Customer Reviews

The Lost

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

JD Robb story was great but the other three were slogs, hard to get through, and a waste of time and money. I am an avid reader and read a wide variety of themes and almost never stop reading a book or story before the end but it was painful reading especially the last two stories and all three, except JD Robb's, were predictable, plodding, and truly not worth it. I don't like writing bad reviews but wished I had known had bad three of the four stories were before I bought this.

J D Robb was the reason I bought this book, and she is the reason I did not give this book 2 stars.
I agree with others here who say her book saved the day.

1)J D Robb's "Missing in death" was fast paced,very interesting plot, plenty of Roarke in it (always a good thing!). The ending is not typical for the series, but it is what you hope for, so at the end, everyone is satisfied.

2)Patricia Gaffney "The dog days of...". It is a short story, you'd think it don't have time to drag along, but this story proves you wrong.

3) Mary Blayney "Lost in paradise". I thought at the beginning it had some promise. But all this story that the heroine must be a "virgin with snow pure mind and body" was really getting on my nerves. And all this hymn singing which proves how "pure" she is... I'm sorry, I didn't get that!

4) Ruth Ryan Langan "Legacy" was better then previous two. I think it should have been 2nd story in the book and not 4th, ppl might have liked it more, it is easy to lose all your patience with Gaffney and Blayney and add the last one into the boring mix.

All in all, I'm stunned how J D Robb was put into this group of authors. Painful, really!

Patricia Gaffney's story ("The Dog Days of Laurie Summer" - 2nd in the book) alone makes this book worth the price, and more. My high rating is really about her piece. I consider the other stories "bonuses." Ms. Gaffney skillfully presents life from the same place as always but from a new perspective. The result is a fresh playful voice. Paradoxically, by taking on a dog's persona Ms. Gaffney brings understanding to being human. But the real attraction of the story is just that - the story. It intrigued me from the start, provided surprising twists, made me chuckle often, kept me turning pages and gave me that can't-wait-to-get-back-to-my-book feeling. And I'm not even a dog person! If you appreciate stories that deviate from tried and true (and often tired) plot lines and instead provide a fresh and well-crafted story, you will love Ms. Gaffney's piece. I also enjoyed JD Robb's "Missing in Death" (first story in the book).

Hate's a pretty powerful emotion, and yet 'don't like' is so tepid. Which to choose, which to choose?

The blurbs for the stories in this book were intriguing, which was why I bought it. Well, that and a new In Death story.

Color me deceived. If I'd realized otherwise, I wouldn't have spent $7.99 for just an Eve Dallas short, much as I love her.

Writing is hard work, and I hate to denigrate any author, but I found myself skipping to the end with each of the other three stories. I was especially appalled by this line from the third story, Lost in Paradise: Finally, at last, Isabelle's sleep was as pure as her body and as sweet as her heart.

Excuse me? Is this a Harlequin from the 80s? Was this written for a tween? That line not only threw me out of the story, it made me want to throw the book across the room.

And how did the last story, Legacy, come to be classed as a paranormal? Did I miss something in my skipping pages? If someone could explain that to me, I'd be grateful.

Come to think of it, how is Missing in Death paranormal?

This certainly isn't the company I'd expect J.D. Robb to keep. Maybe next time her editors should make up an anthology of the Eve Dallas shorts. Don't try to give it a theme, just put them all together. I'd definitely pay $7.99 for that.

Meanwhile, which to choose? It's a tough call, but Missing in Death saves this from being a total waste of time, and I'll go with the less intense 'don't like.'

I always enjoy the Eve Dallas shorts. It gives us a chance to see Eve operate in a story too small to work in a larger book, illuminating a part of her life without all the weight to carry. In Missing In Death we end up taking a trip I didn't think we'd ever see. (And no, she doesn't have a baby, but it's equally surprising.) Fun, while moving the character along, it's one of the best shorts in the In Death series.

But I was thrilled to find a short story by Patricia Gaffney. This is an author we don't see enough of. Her slightly skewed world view is on perfect display in "The Dog Days Of Laurie Summer" as a woman examines her life through the eyes of someone else. Patricia Gaffney can turn any character sympathetic. I, personally, cannot stand magicians. There I was, sympathizing with one. Hopefully her next full length book doesn't ask me to make an emotional connection with clowns. I probably would, and I'd feel all sorts of wrong about it.

