Indulgence in Death

Even though J. D. Robb released INDULGENCE IN DEATH in 2010, the story hits just as hard today as news organizations continue to bombard us with headlines about the crazy antics of the billionaires and the lack of any serious consequences for those antics. With a story that is reminiscent of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME by Richard Connell, INDULGENCE IN DEATH is the type of story that infuriates you for the gloating and sense of entitlement/untouchability that oozes from some of the suspects. At the same time, it makes the satisfaction you feel upon Eve's eventual success that much sweeter.

"Indulgence in Death" is the 31st book in J.D. Robb's terrific futuristic cop series and it starts out in Ireland with three of my favorite "In Death" scenarios: Eve and Roarke on vacation, Eve exposed to the countryside and all of the terrors it holds - cows! sheep! roosters! - and Eve doing something wonderfully loving and perfect for Roarke, which tends to get me a bit teary-eyed. The vacation is short-lived, though, and as soon as Eve is back in her comfort zone in NYC, a new case once again takes center stage. Odd murder weapons and victims that were at the top of their game are two aspects of a series of murders that send Eve and Peabody on a search for one of the scariest kinds of killer - one who kills solely for the thrill of show more it.

If you have never read this series, start with the first book "Naked In Death" and watch Eve and Roark fall in love and watch all the wonderful characters from this series grow and develop. That being said...I consider the "In Death" books to be an almost perfect mixture of intrigue, police procedural, romance, humor and heartwarming moments. Opening each book is, for me, a lot like stopping by to visit old friends - the kind of friends I really enjoy spending time with. show less

Though I enjoy the mysteries, it's not the main reason I love the In Death series. What makes it special is the relationships Eve has with other characters and how that impacts her investigations. Though this mystery was not particularly inventive, it gave Eve reason to interact with a lot of characters with great results. There's a fair amount of humor in most of the series, but this one seemed to go to the next level. I quite literally laughed out loud many times throughout the story.

The book opens with Eve and Roarke in Ireland on a long overdue vacation. This part of the book was outright fantastic because we see their relationship evolving. The dialog clearly demonstrates how much they are coming to understand one another. However, show more other characters also get a boost. The last few books had Roarke taking such a large role in the mystery that others, like Peabody, were pushed into the background. Though this is good occasionally, I was glad to see Peabody come front and center again for this mystery. Even better, Peabody is starting to step out of Eve's shadow. She takes more initiative, and even provides some insight into the case that Eve missed! It was a welcome development - moving them more toward equal partners. The mystery itself was not very deep, and I figured it out even more quickly than normal, but all the character development more than made up for it. I simply could not put it down, and read straight through.

Overall, another very satisfying book from Robb that has me eagerly anticipating the next one. Highly recommended to series' fans. show less

Well, three and a half stars--one of her better books, so I rounded up. If you like J.D. Robb, you basically know what you are getting: a couple of murders; a love scene between Eve and Rourke; Eve and Rourke affirming their love for each other despite cruddy loveless upbringings; witty banter with Peabody; helpful advice/interactions with some of her close friends; sneering at Sommerfield and at least one cat appearance. In the later books, you also have some reflections on the meaning of friends and community, and how Eve, who thinks of herself as a loner, is connected to people she cares about.

Indulgence contained them all, but this time shook it up just a little with a pre-trip to Ireland, to spend time with Rourke's extended family show more and give city-borne Eve a taste for country life. Her inner dialogue on the sheep, cow and people populations was funny, and felt like a perfect character touch. Returning to New York quickly brings her to a murder investigation, which becomes two, and shortly after, four deaths to investigate. I liked how her solid background detective work ended up giving insight into the killers, which enabled her to further key in on mistakes and possible solutions. Predictably, Eve sets herself as bait at the end of the investigation. In the context of the storyline, it actually makes some sense, as the killers are elite socialites who consider those of the underclasses mere pawns in a competitive game. She was never really at risk, as her entire team was there for backup, which was also refreshing--there's only so many ways you can put an intelligent detective in life-threatening situations--otherwise they aren't intelligent.

It's interesting to what extent Rourke has involved himself in police business, in this case coming along and "act like Peabody," as well as being down at the cop house aiding the investigation. It doesn't seem forced because of the extent to which earlier books set up his increasing involvement, but I wonder where it will next lead them. show less

Where would I be without a dose of Dallas and Rourke? I enjoy the interplay between the characters and the relationships that have built up over the 31 books is what I return for. The mysteries tend to be a bonus.

I tried explaining to folks at Octocon why I like this series so much but it's hard to pin down. The characters have lives, they interact they change over the stories but they still stay themselves and none more such than Eve Dallas.

Eve has fame, a book written about a past case "The Icove Case" is being filmed and the book's popularity is making her recognised, being married to Rourke also keeps her in the public eye. The book, however, starts out of the public eye with a visit to some of his relatives in Clare, when a body is show more found she helps the investigation in a scene that's more Murder she Wrote than The Guard (though with the Urban Wars things are a little different worldwide when it comes to murder and living). This reads almost like a short story than a prelude and felt a little jarring, Almost like J D Robb needed to point out that murder happens even in the most average of places.

On her return to New York, Dallas is involved in a complicated series of murders that at first glance seem unrelated, but slowly but surely a pattern begins to emerge and Dallas has to race to ensure that the villains are found and stopped before they kill too many.

I like that like most of this series, Dallas knows who has done it relatively early in the story but has to work at building the evidence. Eve's gripes about women's clothes and shoes appear as they always do and I love J D Robb/Nora Roberts for the comments, they make me grin.

This isn't a deep series or a challenge, it's a fun ride with characters I've built a relationship with. show less

Eve gets involved in a murder investigation on her anniversary trip to Ireland with Roarke. Then, when she returns to New York, she gets called in for what seem to be random killings in semi-public places using odd weapons. Eve and her team quickly get involved in this complex case of rich guy, thrill kills. In fact, she is the ultimate target. I love the relationship between Eve and Roarke. It is a wonderful example of a romance growing and deepening as two characters really get to know each other.

Indulgence in Death
4.5 Stars

Eve and her team investigate a series of murders in the which the victims are apparently chosen at random and killed using bizarre weapons à la the board game Clue.

This installment opens with Eve and Roarke visiting family in Ireland, and Eve literally stumbling into a murder investigation. While this sequence is entertaining (Eve's reactions to nature are priceless), it's contribution to the overall storyline is obscure. That said, the episode does add a great deal to Eve and Roarke's character development both as individuals and as a couple.

Although the explanations are similar to those in Seduction in Death, the New York case is, nevertheless, intense and exciting. The story had me turning pages late show more into the night as Eve figures out who is behind the crime, but struggles to find sufficient evidence to convict.

In sum, Robb delivers another excellent book in the In Death series, which must certainly be one of the longest in publication history. show less