Connections in Death (In Death, #48) (2024)

Another great book from the magic pen of J.D. Robb. Or maybe she just has a magic formula. Perhaps she keeps a list of things the fans like best, something like this.....

Each book must contain:
1. Minimum two sex scenes.
2. Several confrontations between Summerset and Eve.
3. Any number of appearances by Galahad with at least one involving bacon.
4. Mention of the candy thief.
5. Pizza
6. As many comic interchanges as possible between Eve/Peabody and Eve/Roarke
7. As many romantic interchanges as possible between Eve/Roarke
8. Coffee
9. Appearances in the book by Mira, Nadine, Mavis, Leonardo, Dennis, Feeney, Trueheart, Baxter, Whitney, Reo, McNab, and of course Morris.
10. More pizza

Stir all this into an inventive and intriguing mystery with lots of police work and some serious action at the end. There is all this and more in Connections in Death. Loved it.

It's hard to believe that we are already at book #48 in this series.

I know that many readers might feel intimidated by this number but please don't be. I know a couple fellow bloggers and readers that just started this series this year, and they are already hooked and are looking forward to reading a JD ROBB book each month. At this rate, one book a month, it doesn't feel too overwhelming and there is enough time for other books as well.

But if you love romantic suspense, love police procedural books and you enjoy strong women (this series is full of them), awesome male characters (you can't count them all there are so many to swoon over) and fantastic banter and relationships that warm your heart - this series is a MUST read!!

Not every IN DEATH case is like the other.

Some hit closer to home, others are OTT, this one was gang related, and the author nailed it!! She must have researched the heck out of gangs, because the speech pattern she used and the stupidity that can be found in these groups had me shaking my head. Roarke called them "barking morons" - so very apt if you ask me.

As always there were so many wonderful one-on-ones between my favorites characters, but what I loved the most is the trust, faith, and the level of understanding between Roarke and Eve. After only a couple of years together, they reached a point in their relationship where both of them are so in-sync with one another it makes my heart all gooey.

For me, reading a JD ROBB book is like coming home and visiting family and friends. I'm looking forward to every single book and hope the series never ends. But if it does it's finally time for a reread.

ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series and have nearly finished a four year long reread! This book was notable for the fact that Galahad actually scored some bacon and got some jam on his paws! It pays to be persistent especially when you are a cat. Also I believe this is the first in the series where Eve treats her team to donuts and later to pizza. She is learning good staff management from Roarke.

Connections in Death is just a fun, easy, totally entertaining read. Nearly all our friends appear at one point or another, Eve and Roarke are in a happy place, there are the usual number of dead bodies and the police work is as efficient as always. I still want an autochef of my own and a car which goes up in the air. Think how easy it would be to park!

The day J.D. Robb stops writing this series will be a very sad one for me.

Roarke’s hiring of child psychologist Dr Rochelle Pickering for his and Detective Eve Dallas’ new venture, An Didean gave Rochelle joy and satisfaction. Her brother Lyle, who was a successfully recovering addict was over the moon for her. The night Rochelle and her boyfriend Crack went out to celebrate, it all went south for Lyle. As distress and grief hit Rochelle, Crack called Eve and Roarke – she started immediately to get justice for Lyle and his family and would work it until she did…

Drugs, gangs, corruption, lack of loyalty – all were there in the flops and streets of the underground where Eve and her team ventured. The scum of life on the bottom – they had seen it before; but Eve was determined to scrape the barrel and bring them in. Murders continued – brutal and vicious. Could she stop it before anyone else died? Could she find those responsible for Lyle’s death?

Connections in Death is the 48th in this magnificent In Death series by JD Robb and is once again a breath of fresh air; a delight to read; a guilty pleasure. The laugh out loud moments are all there, the interactions between Eve and Peabody; Eve and Roarke; Eve and Summerset. Fabulous reading! Keep them coming Ms Robb! Highly recommended.

