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Desperation in Death
by
J.D. Robb
science fiction, suspense in a Kindle edition that was published by St. Martin's Press on September 6, 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, Abandoned in Death, Creation in Death, Survivor in Death, Concealed in Death
Fifty-fifth in the In Death futuristic suspense series and revolving around a cop and her husband. Set in the New York City of 2061, the focus is on sex trafficking.
My Take
It’s a disappointment. I had thought Robb was coming back but she must have been in a slump and in a hurry to trash, er, um, hack Desperation in Death out. Most of the color of the series is missing as well as the usual interaction between core characters. It makes the pace cold, although it is reasonable. (The story bears a similarity to Origin in Death, 21, with its instructive aspects.)
Robb is using third person global subjective point-of-view from a variety of perspectives, primarily Dallas and Roarke, but also Dorian’s.
I do like Dorian’s philosophy: “I can promise. I don’t lie after I promise, so I don’t promise if I think I’ll need to lie.”
We don’t hear much about Peabody and McNab’s interactions or Leonardo and Mavis or Nadine and Jake. There are references to the cops in Homicide. Trueheart gets some mention due to his gorgeousness, and Jenkinson gets an offer. Dallas has got style and gives Jenkinson the reassurance that she prizes his experience.
That mother of Dorian’s! Geez. I hope they throw the book at her. Several books. Heavy tomes.
Lol, Roarke reckons he’s got the hang of grilling . . . *more laughter*. I do like that offer he’s made to Tiko! I do adore that boy, lol.
Yes, a crematorium is such a useful investment . . . *gag* Acquisitions, education, nutrition, enhancements, academies, all such high-faluting terms for grooming children to be sold for sex. Just gag.
The characters are definitely a part of Desperation in Death, driving the actions of the good guys and the bad guys. The physical action is included with the computer work, as the cops search for like crimes, creating auction personas, and digging deep into financials.
Thank god for sparring droids, lolololol.
A constant theme throughout the series is that you use your previous life experiences and go forward. The idea of which is to learn from your past and do better. Not that you wallow in it and use it as an excuse!
The Story
Age isn’t much of a barrier for the “rulers’ of the Pleasure Academy. A living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed. Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway who’d been imprisoned there, might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who’d hatched the escape plan. Mina was the more daring of the two — but they’d been equally desperate.
Unfortunately, they didn’t get away fast enough.
The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is the head of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is her gorgeous bazillionaire husband. Galahad is their heroic pudge of a cat. Summerset is Roarke’s majordomo. Ivanna is Summerset’s girlfriend.
Dallas’ friends include . . .
. . . Nadine Furst, the on-air ace reporter for Channel 75, and her boyfriend, Jake Kincade, the rock star of Avenue A; Mavis Freestone, a galaxy-wide famous singer, and Leonardo is her equally famous fashion designer husband; Bella is Mavis and Leonardo’s daughter; August Fuller, former Special Forces, is Bella’s on-call bodyguard/nanny; and, August’s son is currently dating Mavis’ head of security’s daughter.
The New York Police and Security Department (NYPSD)
Detective Delia Peabody is Dallas’ partner. Other Homicide detectives include Jenkinson and his notorious ties; Reineke; Carmichael and Santiago; and, Baxter and Troy Trueheart. Officers Carmichael, Shelby, Dubock, and Marshall are also on Dallas’ team.
Detective Ian McNab of EDD is Peabody’s life partner. Captain Ryan Feeney is the head of EDD, the Electronic Detectives Division. Detective Callendar is one of Feeney’s “boys”. Detective Zela Willowby is with SVU. Dr Li Morris is the chief medical examiner. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech; Harvo is the Queen of Hair and Fiber. Dr Charlotte Mira is the head profiler for the NYPSD. (Dennis Mira is Charlotte’s amazing husband.) Detective Yancy is their sketch artist.
