Customer Reviews

Survivor in Death (In Death #20)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Before I read this book, I read the reviews here on Amazon and was thoroughly confused about what to expect. Some saw it as a complex police procedural with maturing relationships and a lessening of the explicit rehash of Eve's & Roarke's traumatic childhoods. Others thought the details of the crimesolving were neglected and cast Eve as increasingly and somewhat randomly witchy.

Well, I'm going to vote with the former group:

* Eve and Roarke retain their passion, yet are depicted with an increasing amount of trust and a decreasing need for conflict which often was simply a painful stage set for a lusty truce. The characters are shown giving each other a growing amount of credit and respect; still, acerbic and affectionately humorous debates abound.

* Plot and police work were good enough for me. I mostly read murder mysteries, when I'm not reading technical manuals, but I'm not in law enforcement, so I'm a connoisseur without having insider knowledge. The books wouldn't work without some semblance of police methodology, but really, we all read these for the characters, and especially for the witty dialogue between and among these interesting characters, don't we? :)

* Contrary to the comments of some, Eve actually seemed more mellow in Survivor, as did Roarke, both without losing their edge. For those who find Eve's conversations mean, cold, etc., I recommend listening to the conversation between good friends who are also smart, articulate, and in the habit of entertaining themselves and others with verbal play. Yes, she seems like a serious witch to Summerset, who, in return, chides her annoyingly. Their relationship is a bit of a caricature (for *our* entertainment) and that's how *they* play. In this book, as in previous ones, they also make allowances and back off when someone they share is in need.

*Peabody and McNab continue to emerge as alternative and complementary versions of Eve and Roarke. Looking forward to seeing how that develops; Peabody is very much her own person and McNab is an entertaining foil.

*Finally, as a devoted mother of 2, former teacher and, on the whole, person who appreciates many of the fine reasons for reproducing and the excellent qualities of individual children - no, most definitely, Eve and Roarke do not need to be awarded offspring. As in real life, something would most definitely have to give. In real life, that can be positive, or at least not negative. But hey, this is entertainment. I don't need my heros and entertainers to reflect my own personal self. We *love* Eve and Roarke expressly because they are *not* like us, no? Let's not beat up the author for refusing to morph them into Middle America.

*Oh, and by the way, I found Eve's conversations with the surviving child constructive and honest, unlike some who read this good story.

The first thing that's important to know about this book is that it is best read as part of the on-going "In Death" series. If you do choose to read it out of order, you'll likely not enjoy it very much.

If, on the other hand, you're someone who has read all the other books in the series, I think you'll enjoy Survivor. It's definitely one of the more intense and emotional installments, although not as good as Divided in Death or Portrait in Death.

The case is riveting from the start, but as in all the other books, the murder mystery pales in comparison to the emotional interaction between Eve and Roarke. This particular mystery starts very strong, but by the end, it's a bit of a mess and you'll probably be scratching your head in confusion. The first chapter hooks the reader, though, and you might find yourself in tears when you read about little Nixie's plight.

The one thing preventing me from giving this book 5 stars is the characterization of Eve. Now, I do think Eve reacts in-character to Nixie: she's brash, emotionally distant, and difficult. She also feels that she could best serve the child by finding out who killed her parents. I didn't expect or want Eve to be cuddly with Nixie or cooing over her. That wouldn't have been the Eve I know. But sometimes I think Roberts goes a bit too far with Eve's grouchy, foul moods. In several places in this novel, Eve is downright unlikeable, even cruel. She's obnoxious with Summerset in one scene where he humbles himself enough to apologize and even as Nixie clearly grows to love Eve, Eve can only express her fondness by noting that Nixie did a "dumbass" thing in risking her life.

