This is probably my favorite J.D. Robb so far. I might even read this one again. It starts with a murder that happens on stage during a performance of Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie. Eve is at the performance so actually witnesses the crime. However, in this case the “dead” that she is standing as justice for is actually the villain and a lot of good people get hurt in the process of finding the solution. This was not a simple good against bad story with easy answers; this actually gave the reader a chance to ponder “what is justice.” Robb also worked in some parallels between the plot of Witness for the Prosecution and her plot that as an Agatha Christie fan I found interesting. I shed a lot of tears in this book and even though I did figure out the perpetrator before the end of the book (as did Eve) I still had a few surprises in the dénouement. This was a terrific read.

In her own tacky way, this is Nora Roberts/JD Robb's homage to Agatha Christie. I was a bit less annoyed with this book, and for that I am extremely grateful.

I only wish there were books written about Peabody and McNab. ( )

Guilty pleasures... no real review I'm afraid. Dallas investigates the murder of a hated actor on stage, when a trick knife is substituted with a real one. ( )

Like the previous book in the series, Witness in Death is a departure from the norm. It's as though Nora wrote the extremely intense Conspiracy in Death and then needed to give herself or her readers a break by doing the literary equivalent of a sitcom's musical episode, first with the over-the-top James-Bond-ishness of Loyalty, and now with an homage to Agatha Christie in Witness. It's not subtle--the murder takes place onstage during a production of Witness for the Prosecution. It's also not the first book Nora's written with a Christie-ish flavor.

Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke are in the audience on opening night when, during the climactic scene, the character of Leonard Vole is killed... as is the actor playing him. A real knife had been substituted for the harmless prop knife.

What follows is a nicely intricate, convoluted tale, with the actors playing roles within roles. The solution is elegant, and makes perfect sense, and is done just the way Hercule Poirot would have done it. The emotions and motivations of all the players are clear and understandable.

In addition, there are the developments in the ongoing series story. We see Peabody and McNab respectively baffled and frustrated by their feelings for each other, and Trueheart getting his break. And then there's one of my absolute favorite Eve/Roarke scenes: when Eve tries to put together a romantic dinner for the two of them. It's a favorite because I can relate to it so well. ( )

I really enjoyed the mystery in this one, more than I have the last few. It's also nice to see some romance for Peabody. That said, I ended it feeling like I'd visited long enough with these characters for a bit. I'll definitely be back, but I need something fresh in between. ( )