Customer Reviews

Strangers in Death (In Death, No. 26)

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is the 31st book, when including novellas, in a long running and my personal favorite suspense series.

The year is 2060 and Lt. Eve Dallas of the New York Police and Security Department is called to the scene when sports mogul and children's philanthropist, Tom Anders, is murdered in his home. All evidence points to some sort of sexual deviancy gone wrong, but things aren't making sense to Eve. She enlists the help of her delectable Irish hubby, Roarke, and her partner Detective Peabody to solve the case.

I love this author and I loved this book. This In Death book had a slightly different feel as pretty early on we learn who the murderer is and the rest of the book is Eve building her case to prove her gut feeling. But that didn't detract from the suspense or the flow of the book at all; in fact I thought it enhanced it. J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) throws some twist and turns in that kept Eve, her team and this reader on their toes.

While these In Death books tend to be dark to due to the homicides Eve investigates, this one had a lot of light moments, too. I laughed a lot at the banter Eve engages in with Peabody, Roarke and Captain Feeney. Eve's friend Louise, the doctor and her Licensed Companion boyfriend, Charles play a small but significant role in this book, and that added a large amount of pleasure for this reader.

This book was definitely hard to put down and exceptionally entertaining. I am wowed by this series. After so many books it seems it would be hard to delight and surprise her faithful readers, but J.D. Robb does so, continuously and flawlessly. Enjoy!

Cherise Everhard, February 2008

In Chapter 19 Roarke tell Eve "It's a competition" and that is the best description I can give this book. The murderer got into a high security house and manaaged to kill Thomas Anders without leaving a trace. The suspects all have alibis. Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no clues, witnesses, or even a motive.

This book has a fresh plot. Most of the "in Death" series have serial murders with Eve fighting against time to stop the bad guy(s) before any body shows up. Strangers In Death has one dead body and only a few suspects. Eve quickly narrows down her murderer, but has to tweak out the clues as to how it was done. Hint - look at the title.

Many of my favorite supporting cast is back. Charles Monroe is tied into the murder and he has his own subplot problems. We have our sassy Peabody, prancing McNabb, a sick Feeney, a touch of Mavis (and Belle), Louise, Nadine, Trueheart, Baxter (I think he's the candy thief - he seems to be the only cop not afraid of Eve) and of course Summerset (who finds a new way to irritate Eve - jus not greet her at the door) And of course the luscious Roarke who is both lover and investigating partner (squishing in "bit of business" while waiting to help Eve grill suspects).

JD Robb has gone all out on this book. We have murder, twists, humor, and even a few moments set aside for emotional growth in Eve & Roarke's marriage. Eve's childhood nightmares have been put on hold and relationship issues brought to the forefront. If you were a hater of Roarke's old girlfriend from a couple books ago, Eve has her own version of theraphy.

The year is 2060, and Eve Dallas is a New York City homicide detective who takes her job very seriously. Today she has a real headache of a case brewing: rich man and philanthropist Thomas Anders is dead, and he died in a very compromising position while his wife was out of town. The problem is, some of the death details don't add up to the sordid crime it appears to be, and the more Eve pokes at it the more confusing it gets. Add to that a nearly cold case involving an abused woman's dead husband killed by a prostitute, and Eve's in for her usual wild ride.

Eve spends the first half of the book figuring out who her killer is, and the second half figuring out howdunit (and how to prove it). The mystery is a fascinating one and unraveling it definitely kept me enthralled. Part of the delight is watching Eve dig out the details and outsmart the killer, with the help of her friends, her co-workers, and of course her devilish husband Roarke.

Oh, yes, Roarke. Marriage has hardly slowed these two down. Their chemistry is every bit as brilliant as when they first met, and their sex scenes are every bit as pulse-poundingly hot. In short, Strangers in Death is a delicious story that positively screams to be read in bed. If you want gritty or 'realistic' you should go with another series---these books are all about enjoying the sheer style that can be wrung out of a good futuristic detective caper.

Like other books in this series, Strangers in Death stands alone surprisingly well, allowing you to come into the series at any book. The only oddness this might result in is that some side characters' appearances might seem slightly unnecessary if you aren't familiar with their importance in Eve's life.

