Memory in Death (Hardcover)

by J.D. Robb (Author) "I DEATH WAS NOT TAKING A HOLIDAY..." (more)
Key Phrases: security discs, soy dogs, wrist unit, New York, Mama Tru, Trudy Lombard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
After clashing with clones and killers in last year's Origin in Death, New York City police lieutenant Eve Dallas ("Her eyes were the color of good, aged whiskey and were long like the rest of her. And like the rest of her, they were all cop") settles back into a more conventional mystery. In December 2059, a mysterious woman shows up in Eve's office claiming to be her "mama." It's Trudy Lombard, the cruel foster mom who took nine-year-old Eve in after Eve killed her abusive father. Trudy made Eve take cold baths and locked her in closets, among other torments, and now Trudy wants Eve to pay $2 million to keep her past a secret. Readers of the series will know how Roarke, Eve's rich, deadly husband, handles the situation; he tosses Trudy out on her ear. When Trudy is found murdered the next day, it's up to Eve to catch the killer and prove that neither she nor Roarke was behind the bludgeoning. All the action takes place over Christmas, and Eve, being Eve, complains about the foolishness of the holiday, but Roarke et al. continue to slowly teach Eve the virtues of love, family and friendship. This is number 22 in a series that still manages to feel fresh. (Jan.)
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Product Description
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Survivor in Death has Lieutenant Eve Dallas walking a tightrope between her professional duties and her private demons.

Eve Dallas is one tough cop. She's got no problem dealing with a holiday reveler in a red suit who plunges thirty-seven stories and gives new meaning to the term "sidewalk Santa." But when she gets back to the station and Trudy Lombard shows up, it's all Eve can do to hold it together. Instantly, she's thrown back into the past, to the days when she was a vulnerable, traumatized girl-trapped in foster care with the twisted woman who now sits in front of her, smiling.

Trudy claims she just wanted to see how Eve was doing. But Eve's husband, Roarke, suspects otherwise-and his suspicions prove correct when Trudy arrives at his office, demanding money in exchange for keeping the ugly details of his wife's childhood a secret. Barely restraining himself, Roarke shows her the door-and makes it clear that she'd be wise to get out of New York and never bother him or his wife again.

But just a few days later, Trudy's found on the floor of her hotel room, a mess of bruises and blood. A cop to the core, Eve is determined to solve the case, if only for the sake of Trudy's bereaved son. Unfortunately, Eve is not the only one to have suffered at this woman's hands, and she and Roarke will follow a circuitous, dangerous path to find out who turned this victimizer into a victim.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1st edition (January 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399153284
• ISBN-13: 978-0739463970
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #342,145 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 22 in The In Death Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage J.D. Robb, January 27, 2006

By	Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

J.D. Robb continues her excellent series with yet another great installment. In this book, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is forced to confront painful memories from her past when one of her foster mothers, Trudy Lombard, surfaces at the police station to talk to Eve. Trudy had left emotional scars on Eve and memories of cold baths, being locked in the dark, and scrubbing the kitchen with a toothbrush overwhelm her. Eve leaves the police station instead of wrapping up an investigation, which is so out of character that Peabody contacts Eve's husband, Roarke. When Roarke arrives home, he finds Eve huddled under the hot shower. This is the last weak moment for Eve as she pulls herself together to face her emotions at seeing Trudy again. Meanwhile, Roarke is furious and fully expects Trudy to visit him as well as he suspects blackmail is behind Trudy's return. Sure enough, Trudy attempts to extort $2 million dollars from Roarke at his office; the resulting scene is very powerful and displays Roarke's full capabilities. Eve wants to confront Trudy herself and Eve and Roarke go to Trudy's hotel to tell her they will not be subjected to blackmail. However, Trudy is dead and the rest of the novel focuses on Eve's investigation into Trudy's death. Eve also has to cope with her own indifference to Trudy's death as she generally feels a sense of compassion for the victims. This was a highly enjoyable read and a great addition to the series. Highly recommended!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SUSPENSE TRIGGERED BY PAST TRAGEDY, February 1, 2006

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

With "Memory In Death" Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb shows readers a very vulnerable Eve Dallas, making an already affecting character even more appealing. Of course, her courage and strength are evident yet this Eve elicits our sympathy as well as our respect. Needless to say, it's one more suspense filled page-turner from this popular author.