With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Remember how I mentioned only reading these books due to nostalgia? I finally got myself into utter boredom with the current installment...

This time around, Eve & co. deal with the murder of Crack's girlfriend's brother. Yes, it's appropriately tragic, how the boy gets offed by members of his old gang, just when he finally seems to be free of every one of his old vices. *insert faux sniffles* Throw in an equally tragic past, a squeaky clean older shrink sister... and you might as well start building the guy an altar already.

So far so bad, but still among the acceptable twice yearly reading materials. But then Eve had to go and spend an inordinate amount of time feeling protective about Crack. A guy who's basically one big heap of muscles, owns a rather shady nightclub, and his most memorable remarks are calling Eve a "skinny white girl". A regular damsel in distress, ya know?

... and from there, all the supposed drama about the tragedy of the victim just flew all over my head.

Score: 2.4/5 stars

Same old, same old... why should I give a crap? Oh wait, for once, the murder motive turns out to be appropriately tragic, in its randomness. Aaaand no: I still don't care.

=====================================
review of book 36: Calculated in Death
review of book 37: Thankless in Death
review of book 37.5: Taken in Death
review of book 38: Concealed in Death
review of book 39: Festive in Death
review of book 40: Obsession in Death
review of book 41: Devoted in Death
review of book 42: Brotherhood in Death

CONNECTIONS IN DEATH by J.D. Robb is the 48th novel in the In Death series. I have read all of them and continue to be thoroughly entertained by this series. The novels are police procedurals with this one set in 2061 so they have some technologies that don't exist today, but that is a minor aspect compared to the mystery contained in each novel.

The story takes place in New York City and the female protagonist is homicide lieutenant Eve Dallas. Eve and her wealthy husband, Roarke are building a school and youth shelter. When the brother of the child psychologist they have hired dies, Eve is called to investigate. The brother was an ex-gang member and drug addict that had been trying to turn his life around. Was his death an overdose or was it murder? With this scenario, the story accelerates. Robb has tackled several themes in this novel ranging from drug addiction to murder to gangs to family dynamics to protection rackets to illegal drug sales and much more.

It is always entertaining to spend time with Eve and Roarke as well as their friends and Eve's colleagues. This novel brought in some new characters and some of the usual character interactions were missing or significantly reduces. McNabb, Peabody, Feeney, Nadine, Mavis, Trueheart, Baxter and others played minor roles in this story. Additionally, the resolution seemed a little too easy to attain.

For those that are not familiar with this novel, there is some language and violence as well as a couple of steamy scenes in the book. There is also humor within the novel including Eve's interactions with Summerset. This is an engaging, intense and fast-paced novel and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I'm dying to read this book! I live for every new installment of the series. In Death has been my nr. 1 favourite series for years.

This series always delivers. Unlike so many other series that go on for years and years, this one hasn't devolved into a story that feels called-in. Yes, there are always certain things we can expect because we know the characters so well, but the mysteries are usually pretty good and if you like police procedural books, you will enjoy these. Plus, the main characters, Eve and Roarke, are probably one of the greatest book couples in book coupledom. Roarke is my favorite book boyfriend and that can never change. Also, I can't help but love their interactions:

(When she is telling him how she would get revenge on him if he did her wrong)
"If you f*cked me over, I'm a cop. I know how to make you pay without letting it show. Like, the one where I tranq your wine, dress you in a diaper and pasties, get you in your office and transmit the image globally."

(Roarke:) "You've given this some thought."

(Eve:) "Just in my free time.... There's the one where I coat the inside of all your boxers with a biological that causes your works to develop festering boils."

(Roarke:) "Christ jesus, you obviously have far too much free time."

See? I can't help but respect a wife who has several revenge scenarios in her head, ready to utilize if necessary. I also like that she gives him a few as a taste. Just to make sure he keeps on top of his game. My husband always says that the best part of living with a "creative-thinker" is that things never get dull. He tells me how much he loves that I can surprise him even after 25 years of marriage....
Smart man.