This is an enjoyable return to form for J D Robb whose Eve Dallas series numbers over 25 books now. I have felt that the last ones have perhaps been rather tired and showed the limitations of a long-running series but "Strangers In Death" was a definite improvement with an interesting mystery, rather more natural-seeming reactions between characters and not too many references to events in previous books which might confuse newcomers to the series.

In this story Eve is called to the scene of an apparent accidental death during some sex play. The widow of Thomas Anders was away in St Lucia with two friends and there is great humiliation for her in the way her husband was found, especially as everyone believed they had a great marriage and were faithful to each other. As Eve Dallas and Delia Peabody begin to investigate, looking at Thomas Anders' nephew amongst other people, they discover that one of the people around Anders is a rather good actor who has been playing a part for many years in order to set themselves up for money and power.

As usual Eve seems able to make some rather impressive leaps of imagination which get her on the right track; also as usual she's rarely wrong, Roarke has superhuman abilities with computers and money and seems to be able to take time off from his own work at the drop of a hat. Still the mystery in this story was very well constructed, the characterisation unveiled effectively and the resolution worked well. There wasn't any great soul-searching or moralising in this story as there have been in others, this was rather more of a straight murder mystery tale than a deep delving into the marriage of Eve and Roarke and, for me, that made it a better and more enjoyable book. Eve Dallas fans will no doubt love this contribution to the series and, for me, it has proven that there is still some mileage in this series.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

To any newcomers to the "in Death" series: you will enjoy this book even if you haven't read any of the preceding books in the series, but you won't enjoy it quite as much as if you had. The authors of long-running series have a balancing act between giving enough history of the characters for new readers to be up to speed and so much repetition that long-time fans get bored. This book is more on the long-term fan end of the scale. There has been a lot of character history and developing relationships over the course of the series that J.D. Robb does not repeat in this book. The book definitely stands on it own; but it is richer in texture and nuance if the reader knows how the characters got where they are. This is especially true because the book contrasts Eve Dallas with another woman who married a wealthy man. The plot devices Robb uses to compare the women's attitudes toward money aren't as good as having read the history of Eve coming to grips with Roarke's money in the prior books.

Another caution: if you like the "whodoneit" part of the mystery the best, you will be disappointed. Unlike nearly all of the prior books where Eve Dallas is tracking an unknown killer, in this one she sets her sights on a suspect fairly early. The mystery is in finding the evidence to prove her theory. I found this an interesting and enjoyable change of pace.

My only disappointment is that over the life of the series, Eve and Roarke have developed relationships with an increasing number of interesting side characters and not all of them made appearances in this book. Even without some of my favorite side characters, I really enjoyed this book.

Ms Roberts gives credit to Alfred Hitchcock and his 'Strangers on a train' in the book. A borrowed story is not what we have come to expect from Ms Roberts. Sure, there is a twist in that the murderer is obvious to Lt Dallas and to the reader by the middle of the story. The remainder of the story is about how the intrepid heroine goes about proving it.

The writing style, as always, is near perfection. Even knowing that the story is borrowed, I could not put the book down - that is solely due to Ms Roberts' powerful writing.

With anyone else, this would have been a 4-star book. But from Nora Roberts, I, like other readers, have come to expect more. So, my rating is at most a 3 1/2. If I were not collecting hard cover copies of her In Death books, I would have waited for the library's copy.

I didn't like the title for this installment of "In death" because it practically gave away the plot. This is one of Robb's most predictable mysteries, at least for anyone who is familiar with the Hitchcock film that inspired it. Thankfully, the real fun is in watching Eve zero in on the killer and figure out how the crime was committed despite flawless alibis. Plus, Robb makes sure to mention the movie directly in the book, almost like a wink to the reader! The story reminded me of one of those infrequent episodes of "Law and Order" where they show the villain commit the crime at the beginning. Viewers know who it is, but the police still have to work it out. It's not quite as satisfying as figuring it out along with them, but good none-the-less. Eve's still the cop I wish every city had protecting it.

