September 12

Apprentice in Death – J.D. Robb

apprentice-in-deathThe shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people lay dead at Central Park’s ice skating rink. There’s a sniper loose on the streets of New York City, and Lieutenant Eve Dallas is about to face one of the toughest and most unsettling cases of her career.

Eve knows that only a handful of people could have carried out such an audacious but professional hit. Even more disturbing: this expert in death has an accomplice. Someone is being trained in the science of killing – and they have a terrifying agenda of their own. With a city shaken to its core, Eve and her team are forced to hunt not one but two killers. Worse still – this talented young apprentice has developed an insatiable taste for murder…

 

My thanks to Piatkus for my review copy which I received through Netgalley

Eve Dallas 43. That’s not her age – that is the number of full novels that she features in (and there are also a number of short stories). I’ve read them all, more than once in most cases…I love these books. As much as I love them I am aware that there are some stories which I enjoy more than others – there are books where the characters are developed but the “in Death” element is not as gripping as I would like.

So where does Apprentice in Death sit in the collection?  Happily it is one I will be revisiting, a really strong addition to the series and one of the more chilling stories.

A sniper is terrorising New York. Three dead at Central Park and no apparent link between the victims. Dallas and her team have to analyse the murders, work out why they were targeted and ensure that the sniper does not strike again.  It’s a race against time novel and J.D. Robb always does these well – she can easily convey the urgency and Dallas’s frustration over lack of progress. We see how she pulls in the resources of her team, husband Roarke is on hand to lend his unique skills and financial weight, Dr Mira to analyse the psychology, dependable Peabody and even “Dickhead” the lab tech – all present and correct as you would expect when Dallas is on the case.  One of the strengths of the series is that the author has had so long to develop her supporting cast that regulars such as Eve’s oldest friend Mavis can be dropped to cameo role – we don’t need to see all the players in every book as we know they will return soon enough.

The sniper story takes an unexpected twist after a second attack takes place. This really raises the stakes and we get a proper look at one of J.D. Robb’s coldest killers to date.  There were scenes which totally chilled me, a killer without compassion and Dallas unpicks their behaviour, lays out how their evil streak was nurtured and gives examples of how they terrorised others. It was often an uncomfortable read but it was handled expertly by the author and the reading was compelling.

Away from the murders regular readers will enjoy some interchanges between Dallas and Summerset – their relationship is going to hit an unexpected dynamic in Apprentice in Death…will things ever be the same again?

 

Apprentice in Death is published by Piatkus and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apprentice-Death-J-D-Robb/dp/034941081X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473720998&sr=1-1&keywords=apprentice+in+death

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off on Apprentice in Death – J.D. Robb
January 23

Devoted in Death – J.D. Robb

Devoted in DeathIt’s a new year in New York city, and two star-crossed lovers have just discovered an insatiable appetite…for murder.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has witnessed some grisly crimes in her career and she knows just how dark things can get on the streets. But when a much-loved musician is found dead, Eve soon realises that his murder is part of a horrifying killing spree, stretching right across the country.

Now the killers have reached New York, and they’ve found themselves another victim. Eve knows she only has a couple of days to save a young girl’s life, and to stop the killers before their sadistic games escalate. Eve’s husband Roarke is ready to put his brains and his considerable resources behind the search. But even as the couple works closely together, time is running out…

 

My review copy came from Little Brown/Piatkus through Netgalley.

The In Death series by J. D. Robb is one of my favourites, I love Eve Dallas (the central character) and over the last 20 years J. D. Robb has built up a world and cast of characters that I cannot wait to return to. Set in a futuristic New York there are fun technological ‘advances’ and inventions which are now so well established in the books that the world seems totally believable to me.  If I am still kicking around in 2061 I will be gutted if J. D. Robb’s portrayal of how life will be turns out to be inaccurate!

Devoted in Death takes the approach of revealing the killers (there are two of them) from the outset of the story. They are the Devoted couple from the title and are on a killing spree from Arkansas to New York City. However, their crimes are spread across a number of states and they have remained undetected. Undetected that is, until they murder a loved and respected musician in NYC  Dallas notices a mark on the corpse which has previously appeared on other bodies.

Dallas and her team are now on a race against time as the killers have abducted their latest target.  If Dallas does not track down the killers soon then another body will be found and it too will almost certainly show signs of a prolonged torture prior to death.

Devoted in Death is not ideal as a jumping on point for a series which has now reached into 50 titles (a count which includes short stories and novellas). However, all the books in the In Death series CAN be read as a stand-alone crime thriller – the fun in knowing the back story will always reward returning readers. For a series that has been running for so long I am constantly amazed how J. D. Robb can keep hitting such a high mark.

These are fun reads, great crime thrillers and there are a huge number of books to read.  I have read most of the In Death books more than once and will continue to revisit them.  Dallas is the kick ass hero that you want to read about – long may she continue.

 

Devoted in Death will be released in paperback by Piatkus on 28th January and is also available in digital format: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0349403716?keywords=devoted%20in%20death&qid=1453576624&ref_=sr_1_1_twi_pap_1&sr=8-1

Category: From The Bookshelf | Comments Off on Devoted in Death – J.D. Robb