I don't know why these things keep showing up in the mailbox.

The crime in this book is the murder of a former gang member who had cleaned up his act. This brings the investigation into gangland. If you ever watched "The Wire" and liked it, you will really like this one. Since I watched that show, I felt like I had all this insider knowledge. Nothing like a middle-aged white suburbanite knowing the lingo in banger-territory. I'm sure they would appreciate my street sense.

The story moved along at a good pace and there were enough personal exchanges between the characters to also keep me satisfied. I really like where Eve and Roarke's relationship is now. She used to fight him on everything, but now she just accepts that he is going to be a part of her work-life sometimes and she even invites his help. I also love the way the cops in her unit are such a great team. It feels like real people who work hard and play hard together.

What I still would like to see? More on the Peabody/McNabb romance. We watched them get together, and really rooted for them. I just want a peek into what's going on with them in their personal life. I'm not a creeper! You're a creeper!

The mystery isn't as strong as some of the others in this series but I don't particularly care. This is a comfort read for me and as long as Eve and Rourke keep evolving I will be along for the ride.

Dr. Rochelle Pickering receives the offer of a lifetime when Roarke asks her to head the team of psychologists that will serve in his new youth shelter. When she returns from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds her brother dead of an apparent overdose. Lyle was a recovering addict who was winning and nothing about the scene makes sense. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is requested to investigate and it doesn’t take long for her to determine this is no accident.

This case takes Eve and her team down some rough paths and areas of the city as Lyle was a former member of the Bangers, one of the city’s dangerous gangs. It was different seeing how investigative methods were altered to deal with these circ*mstances. It wasn’t tough to figure out the who and what but the why was more elusive. I always like the scenes in Interview and this story offers so many occasions where Eve and Peabody are in action inside Cop Central. There are lots of distasteful subjects to take down and it was absolute fun being part of the show. They certainly didn’t disappoint!

Even though the mystery wasn’t that taxing, I found the gang world in the year 2061 to be fascinating and equally horrifying. The crimes were beyond brutal and this was one time when justice couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch of criminals. I also liked the subtle shifts in Eve and Roarke’s relationship, their comfort and ease with each other, their friends and coworkers, and just a smidgen of mellowing (and I mean minuscule) on her part. I really enjoyed the story as the distinctions between right & wrong, good versus evil couldn’t be clearer.

The writing and everything else was good as usual, but the crime story was not as interesting as, for example, the Brotherhood in Death or Obsession in Death, just to mention a few good ones!

It was not bad, since she put away two gangs, but the story missed the intricacies. It was just too linear. We know since the beginning who the villains are and Eve have just to find evidence. And since the villains are, as Eve herself says, idiots, it is not such a difficult thing! Eve managed a much more complex cases!

Still, since I'm a diehard fan, I love the interactions between all the characters and not only Eve and Roarke!

What I missed here are the insights into other character's lives. I missed Mavis and Leonardo and Bella... Yes, there's a huge party at the beginning where they're all there, but it was not enough for me.

Still I loved it and I'll be looing forward to the next one!

Maybe after 48 books I should lower my expectations because quite frankly this one was lacking.

The plot lacked excitement and that edge of your seat feel that I have come to expect with this series.

The line up of our usual secondary characters was lacking too. Not personally but on page. Peabody was present but not overly. There were a few funny moments but I wanted more. We got very little of Feeney, Summerset and Mavis too. Even the lovely Dr. Mira was scarce in this one.

Of course this is just my opinion and it certainly could be a case of 'it's me and not the book'. In any event this just wasn't a favorite of mine.

I'm sure you are asking why a 4 star review then. Well that is simple. Eve and Roarke. I simply adore these two and always will. Their moments together always grip my heart. ❤ And it really is a fantastic series. My favorite in fact.

