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Survivor in Death
by
J.D. Robb
crime mystery, romantic suspense in a Kindle edition that was published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on March 3, 2007 and has 392 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, Abandoned in Death, Creation in Death, Concealed in Death, Origin in Death
Twentieth in the futuristic In Death romantic suspense mystery crime series and revolving around Lieutenant Eve Dallas in the New York City of 2059. The focus is on a brutal murder leaving one child orphaned.
My Take
Robb pulls us right in introducing us to the Swisher family and Nixie’s best friend sleeping over . . . it’ll pull at your heartstrings.
Robb uses third person global subjective point-of-view from a number of perspectives — you’ll laugh at how put-upon poor Nixie is! Her mom won’t let her have an Auto-Chef in her room! She might as well be in prison! Naturally, Dallas’ is the primary perspective but we do hear from others including Roarke.
Having Nixie in their house, in protective custody, has Roarke wondering about having children, and Eve’s reaction is priceless. She’s not very good with children, but she is honest, lol. It’s also sad as both Roarke and Eve see the happiness of a good family, so different from what they experienced. Summerset is so handy with Nixie and yet so off about Eve. Jeez. Yeah, you’ll understand with all those flashbacks Eve experiences.
”Taking down three armed and dangerous was easier than picking through the minefield of a child’s emotions.”
Robb has created an interesting character in Eve Dallas with her battle with vending machines, her passion for coffee, her war with Summerset, her relentlessness and fierce quest for justice. Then there’s the futuristic setting with all those fun gadgets. Yep, I’m a gadget girl, for my sins.
Roarke is a crack-up with his so-male approach to sex — “I’m still breathing, so that would be yes” and his acceptance and support of Eve as a traumatized woman and detective. He does expect a sort of tit-for-tat from Eve, to let him know when she plans to be bait.
It’s fascinating to read as Dallas considers what motivates the murderers, how she digs into this murder
That Peabody is another who makes me laugh — I love how she needles Dallas with her and McNab’s sex life.
That New Yorker insularity is alive and well in 2059, as Baxter is shocked to learn that people actually live in Idaho.
The Swishers were truly decent people as were the Dysons, who are now suffering guilt and grief that won’t let them fulfill their promise to the Swishers.
It is an action-packed story with great characters who have lives, sort of, outside their professions and dramatic tension tempered with plenty of laughs, most to relieve that tension.
Truly, it’s a great story that will make you weep.
The Story
From the treat of a sleep-over with her best friend, Nixie Swisher survives the brutal murders of her entire family, all because of a forbidden treat.
Clearly, Dallas is dealing with pros. It seems the only mistake they made was to overlook the nine-year-old girl cowering in the darkened kitchen. Now Nixie Swisher is an orphan — and the sole eyewitness to a seemingly inexplicable crime.
Kids are not Dallas’s strong suit. But Nixie needs a safe place to stay, and Dallas needs to solve this case. With her partner, Peabody, back on the job — and her husband, Roarke, providing the kind of help that only he can give — Lieutenant Eve Dallas is running after shadows, and dead-set on finding out who’s behind them.
The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is her beyond-gorgeous, billionaire husband who is brilliant with a computer. Summerset, Roarke’s “father”, manages the house. Galahad is their cat.
If Even wanted to find a trail on Roarke’s background, she figures “if I wanted to find yours, I’d just put you on as consultant”.
Their friends include . . .
. . . Nadine Furst, the top on-air journalist for Channel 75. Richard DeBlass and Elizabeth Barrister suffered in Naked in Death, 1, and then took in Kevin (Vengeance in Death, 6) who now has a puppy, Butch. Dopey is Kevin’s cat. The outrageously colorful Mavis Freestone is Eve’s best friend and a recording sensation. Leonardo is her husband and a top fashion designer (Immortal in Death, 3).
New York Police
Detective Delia Peabody is Dallas’ partner, who’s still recovering from events in Visions in Death, 19. Homicide detectives include Baxter, Troy Trueheart, and Carmichael (there’s also an Officer Carmichael). Commander Jack Whitney is Eve’s boss.
