut deep belly laughs; new story lines involving characters introduced earlier -- Charles and Louise, simply fantastic! -- good, strong plot; and bad bad-guys. Nobody does it like Robb (Nora Roberts). She's simply the best.
After Amazon's Publishers' Weekly reviewer panned the novel, I had reservations about
quite what to expect. (I think Publishers' Weekly's review ought to read the whole series
and think about things a bit more.) However, J. D. Robb does not at all disappoint. In 354 pages of enjoyable, small print reading, readers familiar with the In Death series are witness to Dallas' further development as a character. Those who are familiar with all the books in
the series will realize the extent of Eve's growth. She has come a long way baby from the woman who could not respond with other than silence to Roarke's expressions of love. Robb gives Dallas a richer complexity, a maturity wrought by love in this novel. I'm not going to sell out the storyline, but the closing pages of this novel are surely a testament to the depth of Robb's creativity and to the richness with which she imbues her characters.
In many places, from the beginning onwards, the dialogue is rip roaringly funny. Some of the
exchanges between Dallas and Peabody, Dallas and Roarke, Dallas and other characters, the Peabody-McNabb situation are so hilarious that this novel ought not be read in public <g>. Robb has more than a touch of the blarney in her and a wonderful way with her pen. Read the novel to find out how simply wonderful is its dialogue--in fact, read it at home so people won't think you're crazy when you burst into a belly laugh!
So often readers pay $7.99 for a novel and wind up wishing that they'd kept their money in their pockets because the story line dragged, the dialogue was meaningless, and the characters were dull. No one can accuse Seduction in Death of any of this. This was a well spent $7.99, and I enjoyed every penny's worth. My only regret is that I forgot to order an autographed copy for my birthday as I had intended to.

Two sophisticated serial killers are stalking the women of New York via email. Or is it one man with multiple personalities? Tough homicide lieutenant Eve Dallas must solve the mystery quickly, before any more women are brutally raped and killed.

In perhaps her toughest assignment yet, Eve must unravel clue upon clue to get to the core of the case. And it won't be easy. As she peels away each false identity of the murderers, another even more clever identity emerges. Each victim has been lured to her death by a so-called "poet," who just happens to share a love of art, poetry, the classics, and other intellectual pursuits with his online "soulmate. It is chillingly easy to disguise one's identity on email, especially if, in the case of this murderer, he has multiple accounts that lead to nowhere.

Surveillance tapes and first-hand sightings of the possible suspect or suspects only compound the puzzle, as the killers are adept at face putty and other disguises, and so appear completely different each time they kill. In 2059, such appearance enhancers are all too available, as Eve well knows. When she needs a disguise of her own, she has to be almost literally hogtied as she submits to the "beautification" efforts of her dear friend, "mag" rock star Mavis, and Mavis's sidekick Trina. Those of us who know Eve et al. from the previous "In Death" novels tend to root for Mavis and Trina, as Eve's idea of beauty is primitive at best.

This insertion of comic relief is a Robb trademark, and only serves to intensify the mystery beneath. The genius of it, however, is that with each little interlude such as the beauty session, we learn more about what makes the "In-Death" regulars tick, just as we would in a real-life relationship. Thus we are privy to the on-again, off-again, often hilarious romance between Eve's stalwart aide Peabody and her peacock-dressing boyfriend, detective MacNab. There is more nasty verbal byplay between Eve and her husband's stiff and unyielding butler, Sommerset. And we get to see Eve's onetime mentor and dear friend Feeney in some unforgettable pajamas. As always, new readers will enjoy these characters, who only serve to add color and depth to the story. But regulars such as I feel we KNOW these people, and while we follow the mystery, we are also treated to the ongoing saga of each of their lives. MOST satisfying!

Nowhere is this more evident, of course, than in the deep and complicated relationship between Eve and her husband of one year, the brilliant and impossibly gorgeous billionaire Roarke. I have referred to their relationship before as fascinating, and it is...two strong, forceful people, each of whom have overcome unspeakable childhood horrors and emerged winners, must accommodate themselves to each other. We have watched as, in book after book, both Eve and Roarke, but especially Eve, have allowed layers of self-protection to fall away as they each learn to trust in the love they share. Theirs is not an easy relationship, but at its core is an intense bond that reveals itself more and more.

Robb skillfully weaves the many threads of her plot together with great skill, making it seem easy. In the end, the murdered women are avenged, and Eve has survived yet another attack on her character by a jealous rogue cop; queasily accepted the very physical relationship of Peabody and swain; seen her mentor in shocking pajamas; glimpsed a side of her Commander (Whitney) that she has never seen before; and, most importantly, let down another barrier in her erotic and high-energy marriage.

I strongly recommend this book. Regular readers will be thrilled to see Robb back in the groove after a somewhat disappointing (but still worth reading) "Betrayal in Death." Those new to the series will be tantalized enough to want to read all 12 previous efforts. And me? I'm pacing the floor, waiting for the next one.

I've been an avid fan of the series since it's beginning. I'm on my second time through them. This time I'm listening to the audio versions. The previous recordings have been fabulous. Susan Ericksen is so talented. But this one..... She changed the voices and dropped most of the accents and idiosyncracies. It's like losing friends. It also makes it much harder to follow and tell who is speaking - all the women sound the same! Susan, please, bring back the voices!!!! The book itself is great, as always

I found this most recent of the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb to be one of the best yet. Once again, fans of the series enjoy the colorful and snappy dialog between Eve and Roarke, not to mention the curl-your-toes bedroom scenes that we all love! McNabb and Peabody garner a good and funny story line, and we visit with characters from previous books as well. Who doesn't chuckle over Charles calling Eve "Lt. Sugar!"
This is a good, solid story with additonal character developement. Knowing who the killers are at the beginning of the story (a nice change for this series) doesn't lessen the impact and suspence of the book, but rather adds to the plot and gives the reader a thrill knowing the "baddies" before Dallas does! In an interesting twist, the reader can check off the clues as Eve works the case and puts all of the pieces together by putting herself in the killer's shoes. Once again, the delectable Roarke stands with her as her civilian consultant with Eve grumbling all the way!
Eve and Roarke continue to grow together... accepting each other's quirks and foibles a little more each time, with more ease. Another a plus from reading such a wonderful series... I feel as though I am visiting old friends again! Kudos to Ms. Robb for another terrific story!

