Just a Few… yep… In Death Books

This feature is for short reviews, reviews of books in a series where it might feel repetitive, or (as Michelle suggested) books I was too lazy to write a “real” review for. Today’s books are… yep, you guessed it… In Death again!

Survivor In Death by J.D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death #20
Published by Brilliance Audio on August 30th 2005
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 360
Length: 11 hours
Format: Audiobook
Source: Borrowed
Goodreads

The only thing that kept young Nixie Swisher from suffering the same fate as her parents, brother, housekeeper, and young sleepover companion was the impulsive nine-year-old's desire for an illicit orange fizzy at 2 a.m. Taking the bereft girl under her wing, Eve is determined to make sure the killers don't get the chance to finish their lethal job. From the first, however, the investigation is baffling. The Swishers were a nice family, living on the Upper West Side in a house with an excellent security system. Ordinary almost to a fault, they seemed unlikely victims for this carefully planned and executed crime. Valuables at the scene were left untouched, there was no sign of vandalism -- just the corpses of five people murdered in their sleep.

Another great one! I always enjoy Eve with kids, but this was different – in a great way. I liked seeing Eve and Roarke acting almost as parents – maybe it won’t be so long after all for them to have one of their own? The mystery was good and it was neat seeing some old elements come into play. Eve was stumped longer than she normally is, which was also enjoyable. As much as I enjoyed it, I think I’m finally read to take take an In Death break 🙂

Origin in Death by J.D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death #21
Published by Brilliance Audio on July 12th 2005
Genres: Mystery, Science Fiction, Romance
Length: 11 hours 33 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Borrowed
Goodreads

New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her partner Peabody enter the hallowed halls of the Wilfred B. Icove Center for Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery on a case. A hugely popular vid star has been beaten to a bloody pulp - and has killed her attacker in the process. After a post-op interview, Dallas and Peabody confirm for themselves that it’s a clear-cut case of self-defense, but before they can leave the building, another case falls into their hands.

Dr. Wilfred B. Icove himself has been found dead in his office - murdered in a chillingly efficient manner: one swift stab to the heart. Struck by the immaculate condition of the crime scene, Dallas suspects a professional killing. Security discs show a stunningly beautiful woman calmly entering and leaving the building: the good doctor’s final appointment.

Known as “Dr. Perfect,” the saintly Icove devoted his life to his family and his work. His record is clean. Too clean for Dallas. She knows he was hiding something, and suspects that his son, his successor, knows what it is. Then - like father, like son - the young Dr. Icove is killed . . . with the same deadly precision.

But who is the mystery woman, and what was her relationship with the good doctors? With her husband, Roarke, working behind the scenes, Dallas follows her darkest instincts into the Icoves’ pasts. And what she discovers are men driven to create perfection - playing fast and loose with the laws of nature, the limits of science, and the morals of humanity.

Not my favorite, but still damn good 🙂 definitely has the creep factor!

Memory in Death by J.D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death #22
Published by Brilliance Audio on January 24th 2006
Genres: Mystery, Science Fiction, Romance
Length: 11 hours 33 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Borrowed
Goodreads

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 plunged 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.

Had fun with this one, it really kept me guessing – on one hand I suspected one person from the start and on the other, I kept thinking I was reading the signs wrong. Love it when that happens. Really enjoyed seeing another piece of Eve’s past – even if it was a nasty foster mom.

Berls is sharing Just a Few In Death books. Have you read them? Share on X

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