ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Obsession in Death
Author: J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #40
Published: Jan 12th 2015 by Piatkus
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A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.
Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an 'admirer', who just can't stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her - again and again...
With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate - and dangerous - psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide - approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk - along with those she cares about the most.
Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an 'admirer', who just can't stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her - again and again...
With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate - and dangerous - psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide - approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk - along with those she cares about the most.
THE REVIEW
David Baldacci thought Obssesion in Death was a 'gut-searing emotional drama'. Stephen King seems to be a die hard Eve Dallas fan because he thinks Dallas is '....tough as nails and still sexy as hell'.
I wouldn't be lying if I said that Obsession in Death is one of the best murder mysteries that I've read in a long time.
When I picked up the fortieth installment of Robb's In Death series I had no idea what was in for. Although Nora Roberts is a well loved author on my bookshelf, Obsession in Death is my first taste of the In Death series written under her pen name, J. D. Robb.
Obsession in Death is set in a futuristic version of New York and follows the story of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Eve reminded me a lot of Detective Kate Beckett from one of my favorite TV series, Castle. Eve Dallas is like a one woman justice league; tough yet fair minded and completely in love with her husband, Rourke. Dallas has garnered a lot of media attention because of all the high profile cases that she has worked on.
In this particular novel, Eve Dallas attracts the attention of a killer who has taken it upon himself/herself to do Eve some favors. These 'favors' not quite what you'd expect- the favors are murdering those who have disrespected Eve in one way or another. Soon the killer figures out that the 'gifts' that are being left for Eve are not being appreciated, so Eve's homicidal fan soon turns against Eve.
When an author hits the 40th book in a series I can only imagine how difficult character development becomes. But Robb succeeds on this account because all the characters were well defined and multi-dimensional making it one of the reasons Obsession in Death was such a powerful read. I found it easy to connect with characters because they were all so engaging.
The new case makes Eve realize that the she is not as alone as she thought she was. She has grown up to become a person with a loving family and plenty of friends.
Obsession in Death focuses on some heavy themes like justice, crime and the blurred areas in between these two. It is a novel with plenty of heart so as a reader I felt that there never a dull moment.
There were occasional POV switches so we were given glimpse of what went through the killer's mind and I found this to be an intriguing touch. Dr. Mira, one of Eve's confidante's brings in a strong psychological angle to this mystery with her analysis of the killer's every move. These fascinating conversations between Mira and Eve Dallas are proof of Robb's undeniable talent when it comes to character development.
Pair Robb's solid characters with a well-plotted story and an engaging writing style and you've got yourself a bestseller.
The banter between Eve and her colleague, Peabody, the interaction between Eve and her friend's baby, Bella and Eve's issue with idioms added some lightheartedness to the otherwise intense novel. There's quite a bit of futuristic tech which my inner geek found delightful.
I'm still surprised at how well Robb keeps the series strong even at 40 books-that's surely commendable! I have to admit that I was intimidated by the number of books in the series but Obsession in Death works perfectly as a standalone.
THE RATING
5 stars
QUOTE-WORTHY
“Either way I handle this—unless we’re all wrong and it was really about Bastwick—he’s not finished. If I stay on it, there’s a better chance I can stop him, I might be able to calculate who might be next.”“Eventually you’ll be next. Eventually you’ll disappoint him, and he’ll feel betrayed by you. Idols always fall, Eve.”
“Who'd kill for you?" Peabody waited until Eve lowered her hands. "I mean who'd kill because somebody was rude to you, or, well, snotty?”
“Nobody leaps to mind. I tend to avoid relationships with the homicidal.”
FINAL VERDICT:
I'd definitely recommend Obsession in Death, it has a bit of everything for every kind of reader so this is a sure win. This nail-biting, compelling thriller has got me hooked on this series and I cannot wait to get read the rest of the books in the In Death series!
Are you a Nora Robert/J. D. Robb junkie? Have you read In Death series? What are your thoughts on Eve Dallas and her badass crime fighting powers?
The 40th book in a series?! WHOA! I wonder if I have to read the previous 39 books in the series. I don't really think these kinds of books are ones that you have to read in order. But hm... I do love me some murder mystery stories, so I'll check this one out! :D
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite series. Yes you have to read the others, there are characters you wont understand unless you do so. But this series rocks
ReplyDeleteThough I am a huge Nora Roberts junkie,I've never tried out a book from this series.Maybe I should,I'd love a good murder mystery after the amount of contemporary romances I've been reading lately.
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