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Fiction. Mystery. Romance. Suspense. HTML:In this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas faces a serial killer who offers his victims eternal youth by taking their life�?� After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Delancey street dumpster. Just hours before, the news station had mysteriously received a portfolio of professional portraits of the woman. The photos seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for any pretty young woman starting a modeling career. Except that she wasn't a model. And that these photos were taken after she had been murdered. Now Dallas is on the trail of a killer who's a perfectionist and an artist. He carefully observes and records his victim's every move. And he has a mission: to own every beautiful young woman's innocence, to capture her youth and vitality�??in one fateful s… (more)
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A photographer is killing people.
Like most of the books in this series, while it has a good solid crime (more of one that some of the last few), it's really about Eve and Roarke's continued learning curve about love and
This time it's Roarke's past that comes up to bite them, and boy is it a biggie, as pretty much everything he thought he knew about himself gets turned upside down. He doesn't handle it well, shutting Eve out instead of leaning on her strength. They sort it out in time, as they always do, and I look forward to seeing more of the new characters introduced in this book. (Anything more would be a spoiler.)
Summerset and Eve continue to bicker, especially since he manages to fall and break a leg just as he was about to go on vaction, giving Eve three weeks of Summerset-freedom. The accident, coupled with Roarke's problems futher demonstrate the depth of the relationships between Roarke, Summerset and Eve.
Tangled in with this is a neat and tidy murder mystery where all the pieces point in the right direction, but it is only at the end that everything finally falls into place. Clearly, working with Eve is a dangerous occupation, as another of her team is injured, although fortunately all is well at the end.
I thought it was particularly telling that it is only when Eve and Roarke get their balance back and start working as a team again that the investigation begins to come together.
An excellent addition to the series.
But I picked it up and
I'd forgotten all the good stuff in this book. I didn't forget that it happened--I just forgot that it was in this book. The big thing is, of course, that Roarke finds out that his mother wasn't the cruel, heartless Meg Roarke who abandoned him, but rather a sweet and loving young woman who was killed by his father when she tried to leave. Roarke does not handle the information well, and locks himself in his home office (violating his edict of no locked doors from Judgment in Death), refusing to talk to either Eve or Summerset.
Before that, however, Summerset was supposed to be going on vacation, but he falls down the stairs, tripped by the cat, and breaks his leg. It's almost as rough on Roarke as it is on Summerset, because Summerset is his surrogate father. So when Roarke's emotions get in the way, it's up to Eve to smooth things over with the nurse Roarke hired so Summerset can recuperate at home. Roarke and Summerset's feelings for each other are the clearest we've seen them, even more so than in Vengeance. It's especially clear in the private conversations between Eve and Summerset.
The mystery plot starts with a young woman's body being discovered in a dumpster, and a statement sent to reporter Nadine Furst saying that he's captured her "light," with accompanying photographs. The whole gang gets called in on this one, even including Baxter and his new trainee, Trueheart. Some of the clues lead Eve to temperamental photographer Hastings, who's the source of much of the comic relief. I hope we see him again eventually.
The mystery itself was better than I'd remembered, but my attention was mostly on Roarke's revelation and its effect on him and on his relationships. His reactions were very realistic, and fit well with the character we've gotten to know over the past 18 books. This is something he can't fix, he can't buy or steal, and he can't go back in time and change anything. It made him much more human than previous books did.
The personal crisis not only changes Roarke's understanding of his past, it also prompts growth in their marriage. The realistic portrayal of marriage as a work in progress rather than as a static state or an end result is one of my favorite things about this series, and this book excels at it.
The conclusion of the mystery was tense and emotional. My only complaint was that part of the killer's motivation wasn't explained. Seems like a little thing, but it left me with an unsatisfied feeling that was the only thing I'd remembered specifically from this book, so it's worth mentioning.
All in all with this series, I'm loving it more and more the further I get into it. I really enjoy the way the author has made the characters grow and develop throughout this series. If I bought books these would be on my must buy list so I definitely recommend them.
The not too distant future is the setting for Lt. Eve Dallas and her adventures. The entire series I have read so far is focused on homicide and the mystery that surrounds each murder. The image portrayal of each victim leads Dallas on a nasty chase through the August
Nora Roberts’ work as J.D. Robb is always entertaining. There is no mental stretching or need for personal change or improvement. She provides entertainment, enjoyable and disturbing simultaneously. I enjoy Eve Dallas’ relationships. Her relationship with Roarke is believable. I also like her hard ass attitude. This author deals well with emotions and successfully elicits an emotional reaction to her writing.
I recommend the book and the series.
Actually, I don't care enough to add more words.
I especially like this one
Love it!! Eve and her merry band of misfits otherwise known as her team have to track down a serial killer who photographs his victims. This after Somerset has an incident that dampens Eve cheerful mood straight off. This is the 16th book in the series and I'm trying my best to work my
Book Blurb:
After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Delancey street dumpster. Just hours before, the news station had mysteriously received a portfolio of professional portraits of the woman. The photos seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for any pretty young woman starting a modeling career. Except that she wasn't a model. And that these photos were taken after she had been murdered. Now Dallas is on the trail of a killer who's a perfectionist and an artist. He carefully observes and records his victim's every move. And he has a mission: to own every beautiful young woman's innocence, to capture her youth and vitality—in one fateful shot...
One of the best things about this series is the relationship between Dallas and her handsome, billionaire husband, Roarke. In this novel, we get to know a little more about Roarke's past and we see Eve stepping outside her comfort zone to try to take care of Roarke for a change. The personal crisis not only changes Roarke's understanding of his past, it also prompts growth in their marriage.
The author has once again spun a fast-paced story using many of our favorite characters. The realistic portrayal of marriage as a work in progress is one of my favorite things about this series. This is the sixteenth book in the series and, while it could be read as a standalone, is much better if you have a basic understanding of the characters and their past. I look forward to reading future books in this well conceived series set in 2059 New York.
3.5 Stars
Following a tip, Eve Dallas discovers the body of a young woman in a dumpster and begins investigating a series of murders in which the victims are all students whose bodies have been staged and photographed. At the same time, Eve must deal with an injured Summerset as
The murder investigation is one of the weakest in the series. It progresses slowly and there it too much rehashing of evidence. It is also relatively easy to identify the killer by process of elimination. Nevertheless, the race toward the climax and resolution is very exciting and there are a couple of edge-of-your-seat moments.
In contrast, the character development is excellent, especially for Roarke as he struggles to reconcile his feelings after discovering some disturbing information about his past. Roarke has always seemed to be the perfect man, so it was intriguing to see him so lost and … well… human, which only enhances his appeal.
As always, the interactions between Eve and Summerset are a highlight and it is particularly gratifying to see how much they have in common both in terms of the lengths they will go to for Roarke, but also in their reactions to hospitals and Trina's torture sessions.
In sum, not the best mystery, but worth it for more of Roarke's backstory and insight into his character.
4.5 stars
Sixteenth in the “In Death” series, this narrative offers readers several story lines, all converging in the telling of
Here readers will find everything they have come to expect in an “In Death” narrative: a strong sense of place, character development, an intriguing mystery, and unexpected revelations that speak to the strong background and continuing development of the characters and their stories. The expected characters put in an appearance, the banter between Eve and Peabody continues, the candy thief is outwitted [this time], and the edge-of-the-seat moments are truly heart-rending.
Personal stories are front and center in this outing; readers will find it impossible to set this one aside before turning the final page.
Highly recommended.