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Abandoned in Death
by
J.D. Robb
science fiction, police procedural, romantic suspense in a Kindle edition that was published by St. Martin's Press on February 8, 2022 and has 361 pages.
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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, Judgment 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, Creation in Death, Survivor in Death, Concealed in Death, Origin in Death
Fifty-fourth in the In Death romantic suspense series set in our near future and revolving around a determined NYPSD detective. It’s June in 2061.
My Take
Abandoned in Death is running two cases: the kidnappings and the attempted suicide/murder, using third person global subjective point-of-view, as so many perspectives come into play.
What is it with people denigrating their children? Where do people get the idea that nobody gets to retaliate when they start to beat them? As for someone being gay . . . so what? What skin is it off anyone’s nose? How can anyone seriously believe that someone will “choose” to be gay when our society makes it so damned difficult?
It’s so cute how Peabody keeps giving Dallas social nudges. Peabody’s also great at riling Eve up, lol. Peabody and McNab’s and Mavis and Leonardo’s house is still coming along. How long is Robb gonna stretch this?? I wanna see them all move in already!
Hmm, Dallas is wishing there was a law against being a complete dick. I’m with her, Stone is a dick. On the opposite end of nasty is Dowell and Associates, which sounds like a great place to work.
Jim Mosebly’s past starts well and descends from there.
Dang, lol, it’s handy to be married to someone who can buy up anything. Gotta laugh. Roarke is a great guy. Supportive of his wife’s career. Helps her out a lot. Generous to her coworkers.
”’You should come on ops ore often,’ Jenkinson told him.
‘Yeah, he’s got nothing better to do.’”
Then there’s Dr Joe Fletcher who sounds like he as a helluva good dad: He expected much of his kids because he loved them so much.
It’s gotta be terrifying for M.K. Playing a role to stay alive. Planning an escape.
Abandoned in Death feels more action-driven although the characters do play a part in creating the plot. Robb sets a fast pace and keeps her two storylines separate . . . until they come together.
The Story
A mother, driven to desperate measures, tries to “boost her baby” to heaven and suicide for herself. The only thing she really killed was her memory.
Brought to life by her rescuer, she goes on to a good life and a real family until her memory block breaks.
In trying to do the right thing, she sets her first child off, who “searches” for his mommy.
The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. She’s married to the gorgeous Roarke who runs about half the world, via Roarke Industries. Summerset is their major domo. Galahad is their pudge of a cat.
Dallas’ friends include . . .
. . . Nadine Furst, bestselling writer, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and award-winning on-air reporter for Channel 75. Quilla is Nadine’s intern (Concealed in Death, 38). Mavis, a universally acclaimed singer, is married to Leonardo, an equally famed fashion designer, and together they have baby Bella. Tina is the stylist whom Eve fears. Jamie Lingstrom, who seems to be aping McNab’s colorful style, is a brilliant college student whom Eve and Roarke first met in Ceremony in Death, 5. The boy is growing up! He’s interning for the summer with two days a week at NYPSD and three days with Roarke and then reversing in the next week. Dr Louise Dimatto (Conspiracy in Death, 8) is married to the sexy Charles Monroe (Naked in Death, 1).
New York City Police and Security Department (NYPSD)
Detective Delia Peabody is Dallas’ partner. Other Homicide detectives include Baxter, Jenkinson of the way-out ties, Carmichael, Santiago, the gorgeous Troy Trueheart, and Reineke. Tibble is the chief of police. Commander Jack Whitney is in charge at Cop Central.
Captain Ryan Feeney runs the Electronic Detectives Division where the very colorful Detective Ian McNab, Peabody’s love, is a hotshot. Detective Callendar is another.
Dr Charlotte Mira is the top profiler for the NYPSD. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech. Harvo is the Queen of Hair and Fiber. Detective Yancy is brilliant at sketching suspects. Andrew Dawber is a forensic chemist who does good work. The Dezi also works with Berenski. Cher Reo is the assistant prosecuting attorney.