Robb's mysteries can be fantastic and intricate, or fairly simple. Sometimes readers can figure them out in a few chapters (as I did here), or be held until the very end. But, her real gift is characterization. She creates wonderful characters readers like and can identify with. Even after twentysome installments, I'm still in love with Roarke, Eve, Peabody and the rest of the crew. They all have real depth-- their dialog and interaction make them come alive. I couldn't put this book down, and I'm sure fans of the series will not be disappointed. There is a lot of humor (where appropriate) to temper the murder mystery, but justice remains the focus. All the major characters make an appearance, if only briefly, but the major action is centered on Eve and Roarke. I've noticed in the last few books, Roarke has taken a more direct role in the investigation and we see more of him and Eve talking through the case. Peabody was pushed a little more into the background. This is fine for a few books, but I hope that she isn't relegated to minor character status like Feeney. Her repartee with Eve is just too good.

Overall, this isn't the best of the series but it's still a solid, very enjoyable mystery. The satisfaction of Eve getting the bad guy has not lessened one bit through all these novels, and I can't wait for more.

In "Strangers in Death", Eve Dallas has been assigned another case that on the face appears to be simple..rough sex gone bad. But as the scene is processed and witnesses interviewed, the clues don't pan out. Why would a seemingly reserved businessman, Thomas Anders (who is heavily invested in the community and with helping kids) engage in "risky behavior", while his beloved wife is out of town with friends. As Eve delves into the investigation, we see the normal connections between Lieutenant Dallas and her private life (the victim worked out of the same building owned by her billionaire husband Roarke; and the victim's wife uses the LC services of Charles Monroe, Eve's long time friend), but we see a marked departure from Eve and her normal behavior (not taking care of herself during a murder investigation). The new Eve simply remains focused on bringing the victim's killer to justice, while recognizing why she is so driven. She is also able to recognize connections between other crimes that appear on the face to be unrelated.

I also enjoyed seeing the usual characters in the series....McNab and Peabody (who are hilarious while keeping romance in their relationship); Feeney (who although sick, we still adore); Dr. Mira (Eve's surrogate mother); Charles and Louise (who are making some important changes in their lives); Mavis (who is still ga-ga over the baby); Sommerset (who has a love hate relationship with Eve); Trueheart and Baxter (who are equally marvelous in the story) and of course Roarke (who loves Eve passionately, even when he wants to ring her neck).

At the end, when the killer is revealed, you do feel satisfied, more so than at the end of "Creation in Death". What I think I enjoyed about this novel, that I felt was lacking in the last, was a maturity in Eve's character. What she really seems to embrace is that leaning on Roarke does not make her weak. She finally seems to realize that Roarke's respect, admiration and love are assets and only add value to what is already there. I loved this installation in a wonderful series, and can't wait for the next one.

It's 2060 in New York City. Much has changed in police work, but little has changed in crime. People still kill people. Lieutenant Eve Dallas has another big case --- and another girly thing to do. She relishes the first and dreads the latter. Fortunately, she has the support of a good man to help her and/or torment her over her lack of feminine interests.

Insinuating himself into her professional life more every day, Eve's hunky husband Roarke is a huge help --- and a very sexy one. He lends a hand with her cases, but always with an underlying motive for being around her. And he grabs any chance he has to engage her in a little non-police work. She doesn't often mind. Roarke has good looks, Irish charm, big bucks, playful impishness on his side and an overactive romantic bone: "Every minute with you, I'm alive. I never knew before there were pieces of me unborn, just waiting for you. I'm alive with you, Eve." She sighed, touched his cheek. "We'd better get out of here. We're getting mush all over the pool." Was that before or after they made love --- again?

This case gets to Eve in a way that many others before it have not, including the one that featured her as a prime target. She could deal with that, but this victim shouldn't have died the way he did. "It hits me. Some of them do, and it hits me because he was a nice man who loved his wife and used his money and position to do good things."

Thomas A. Anders --- philanthropist, loving husband and extremely rich man --- is discovered dead in his bedroom, in a highly compromising position. The scene does not suggest accident but screams "Murder." With so much planning required to set this stage, it seems as though someone hated him a great deal. But subsequent interviews fail to turn up anyone with a bad word to say for dear old Tommy.