Captain Ryan Feeney is in charge of the Electronic Detectives Division (EDD). Detective Ian McNab is brilliant with a computer and Peabody’s significant other. They’ve recently moved in together. Dr Li Morris is the chief medical examiner. Dr Charlotte Mira is the top profiler in New York. Detective Yancy is their best Ident artist. Lieutenant Don Webster is with Internal Affairs and had once had a fling with Dallas. The Tower is Chief of Police Tibble’s office. Officer Grimes is the first-on-scene. Detectives Owen Knight and James Preston went down in the line. Detective Jannson will coordinate the Survivors’ Fund. Officer Invansky ends up with babysitting duty. Jules and Brinkman are with Bombs and Explosives. Detectives Howard and Little are out of the six-two.
Nixie Swisher is one “lucky” eight-year-old. Coyle is her athletic older brother. Dad, Grant, is a lawyer specializing in family law while Mom, Keelie, is a nutritionist with her own business, Living Well, hence those forbidden treats. Inga Snood is the family housekeeper. Linnie Dyson is Nixie’s best friend. Her parents, Jenny and Matt, were best friends of the Swishers. Dave Rangle is/was Grant’s partner. Sade Tully is their receptionist/secretary with a useful roommate. Ms Corday is a cold-hearted lawyer in Philadelphia who had briefly been Grant’s stepsister. David is her assistant.
Dian Kirkendall had been married to Roger Kirkendall, a retired army sergeant. They’d had two children. Roxanne Turnbill, Dian’s sister and a former exec at a top communication company in New York, is married to Joshua, a daytime drama producer with two children, Benjamin and Samuel; they escaped to a farm in Nebraska.
Child Protection Services (CPS)
Meredith Newman is an overworked, underpaid social worker disheartened by her job. Renny Townston is her supervisor. Karin Duberry had been a caseworker.
The military
Major Foyer is with the legal branch of the US Armed Forces; she needs “further incentive” to help. Corporal Jilly Isenberry retired from the US Army. Isaac Clinton and Sergeant John Jay Donaldson, retired USMC, are also former military. Lieutenant Colonel Victor Glick, US Army, is based at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn.
Judge Thomas Moss had a wife and son, Suzanna and Evan. Pedro Cruz, a court reporter, died of a heart condition. Lindi and Hester Hill died in a car accident. Dr Jaynene Brenegan, an ER doc, was stabbed to death. Amity Mooreland had been a dancer. Jez Lawrence had been Amity’s ex.
Master Lu, a.k.a. the Dragon, a three-time Olympics winner, is partnered with Kirkendall in a martial arts studio. Mrs Grentz is a conspiracy-ridden old bat. Hildy, a writer, is her great-great-niece, hired to keep an eye on her. Reva Ewing, Caro’s daughter, works for Roarke (Divided in Death). Caro is Roarke’s so-essential administrative assistant. Businessmen Roarke works with include Yule Hiser and Ava McCoy. Olympus is an off-planet mega-resort Roarke is building. Kirk Springer is the doorman at the Dysons’ apartment building. Jan Uger cracked me up with her finger-pointing at Keelie Swisher and her expectations; Stu is her ex-military husband who now works security at a mall. Ramon Pasquell is one of the boys hassling Eve. Minnie Cable is witness to a kidnapping. Lol-Lo and Bits are her kids. Ophelia Washburn is another colorful witness — a hooker, I mean, Licensed Companion, worn around the edges with a store of stories. Eden is a tax haven for tax evasion and money laundering, that Roarke set up back in the day. The Doomsday Group had been a techno-terrorist organization (Divided in Death, 18) as had been Cassandra (Loyalty in Death, 9). Clarissa Branson had been integral to Cassandra. William Henson had been the man who’d trained Clarissa.
The Cover and Title
The cover is split into a rough two-thirds/one-third. The top is a muted red with the author’s pseudonym in a deeper red and her actual name in black. At the very top is an info blurb in black. The bottom “third” is a collage of events in the story with a blur of lights on the left three-fourths and a police shield on the right as a background for, I’m assuming, Dallas in a long coat moving towards us.
The title is who Nixie, is, a Survivor in Death.
