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A review by booksandstrokes
Shadows in Death by J.D. Robb
4.0
TW: violence, death, child abuse, animal abuse, sexual abuse
The In Death series is very special to me for it's what rekindled the fire in my reader's heart, after a long slump at the beginning of college.
Shadows in Death is #51 in the series which JD Robb started in 1995 (although in canon only 3 years have passed). Reading the series is always a pleasure, with its tough as nails but socially clueless protagonist Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her charming, tech geek at heart billionaire husband Roarke. There's never a dull moment and the character development (especially the changes in Eve's behavior, over the series) is brilliant. The dynamics of Eve's squad as well as the one between her and Summerset are always entertaining.
Shadows plays out as a thriller rather than a whodunnit. We find out who the murderer is pretty early on, and the rest of the story is basically a cat and mouse game between Eve and Roarke's old nemesis, Lorcan Corbbe, from his childhood in Dublin. (I personally feel he could have shown up a lot earlier in the series, but since it's only been 3 years in canon, I'll give it a pass). There's plenty of high-stakes action to keep the reader hooked as we watch the drama unfold. The bonding between family, both professional and blood-related, is also extremely feel-good. I really loved the insight into Roarke's psyche and formative years.
That being said, there are a few plot points I felt could have been avoided. One is that the action shifted to Ireland pretty late in the story. The stakes would have been higher and the thrill more if the location were changed earlier. The second, and bigger, issue is about the NYPSD's handling of the perp after his capture. I could not believe that an actual scene featured the entire NYPSD looking on as Eve allowed Roarke to have a one-on-one fight with Lorcan to settle old disputes In today's scenario where Police brutality has become an important issue, it's unsettling that such a prominent writer would depict such a scene in her book. I sincerely hope something like this is not repeated in the future.
I am definitely looking forward to the next installment, swooning over the perfection that is Roarke in the meanwhile!!
The In Death series is very special to me for it's what rekindled the fire in my reader's heart, after a long slump at the beginning of college.
Shadows in Death is #51 in the series which JD Robb started in 1995 (although in canon only 3 years have passed). Reading the series is always a pleasure, with its tough as nails but socially clueless protagonist Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her charming, tech geek at heart billionaire husband Roarke. There's never a dull moment and the character development (especially the changes in Eve's behavior, over the series) is brilliant. The dynamics of Eve's squad as well as the one between her and Summerset are always entertaining.
Shadows plays out as a thriller rather than a whodunnit. We find out who the murderer is pretty early on, and the rest of the story is basically a cat and mouse game between Eve and Roarke's old nemesis, Lorcan Corbbe, from his childhood in Dublin. (I personally feel he could have shown up a lot earlier in the series, but since it's only been 3 years in canon, I'll give it a pass). There's plenty of high-stakes action to keep the reader hooked as we watch the drama unfold. The bonding between family, both professional and blood-related, is also extremely feel-good. I really loved the insight into Roarke's psyche and formative years.
That being said, there are a few plot points I felt could have been avoided. One is that the action shifted to Ireland pretty late in the story. The stakes would have been higher and the thrill more if the location were changed earlier. The second, and bigger, issue is about the NYPSD's handling of the perp after his capture.
I am definitely looking forward to the next installment, swooning over the perfection that is Roarke in the meanwhile!!