It was between a three and a four but I will give it a four as you have to applaud an author who is still keeping readers interested at Book "48" in a series. My eyes sort of glazed over towards the end when they were rounding up all the evidence for the convictions. TBH, I didn't really care... we knew the guilty parties at this stage and I wanted some more interactions between Eve and Roarke. We didn't even get to see Mr. Mira in this installment ... or Bella and her gang!

Roarke is a little too perfect, isn't he? Can he do any wrong? Usually I am not enamoured with such perfection in my heroes. I need a bit of an "asshole"! But I just swoon with almost everything he says to Eve ...

... he thought of the gray button he kept in his pocket. "We all need our talismans, don't we?"

"f*ck you, limey prick."
"I'm Irish, by the way."

Of course you are, darling Roarke ...

"He ain't receiving visitors today. Especially c*nt cops."

I LOVE EVE ...

"And here we three meet again, without the thunder, lightening, or the rain."

One thing that annoys me a little bit is that Eve is sort of portrayed as a bit "thick" (as Roarke might say). She doesn't pick up on the nuances in some sentences/conversations (like the one above) ... surely most folk know one of the most famous quotes from Macbeth ... maybe I am being a bit presumptuous? There was another one too about March "going in like a Lion and out like a Lamb" ... she had no clue about that either. I know her education was a bit "skattered" (as Roarke might say) and she was in the "system" in her younger days ... or even trying to avoid the system but it is just something that niggles me a little bit.

I still cannot believe that I have stuck with a series for 48 books. This one took me a while to read. I set it down quite a few times. I think the lack of interaction with the usual secondary characters was off-putting. I love when Mavis, Mira, Mr. Mira and the gang are all there ...

"These assholes I'm boxing tomorrow are beyond stupid. They're - what are those words you use? Eejits, gits. f*ckheads."
"All of those work," Roarke replied.

LMAO - I love that she has picked up all of Roarke's "Irish" words ... By the way, I NEVER use bad language in company. Honestly, it is only reserved for close family i.e. hubby and sons (and some "Whatsapp" groups (you know who you are) and my Goodreads friends. I would say that none of my work colleagues have ever heard me use the "F" word.

She drew him closer, rested her head on his shoulder. and realized he'd given her what she hadn't been able to find for herself. Peace of mind.

So, my initial thoughts of "Connections in Death" hold. However, I have to admit that I can't give this five stars because I am now realizing it's a bit off that Eve doesn't get that maybe other people have different upbringings and it's not all roses. I am happy that we get to see another side of New York though and it's not just the rich and famous all of the time.

"Connections in Death" focuses on Eve investigating when a woman she just meets comes home to find her brother Lyle dead from an apparent drug overdose. The connections in the title refers to the fact that Rochelle is not only connected to Roarke (he interviews her for a position at one of his "houses" he is building for young girls) but also Crack (from the very first In Death book I think). When Eve meets Rochelle at a party that Nadine throws she gets her hackles up a bit because apparently she has learned nothing about being overly involved in who her male friends date. Seriously I will forever be salty about the DeWinter thing. Thank goodness though Roarke makes her see she's being a dumbass. I loved the unraveling story in this one and we actually get to see more of Eve investigating and taking notice of people and histories. Eve finding out about gangs in New York is not really part of what she does, but she does end up talking to Strong again in this one (which I loved).

There is growth to Eve in this one. She realizes that sometimes the system doesn't work for a lot of people. Her finding out about what the gangs have been up to (extortion, rape, drug running, assault, etc.) knocks her for a bit. That said there was some light moments too. I laughed a bunch of times when we have Eve bringing in food for her squad and everyone automatically thinking it was Roarke that did it and thanked him instead.

Roarke was pitch perfect in this one. There were no dumb couple fights. Just two people supporting each other. I maybe laughed at Roarke wanting to take down an attorney and realizing it was too easy. And I loved that he was really busy and couldn't be there all of the time like he should have done in prior books.