Commander Jack Whitney is Dallas’ immediate boss; Tibble is the chief of police. Officer Jonas is running records west of the Mississippi. Lieutenant Lowenbaum is with SWAT. Cher Reo and Carlyse are assistant prosecuting attorneys. The brilliant Jamie Lingstrom is Feeney’s godson, Roarke’s summer intern, and a college kid.
Detective Sharlene Driver is lead in Pennsylvania. Her inciting moment was Evan Hawkins, a seven-year-old beat half to death. Special Agent Teasdale is with the FBI (Delusion in Death, 35, and Faithless in Death, 52).
The Pleasure Academy
Auntie, a.k.a. Iris Beaty, is the top bitch and former madam of the Red Swan. Jonah K Devereaux is her cheating partner, who inherited his millions when his parents died. Raven is currently owned by Devereaux.
Cecil B Doggett, a cop terminated for excessive force, is in Officer Carmichael’s sights. Angela Delinski and Cyril Gum. Marlene Williamson, a former prison guard at Attica, is one of the matrons. Maxine Pryor, Devin Kunes, and Frank Bestor are some of the security guards. Red Swan Productions is a consulting agency, videography? Sampson Merit is a big-time lawyer. Others include Wade C Younkin and Alice Ann Dobbs.
“Students” include Dorian Gregg, 13; Mina Rose Cabot, 13; Jaci Collinsworth, 12; Luna, a.k.a. Amara Gharbi, who will be “sold” — she’s no longer prime for their side business; and, Carrie Wheeler. Missing girls include Nydia Lu, Aster McMillian, Liberty Stone, and Lottie Crug who wouldn’t leave Carrie.
Classes include languages, Intimacy Practice, and Domestic Slaves (taught by Philamenia Horowitz). Students are placed in various categories, such as Bondage Only, Princess, the Pretty Ones, Breeders, Servants, Pets, Chicklet, Ripe, Full Flower, etc.
Dorian’s mother, Jewell Gregg, lives in Freehold, New Jersey. Her neighbors include Hank and Tiffy Rhimes and their son, Edwin; Karlie; and, Mr Brewster. Rae (a civil rights attorney) and Oliver (a GP with his own practice) Cabot, Mina’s parents, and Ethan, her brother, live in Devon, Pennsylvania. Pru Truman is the Gregg caseworker, who desperately needs to “retire”. Ms Vera with Child Protective Services was Truman’s boss.
Tiko is still out there selling, and he’s branching out. Sylvester, a friend of Mavis’, heads up a gang that includes Mouser, a.k.a. Tom Grantly; Chi-Chi; and, Howl. Dr Gee is their sympathetic medico. Wilfred Meadows, a life coach for Healthy You and Me, is a witness. Abigail is Wilfred’s granddaughter. Mary Kate Covino and Dawber were in Abandoned in Death, 54. Rohan is the night manager at Williamson’s apartment building — which is owned by Roarke. Reliable Delivery Services is a trusted shipping service. Cygne Rouge is a company in France run by Iris Swan. Quiet Rest is a funeral home and crematorium. Jacko’s is an amazing catering company with the best sticky buns. Richard Troy had been Eve’s father, whom she killed.
An Didean is . . .
. . . a shelter for troubled children that Roarke built. Dr Rochelle Pickering (Connections in Death, 48) is in charge. Crack, a.k.a. Wilson, runs the Down & Dirty, a sex club, and is Rochelle’s boyfriend (Golden in Death, 50). He’s also great friends with Roarke and Dallas.
The Cover and Title
The cover is yellow and blue with a jab of red in the author’s name set against a background of white with the yellow whorls of a fingerprint in the top half. Above the author’s name is an info blurb in deep blue. The bottom lesser half is the royal blues in the night sky over a city skyline with a curving boardwalk in the forefront. The title is in a distressed white spanning the sky.
The title refers to the abducted girls whose attitudes are a Desperation in Death.
