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Judgment in Death
by
J.D. Robb
science fiction, detective mystery, police procedural, romantic suspense in a Kindle edition that was published by Berkley on March 3, 2007 and has 372 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Indulgence in Death, Treachery in Death, Kindred in Death, The Other Side, New York to Dallas, Unquiet, Celebrity in Death, Delusion in Death, Calculated in Death, Thankless in Death, Mirror, Mirror, Festive in Death, Obsession in Death, Betrayal in Death, "Wonderment in Death", "Possession in Death", Down the Rabbit Hole, "Midnight in Death", Devoted in Death, Brotherhood in Death, Apprentice in Death, Echoes in Death, Secrets in Death, Dark in Death, Leverage in Death, "Interlude in Death", Vendetta in Death, Golden in Death, Faithless in Death, Naked in Death, Glory in Death, Immortal in Death, Rapture in Death, Ceremony in Death, Vengeance in Death, , Loyalty in Death, Witness in Death, Seduction in Death, Reunion in Death, Holiday in Death, Purity in Death, Portrait in Death, Imitation in Death, Divided in Death, Visions in Death, Desperation in Death, Abandoned in Death, Creation in Death, Survivor in Death, Concealed in Death
Eleventh in the In Death police procedural in a futuristic romantic suspense series revolving around Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her gorgeous husband, Roarke, in the New York City of spring 2059.
My Take
A story set in the future with plenty of suspense and romance surrounded by detectives and police procedure. Oh, and don’t forget all the forensics.
It still cracks me up when Eve complains to Roarke about his owning everything. I must confess it does seem odd for a billionaire to concern himself with owning small places like bars, restaurants, and specialty shops.
Ooh, Captain Roth is a tough nut, and she goes up against the so-stubborn Eve Dallas. Yep, it’s Dallas who wins this, as usual, lol. Yeah, yeah, it’s not the only one she wins, lol.
It’s all about revenge with some hefty back story filling in for both Eve and Roarke. Because it’s Ricker, there is plenty of violence, action, chases, and more. Ricker’s involvement also raises up some thorny, combative issues for Roarke and Dallas. Phew, that’s an interesting set of interactions.
Robb does balance all this action with her characters, strong and vulnerable whom you can’t help but respect.
Eve is all about justice and her black-and-white stance on it is being mellowed out by Roarke’s very definite gray views. Except when it comes to finding his wife in the arms of another man . . . hoo boy. That’s one for the books. As for Summerset, that’s a fascinating relationship what with all the snark the two of them trade, and each story has the two of them mellowing, very very slightly, *more laughter*.
That Mavis! Ya gotta love her, especially when she analyzes Roarke, that “sexual banquet” who’s also smart and mysterious. Mavis definitely has some good advice on how to get back on his good side, lol.
All of this comes through via Robb’s use of third person global subjective point-of-view so we receive perspectives from a variety of characters, although Eve and Roarke have the primary perspectives.
Sexually, Robb does a good job of keeping their lovemaking obvious yet not. She carefully uses words that give the impressions but she doesn’t get into details. And there is a lot of sex . . . it keeps the two of them well tuned-up. I cracked up, again, with Mira’s reaction to Eve’s worry about her and Roarke’s reaction to his battle with Webster. Especially when Mira wants to know if Roarke has a special diet or certain vitamins, ROFL. Poor Eve, lol.
Yeah, that battle. It provides a catalyst for Eve and Roarke to think over their reactions, what instigated those reactions, and stress over the resolutions.
A can’t miss story . . .
The Story
Cops, who are on the take, are being murdered, and Eve is in the middle of it all. With IAB crawling up on her case, playing an underhanded hardball.
Those thirty pieces of silver . . .
The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central in New York City. Roarke, former very successful thief, is her gorgeous billionaire husband, who owns everything. Summerset is Roarke’s majordomo, in charge of the “Dallas Palace”. Galahad is their pudge of a cat.
Dallas’ friends include:
Nadine Furst, the on-air reporter for Channel 75. The colorful Mavis Freestone, former grifter and now famous singer, cohabs with Leonardo, a fashion designer, in Eve’s old apartment.
NYPSD
Tibble is its chief of police, the man ultimately in charge. Cop Central is where Dallas is based and Commander Jack Whitney commands. Dallas’ people include Detectives David “Horndog” Baxter, Carmichael, and Officer Delia Peabody, who is Dallas’ aide. Captain Ryan Feeney is in charge of the Electronic Detectives Division (EDD) and had been Eve’s mentor and is still a father figure. Detective Ian McNab is one of his, and Ian is over the moon about the disinterested Peabody. Dr Charlotte Mira is the department’s chief profiler. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech and always open to bribery.
The 128, Illegals, is where Captain Roth reigns. Sergeant Art Clooney is one of hers and also acts as their grief counselor. The bigoted Lieutenant Alan Mills is partnered with “that Mex” Detective Julianna Martinez. There’s also the oinking Detective Jeremy K. Vernon.
Lieutenant Don Webster (who has the hots for Dallas *eyebrow waggle*) is with Internal Affairs (IAB). The slippery Captain Boyd Bayliss is in charge at IAB and has his own way of doing things.
La Donna Kirk is Webster’s sister going to medical school. Sergeant Matt Myers was targeted by Bayliss. Mrs Bayliss is the one with the money. Officer Thad Clooney was working his way up when he was targeted. Mrs Clooney is heartbroken.
The Hamptons Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Reese is accommodating.
Purgatory is . . .
. . . a Roarke-owned stripper bar. Rue MacLean, a former stripper, is the manager. Detective Taj Kohli has a side job there as a bartender. Nester Vine is part of security. Nancie Gaynor, Dottie, Charmaine, the trans Wilhimena, and Mitzi (a close friend of Rue’s) are some of the strippers.
Nancie left that cluck, Joey, back in Iowa, and he’s now engaged to Barbie Thomas back home in Utumwa.
Patsy Kohli is Taj’s much-loved wife. Chad is their young son and Jilly is their daughter. Carla is Patsy’s sister. Some of Taj’s cop friends include Detectives Gaven and Pierce, Officer Goodman, and Clooney.
Roarke Enterprises
Caro is Roarke’s very efficient admin. Loreen is a first, if ineffective, line of defense.
Max Ricker is a big time bad guy who hates Roarke. He has a son, Alex. Max’s mother had been Ellen Mary Morandi. Marta is one of Ricker’s droids. She won’t survive the book. His slime lawyers include Canarde. Ricker’s henchmen include Lewis and Jake Evans. Elmore Riggs is a hired assailant hired by Clarence Haggerty whose team included Yawly, Ines, and Murdock.
James Stein is a witness. Lucius Breck is a substance abuse counselor.
The Cover and Title
The cover is DARK with its midnight sky and the lights along the bridge that narrow in perspective. It’s a lot of orange police tape at the front with lit-up police cars parked every which way. All the text is white, starting with the author’s name at the top, then the testimonial at the top of the police tape with the title immediately below, just above the bottom.
The title is exactly that, thirty pieces of silver that are a Judgment in Death.
