Crime

totally spoiled for the ending when reading the goodreads entry. boo. Still needs more Roarke. ( )

This was just as good as I had hoped that it would be! Eve and Roarke are newly married and Eve encounters the first dead body in this tale before the honeymoon is even over. A string of unrelated deaths that appear to be suicides leaves Eve questioning what really might be happening. From the start, I was hooked by this mystery and loved watching Eve work to get to the bottom of things. I thought this was a very smartly written mystery that pulled a lot of significant elements together.

I thought that Susan Ericksen did a fantastic job with the story. I believe that the voices that she uses for the various characters are well done and do a great job of bringing the story to life. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. This is the fourth book in the In Death series but it could be read as a stand-alone since the mystery is completely contained in this installment. Readers who choose to read the series in order will enjoy watching the personal relationships between the characters grow and change. I can’t wait to read more of this entertaining series. ( )

Rapture in Death
4 Stars

A series of suspicious suicides connected to virtual reality goggles has Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas racing against time to stop a demented sociopath bent on destroying that which she holds most dear.

A quick and entertaining read despite the predictable mystery.

The theme of the dangers of subliminal messaging and the very real potential for abuse are compelling, and salient in light of the advances in today’s gaming technologies. Robb’s insights are interesting given the fact that this book was written in 1996.

Although the villain is obvious early on, mainly due to the creepy vibe and shudder inducing comments that they impart, the case is intense and suspenseful. The climax and resolution are particularly intense and had me on the edge of my seat.

Roarke and Eve’s romance goes from strength to strength as Eve finally realizes just how much he means to her. Some of their scenes together are scorching hot and a lot more graphic than I am used to from Nora Roberts.

In terms of character development, Eve allows her personal feelings toward a suspect to influence her investigative method and it almost costs her everything. Her preoccupation, however justified and however despicable the suspect’s actions, is nevertheless unprofessional and dangerous.

Roarke is as sexy and enigmatic as ever and there is one scene in which he is downright scary demonstrating that he has not distanced himself from his dark past on the streets of Dublin as much as was previously believed.

Summerset, Nadine and Mavis all put in appearances, but it is Peabody who absolutely steals the show. Her one-liners are precious.

In sum, this is a fun series and I’m glad that I finally got around to reading it. ( )

In Death 4