Officer Steppe caught Lauren Elder’s murder. Detectives Norman and Marlboro of the 4-3 caught the missing person report. Officer Kotter responded to Kylo Grishom’s call. Officer Pinsky responds to another. Redman is with Special Victims.
Lauren Elder tended bar at Arnold’s where Buddy James Wilcox works. Her cohab is Roy Mardsten who works at Delroy, Gilby, and Associates while he pursues a degree in criminal law. Lauren’s dad is a mechanic; her mother is an artist.
The impressive Mary Kate “M.K.” Covino is an assistant marketing manager at Dowell and Associates (started in 2046), which Linny Dowell owns. Jim Mosebly is the Accounts manager and M.K.’s mentor. Who seems to be a co-owner along with Selma. Sly, Andi, Nat, Alistar, and Holly are coworkers. Mary Kate’s younger sister, Tara, is a grad student at Carnegie Mellon. Carter, her brother, has just gotten engaged to Rhonda. Cleo Bette, a sous chef at Perfecto, is Mary Kate’s roommate and like another sister. Lulu is the puppy Gran and Pop, her maternal grandparents, gave her for her sixth birthday. Nonna is her paternal grandmother. Teegan Stone (he owns a bar, Stoner’s) is the boyfriend who ditched her. Margie is a neighbor. Ivy runs a flower shop; Zel is her grandson.
Jim’s mother, Adalaide Mosebly, née Rowen had been a resident/patient at Suskind Home. His father, the Reverend Elijah Mosebly, had died in 2038. Elise Grommet is the director at Suskind.
Anna Hobe works at Mike’s Place, a karaoke bar owned by Mike Schotski. Bo Kurtis is a bartender there, Liza Rysman, and Bandi is a waitress. Becca Muldoon is a dancer at the Honey Pot.
DeBois is another victim. Lisa McKinney was born in Alabama in 1978. Buford and Tiffany McKinney were her parents — word is that mama was a wild one. Lisa was in a car accident in 1999 with Marshall Riggs driving. Irene Jasper, married to Phillip Jasper (he’s a photographer), is Lisa’s half-sister. Harry is Lisa’s half-brother, Irene’s full brother. Lisa’s grandpa, Big Beau Boswell, was a no-good ‘un.
The Reverend Horace Greenspan is a perve. Wayne Kyle Ribbet is the cause of Lisa’s first bring down. Dr Joseph Fletcher works ER and becomes chief resident of it. He lives in his grandparents’ two-hundred-year-old house, Sweetwater, in Sylvan, Louisiana. His and Violet’s children will be Joella Lynn, Chasen, and Edward. Joella is chief of surgery now. Chasen a successful writer. Edward is now a senator from Louisiana. Cecil had been the kids’ pet hound in their childhood.
Sherry Wazinsk, a neighbor with twins, is about to walk Pugs. Brad is her husband. Gina and Jan are another set of neighbors. Londa is browsing a store aisle with her newborn, Jonah, when she encounters Peabody. Darci works at Salon Pro where Carrie is salesperson of the month. John Church went into the foster system in 2003 in Baton Rouge. The Dubliner, a pub, is one of Roarke’s and where Mora and Jack are servers. Cami and Ken Snily bought a house, via a trust, McKinney and Son. Pepper is a missing dog.
Stella is Dallas’ bitch mother, who is, thankfully, dead. Zeke is Peabody’s younger brother. Her cousin Janis doesn’t remember falling out of that tree.
The Cover and Title
The cover is shades of teal with the deep cracked background in the top half that cracks into the bottom graphic of a fog-shrouded playground and yellow crime scene tape crossing the gray sidewalk that passes by the wooden park bench. At the top is an info blurb in white. The author’s name in a green jade, outlined in black, is just below it. The title, in black, crosses the playground.
The title is about the baby, Abandoned in Death.
