In this IN DEATH novella, Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke are off-planet so that Eve can make a presentation at a law enforcement conference. While there, murder intrudes and Eve soon learns the case is tied up in Roarke’s past. Lots of great scenes with Eve and Roarke, and also Peabody, one of my favorite secondary characters. ( )

Three novellas in the In Death Series. INTERLUDE IN DEATH has Eve and Roarke off planet at one of Roarke's resorts where there is a police convention with Eve scheduled to conduct a seminar. Someone trying to frame Roarke for some murders takes Eve's mind off her presentation. MIDNIGHT IN DEATH has a criminal Eve thought was put away forever escaping and coming back to New York for revenge. He has a list; Eve is on it. HAUNTED IN DEATH has a haunted theater, a mysterious disappearance that is 85 years in the past, and a current murder of a descendent of the building's former owner who wants to restore it to its previous glory. ( )

Of the three novellas, I had already read two in other collections: Interlude in Death and Midnight in Death. Haunted in Death was the only new one. I gave this only three stars because I didn't like the fact that two earlier ones were republished in this one. (Which I knew before I borrowed it. I just wanted to read the new one.) The novellas were pretty good. I only re-read one of the old ones, which was pretty gruesome. The new one was good also. On its own, it was worth 3 1/2 stars, ( )

Three novellas, each featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas, together in one volume.

These three stories fit into the sequence of the In Death series at different places. “Interlude” follows the seventh book, “Holiday in Death,” where Eve and Peabody pursued a murderous Santa finding his victims through a dating service. “Midnight” follows the twelfth book, “Betrayal in Death,” in which Eve tracked down a hit man/murderer. And “Haunted” follows the twenty-second book, “Memory in Death,” with Trudy Lombard, Eve’s once-upon-a-time foster mother, going from victimizer to victim. Knowing where the stories fall in the sequence of the series helps readers understand the interactions, relationships, and behavior of each of the characters in the different narratives.

“Interlude in Death” finds Eve scheduled to give a seminar at an interplanetary law enforcement and security conference being held at Roarke’s palatial off-planet Olympus Resort. But she hadn’t counted on having to keep former Commander Douglas Skinner from setting his sights on bringing down her husband. Will Eve’s legendary devotion to the job keep her from protecting Roarke? And when someone frames her husband for murder, will she, with Peabody's adept assistance, be able to find the culprit?

“Midnight in Death” finds Eve forced to set aside her holiday plans when deranged serial killer David Palmer escapes from an off-planet facility, intending to kill everyone who played any part in his incarceration. When he leaves the body of Judge Harold Wainger on the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, Eve finds Palmer’s odious Christmas list of intended victims pinned to the dead man's clothing: the judge, the prosecuting attorney, his public defender, jury foreman Justine Polinsky, Doctor Charlotte Mira, and Eve. When Palmer captures Charlotte, will Eve be able to stop him before her friend is tortured and murdered?

“Haunted in Death” finds Eve . . . who doesn’t believe in ghosts . . . facing a ghostly killer. In the rumored-to-be-haunted building where the body of Radcliff C. Hopkins III lies, Eve finds the bones of singer Bobbie Bray who’d disappeared some eighty-five years earlier. Now Eve must find two murderers . . . both of whom shot their victims with the same gun.

Well-known and beloved characters populate each of these stories; the plot twists lead to unexpected reveals; the stories [although short] each reach a satisfying conclusion. They’re compelling, suspenseful, and entertaining. Three “In Death” stories in one book? It’s reader heaven.

Highly recommended. ( )

I really hate buying anthologies in order to read one story by an author I like. So, I was delighted when the publisher decided to combine three of Robb's previously published stories in one volume. I usually prefer novels over short stories because stories often don't have enough time to really get going. JD Robb is a rare exception wherein her stories are on par with the full novels, mainly because the stage has already been set by the series, and it makes sense for a cop to have some cases that aren't as in depth. Each of the stories in Three in Death was excellent.

Interlude in Death: Eve has to go to a police conference held off-planet on one of Roarke's resorts. She hates space travel, and loathes giving speeches so when the conference is interrupted by a murder - it's fortuitous for her, if not the victim. The culprit is easy to guess right from the start, but it is the motive that keeps Eve investigating. This story was good because sometimes good people lose their way, and it was interesting to see how Eve handled that.

Midnight in Death: Christmas is interrupted by an escaped murderer previously caught by Eve. Once again, there isn't much need for investigating as Eve knows who the killer is. The suspense is built by the two of them playing a deadly game of cat and mouse against each other. Short, but engaging.

Haunted in Death: This is my favorite of the three, because it pits the straight-laced Eve against something that just might be otherworldly. Do ghosts really exist? Eve is called to a murder committed with a hand gun - unheard of in her time. Moreover, another very old body is discovered at the same location - a location said to be haunted. This story was fun, and kept me guessing because the killer is not obvious.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this collection and hope the publisher does the same with more of the In Death novellas. Highly recommended. ( )