Judgment in Death

Judgment in Death by J. D. Robb is the eleventh book in the In Death, and boy does it leave a lot to unpack. The biggest topic to discuss is the theme of police corruption. When you think that Ms. Robb released this novel in 2000, it speaks volumes that police corruption remains a hot-button issue twenty-three years later. I love that Eve is such a hardliner, not afraid to expose the rot in her beloved police department because it gives a bad name to a career she cherishes.

Judgment in Death contains one of the goriest scenes in the series and probably one of the worst scenes I've read. Again, it is a stark reminder that when Nora Roberts dons her J. D. Robb writer's hat, she is not afraid to take her characters to places few will show more travel and expose them to scenes authors typically don't like to show.

One of the things I loved about Judgment in Death is that we learn more about Roarke's past. More importantly, we get a glimpse of the behavior that gave him such a lasting reputation. We learn more about who Roarke used to be and can finally understand why he has no desire to revisit those days.

Judgment in Death provides a much-needed step forward for Eve and Roarke's marriage. I always love when they butt heads over her work, but this was the first time where I didn't find it amusing at all. Roarke is so good for Eve, but I am not certain he was right this time. Their disharmony is unsettling as much for the readers as it is for them.

As always, Susan Erickson's performance is stellar. At this point, I can't picture any actor as these characters because I know their voices will not match any as performed by Ms. Erickson. I look forward to her narration as much as I do to the story itself. show less

JUDGMENT IN DEATH is the eleventh book in the In Death series. This is a re-read for me as I am enjoying the series again by reading all of the books in order. For me, I divide the books into three parts. The first part is the mystery itself. The second part is the growth of Eve and Roarke's relationship. The final part is how Eve's circle of friends is expanding.

First the mystery. Eve is called to one of Roarke's bars and finds that a cop who was moonlighting as a bartender had been brutally murdered. The investigation ties him to a previously blown investigation into crime boss Max Riker and to police corruption in the 128th Precinct. While I don't always remember various mysteries, this time I did remember who the murderer was. It show more was still entertaining to watch Eve do the investigation as she investigates Riker and the officers in the 128th.

Second the relationship. Eve and Roarke have a fight here because each of them is determined to protect the other. Eve goes to taunt Riker even though she knows that he and Roarke had a previous business relationship and Riker wants revenge on Roarke. Worse still, she panics and lies to Roarke about it. Roarke gives Eve the cold shoulder which throws her out of balance. A cute scene is the one where she and Mavis get drunk together and talk about what Eve should do. Even though this is the eleventh book in the series, by internal chronology, they have only been married for one year. Both of them are testing the boundaries of their relationship.

Third Eve's circle of friends. Lieutenant Don Webster, now of Internal Affairs but formerly a one night stand for Eve, plays a big role in this episode. He makes a pass at Eve and Roarke beats him up which just compounds the problems he and Eve are having. Dr. Mira also admits to Eve that she thinks of her as a daughter which Eve characterizes as "weird but nice." What I find interesting is that we don't see Roarke's circle of friends but he is fitting seamlessly into hers. Anytime one of Roarke's friends makes an appearance in the series, they are always characterized as someone who was a friend from earlier in his life with whom he has lost contact.

This was another great story in a series that just gets stronger with each book. show less

First of all, it's one of the more intense stories in the series. It's also one of the best ones, in that the external plot echoes the internal one. Or vice versa. About loyalty to the badge and what someone will do to protect it, and about Eve & Roarke's loyalty to each other and what they'll do to protect each other & their marriage. Too bad the title Loyalty in Death had already been used, but it's also about making judgments based on that loyalty.

Someone is killing cops. Specifically, cops who are (or appear to be) on the take. The first victim is brutally murdered in one of Roarke's clubs, making Roarke involved from the beginning. Some of the threads lead to criminal kingpin Max Ricker, a very dangerous man with old ties to show more Roarke. Which leads to the first blow to Eve and Roarke.

Then Webster from Internal Affairs shows up to warn Eve away from her investigation... and makes a move on her, which Roarke objects to, violently. The second blow.

The mystery is intensely emotional, as are the developments in the ongoing series story. There are some wonderful scenes, the establishment of a nemesis in Ricker, and a villain painted in shades of gray.

My only complaints are that Ricker himself is a bit two-dimensional, and general complaints about the futuristic details (frex: I can't believe that in just over 50 years, there'll be holo-rooms that allow people to swim in a non-existent ocean without using any special gear). But the rest of the story so far overshadows those things that I can't bring myself to care too much about them. show less

I read the first book in this series years ago when I was in a book club. This one was on a book exchange shelf at the local Y. I had the perpetrator nailed down to 2 people early on and it was one of the ones I'd guessed.

