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Concealed in Death
by
J.D. Robb
police procedural in a Kindle edition that was published by Berkley on February 18, 2014 and has 419 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, Survivor in Death
Thirty-eighth in the In Death police procedural series that takes place in the near future and revolves around Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her gorgeous husband, Roarke. The focus is on twelve dead bodies found behind walls.
My Take
Okay, yeah, there is something sad in all the In Death stories, and this one is particularly saddening. All these girls who suffered such abuse in their young lives. (No, I’m not discounting boys who are also abused.)
They were children who never had a chance to be children.
It’s a different perspective seeing sex as a type of currency. I suppose it’s one way to survive.
The shelter the Joneses’ opened up sounds amazing. It’s too bad how badly it’s needed! I don’t care for the hypocritical Philly’s attitude about religion — its irritating how she’s so convinced that hers is the only right one.
That Peabody has quite the active sexual imagination, lol. Another’s “imagination” is key to events.
It’s so cute watching Eve get used to living Roarke’s lifestyle. His childhood had also been incredibly bad and now he’s using his wealth to embrace life and its joys. Yep, “hunting wallets” was a celebration, lol.
”He smiled, as much at his own need to fill the house with Christmas as with her reaction.”
It’s just as much fun to watch Eve’s and Roarke’s reactions to baby Bella. That girl is so happy, joyous, and flirtatious(!) and insists on interacting with the two of them. Oh, we get background on Mavis’ childhood. Jesus. It really ties in with these poor girls.
I do have to wonder if Dallas mangles idioms to get a rise out of people or if she’s serious. Dallas is serious about obstruction — she likes it. That security guard should have used a lot more thought. It does tick her off that Roarke sent out that memo for any of his employees to cooperate 100% with whatever Dallas wants, ROFLMAO.
The relationship between Dallas and DeWinter is quite adversarial — the public doesn’t have the right to know everything.
We know all these things due to Robb using third person global subjective point-of-view from a range of perspectives. Naturally, Dallas is primary followed by Roarke and a number of other characters.
The ending . . . sad doesn’t begin to explain it. It’s a conclusion and answers most of my questions even as I cried. It also makes me wish parents could all be decent people.
The Story
In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas’ husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately — and by the time she’s done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.
Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuaryy — and the evil concealed in one human heart.
The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is Eve’s absolutely gorgeous billionaire husband. Summerset is Roarke’s majordomo. Galahad is their tub of a cat. Detective Delia Peabody is Dallas’ partner.
Their friends include Mavis Freestone, a singing sensation, who’s married to Leonardo, a famous fashion designer. Bella is their little girl. Nadine Furst is Channel 75’s on-air ace reporter.
New York City Police and Security Department (NYPSD) is . . .
. . . the city’s police department with Tibble in charge. Commander Jack Whitney is Eve’s boss. Dr Garnet DeWinter is the new forensic anthropologist, who took over when Frank Beesum retired. (Miranda is DeWinter’s daughter; Bones is the dog DeWinter “rescued”.) Dr Charlotte Mira is the head profiler for the NYPSD. (Dennis Mira is Charley’s amazing husband.) The pregnant Elsie Kendrick does facial reconstructions. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech.
Zimbabwe PD
Sergeant Alika Owusu has information on Montclair Jones, a.k.a. Preacher Jones.
An Didean is . . .
. . . Roarke’s plan for a shelter for children who are mistreated or neglected by their parents/guardians. Pete Staski is the job boss. Nina Whitt is the head architect. Dochas is the abuse shelter Roarke had built in Seduction in Death, 13.
The Sanctuary was . . .
. . . a youth halfway house/rehab center run by siblings Philadelphia “Philly” and Nashville “Nash” Jones. More siblings include Selma who moved to Australia and Montclair “Monty” who went to Africa as a missionary and was eaten by a lion. Kyle Channing is a cousin. In 2045 Tiffany Brigham Bittmore, a.k.a. Gamma, donated a building to them, which opened as the Higher Power Cleansing Center for Youths as a tribute to her granddaughter, Seraphim. Seraphim is a respected counselor in this building. Brenda Shivitz is a matron. Orwin had been a matron at the Sanctuary. Oliver “Ollie” Hill is the office manager.
Brodie Fine has a small service company and still does handyman things for Higher Power. Alma is his wife. Trilby is one of their children. Jon “Clip” Clipperton had been Fine’s helper back in the Sanctuary days. Lydia does their books.
The young children back then had included Leah Craine, who had a horrible father, Jubal; Linh Carol Penbroke came from a good home — her parents, Samuel and Tien, were doctors, her brother is now a cardiologist, and a sister, Hoa, is first violin for the New York Symphony; Shelby Ann Stubacker (her parents were nightmares) had been a rebellious leader with too much experience — the wrong kind; DeLonna had an incredible voice; the plump Mikki Wendall of the hard eyes terrified her mother; T-Bone; Lupa Dison’s guardian had been her aunt, Rosetta Vega; Lemont Frester has survived well — and Eve hates him!; Greta is Lemont’s attorney; LaRue Freeman; Carlie Bowen had been removed from an abusive home; Kim Terrance was a runaway; Crystal Hugh had been wearing the bruises her policeman father had put on her; Merry Wolcovich was mean as a snake; Iris Kirkwood; the smart and wild Shashona Maddox had been raised by her grandmother, Teesha Maddox, and her half-sister, Leila, is now a surgical resident; Mylia had been Teesha’s wild daughter and Shashona’s mother; Hilly McDonald is the woman for whom Teesha works; and, the curious Quilla is one of Higher Powers’ current residents. “Angel West” will be the girl they couldn’t ID.
The Club had been Sebastian’s “baby”. A street academy where he took in runaways and taught them cons. Dr Peter Gibbons, a psychiatrist who runs The Full Light Institute for Wellness, had been Philly’s first love. Odelle Horwitz had been their Child Protection Services (DPS) caseworker; she manages a flower shop these days. Baby was a ratty stuffed dog. Lonna Moon has a club, the Purple Moon; her partner is Derrick Stevens.
The Urban Wars were a time of “looting, burning, bombing, indiscriminate killings, [and] rapes” that couldn’t be stopped. It was war in cities around the world that ended circa 2020. Richard Troy was Dallas’ abusive father; Stella was her mother.
The Cover and Title
The cover’s top “half” is a light grass green with an info blurb in black at the very top. The author’s name is below it in a royal blue. Below that is a background of a steel diamond-embossed wide band showcasing the title that is also a royal blue. Below that is a narrow graphic, a montage of events in the story of a police department shield, a helicopter, the windows of a brick building, and a fire-surrounded number 12.
The title is the twelve girls who were Concealed in Death.