Let me start off by saying this, in my opinion, is the best Death book yet. The story is fast paced and best of all, all the secondary characters contribute to the story and many have storylines of their own.
The story opens with Roarke off at the funeral of his old friend Mick and Eve trying to survive the night without him. As she tries to sleep, she finds herself dreaming of her father. Only this time the dreams go further than it ever has leaving her shaken beyond belief. Then the call comes, another homicide, another body, and another death. The man of their dreams is wooing young, single, attractive women in a chat room where they discuss poetry, the arts, and the finer things in life. Each meets him for drinks at a swanky, romantic spot to be safe and then finds herself sexually enamored enough to take him back to her apartment. He turns the lights down low, puts on romantic music, and throws rose petals on the bed. He does everything in his power to make it the most romantic encounter of her life. You see it will be the last thing she will ever know.
I had wondered if Robb was going to let us down... Folks, I was not let down in the least. Yes, there is the usual blood and violence, the sex with Roarke, and we knew who was committing the murders fairly quicklybut what made this book for me was the use and revelations of the secondary characters. They played a prominent role in this book, which makes it worthwhile. Get ready to be seduced, not by murder, but the wonderful interactions that only Robb can produce.

I've now read all 13 novels in the "in Death" series as well as the two short stories and I still haven't gotten enough of the main characters, Eve and Roarke. In this latest installment, Lt. Eve Dallas is investigating the serial murder of women who participated in on-line poetry chat rooms, each the apparent victim of romance gone horribly wrong.

This novel is a little different than most of the others in the series in that you know early on "who done it". The suspense comes in wondering if Eve will figure it out before anyone else is murdered and in hoping Eve can beat the killer at his own game.

In this novel, J.D. Robb re-introduces us to Charles Monroe and Dr. Louise DiMatto (tertiary characters from previous novels) and continues their character development. Peabody and McNab are also at it again with verbal sparring and miscommunication abounding.

"Seduction" is infused with taught suspense, laugh-out-loud wit, bad guys you love to hate, and a little romance thrown in for good measure. Please tell me there's more to come!

Once again Robb has delivered a fast paced and entertaining book. The style of this book was a little different than from the previous mysteries, because you know who is doing it, but it was still great to read and follow the developments throughout the book. It's been so great watching the characters & relationships develop throughout the series, Eve has grown so much emotionally throughout the series, and in each book we get to know all the characters better, which makes the stories that much more enjoyable. Peabody & McNab's story continues, as well a story line for Charles Monroe (our favorite LC from previous books).

I can't believe this is the 13th installment already, the stories are still fresh. I definitely recommend you pick this one up, the series is still going strong.

One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about the "In Death" series was the wonderful range of voices the narrator gave the characters, especially the sly and distinctive voice of Peabody. I don't know WHAT the director of this recording was thinking, but Peabody sounds like mini-Eve, Mavis barely sounds like herself, Treena barely has any umph -- even the male voices are hard to tell apart. Only Roarke still sounds like himself. My first time through the series, I was really upset because I didn't know that things were going to get better.

For those who are just going through the series the first time and who are as distressed as I was, it gets a little bit better with #14, "Reunion in Death," and things are back to normal with #15, "Purity in Death." Keep the faith, folks must have given lots of feedback because the voices we came to love do come back!

Aside from that, a solid story, just a really disappointing recording. Points off for that.

Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb for this "...In Death" series, has developed a winning formula that seems to produce a gripping and delightful outing every time; and Seduction In Death is no exception. Our heroine, NYPD Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas, together with a broad supporting cast of regulars who we enjoy seeing back -- NcNab, Peabody, Feeney, Summerset, Mavis, and of course, Eve's husband and billionaire entrepreneur "Roarke" -- solves a serial killing spree thankfully spanning only a few days in fictional time. In this tale, we're told the identity of the killer up front and get both sides of the hunt and chase, which is a very interesting technique much in the mode of John Sandford's "Prey" series. The use of Internet chat rooms and budding relationships via email certainly add to the currency of the proceedings. The plot is complex and suspenseful, and entertaining from start to finish.

Two somewhat unusual elements add greatly to the appeal of this series. First, the stories are set ahead 50 years in time -- so there is an element of creative science fiction exhibited by voice-commanded computers, video cellphones, some sort of personal air travel vehicles, artificial food prepared by machines, and "droids" that look and act like humans but are really robots. Most of this borders on the believable and adds to the interest of the stories without detracting from credibility. The other angle is the "romantic thriller" relationship between Eve and her husband Roarke. While he is immensely wealthy now, he shares a poor and troubled upbringing as did Eve, a background that frequently allows our leading characters to find much solace in each other. For those that care, there are some fairly steamy, "R"-rated sex scenes between the two...

We join the audience who look forward to each new entree in this appealing, out of the ordinary, set of police mysteries. The evocative commentary, the case intrigue, the action, and a set of very interesting characters add up to top rate enjoyable reading. How does Nora keep pumping them out?!?!