Promises in Death (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Eve stepped out of the shower and into the drying tube..." (more)
Key Phrases: security discs, clutch piece, wrist unit, Alex Ricker, New York, Max Ricker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of bestseller Robb's megablast 28th novel to feature Lt. Eve Dallas (after Salvation in Death), Eve is dismayed to discover at a Manhattan crime scene that the victim is a friend, Det. Amaryllis Coltraine, who's been fatally zapped by her own stun gun. Dallas uncovers a connection to Coltraine's ex-boyfriend, Alex Ricker, whose father, a notorious criminal serving a life sentence at the Omega Penal Colony, blames Dallas and her husband, Roarke, for his imprisonment. Humorous touches, like the wild poolside wedding shower Dallas must abruptly leave after receiving word of a prime suspect found shot to death, provide relief from the intensity of the murder investigation. In a nice paranormal twist, Dallas uses dream visits with Coltraine to help expose a devious killer whose identity is a stunner. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) has a real gift for keeping this long-running thriller series fresh. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

NYPD Lieutenant Eve Dallas always does her best to solve every one of her cases, but her latest assignment just might be her most difficult yet. Not only was the victim, Amarylis Coltraine, a cop who was killed with her own weapon, but the case also takes on an added personal dimension since Amarylis was Chief Medical Examiner Morris’ lover, and Morris is one of Eve’s best friends. When the killer sends Eve a package containing Coltraine’s badge, weapon, and a taunting note suggesting that she might be next on the list, Eve finds herself trying to untangle a case that may be linked to her own past. All of the familiar ingredients Robb’s millions of readers expect to fall neatly into place—a cleverly constructed plot, an intriguing cast of secondary characters, and a sexy romance between tough-as-nails Eve and her mysterious billionaire husband Roarke—do so in the 30th gritty, suspenseful addition to Robb’s best-selling, futuristic police-procedural series. --John Charles

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1 edition (February 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399155481
• ISBN-13: 978-0399155482
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,663 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 29 in The In Death Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best so far, February 24, 2009

By	norarobertsismyqueen (Germany) - See all my reviews

"Promises in Death", book 29 in the in death - series is one of the best so far. It's really intense, sad but also hilarious and just great.
The story begins with the murder of Detective Coltraine who was in a intimate relationship with Morris. Not only Eve but every other cop in New York is on the hunt for the killer who took the life of one of them. But especially Eve and her unit are doing everything to solve this case as fast as possible. When the victim is linked with Alex Ricker, son of Max Ricker, it seems clear that he has to the number one suspect in the murder. But Eve soon realizes that while Alex Ricker may be a criminal he is no murderer. On the contrary he is just another victim in a game of revenge and power. When a second person close to Alex Ricker is killed Eve discovers that the killer may be no Mr X but somebody she already knows and whom Detective Coltraine trusted.
"Promises in Death" is so far one of my favourites in the series. Some parts of the book are hard to read because they are so sad but they are still great because you see a new side of Eve. She is not only a brilliant cop but also manages to be a very good friend to Morris and I have to say that I love this side of her. Roarke and Eve rock as usual and I think that you can see that their relationship is getting better and better.
There are also two hilarious scenes in this book involving Eve. One is Eve and Roarke buying some underwear (I had to laugh out loud when reading this) and one is Eve and a bunch of naked, drunken woman who are no strangers to her. These two scenes show yet another side of Eve and make it clear that she appreciates her friendships and realizes that they are important to balance out what she goes through in her job.
You learn a lot about Morris in this book and thank god he is not leaving New York after this tragedy, so I hope to see more of him and maybe Alex Ricker in the future.
So all in all I think that "Promises in Death" is brilliant and a fantastic new addition to the series. Thanks J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts for this great book.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The choices we make and the chances we take, determine our destiny., February 27, 2009

By	Bibliophylax (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This is one of the best In Death books so far, in my opinion. The horrible ways in which Eve and Roarke's relationship could have gone wrong is explored through a proxy couple. Eve's investigation brings up the different choices that were made at each step and how the sum of all of those choices led to the here and now (or since it is 2059, the there and then). The introspection that both E & R go through is presented so beautifully that at no point does it get boring - no contemplating the navel here.

The humor is intact in spite of the circumstance. That must have been difficult to manage without coming across as absolutely ridiculous. This is further proof of the author's talent - if anything further were needed. I loved it when Eve found it easier to 'describe a subject' than describe a friend. I especially liked the part where Eve flares up at Morris and immediately regrets it - not humorous at all, but very human and very relatable.

The staccato speech that I used to love (not so much in her last, say 5-10 books) is not in evidence here. THANK GOD FOR THAT! Seems as though she has been paying attention to the criticism from the readers.

A few questions I have for NR (1) Are you a big fan of L&O? I was surprised to see that one of the squad members was a transferee from SVU. I may be wrong, but the NYPD in 2009 has a Sex Crimes Unit, not an SVU.

(2) Why is it called Promises?

(3) I want Alex's story - truly a tortured hero.

All in all, a very good book for In Death fans.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars intimate, February 27, 2009

By	lover of stories - See all my reviews

This review is from: Promises in Death (Audio CD)

Promises in Death is an intimate story. The character development is strong, and Robb gives us even deeper insight into their hearts and minds. There's plenty futuristic murder mystery, plenty snappy dialogue and plenty of threads to tug along with Dallas as she solves the puzzle, but what struck me the most about this book was how Eve is opening herself up to her own inner workings, and giving more of her self to those important to her.