Peabody was not as annoying. I maybe got a bit irked when she starts singing about love and romance and knows they are going to a morgue to view a dead man that is connected to at least two people she knows. I am still on the train that Peabody is still a straight psychopath.

Mira was in this too, but for once her expertise is allowed to shine. We don't have Eve just going to her and telling Mira her read on a potential suspect (which has happened in the last bunch of books which drove me up the wall).

We get glimpses of Nadine, Mavis, and others, but I was glad to see Crack again and he was actually great. It was nice to see Eve knocked a bit off her axis. I am starting to wonder if Crack is her only friend that is a POC. Hmm I think two of her people working for her are too, but to me they are not really friends, they work for her. Anyway, it was a nice change for an "In Death" book to look more at POC. I hope the next one doesn't just have them being the central plot point on gangs though.

The writing was really good in this one. Everything seems well researched and I liked the introduction of new characters in this one that we get. The flow was really good too. I will say that sometimes it's okay if Eve can't nail every suspect. Her close rate has to be like 100 percent at this point. It would be fine that maybe she doesn't get everyone and then she lives with that and they follow it up in a book later down in the series. Heck even Sandford did a good job with setting up Lucas Davenport with his own Moriarty.

The setting of New New York seems like it is more technology advanced, but still showing that there are the poor and those who will take advantage. It was good for once to not see all the bright and shining celebrities or rich that Roarke and Eve usually meet with in these books.

The ending seemed to be signifying a new maturity to Eve. Her realizing that sometimes what she does won't matter, but she can still keep trying.

3 stars - Crime/Suspense/Mystery/Futuristic

This is one of my absolute, all-time favorite series, but this installment was a disappointment for me. The murder in this one involved a web of criminal gang activity, and I found it all confusing and honestly, just really boring. Also, there wasn’t nearly enough Eve/Roarke couple/romance page time, and I also felt it lacked the involvement of all the fabulous secondary characters that I’ve come to expect and love about this series. So this is definitely not a standout for me, but I still devour any morsels of Eve and Roarke and the group that I can get!

Nadine is throwing her first party after her Oscar win in her new apartment. All the gang are there including a new face. Dr Rochelle Pickering. Rochelle is someone that Roarke gives a very prestigious job to but her happiness is short lived when her brother that is a recovering addict and ex gang member is found dead in there shared apartment. So now Eve must find out who killed her brother and made it looked like an OD and why?

So the last book Leverage in Death was the first book that I really, really didn't like. To the point where I wondered if I would keep reading the series. This book really brought back the love of the series. I really enjoyed seeing all the characters in this book. Especially ones I hadn't in a while. The last book I felt like a huge slid back with Eve. This one had a moment for me with Eve again with sometimes how she acts. The whole thing with Rochelle and acting like Roarke and Mira are blind and only she can tell if someone is good or not and then throwing out her favorite I'm a cop thing but she came to understand she was digging in just because. I get being protective of friends but sometimes she can be a little much with it. I also get why she is very wary of new people as well. But at least she does like other times recognize the issue and can admit it which is why I can have respect for her even as I can sometime disagree with her thru this series.

This is not a book that has some super action but it had some good moments. But some of her cases have been like that. Some books have been ones I really wasn't into like Concealed and Echoes, some to me are more slow feeling like Festive and Memory, some are more action packed like Loyalty and Delusion, and some just really hooked me in because it was so interesting like Treachery and Obesession. This is one I would put in the slow category but one I still really enjoyed.

So I have regained my love for the series with this one and again look for to the next book.

In this book Eve and the team find themselves investigating the murder of a former gang member and addict who had seriously cleaned up his act.

It was nice getting a fix of Eve and Roarke, but have to say wanted more Roarke in this! Pacing of this was a little slower than I would have liked but it still made for a good read overall, even if it's not in my top 10 of the series. More engagement from the secondary characters was needed. I'm hoping for more interactions between Peabody and McNabb in the next book.