Roberts repeatedly balances Eve's rough edges with reminders of her terrible childhood. As awful as that childhood was, I feel like the death of Nixie's parents was not the type of crime that would affect Eve any differently than it did the other characters. Roarke, Peabody, and Summerset were also deeply upset, and Roarke and Summerset in particular have experienced things in their own pasts that made them particularly pained by what occured. And yet Eve is the only one whose harsh behavior is excused because of what she went through as a child. I want Eve to be strong, and I like that she's not a typical heroine, but this book felt like a big step back in terms of Eve's growth. Her coldness to Nixie was ultimately as unbelievable as extreme warmth and fuzziness would have been. Roarke needed to confront her, and let her know that her work is important and vital, but sometimes she needs to give people like Nixie her time, not just her dedication as a cop.

The book has some great scenes, including Roarke remembering his past while spending time with Nixie, and Summerset caring for the child. In fact, I fell more in love with Roarke than ever, which made it even more frustrating that Eve was so irritating. There are also two wonderful love scenes, including one involving a flower that heightens sensation, and a long-awaited (at least by this reader) discussion between Eve and Roarke about the possibility of starting a family.

But overall, the end never fulfilled the emotional promise of the initial chapters.

Like many readers, I eagerly await the arrival of a new Dallas/Roarke story. Survivor in Death was no exception. At just under 300 pages a shorter work and one I have to say that I was overall disappointed with.

To begin, and this may be a small point, but the language felt different. There were slang terms used that are more common today, 'phat' being an example, that I felt were a jarring note. The language just felt more contemporary and less in keeping with Ms. Robb's futuristic setting. Also, the continued references to Nixie and other witnesses as 'wits' (something I don't remember from previous stories) tended to strike me as off.

Like other reviewers, I feel that the antagonists were not fleshed out all, they remained only very shallow and shadowy presences. The motive for the murders seemed pretty weak without in the absence of character development. Additionally, I think there was too much of an effort to tie past storylines or characters from past books into this one, as in the supposed links of the evildoers to Casasandra, the Doomsday group. Why didn't she just throw in the Purity group while she was at it?

As for other continuing characters, yes Feeney, Peabody, McNab, Baxter, et al. were there, but it seems that even they were given short shrift. Yes, Peabody is still recovering from injuries received in Visions in Death, but even so, I felt that none of the regular characters have advanced any in our knowledge of them or grown as characters or people. Only 1 appearance by Mavis, good heavens, what is the series coming to?

On the whole, this book felt more to me as a rent-payer, and not up to Ms. Robb's usual high standards. I did laugh a number of times and felt quite sympathetic toward Nixie and the book was an enjoyable read, but I couldn't help but feel that there was something missing, some spark that would have made the story more vital. Perhaps it was due to the shorter length, as noted before this story was under 300 pages where her previous works tend to be 330 to 350 pages.

I have ready every "In Death" book in the series, and I have to say that "Survivor in Death" ranks in my mind as one of the very very best. It had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning to the very last page, and I was sorry when it ended.

Nora Roberts, a.k.a. J.D. Robb, really hits her stride in this story of a nice, upper-middle-class family that is brutally murdered, one by one, in their beds. The murderers, brutal assassins, even get the housekeeper and a sleepover guest--but inadvertently leave behind a 9-year-old survivor, spunky Nixie Swisher, who witnessed the murders while hiding.

Nixie, who seems like a young Eve (the futuristic hard-edged New York cop who stars in this series), is taken under Eve and Roarke's collective wing while Eve doggedly stays on the scent of the killers. Nixie is a delightful character; I couldn't help but wish that Eve and Roarke would adopt her, and I won't do a spoiler by saying if they do. Suffice to say that I hope she appears in future books.

This outing is much more focused on the cop work, and much less on Eve and Roarke's collective childhood traumas, which is a welcome rest. There is enough to let us know they're still dealing, but the story itself is fast-paced, suspenseful and satisfying. On to the next!

