Kindred in Death

Any book in J. D. Robb's In Death series that forces our heroine, Eve Dallas, to relive her nightmarish childhood makes for rough reading because Ms. Robb makes it so easy for you to slip inside Eve's mind to relive those nightmares with her. KINDRED IN DEATH is one of those books that haunts Eve and you. It may create a tough reading, but it makes Eve's success that much more satisfying. To add to it, there is a lovely epilogue that not only concludes the novel on a positive note but also serves as a reminder that love is the strongest force of all.

The death of a cop's daughter begins the 29th In Death mystery. Eve is requested by the victim's father, a new Captain in Illegals, to handle the case. And, while trying to track down a very illusive killer, Eve needs to be immersed in the preparations for Louise and Charles' upcoming wedding. She's dreading the bridal shower and her duties as Matron of Honor. After the brutal murder of a second young woman, Eve and her team begin to find clues about the identity of the murderer.

Finding a young man who has been molded by his father to seek revenge for the death of his mother, Eve sees a lot of herself and her father in the two criminals. She wonders how she'd have been shaped by her father if she hadn't managed to kill him and escape show more when she was eight.

I loved the relationship between Eve and Roarke and how he provided so much support for her in her case. I also like seeing Jamie again. Most of all I liked the wisdom Eve shared with both Louise and Charles which shows how much she has learned since she married Roarke. show less

Planning to surprise their sixteen-year-old daughter, Deena, with a holiday brunch and an afternoon matinee, newly-promoted New York Police and Security Department Captain Jonah MacMasters and his wife, Carol, return home early following a weekend away. However, instead of their planned family outing, they are horrified to find Deena dead, brutally murdered in her bedroom.

When Captain MacMasters requests that homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigate his daughter’s murder, Commander Jack Whitney summons her to the crime scene. The brutal rape of the young girl ignites Eve’s memories of her own abused childhood; nevertheless, they’re soon buried again as she goes about the business of investigating the crime. But can she show more find the monster who murdered a cop’s daughter without losing herself in the process?

Twenty-ninth in the “In Death” series, this emotion-filled narrative forthrightly examines the heart-wrenching effects of murder on the members of the victim’s family. The ever-deepening relationship between Eve and Roarke is sure to please readers, as is the wedding that serves as the bright spot in the telling of this disquieting tale.

Anchored by the strong sense of place in the world of the near future, the camaraderie and the relationships between the characters continue to be the heart of the story; however, the well-defined police procedural as Eve investigates is outstanding; the expected humor, banter, and romance are all here as well.

The intriguing plot fills the pages with suspense and an underlying tension gives the narrative a persistent intensity. Readers, captured at the outset by the horrific crime they know will resonate even more than usual with Eve, will find it difficult to set this book aside before turning the final page.

Highly recommended. show less

This series isn't one that requires a lot of thought on the part of the reader. The books follow the same pattern. The characters are developed through the 35 books in the series so reading them from the start is a good idea but they aren't hard (looking back over my reading log I realised that some months I have read five or six of these books plus novels for school). To me this fact make them a perfect read for a decidedly gray Saturday (we had the lights on ALL DAY).

This book continues the pattern of previous books in the series yet manages to still entertain. Although the all follow the same basic plot to me they stay fresh. What I enjoy the most is the humour and the interactions between the recurring characters in the books. They show more feel real. They are people that I can relate to. I really enjoyed seeing Jamie return, I've missed him, and I think that perhaps Roberts has introduced another character of whom we will see more off, Peach. If she does reapear I will be happy.

The past few books in the series have left me feeling a bit meh but not this one. I was gripped. The interactions between the main and supporting characters that felt a bit samey in the past few books did not feel so this time. The drama that felt a bit concocted wasn't there. It all felt more natural.

If you enjoy murder mysteries where you yourself don't have to figure out who the killer is this series is definitely for you. Since I am not much of a puzzle solver and ridiculously fond of network crime show this is a perfect series for me. show less

Kindred in Death
4 Stars

Eve is called in to investigate when the daughter of a police captain is found raped and strangled in her own bed. All the evidence points to a chameleon style killer who can adopt identities at will and become anyone he desires. Can Eve and her team stop him before he kills again?

Entertaining overall with a gripping plot, albeit one that is reminiscent of an earlier installment in the series Survivor in Death. The death of the first victim is heart breaking and the callousness of the killer is spine-chilling.

While it is enjoyable to see past characters putting in an appearance, the recurring characters appear to be stagnating. Perhaps it is because this is the 29th book, but it is almost as if Robb has a show more checklist of moments for each character: Eve has a nightmare (check), Roarke worms his way into the investigation (check), Summerset says something endearingly snarky (check), Peabody and McNab moon over each other (check), and so on. Robb really needs to shake things up a little in this area so that the character development matches the plots in intensity.

Despite this issue, the In Death books are fast paced reads with appealing characters and well-written storylines. Looking forward to the next one. show less

Trigger warning: Rape.

This one was really good and very bleak at times. A NYPD captain arrives home to find his 16 year old daughter dead. He requests Eve to investigate. This case had everything. I really didn't know where things were going and I loved how all of the pieces came together. We also have some call outs from things from prior books, Eve discussing Charles and Louise's wedding which is fairly soon. I maybe laughed at one point since we have Eve arresting someone in front of the soon to be bride and groom.

Woh! Eve Dallas is a homicide detective, so there's going to be a murder in every book for her to investigate. Usually, the In Death series straddles the line between romance and outright suspense fiction fairly evenly. This installment, however, almost falls completely into the suspense side. The victim is only 16, and her murder particularly gruesome and gut-wrenching. Though the love between Roarke and Eve is still strong, and there's more than one tryst between them here, fans of the romance genre may find this book a little lacking on that front compared to the previous novels. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I love suspense books.

The daughter of a cop is brutally murdered as a revenge message to him. But, what could a cop who show more investigates illegal drugs have done to warrant such fury? Eve is specifically requested on the case. Roarke's involvement in Eve's cases as an "expert consultant" happily continues and we get more interaction between them as a result. All the favorites are here, in particular the other cops. Mavis and a couple others make small cameos (which suits their characters fine) and the cop action gets ratcheted up. It seemed to me that there was more investigative technique, and conferences than ever before - which I thought added a lot of depth to the plot.

Overall, and excellent read with good plot twists and the usual satisfying ending I've come to expect. Highly recommended! show less