The old holiday tune "Santa Claus Is Comin' To town" was given new meaning when St. Nick plunged some 36 stories to the pavement below. No reindeer or sleigh to catch him - only Lt. Eve Dallas and Detective Peabody trying to keep the crowd back. It is Christmas 2059.

Seems that there had been a company party with refreshments primarily consisting of liquor and chemical packages. Enough to make Santa try to fly over the chimney tops. While Eve well knew she couldn't pin murder on the drug seller, she thought she could get him for something. He was found at Zero's, which was one step up from a dive with revolving bar and private cubicles. The provider is Zero himself, a pint size package of bravado in a loud suit.

Once Eve and Peabody take him in, it is Peabody who interrogates and gets him to give himself up. Case is almost closed, but Eve isn't there to see about it because she has an unexpected and unwanted visitor in her office - Trudy Lombard, her former foster mother, a woman who enjoyed raining insults and abuse on nine-year-old Eve. At the sight of her Eve crumbles as memories of her desperate childhood surface. She tells Trudy to get out and bolts for the safety of home.

Once there Roarke is as protective as ever, vowing not to let Trudy upset Eve again no matter the cost. "Cost" is the operative word as the next day Trudy appears at his office demanding 2 million or she'll tell the media all about Eve's childhood. Of course, Roarke gives her the boot in no uncertain terms.

A day or two later Eve and Roarke go to the hotel where Trudy is staying. Eve wants to confront the harridan herself just to prove that she can do it and not let the destruction of the past resurface to frighten her. That's a confrontation that does not take place as Trudy is found bludgeoned to death on the floor of her hotel room. There's no sign of forced entry and nothing has been taken.

Both Eve and Roarke have an airtight alibi for the time of Trudy's death, but why would anyone in New York want to kill her? More importantly, who?

- Gail Cooke

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A slower paced yet more in depth novel., January 26, 2006

By	Valerie Matteson "Bookaholic" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Origin of Death" with the Icove case becomes the catalyst for the action in this new novel. Eve and Roarke had a lot of television "vid" coverage locally and nationally because of that case involving genetics and murder. It is now a Friday, a few days before Christmas and Eve has caught a scene where a party Santa has jumped out a high rise and landed on a pedestrian killing him as well. Eve makes her partner Peabody the "primary" on the case and she does well on scene.

When Lt. Dallas walks back into her office at Central she finds a middle aged lady that she doesn't at first recognize - she buried the memory of this woman - Trudy Lombard, former foster mother who was anything BUT a nurturing type. Darkness and cold baths flash Eve back and cause her to throw Trudy out as Trudy makes sly insinuations. Eve forewarns Roarke at home and sure enough the next day, Trudy goes to him to try to blackmail him for two million dollars for her to keep quiet about Eve's past. Of course, Roarke will have no part of that and puts the "fear of God" into Trudy who rushes away - still plotting and planning.

Eve and Roarke spend some time together Saturday preparing for a Christmas party that night for over 200 hundred people. Eve even gets into the swing of things helping supervising the decorating of the ballroom and finding she can handle a more "domestic" type of task.

Eve and Roarke decide on Sunday to go visit Trudy at her hotel and explain that they will not give in to her blackmail and so that Eve can confront her with confidence. They find Trudy's son Bobby's wife banging on the hotel door. They have a maid open it and Trudy is found dead!! While Eve and Roarke are not suspects as they were surrounded by people at their party, a host of other possible suspects including other former foster children are soon added to the list. Eve has sentimental feelings for Trudy's son Bobby as he used to sneak her food but she does not let that get in the way of her investigation.

As Eve deals with her memories and finding Trudy's killer, she and Roarke also share happy times at Christmas and she grows closer to Dr. Mira and her family as well. A wonderful story and actually a welcome break from the previously more gory "Origin in Death".