Customer Reviews

Witness in Death (In Death #10)

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It's a pity so many romance novelists shy away from revisiting the lives of their characters in subsequent books. When a writer creates a compelling hero and heroine, brings the reader into the world of those characters and makes us care about them...why not bring them back? Thankfully, Nora Roberts (as JD Robb) continues to do just this with NYPSD homicide detective Eve Dallas and her gabillionaire husband, Roarke. Over the course of the In Death series, we have watched their fascinating relationship begin, bloom and grow. As a married couple they are even more exciting than they were in the beginning. Surrounded by a strong supporting cast, Eve and Roarke are two of the most fully realized characters in all of fiction. In WITNESS IN DEATH, a murder takes place on stage during a live theatre performance in front of an audience of thousands. Following Eve's relentless pursuit of the truth, while continuing to battle her personal demons, is fascinating as always. Roberts continues to flesh out Peabody and MacNab while keeping the focus on Eve and Roarke. Romantic suspense, heck, fiction doesn't get much better than this.

How does a romance author keep a relationship interesting after all the initial conflicts are resolved? Read J.D. Robb and find out. She's been keeping us in thrall of Eve and Roarke's story for eleven books.

In this latest installment of the "In Death" series, it is obvious that Ms. Robb is paying homage to Dame Agatha Christie. She does a wonderful job at it, and the story is a balance of suspense and emotional exploration.

As Roarke and Eve attend a play on one of her rare days off, one of the actors is stabbed onstage--and is really dead. Who did it? As Eve investigates, it turns out that everyone had a reason to hate the victim, who was a most despicable character. But don't think this is just a murder mystery; we also get a healthy dose of romance and emotional issues as Eve and Roarke continue to grapple with intimacy, an unfamiliar place for both of these strong self-reliant individuals.

For those of you who have read the previous books in the series, I will add that we see more development in the love/hate relationship between Peabody and McNab, and a return of Officer Trueheart (see Conspiracy in Death). I think we haven't seen the last of him.

For those of you for whom this will be a first endeavor, I strongly recommend that you read all the previous books in the series. You will appreciate the continuity of secondary characters, and get a much richer sense of where the actions/reactions in this book are coming from. From a literary perspective, it is admirable (as well as unparalleled) how Ms. Robb has kept Eve and Roarke's story so engrossing.

See you in October, with "Judgment in Death".

I'm just blown away by this entire series. It's amazing the way J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) puts out a new novel in the series every six months and they remain consistently well written. It is a fantastic combination of sci fi, mystery and romance. They get better, and better, and started out great with the first book. Each section really builds the characters, and this book I would say so far has the most emotion between Peabody and Eve. Eve reveals a little bit of a side you knew was there but she doesn't show very often!

This section in the series, "Witness in Death" starts with Eve and Roarke attending opening night at the New Globe Theater (which Roarke does own) and witnessing a real murder right on the stage. This one brings a bit of Eve's past back to her and she shows a sensitive side. Another one of Eve's friends is a suspect and Eve goes out of her way to spare her. You really get to know Peabody better and she carries her own and is such a fantastic character.

I love this series and it sure gets addicting. I can't put a book down and J D. Robb does a great job with the "Who done it " I never know who it is until the very end. If you haven't already, start with the first book in the series....Naked In Death! I recommend this book and the entire series...You'll love them!

If you're a newcomer to this series, welcome to Nick and Nora in the Third Millenium. JDR has slicked up the old Thin Man concept and brought it into the future, where the world is one of excess and hyperbole in all forms. Beef and coffee are delicacies, prostitution is legalized and rigidly controlled, new drugs - legitimate and otherwise - are readily available, but the seven deadly sins are unchanged. Cars travel in all spacial dimensions and planets are for sale, but cops still like donuts...Soft-boiled Eve Dallas and her handsome, mysterious, omnipresent husband Roarke, sleuth together in a plot that regulars to the series will recognize as more psychologically oriented than its predecessors. Eve and Roarke witness a real murder onstage during the opening night of a 20th century crime drama staged as a retro-performance - one of Roarke's weaknesses is for 20th century black and white / film noire, and of course, it's his playhouse...All the players are related to one another in some way through the victim, and Eve has to look closely at the nature of love and hate in personal relationships as she struggles to figure out whodunnit right under her nose. All of the books in this series develop subplots, the strongest of which is the evolving relationship between Eve and Roarke, two abused children who have grown up to excel at what they do, but who bear the scars of their youth in grim silence - until they find each other. This story brings us regulars along a little further in their lives. Eve finally starts to conquer her ambivalence about their bond, although she clearly has a way to go. Roarke remains somewhat maddeningly cool - it'd be interesting to see him lose control once in a awhile.