Cops always take a close look at the spouse, especially when vast sums of money stand to be inherited. Mrs. Anders --- Ava --- was out of town at the time of her husband's death, and her alibi is unshakable. Besides, her reaction to the news of his murder is an appropriate amount of upset mixed with the right touch of sadness and horror. Why, then, does Eve put Ava at the top of the list of suspects? It's just a feeling she has, and the lieutenant's instincts are usually spot on.

Maybe spurred on by the victim's example or perhaps just following her heart, Eve does her own philanthropic thing. She indulges her soft spot for the underdog and rewards those desperately trying to be good citizens. She allows her tough veneer to crack around deserving downtrodden types. But people who allow themselves to be constant victims and don't attempt to fight back draw her disgust and make her very unhappy. Keeping Eve happy is a wise thing to do, for she can be one rough lady, unsympathetic, even downright cold.

J.D. Robb has another blockbuster with STRANGERS IN DEATH. Her handling of Eve dealing with a case that grows very personal is flawless; the writing is tight, the dialogue snappy and the plot intriguing. The books in the In Death series are always romances wrapped around a mystery, set in the future with some old-fashioned wooing. Her latest is no exception. In fact, it may be the best of the lot --- at least, so far. I'm betting that Robb isn't finished with Eve and Roarke yet. Now that would be criminal!

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Doing a 180 after the last lackluster Eve Dallas mystery, Robb takes us back to New York 2060 when Eve tags a new case. Thomas A. Anders, the sportswear king, is found dead in his bed, naked and apparently in the throes of something pretty kinky when he died. Something about the scene is off, however. Anders was drugged up to his eyeballs and passed out cold when he choked to death, and the security disks show that his killer left the scene well before he died. Eve's investigation doesn't turn up any motive to murder Thomas Anders...except money.

Anders left two beneficiaries, a widow and a nephew he raised as a son. Benedict Forest stands to gain control of his uncle's company, but his affection for the dead man seems sincere and Eve bumps him off the suspect list rather quickly. The widow, Ava Anders, catches Eve's eye right off the bat, appearing just a little too polished and put together for someone who should be devastated by shock and grief. When Eve finally gets some people to admit they don't like the widow Anders, and actually find her to be quite self-centered and cold, Eve starts doing some serious digging, determined to get to the bottom of things and put her away. What she uncovers is a carefully masterminded plot that took years to execute, but she has to be careful how she investigates because her top suspect is chummy with the wife of the chief of police, and the media is all over the case because of the lurid sex angle.

This book brought back several popular elements of this much-loved series, giving the side characters a few more scenes and lines. And, as Eve's suspect was a client of her high-class prostitute friend Charles Monroe, Charles and his love interest Louise had a decent chunk of the story. The only thing missing in this book was restraint. There were a few aspects to the killer that went over the top when the story would have seemed more believable had not absolutely every opportunity for an evil deed been exploited. Some things should have been left to chance, leading an opportunist to make a fatal decision at a fork in the road, thus bringing about subsequent events and actions, rather than a rotten apple seamlessly ingratiating itself with decent people and scheming and plotting for over a decade. It rang false the way it played when just a little restraint would have made the story more believable and interesting. I'm tired of Eve chasing serial killers, and unraveling the progression of a character from simply selfish to manipulative and downright murderous in order to get what they want would be a refreshing change from Eve's typical sick, heartless monster.

Though this book opened Eve and Roarke's lives again, Eve and Roarke could stand a few hobbies. Whereas in the past, Roarke would occasionally take Eve on a vacation or the two of them would go out to dinner or attend social functions, of late they seem to have abandoned all pursuits but Eve's work, save an occasional romp in the pool. I make these complaints because I hold this series to the highest of standards, and since there have been over 30 stories between the books and short stories, the everyday lives of the characters are important. Their lives have all progressed since the first novel, so it is disappointing when the main characters seem to regress.

In all, this was a satisfying mystery for anyone, and a return to what we love for longtime JD Robb fans. The series is still going strong, and the author has the talent to keep it fresh and fun, so I expect it will stay that way, despite an occasional complaint.