99p on amazon 1st May 2019

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

I don’t know that I’ll ever find another series that feels as much like coming home as this series. Which is pretty amazing, considering all the murder.

I’ve made my love for Nora Roberts and her pen name abundantly clear over the course of my book reviews, but let me just reiterate that I absolutely adore everything she writes. There’s a flow to the prose that, while lovely, sucks me into the story in such a way that the words just disappear. That’s even more abundantly true in regards to the In Death series. Eve Dallas and Roarke and the family they’ve unwittingly built from friends and coworkers are all so insanely well developed by this point that they actually feel more real to me than many living, breathing people. Connections in Death marks the 48th full length novel in this series, and it’s still such a joy to get to revisit the characters and catch up on what’s been going on in their lives since the last book.

Something that sets this book apart from most if its predecessors is that it didn’t actually begin with a murder. Instead, we see Eve all dressed up and heading to a party with Roarke. The murderous inner monologue she has going about the tortures that should be inflicted on whoever invented high heels and forced them onto the feet of Earth’s women was absolutely hilarious. During said party, we get to see elements of some side characters that we’ve never seen before, which was fun. Eve then goes on to have a normal, murder-free weekend, which I can’t recall ever happening in these books. Obviously such weekends must exist for her character, but they’ve never been part of one of the books as far as I can recall. This was such a fun little slice of life beginning, that felt like a treat Nora was giving to Eve’s ardent, life long fans. We get to see Eve at rest, which was really refreshing.

However, a murder-mystery isn’t complete without a murder, so death reared its ugly head eventually. I love how deeply this crime impacted Eve. The victim is someone who had radically turned their life around, and had stuck to that change. At one point, Eve is questioning the system she has always believed in, only to have that system defended by her husband, who was once a career criminal. The relationship between Eve and Roarke is one of the most beautiful and enduring love stories I’ve ever encountered. By this point, readers have seen that relationship grow from acquaintance through the stages of dating, engagement, and marriage, as well as watching that marriage grow and steady into something that is the epitome of a healthy romance. They’re not perfect, which is why they feel so real. But by this point, they fight less because they understand each other on a far deeper level that can only be reached by completely knowing and trusting a person for years. I can’t think of a single literary couple more worthy of admiration.

There’s so much to enjoy in this book. The procedural elements are handled beautifully, in such a way that readers rarely figure out answers before Eve, and feel just as frustrated as she is while trying to prove her theories by the book so that they will hold up in court. She’s fierce and unintentionally funny and canny and loyal to a fault. Her relationships with friends and fellow cops are all incredibly vibrant, and though she has a tough exterior, she cares deeply for the victims for who she seeks justice. She’s the epitome of a badass, and I thoroughly enjoy every minute I get to spend in her world.

We are up to book #50 in this series, and there’s just no new way for me to talk about it… I read the last three available books one after another and now I’m sad… cause I will have to wait for the new installments like the rest of the world ;) if you haven’t picked up this series yet, I highly encourage you to give them a try, and here are some of the reasons why in a totally random order :)

#1 Eve… our heroine is one of my all time favourite characters :) the journey she goes throughout this whole series is phenomenal… from a detective, basically without friends, to work promotions, developing all sorts of relationships and connections, facing her extremely dark and painful past… *sighs* I’m just so proud of her

#2 Roarke… tall and handsome, not to mention mysterious gazillionaire with irish accent… need I say more? ;) his relationship with Eve is phenomenal, his support for her and her work is beautiful and I just love how they are there for each other and grow as a couple…

#3 each book concentrates on a different homicide case, that is solved within that story, so even though they can technically be read as standalones and out of order I highly recommend you to read them in order, because…

#4 characters and relationships ;) the further we get into the series, the more characters are introduced… and most of them appear on multiple occasions in those books :) I love it, because in each installment, especially in the later ones, we get a small scene here and there that will mean that much more to you if you read the books in order, to see the development of all those friendships and romances :)