I have either read or listened to on CD all of the previous books in the In Death series and I look with eager anticipation to new ones coming up. As others have outlined the plot, I will give my impressions of the CD. Susan Ericksen does a great job narrating the series. The characters are endearing, predictable but with good evidence of development and growth. The plot in this series was excellent, the pacing excellent as well. There is suspense sprinkled with humor. The author is sensitive and can bring you to tears in one moment and have you laughing out loud the next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I have read all of the "In Death" books and enjoyed them all for what they are -- great fun and entertainment and suspense and surprises. This book had a particular surprise and showed some growth in Eve's character. When you figure how she and Roarke have only been married two years, which to me seems very short as I have been married 28 years, the development and understanding they are beginning to show towards each other is great. I look forward to more books and for the birth of Mavis' child which will surely impact Eve more than anything.

First of all, I applaud J.D. Robb for coming up with another one of her good books. However, there is something about "Survivor" that stops it from being great rather than just good. The storyline is commendable, and the characters even more so, but I found Robb's writing this time around to be rather clipped. It seemed to lack those tiny words--"the", "is", "it", and "if"--that create sentence fluidity and structural understanding. Also, as mentioned by a previous reader, I found Eve Dallas to be much colder than I would have liked, especially towards Nixie herself. I didn't expect her to smother the child, but I'm not too sure I enjoyed seeing this particular side of my favorite heroine. All in all, I did enjoy this book and so I give it four stars.

We are quickly thrown back in the world of murder with a sad beginning that is so vivid you feel as if you are actually watching a movie. Survivor in Death has all the favorite parts people enjoy from the other in Death books, and adds a few new perspectives too. The ending is AWESOME and there are some pretty nice action scenes. Seeing how Roarke and Eve handle a child is also pretty humorous at times. A great book for both faithful fans and people just looking for a good read.

This is the twentieth book book of the futuristic detective series written by Nora Roberts using the pen name J.D. Robb; it is generally referred to as the In Death Series due to the fact that all twenty titles consist of only three words of which the final two are always In Death. This one is very aptly titled, since the plot revolves around the sole survivor of an horrific family slaughter which is described in detail in the prologue and opening chapter of the book. This is the first book in the series that I have read; the necessary background information is woven into the story in a way that made the book very enjoyable as a standalone read. In fact, based upon some comments of other reviewers I believe that I might have benefitted by not being exposed to some of themes regarding the lives of the recurring characters that have been dwelt on at length in previous volumes.

This is a detective story/police procedural which takes place in a still recognizable locale in the near future - the Upper West Side of New York City in the year 2059. The choice of 2059 by the author is very clever - it is just far enough in the future not to be limited by current technology but rather can use its plausible projections with the need to be limited only by some internal consistency rather than reality. In fact most the of technological advances it utilized with regard to IT systems, electronic devices and communication equipment seem quite possible, although in some other areas the advances seem in the realm of the eventually projectible rather than to be a likelihood within the next sixty years. This is especially true of advances in vehicle transportation and the degree of development of off-earth settlements, but I have no complaints since these are devices which are almost throwaway details whose effect is to add interest to the story but which are not central to the plot development.

NYC Homicide Detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas arrives at a scene where the Swisher family members and their housekeeper, Inga Snood, lie murdered in their beds along with a family guest. A high tech alarm system was negated and the sophistication and violence of the murders appear military like in their efficiency and ruthlessness. Furthermore, the house is totally devoid of clues, not one shred of telltale evidence is discovered at the scene by the high tech equipment available in that era. Then Eve suddenly discovers a survivor - the Swisher's traumatized daughter, nine-year-old Nixie, is covered with blood but has escaped the killers' rampage due to a fortunate twist of fate. In fact, Nixie is an eyewitness who actually observed the murderers from her hiding place and now needs a secure place to stay whose location can be kept secret from the killers. Thus Dallas calls upon all her skill and the resources of the Police department, both to help her solve the case and to protect Nixie. This includes her partner Delia Peabody, still recovering from severe injuries suffered only three weeks earlier and perhaps returning to duty before being at full strength, and also, of course, her husband Roarke who can use his considerable resources in ways not always available to the police. Thus begins a fast moving, often tense, clever and extremely well plotted police procedural/action story. Then suddenly the conclusion comes at the reader in a blur of violence. There are even has a few hilarious asides to relieve the tension, such as the amazement of some of the urban dwellers of NYC that people actually still reside in the rural nether regions of Nebraska and Wyoming. But the police story alone would not deserve a five star rating.

