Possession in Death
3.5 Stars

A seemingly random encounter with a dying woman leaves Eve very unsettled when she begins to notice some new and quirky personality traits such as having visions and speaking Russian. Regardless, she is determined to keep her promise to the old lady and sets out to discover the whereabouts of her missing granddaughter. What she finds is enough to put terror into any young woman's heart.

Although good paranormal mysteries are often entertaining and the previous In Death novellas with this trope have been well done, this one ultimately falls flat. This is mainly due to the fact that it requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief to accept that the usually skeptical and down to Earth Eve Dallas would be so accepting of being possessed.

That said, the investigation is gripping and the reader feels strongly for the missing victims even though the story would have worked just as well without the possession aspects).

Overall, a quick and satisfying read despite the problematic paranormal elements. ( )

In Death 31.5

When New York Police and Security Department homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas sees a woman tumble off the curb and into the street, she rushes to her aid. The woman, Gizi Szabo, begs Eve to find her great-granddaughter, Beata Varga. Gizi, suffering from multiple stab wounds, dies at the scene, leaving Eve, seemingly possessed by the Hungarian gypsy’s spirit, to find the young woman. Her only clue: Gizi said there was a red door and Beata was trapped, unable to get out. Will Eve find the missing woman? What is the meaning of the red door? And does the determined gypsy really possess Eve?

The events in this novella follow the action in “Indulgence in Death,” and this story comes before “Treachery in Death.” As with most of the novellas, there is a touch of the paranormal in the telling of the tale: here it’s possession for a short while by the justice-seeking victim. As with earlier novellas, there is one main story, In this narrative, the focus of the story is on finding the missing Beata.

Despite the short format, all the expected “In Death” attributes are in place: the intriguing murder investigation, the friends [and the colleagues who have become friends], the camaraderie, the banter, the determined cop, the ever-supportive husband, and the strong sense of place that anchors the narrative in the near future.

As the story opens, the barbeque brings everyone together for a purely social gathering and readers see that Eve has become a bit more comfortable in such a setting; this casual, comfortable scene provides a nice counterpoint to the grimness of murder. “Possessed” Eve may be a bit of a stretch for some readers but the gypsy speaker for the dead together with the cop who stands for the dead makes for a very interesting story.

Highly recommended. ( )

"A paranormal short for Eve and Rourke. While driving the Father home from her BBQ gathering Eve sees an elderly victim calling for help. As Eve tries to administer first aid she inadvertently accepts a pact to find the woman's granddaughter, taking the old Romany's spirit in to her body until she finds her.
I have to admit I'm not a fan of ghost stories but I thought this was handled well and I liked how Roarke and Eve managed it."

More of my reviews can be found at https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
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This is the first time that an "In death" series book has gotten only three stars from me. I didn't think I would ever find one that didn't live up to all the others. This one was part of a trilogy entitled "The Other Side". I really like paranormal books but not Eve Dallas. The possession was well written but it just didn't belong in this series. Sory, Eve, three stars. ( )