This is hands down one of my all time favourite series and I cannot recommend it enough ;) go check it out :)

disclaimer
until further notice, I will be adding this little disclaimer at the end of all my reviews… without boring you with unnecessary details I will say this… I’ve been in a writing slump for a while now… it’s happened before, but usually didn’t last very long… it’s connected to a lot of different things in my life, but all those details are personal so I won’t get into them right now… this time unfortunately it’s been already six weeks and it doesn't look like it’s gonna change anytime soon… in all this time I was unable to sit down and write reviews for the books I’ve been reading… and I don’t want to wait any longer, cause I already accumulated quite a few to do… so going forward I will be just writing a very short ones… with maybe an exception here and there if I feel like it ;) I don't want to put pressure on myself to write long and detailed reviews that I used to do for the longest time… instead I will try and add some links to other reviews here on Goodreads if I see ones that I feel share my thoughts and opinions on the stories I read… in the meantime I wish you all happy reading :)

XOXO

A

I started reading this series because I was curious about how the author perceived the future. The book is set at a future date in New York City. I started with book 10 and was impressed so I went back and read all the books to date. Over the years I have kept up with the series. It is amazing the series is now at 48 books. This is the first book I felt did not hit Robb’s high standard. Something is a bit off in the story. Maybe it is the subject of gangs and drugs but Eve Dallas does not seem to have her usual fire-in-the-belly drive. I guess the author cannot hit a home run with every book. I did enjoy getting together with all my favorite characters.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and eighteen minutes. Susan Ericksen does an excellent job narrating the book. She has narrated every book in the series. Ericksen is a multiple award winning narrator.

Another great murder case for Eve and Peabody and the gang. Speaking of gangs, they have to go up against a gang who think they are so much smarter and stronger than the police. They haven't met Lt. Eve Dallas before. An ex gang member after serving his prison term is turning his life around but is then found dead of an OD. His sister says no way would he do this. He had everything going for him. Eve is on the case, she and her team will find out the truth. I liked this book as there is hope for people who really want it bad enough.

This is the single same-character series I follow—and I’ve not missed a single one! JD Robb (Nora Roberts) consistently delivers as she continues to develop Dallas and Roark, both separately and as a couple. Is it wrong to want a Roark of my own??

As always, I loves it!
I’m waiting for the next book now:)

❤️❤️❤️

JD hit this one out of the ball park! Great read, lots of action, some particularly nasty young punks, and extremely good police work. Guaranteed to quench one's thirst for the In Death series! I have seen some reviews that question who actually wrote this book - to me there is no question that J.D. Robb wrote it. As the characters grow/develop and change, so can an author's writing style. Nobody is forcing anyone to read the series, if you are unhappy with it, let it go.

2 thumbs up and 4.5 stars (moved up to 5 because you can't give halfs on this site).

From the blurb: Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads—and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering—whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison—and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…

This is the 48th installment in the series but it doesn't get old. I LOVE LOVE Eve and Roarke. Yeah, I sound like a broken record but who cares? Roarke and Eve still leaves a silly grin on my face.

They were talking about papers being signed and with Eve not reading some of them.

"If you f*cked me over, I'm a cop. I know how to make you pay without letting it show. There's one where I coat the inside of all your boxers with a biological that causes your works to develop festering boils. "

And Roarke was like " Christ Jesus, you obviously have far too much free time." 😁

In this installment, it's all about neighborhood gangsters. It was all good and all but I will read anything about Eve and Roarke and still love it.

A teen with a known drug habit is found dead with a syringe in his arm. The difference is that the cop our buddy, Crack calls is Eve Dallas and she knows the kid is clean. She also knows the death was murder. Now she and the gang must infiltrate the gangs of New York. In her search for a killer she uncovers more crime and cleans up the streets a bit more. Good thing there is a lot of people on those mean streets because the population is dwindling quickly.
Excellent story with great characters! Especially Crack, who I love.