What elevated this book for me were the elements which turned it into a novel chronicling an intense human drama of not only death but also emotional trama, human frailty, self-doubt and the search for justice and perhaps some answers which could provide a measure of peace and closure for NIxie even if if not complete redemption for Dallas. Dallas' discovery of Nixie immediately causes her to recall the demons of her past (with which she still struggles and which often occasion horrific nightmares with which Roarke and Dr. Charlotte Mira are still trying to help her cope). Thus, it is difficult for Dallas to deal with Nixie (both as an eyewitness and to provide her the support which she needs); Dallas' lack of understanding of children and her inabilty to interact with them distress her, as does the fact that she has to rely on Summerset, Roarke's most loyal employee and in many ways her nemesis, to help care for Nixie and keep her safe. The psychological tension is palpable, and Dallas tries to avoid it by immersing herself in the search for the killers, not only to fulfill the promise which she made to Nixie that she would find them and "put them in a ... cage" but also as the obvious way in which she can avoid dealing with the affection, contact and understanding which NIxie needs. Thus, Nixie becomes the central character, not only because it is becomes increasingly clear that her life is still at risk, but because she directly or indirectly is responsible everything Dallas does. She is wise beyond her years, not just her intelligence but in the simple emotional logic which she applies to the situation. Her confrontation with Dallas where she avoids Dallas' self-protective attempts to distance herself by simply declaring that she has figured out that Dallas is not really mean is very effective. But the most extraordinary scene occurs in the morgue when Nixie says goodbye to her family, draws Dallas in against her will, and talks about her concerns regarding that day and the fact that she alone survived. In its simplicity it is one of the most powerful and emotional scenes which I have read in popular literature, a real tear jerker. This story involves powerful human emotions exposed and rubbed raw.

In comparison to most books which I rate highly and part of a series which include several predecessors, my reaction to the conclusion of this novel was that I am much more interested in reading the undoubted sequels than the earlier works. This is both because the author did such a good job of providing the necessary background information and because this story literally cries out for a sequel which examines the aftermath of this case for Dallas and Roarke. (However, I am tempted to read NAKED IN DEATH, the first story and recently rereleased in order to see how it all began and learn how much the characters have evolved.) The major reason for my subtraction of a half star from my rating was the detailed depiction of extreme violence, not only in the scene of the initial murders but also additional ones connected to this case and some of the flashbacks involving Dallas' and Roarke's childhoods. Despite the fact that this violence was admittedly an essential element of the story and in no sense gratuitous, I still found it discomforting. I had a few other minor quibbles about some details including what I regarded as some of the improbabilities of the futuristic elements; however, none of them keep me from highly recommending this story. Finally, the quote from Milton's PARADISE LOST that Roarke utters to describe Nixie as they leave the morgue is by itself worth paying the price of the book and taking time to read it.

Tucker Andersen

I was looking forward to this next installment of Eve Dallas' life, but I wasn't as pleased as I had hoped. It was great, but to me it seemed to be missing something. Eve still has everyone at arm's length, except for Roarke, and she is still kicking (...) and solving crimes. But with the "Survivor" being a 9 year old girl, I was hoping for a whole new dimension of Eve. Plus...I thought Mavis would finally have her baby! I am looking forward to "Origin in Death" to see what happens next and I will always be a fan of the "...In Death" series, but I hope that Dallas will come around and soften up maybe just a little....