Reading these novels is like coming home every six months to the next installment of an ongoing saga, although we still know less about Roarke, and it would be nice to see more through his eyes. Their relationship still has a thorny side that can leave the reader just a little annoyed at both of them, which is a tribute to the empathy with which the characters are drawn. There's lots of room for other characters to shine, although fans will note that Mavis and Nadine took something of a back seat this time, to make way for Peabody, McNabb, and the up and coming Trueheart. I was waiting for this one, and now that I've finished it, I have to wait another six months for more! If this is your first book in the series, don't despair - you've got nine others to savor, and if you pace yourself, maybe you can make them last until JUDGMENT IN DEATH comes out later this year. You'll probably understand the nuances of Eve's and Roarke's relationship faster if you read them in chronological order, but I started out in the middle and then bactracked, so it's not lethal if you end up reading this book first - and it might be more fun!

One thing - I wonder who the candy thief will turn out to be?

I have read all the books in the series in order and I have to say that this one is the best yet in character development of the principal characters Eve and Roarke. Eve is learning to enjoy the company of co-workers and friends a lot more. She is also working harder to be a part of a good marriage rather than looking in from outside. I really look forward to the next installment to see how this continues. This series is more mystery and romantic suspense than futuristic so don't be put off. If you like Nora Roberts then you'll like these books. I cannot believe she has already written ten novels in the series.

I have never read anything as good as this series; it is absolutely brilliant and 'Witness' is one of the best so far.

Here, we see the return of all of the main characters in the series, plus the development of some of the newer ones: Charles Monroe, Trueheart, Nadine, Mavis, Peabody, Mcnab, Feeney... the list is ever-increasing!

Because of the way this series develops, I really think that the books need to be read in sequence in order to do them justice, or you may end up confused. You will certainly miss the subtler nuances and undercurrents which run throughout the books and which are developed throughout the series. I was lucky in that I read the books exactly in order, but I can certainly see how a new reader starting from the wrong book will not enjoy the collective series as much, and this would be a real shame.

As ever, the best thing about the book is the development of the relationship between Eve and Roarke. However, this book is a cut above the rest because we see Eve taking the initative on the romance front for a change. Before, something was always lacking because Roarke seemed to do all the running. Here, we see Eve making a real effort, with hilarious and touching results. The various characters' insights into Eve and Roarke's relationship was also an inspired way to compound to the reader just how special and romantic their relationship is. However, I do think that Roarke the 'walking orgasm' needs a good jolt of jealously as a taste of his own medicine. We saw some brief jealously in 'Immortal' but surely it can't be fair to Eve to have to keep tripping over drooling women to get to her admittedly fabulous husband.

Every scene is fast-paced, witty and packed with lovely details which can be re-read again and again. Ms Roberts is amazingly talented and can make you laugh aloud in one scene and fill you with compassion in the next.

I can't wait until 'Judgment' is out in October. As far as I'm concerned, these books can't be written fast enough. I get withdrawal symptoms at the end of each new one, so please keep them coming Ms Roberts!

There is so much which still has to be developed, like Eve's memories of her mother. I'm also sure that the Olympus resort will not be able to open without some sort of drama, since Roarke has alot of his own capital invested, and it has been a constant feature from the beginning. Will Roarke actually make a loss for once? Surely not!

There is one last thing. When will we hear anything about Kevin, the little boy from 'Vengeance' who Roarke arranged to be adopted by Richard and Elizabeth Deblass? How has he settled in? I can't believe that Roarke doesn't keep in touch, and it would be nice to know.

Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb gives us the "In Death" series of murder mysteries in a futuristic setting. New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dalls is tough, hard hitting, and a good cop. Beneath the hard exterior there is a woman with compassion for the victims of the crimes she investigates. The unlikely romance between Eve and Roarke, a multi-millionaire who made his millions by not so legal means, is hot, unpredictable and the stuff that romance novels are a about. The latest in the series, "Witness in Death" starts with Eve and Roarke attending opening night at the New Globe Theater and witnessing a real murder on the stage. It's fantastically entertaining, as all the J.D. Robb books are, and we get to see more of Peabody, Eve's assistant who is such a great character in her own right. I started this series a few years ago with book two and decided I had to read them all! I acquired all the books in the series up to that point and started with the first one. I loved it even though I had already read the second. A terrific series I grab each new book that comes out and devour it. Highly recommended!

Ms. Robb's last book, Loyalty in Death, was full of action and suspense. In Witness in Death, she takes a different track and delivers an emotional impact. Eve and Roarke have an evening out to see a play that involves the legal system. The detective in Eve can't just enjoy the play, she tries to put all the clues together in the play to determine who is the guilty party. Just when she thinks she knows, she realizes the murder scene in the play is for real. She immediately takes charge of the crime scene and sets out to solve the murder. What makes this book so very special is the emotional impact. When you read this book, you are going to see different sides to the main and secondary characters you have not seen before. When Eve is hit with the phrase "the one true love of your life" there is a scene when Eve tries to be a good wife that would be hysterical if you didn't realize how hard it was for her to express herself. You have to read this book. I could try to tell you the plot and subplots, but it would take forever since Ms. Robb's has weaved so many emotional things into this book. If you are a diehard J. D. Robb fan and have followed Eve and Roarke through the series, you will not want to miss this one. Thank heavens, there is a synopsis of her upcoming book, Judgment in Death, to tie you over until October.

Ahhh, Eve Dallas. By Witness, the tenth(?) book in the series, I've come to regard her, along with the "walking orgasm," Roarke, and all of the other characters, as a dear friend. I'm intensely glad that, unlike many writers who started out well but then slid downhill in their writing (Laurell K. Hamilton comes to mind), Robb has been making an effort to not only maintain the quality of the first books, but to rise higher. And with Witness, as with Conspiracy and Loyalty before it, she succeeds, fully breaking away from the psycho-serial-killer plot that was becoming so formulaic and predictable.

As always, there is emotional turmoil, witty banter, and enough sweet scenes to keep me satisfied without overpowering the mystery. My favorite lines may be: [referring to Roarke] "He'd jump in front of a maxibus for you." "They don't go very fast," and, later: "Would you jump in front of a maxibus for me?" "Absolutely. They don't go very fast." "That's what I said."

Perhaps the most satisfying element of Witness is that Eve finally seems to realize how much Roarke gives in their relationship and how little she gives back. Naturally her attempt to do her part for romance is both wonderfully humorous and touching. It's nice to see Eve realizing what a good thing she's got.

I look forward to seeing this upward trend continued in Judgement.

I'll say it right now, the first 150 pages of this book are extremely dull and confusing. I found them painfully slow and involving very little action at all. The death occurs, but it's not exciting. The investigation begins, but like most other mystery novels, it is near motionless, so slow it seams to stand still in time.

One thing that J.D. Robb is known for in this series is her combonation of the common mystery and the romance story. But once again, there are problems. It seemed as if the transformation from romance to mystery was too sudden, with very little in between.

So why do I give it four stars? Because of the second half. Near the middle, J.D. Robb got the story together and if flowed better than most I've read. Lo and behold, I found humor as well! I found myself laughing at the jokes; a big accomplishment for any book.

The suspects gained more depth and became more interresting as well. The main character, Eve, showed more feelings than lust and curiosity, and the parts of other officers, namely Truehart, were much stronger in the second half.

The idea for the plot was creative and greatly enjoyed and I recommend this book to anyone who likes a well-told, comical mystery; assuming you can get through the fist half that is.