Connections in Death by J.D.Robb is the 48th book in the In Death series. Eve is called to the death of an ex addict and ex gang member, the brother of Roarke's newest employee and Crack's girlfriend. Another fabulous book in the series where we get to catch up with everyone at Nadine's post Oscar party. The best part is catching up with all the characters and especially Eve and Roarke who have come so far from the beginning. Highly addictive with plenty of action as always.

Series: In Death #48
Publication Date: 2/5/19
Number of Pages: 384

You might think that after 48 books this series would start to get stale, but that is definitely NOT the case. I look forward to each new book with as much enthusiasm as I did at the beginning of the series. I have absolutely loved watching Eve’s transformation – which is why I am a firm believer that you really should read the series from the beginning – or at least read the first five or six books to get an idea of who Eve and Roarke are and where they came from. You won’t regret it. I’ve seen several reviewers who have said that they think Eve and Roarke should have a baby, but since I’m positive that would end the series, I disagree with that. Besides, they have only been married for two or three years, so give them some time – and more books.

I adore all of the recurring characters in the series, so it was nice to have a reappearance of Crack. This time, he has a love interest and it will be nice to see where that goes in future books.

Lots of progress has been made on Roarke and Eve’s new school and youth center - An Didean (means Haven). It is state-of-the-art and offers everything a disadvantaged youth could need to become successful in life. One of the things it offers is psychological counseling and Roarke is in the process of hiring a head psychologist. Dr. Rochelle Pickering is a psychologist specializing in children – and she is Roarke’s top pick as the head psychologist. The fact that she is the love interest of Eve’s friend Crack is unexpected, but not unwelcome.

When Eve’s link signaled, she almost ignored it, until she noticed that the incoming was from Crack and he almost never tagged her. Something serious must be up – and it was. Crack and Rochelle discovered the body of her brother as they returned to Rochelle’s apartment after an evening out. Crack immediately called Eve rather than calling police dispatch – he wanted someone he trusted and someone he knew would stand for Lyle (Rochelle’s brother) and wouldn’t just write it off as an overdose.

Eve’s investigation brings her to admire the young man who had turned his life around. He’d gone from a member of the Bangers gang to prison to leading a straight life and having nothing to do with the gang or drugs. Could it be the gang who held him down and shot a lethal dose of drugs into him? Who else would have wanted him dead? Eve’s investigation takes her into the dangerous Underground, into gang territories and even to sleazy disbarred lawyers before she finally rounds up all of the culprits.

Eve and Roarke are always a wonderful read, and this is no exception. The book is well written, the plot is well executed and the characters are some of the best and strongest I’ve read. I love that Eve takes things literally and always questions and really messes up those old axioms/sayings - like March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. She’s funny, bright, serious and totally dedicated to those victims whose deaths she investigates.

Another great read and I highly recommend it!

I never thought I'd see the day that I gave a JD Robb/Nora Roberts book a one star review. While this was absolutely the dullest murder mystery that Eve Dallas has ever been involved with, I also have my doubts that it was penned by Robb. There is none of the clever wit, snarky humor, or warmth that I have come to expect when reading an IN DEATH book. There was no clever evil doer that Eve matched wits with. It was blah! It was so flat, no life at all to the story. I've been less than satisfied with the last couple of books in the series but this one was a new low. All the characters were there, Eve , Roark, Somerset, Peabody, Feeney, McNab, but none of the life that you expect from this series. Thank goodness it was a library book. I thought I might be getting burned out on the series so after the last book I started listening to the series as audio books and nope they were as great the second time as the first. The newer books just fail to rise to the level of the earlier books. So as much as it grieves me it may be time to pull the plug on what has up to now been my favorite on going series.

A perfectly enjoyably entry in the series, but a little slow in getting off the ground & not particularly memorable. I did enjoy spending more time with Wilson & am looking forward to see more of him & Roe