The Mary Blayney story didn't work for me. The characterization was disjointed, feeling more like a HQN Spice brief at times, and the time period floated. Early on the modern day nurse says something like "Let the servant do it" and I wasn't able to stop thinking of her as a Paris Hilton type after that. Really, who would call the people working at someone's house 'the servant' in modern times? I like Mary Blayney, but this might appeal more to someone feeling less critical.

On the other hand, Ruth Ryan Langan isn't usually my favorite read, but The Legacy hit all the right notes and wrapped the collection up nicely for me. I'm a sucker for the vaguely gothic. Throw in mysterious identities and a little poverty and I'm yours. Overall, a great collection and a marathon read for me. I wanted more when it was over, which is a good sign for any book but especially for an anthology.

I haven't read the other stories in this anthology, so am only commenting on (and rating) JD Robb's "Missing in Death." It had an interesting plot, with a non-characteristic (for Eve) ending this time around. I liked trying to figure out how the crime was pulled off without Robb adding supernatural elements, and enjoyed seeing some of my favorite characters again (Eve, Roarke, Peabody, and McNab, with a short entry by Summerset). I'm almost caught up with the series now (finally) and know it'll drive me crazy to have to wait for the next release like the rest of Robb's fans, so I'll probably wait awhile to read the next one. :)

Quick warning before review: The "Big Jack" title that is being released in Feb. is NOT a new story! It is a reprint of part one of the double JD Robb/Nora Roberts novel "Remember When" as a stand alone novel. If you own or read "Remember When", you already have "Big Jack"!

I suppose if I were to review all four stories separately, the stars would be lower. While fans of Robb will most likely not like(if not downright hate) the other stories because they all have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Fans of "In Death" see these stories as the things Eve and company do between the "big" cases covered in the novels. All of the stories here, though, deal with a loss of some kind, spiritual, familial and emotional,and how each main character finds their way back through some kind of redemption. They are uneven,"Missing in Death" by far the most exciting(come on,a locked room murder on a sailing Staten Island Ferry in the ladies' room? Priceless!). The ending is both satisfying,fulfilling,and Summerset laughs! (sorry,that's the only spoiler I'll give!) Ruth Ryan Langan's closer "Legacy" was the second strongest offering, but somehow reminds me of a Nora Roberts novel of the past. Even the dashing love interest, Cullen sounds like,looks like and has a past like Roarke (abandoned street urchin, saves older benefactor from harm, becomes the son man never has). It's a nice story, but way too familiar.

I completely get the theme's of Gaffey's "Dog Days of Laurie Summer", but it's very by the numbers and not very interesting. Blayney's romance "Lost in Paradise" had lots of promise, but her heroine was a bit too much; she saves herself for the right man, yet willing to have unprotected sex with a cursed guy who has sex with 21st century women tourists without protection on a regular basis? Read the book, enjoy the JD Robb story, and count the days til February like I will.

EVE IS BACK! If you haven't liked the last two Eve Dallas books don't worry - this short story is soooo much better. Missing in Death still requires a bit of a leap of faith (how did she get 'lost') but it is worth it. I really liked chapter 10 where everything is tied together in classic Eve fashion. I'm glad to see less sex and more story in this latest effort by J.D. Robb. Very cool use of technology.

The Dog Days of Laurie Summer was different - the main character is actually in a coma for 95% of the story. A bit freaky in light of the recent revelation that coma patients might be aware of everything that is going on around them but not able to communicate. It's the first Patricia Gaffney short story that I've read and it was solid. I didn't get into her books perviously but I'm going to have to go back and check them out again.

I've read Lost in Paradise but confess that I've got to read it again. I must of missed something somewhere because I just didn't get it. The writing wasn't bad, I just never really understood why the guy was cursed.

Ruth Ryan Langan's Legacy is good, I'm not sure how it belongs to a short story collection billed as 'paranormal desire and suspense' but is was a nice story. It is more of a classic short romance - long lost ancestor finds down on luck girl, brings her to Ireland where she falls in love with his right hand man.

When it's all said and done - 5 stars for the first two short stories, 3 for Paradise Lost, and 4 for Legacy.

The book was in excellent condition. Fast shipping. The stories are great; but then I like most of the authors in this anthology.

The J.D. Robb story was excellent. The rest of the stories were only so-so. I would not purchase this book again.