I was impressed that Roarke knew the 30 pieces of silver reference from The Bible--but it was a bit disconcerting when he said that Dallas's schooling wouldn't have covered learning about The Bible. (He also didn't explain why his did.)

I do wonder if Dallas made good on her promise to Dickie to get him better tickets and a meet-n-greet with Mavis. I hope she did.

What I liked: I like how Roarke and Dallas work through their relationship problems rather than splitting up. I like Dallas and Peabody working together. show more

What I didn't like: Too much dependence on alcohol and other drugs especially when it came to not facing something troublesome--also, there's little downfall to using when there's a pharmaceutical available to reverse the effects. There's still too much sex in the series for my taste. show less

Judgement in Death
4 Stars

Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas faces one of her most challenging cases when an off duty police officer is killed in a deliberate and vicious attack. As Eve unravels the clues, she is forced to confront the harsh realities of corruption within the force as well as cope with her husband's protective instincts.

The storyline revolving around the murders of several apparently corrupt police officers and their connection to a career criminal and former associate of Roarke's is very compelling. While the details of the case initially come across as rather convoluted, everything ultimately comes together smoothly, and the culprit, although not immediately obvious, is easily pinpointed by process of elimination.

Roarke show more and Eve's developing dynamic is particularly gripping in this installment as he struggles to reconcile his ego and need to protect Eve with the knowledge that she too is trying to protect him. Their power plays lead to some intense cavemen like tactics on his part, but also to some funny and sweet moments between the couple.

The secondary cast is as appealing as ever and my favorite scene has to be Eve's conversation with Dr. Mira about Roarke, which gets the prim and proper psychologist very hot and bothered, lol!

IAB Lieutenant Don Webster also puts in a more significant appearance and his character really shines through. One cannot help but sympathize with his situation and appreciate his honesty and candor.

In sum, this is certainly one of the best books in the series and kudos to Robb for being able to keep her stories and characters lively and fresh for so long. show less

Judgement in Death
4 Stars

Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas faces one of her most challenging cases when an off duty police officer is killed in a deliberate and vicious attack. As Eve unravels the clues, she is forced to confront the harsh realities of corruption within the force as well as cope with her husband's protective instincts.

The storyline revolving around the murders of several apparently corrupt police officers and their connection to a career criminal and former associate of Roarke's is very compelling. While the details of the case initially come across as rather convoluted, everything ultimately comes together smoothly, and the culprit, although not immediately obvious, is easily pinpointed by process of elimination.

Roarke show more and Eve's developing dynamic is particularly gripping in this installment as he struggles to reconcile his ego and need to protect Eve with the knowledge that she too is trying to protect him. Their power plays lead to some intense cavemen like tactics on his part, but also to some funny and sweet moments between the couple.

The secondary cast is as appealing as ever and my favorite scene has to be Eve's conversation with Dr. Mira about Roarke, which gets the prim and proper psychologist very hot and bothered, lol!

IAB Lieutenant Don Webster also puts in a more significant appearance and his character really shines through. One cannot help but sympathize with his situation and appreciate his honesty and candor.

In sum, this is certainly one of the best books in the series and kudos to Robb for being able to keep her stories and characters lively and fresh for so long. show less

When Eve is called to the night club Purgatory (owned, of course, by Roarke) to investigate the murder of a bartender, she is shocked to discover the young man was a cop. As the police close ranks to find the killer of one of their own, it soon becomes clear that there is a cop killer out there and his first target won't be his last.

To make matters more complicated, there seems to be a link to an old business associate of Roarke's, from the days when not all Roarke's ventures were as above board as they are today. An old rivalry has been resurrected and Eve has her work cut out for her to prevent her husband from going outside the law to bury this ghost from the past as well as finding the killer and cleaning out a nest of dirty cops show more before someone does it for her - in a most permanent manner.

This is another delightful romp (if a murder mystery can be called that) from Robb. While they mystery is clever and the resolution satisfying, it was the development of Eve and Roarke's relationship that I enjoyed most in this book. They have their first really serious fight in this one - the worst kind where both acted in the way they believed to be best and seriously hurt the other in the process. For once, Eve is mostly a fault and, despite her limited understanding of how "this relationship thing works", she is the one who must find a way to fix it. Her solution, when she finally comes up with it, is delightful, funny and touching.

The "In Death" books are always a good read, quick and entertaining and with the added bonus of Eve and Roarke's ever developing relationship. As always, this book can stand alone or be read a part of the series. I recommend reading the whole series - that's more books to enjoy. show less