Glory in Death (1995)

LT Eve Dallas is in a relationship with the fabulously rich, powerful and handsome Roarke. She is having trouble coming to grips with it. She’s always been a strong single woman who is one of the best cops that NYC has to offer. She is called out to investigate the murder of PA Cicely Towers, one of the best auttoneys in the city. Cicely was found in a bad part of town with her throat slit. The weasel news anchor CJ Morse was right there to cover a second sensational murder of a well known actress. CJ is a pain in reporter Nadine Furst’s behind. Nadine is an honest reporter who goes to Eve for info and a story on the murders. Nadine and Eve join forces to try to flush out the murderer.

A lot of nice twists and turns in this story, as we get to know more about Eve and Roarke. Street patrol officer Peabody is also introduced briefly. A great fast read. ( )

Finished reading it again for the umpteenth time. I still love this book and series. I can't wait to get to the last few that I haven't read to catch up. ( )

4.5 stars

This was a re-read for me and it was nice going back to the beginning of Eve and Roarke. ( )

Someone is targeting prominent women for death and Eve might be next!
Eve's relationship with Roarke develops further, even though he may be a suspect in this latest case, having had relationships with the other victims.
Eve also struggles with her past as she begins to remember more of until-recently repressed childhood.
Good pacing, a bit predictable, steamy romance. 3.5 stars. ( )

Glory in Death
4 Stars

Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s investigation into the deaths of two prominent and successful women takes a personal turn when both victims are linked to her lover - the enigmatic business magnet known only as Roarke. Although she believes in his innocence, as a police detective, Eve is to follow every lead no matter where it takes her.

Suffice it to say that the reasons J.D. Robb fans adore this series are starting to become clear to me: Fast paced writing, interesting character development, an unpredictable romance and a mystery with some compelling twists and turns.

Eve is a very complex heroine. On a professional level, one cannot help but admire her resilience and independence as she strives to attain justice for the victims. However, on the personal front, she is somewhat of a mess as she struggles to cope with her feelings for Roarke and difficulty expressing her obvious love for him.

Roarke is just as interesting but for opposite reasons. It is rare to find an alpha hero so ready to embrace his new and unexpected feelings for a woman, but Roarke does so without hesitation and this makes him more appealing than all of his enigmatic sexiness (which he also has in abundance).

Eve and Roarke’s romance is a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, arguments and reconciliations, ultimatums and acceptance. It keeps the reader guessing and the pages turning.

Unlike the first installment, the mystery in this one caught me by surprise. Although all the necessary clues are available to anyone paying attention, guessing the culprit before the big reveal also requires an ability to see past the obvious and look beyond surface appearances. Kudos to Robb for being able to blindside me in this regard.

In sum, this series is growing on me and I’m eager to read on and see what happens next. ( )