Kindred In Death
Grade : B

Both Eve and Roarke have seen and experienced much in the course of their lives, but the crime that opens Kindred in Death shakes them both.

It’s Peace Day in New York – a holiday that commemorates the end of the Urban Wars, and Eve has two whole days off. She and Roarke are just lying about doing whatever they feel like doing and talking about Charles and Louise’s upcoming wedding. Roarke has almost persuaded Eve to take a fast trip to one of his vacation homes, when her link buzzes. It’s Commander Whitney and she’s needed. When Eve gets to the crime scene, what she sees chills her to the bone. Sixteen year old Deena MacMaster whose father has just been promoted to Captain in the NYSPD, has been brutally raped and killed. Whoever did it, drugged and tortured her and drew out her ordeal for hours. Eve is profoundly disturbed and so is Roarke – Deena’s ordeal brings back memories of Summerset’s daughter Marlena who met a similar fate.

It doesn’t take long for Eve to piece together some facts. Deena was a sweet and innocent young woman who recently had fallen for a boy who was a student at Columbia. Jamie Lingstrom (from Ceremony In Death) was a friend of Deena’s and he proves to be a valuable asset while Eve is working the case. As the investigation continues, it becomes evident that Deena was killed in retaliation for a case her father worked on in the past. But which one? Eve has to find out what case set the killer off, and then she can find out who did it. As always, the threads of the puzzle prove to be knotted and tangled, but Eve is nothing if not persistent.

I’ve read all the In Death books, but it’s been a while since I’ve actually “read” one. Usually, I listen to the books since I like Susan Erickson so much as a reader. While I was reading, I was taken aback by the constant shifting point of view. There was so much head hopping that I had to stop and backtrack several times just to figure out who was talking. I can’t help but think that when Susan Erickson is reading these, her copy has penciled notes by the lines of dialogue telling her which character is speaking.

After I got my bearings, I enjoyed Kindred In Death, not so much for the story as for the chance to meet all the characters again. Louise and Charles are busy planning their wedding and their happiness is infectious – so much so that Eve offers to let Louise stay the night before the wedding at her home and even volunteers to have Trina over to do the hair and make-up. Lest you think that Eve has gone all soft, her interrogation of the suspect at the end of the book shows she hasn’t lost her edge – and even Peabody gets a chance to play the role of bad cop.

I don’t think that Kindred In Death, is the best book in the series, but it’s still a good solid read. J.D. Robb has made the background and characters so real and vivid, I can almost smell the soy dogs, and hear the maxibuses. This is the 29th book in the series and it’s still going strong.

Reviewed by Ellen Micheletti
Grade : B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : November 18, 2009

Publication Date: 2009

Review Tags: In Death series

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Ellen Micheletti

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