To me this is probably the weakest installment in the Eve Dallas series by J.D. Robb. The plot itself was scoffable.

That's right. I scoffed.

I spent more time quickly scanning over the pages rolling my eyes than anything else. Nothing was absorbed, so I think I'll be okay.

Yuck. ( )

A couple of likes in this one. I like the fact that the series paints shades of grey. I like the fact that Eve’s family is not only growing, she’s more aware of that growth. I like the fact that there were consequences for Peabody and McNab and that Eve also had to deal with those. So quite a number of likes! ( )

Excellent readable futuristic crime from JD Robb as usual; I love these books. ( )

I'm beginning to have a harder time reviewing these books as I read farther along in this series. This review is probably going to be spoiler-heavy so for those of you who haven't read this series or aren't as far into this series: STOP HERE!

Okay in this latest installment Eve is up against something completely new to her. A computer virus is killing people by causing their brain to swell and expand until it basically pops. Gruesome, I know. This was such a strong book in this series because again we see Eve grow plus we also get to see Peabody and McNab's relationship grow. Awwww! I love that these two are together and like their sidestory just as much as I enjoy the main relationship between Eve and Roarke. Robb continues to keep me hooked into the mystery that is going on as well as keeping my sucked into Eve's world. I can just picture this futuristic world that Eve has created. I love going to "visit" because it feels like I get to see old friends with each books in this series. I'm looking forward to the next one but I probably won't get to it for awhile as I have a bunch of other books on my plate. As they say, "So many books, so little time." That's the truth especially when you have a toddling or running (whichever she seems to prefer) almost 1 year old. It is amazing that I can do any reading at all :) ( )

This is, if I'm not mistaken, the 17th in the series. I could very well be mistaken, however, since I messed up the order. The last book I read in this re-read was Seduction in Death. For some reason, I put Portrait in Death on my TBR pile as the next one. I started reading it, found a reference to something that happened in Purity in Death, so I put it down and picked this one up. I completely forgot about re-reading Reunion in Death. I'm not sure I will, now that I'm already out of order. I'm getting a little tired of re-reading them, to tell you the truth.

But not this one. This, I think, is one of the best of the series.

Purity in Death starts with a panicky call from Trueheart saying he's killed a man. Turns out the man had actually been killed by a computer virus--infected deliberately by a vigilante group called The Purity Seekers.

Ignoring the mechanics of how the computer infected his brain, this book is just jam-packed with good stuff. There's a good mystery, with some unexpected twists, there are developments in the ongoing relationships (including announcement of Mavis's pregnancy), there's an injury--possibly permanent--to one of the team, life-and-death danger to another, political intrigue, and the thought-provoking question of vigilantism.

I loved the intensity of this book, both the tension resulting from the mystery plot, and that resulting from Eve's emotions. She's come a long way in 17 stories, going from being mostly a loner with all emotions kept tightly under lock & key to a person with a lot of people in her life who she cares about. ( )