dragonfire88's Full Review: J. D. Robb - Divided in Death
I have been hooked on the books in the In Death series by J.D. Robb since I first read Naked in Death, the first book in the series. Two new books have been published each year since I started to read the series. The newest book, Divided in Death, was released a little earlier than the first books of the year have been released in the past. I was working a lot of long hours when it was released, so I wasn’t able to get the book or read it as soon as I wanted.
Divided in Death is the eighteenth full length book in the In Death series. There have also been a few short stories in the series. Each book or story has a unique plot, but they are all tied together. I think it would be best to read the books in order. If that is done, the reader can see how the characters and their relationships grown and change from book to book. It could be a bit confusing to just jump into the series in the middle. A group of characters returns for each book. Eve Dallas, a homicide detective, is the main character of the series. Her husband Roarke is also a main character. He is a very wealthy businessman. Some other police officers that Eve regularly works with and a few friends also return. A murder investigation is the main focus of each book, but things from Eve’s personal life are also included. The books are set mostly in New York City about fifty years in the future. Cars have the ability to fly, though they can still drive on roads. Guns are outlawed and the police use tasers instead. People have robots to work around their homes. There are machines that prepare food at the touch of a button. There are colonies in space, and it is common for people to go to one on vacation. The futuristic gadgets do make things a little different, but I enjoy reading about those things.
Eve and Roarke were spending the night together at home after Roarke returned from a business trip. They were interrupted when Roarke’s secretary Caroline called. Her daughter Reva Ewing, who worked in security for Roarke’s company, was in trouble. Earlier that evening Reva learned that her husband Blair Bissel was having an affair with her friend Felicity. Reva headed to Felicity’s to confront them. She did bypass the security to get in the apartment. She found Blair and Felicity dead. Reva panicked and called her mother Caroline, who then called Roarke instead of calling the police to report the murders. Eve wasn’t happy with how things were handled, but she started her investigation. All of the evidence that Eve uncovered pointed to Reva, but Eve thought that things were staged.
Eve worked on the case with her partner Delia Peabody. Ian McNab and Feeney, detectives that worked with computers also worked on the case. Eve learned that someone had changed the security code on Blair’s studio at the same time he was being murdered. His computer, along with some others that were connected to the case, were corrupted. It seemed that the murders were somehow connected to a top-secret government project that Reva was working on for Roarke. Eve kept investigating, and with Roarke’s help, discovered that a government agency was mixed up in the murders. Roarke also learned that the agency had been connected to some things that happened to Eve when she was a child. Roarke was furious about what he learned.
The main focus of Divided in Death was the murder of Blair and Felicity and the investigation. The murders weren’t described as they happened, but the bodies were described. I didn’t think the descriptions were graphic, but others might think differently. There was some violence in the book, but it wasn’t too extreme. Some readers may think differently about that as well though. People who don’t like to read books that have violence in them should skip this one. Things weren’t as cut and dried in the case as they first seemed to be. It wasn’t simple to figure out what was going on, but it wasn’t that complex either. There was a lot going on in the book, but it wasn’t difficult to keep everything straight. The book grabbed my attention right from the beginning. I wasn’t bored by anything that happened in the book. If I hadn’t had limited reading time because of the hours I was working at the time, I would have finished it the night I started it. As it was, I stayed up too late reading a few nights because I didn’t want to put it down.
A government agency that was created to protect the security of the country was very important to the plot. There were corrupt agents working there. Citizens of the United States were spied on by the agency in the name of national security. The agency also had spies working undercover within some companies that were working on government contracts so the agency could then develop their own version of whatever the project was and gain the government contract. While the agents were watching people, they would turn a blind eye when they saw some criminal activities occur if they thought stepping in would interfere with their surveillance. There were people who didn’t trust the agency or the way they did things. It is worrisome to think that there could be an agency that would operate in that way in the name of national security.
Eve and Roarke have been married for just over one year in Divided in Death. They have settled down into married life fairly well, though they still had some conflicts. Their relationship has grown and changed over the course of the series. There were some sex scenes between Eve and Roarke. The scenes were descriptive, but I didn’t think they were explicit. Delia Peabody and Ian McNab have been involved for a while. There weren’t any sex scenes between them, but there were things said that made it clear that the two were involved. There were some sexual discussions in the book. Things about Reva’s relationship with her husband were brought up, along with things about his relationship with Felicity. People who don’t like to read about sexual situations may want to skip this book.
Eve and Roarke have been in all of the In Death books. Their entire relationship has played out in the books. Eve and Roarke have grown and changed a lot over all the books. I really like these characters and I love that they have returned in so many books. They are very developed now. Roarke’s butler, Summerset, has shown up in each book, though he hasn’t been around as much in the last few books. Eve and Summerset act like they don’t like each other at all, but I think they really do like each other. Mavis, Eve’s best friend, hasn’t turned up too often for several books, though she has started to turn up a little more often again. Mavis is very unique, and I miss her when she isn’t in the books. She was around more in the earlier books, but it seemed like she got pushed to the background when some new characters were introduced. Delia Peabody first turned up a few books into the series and she has been in all the books since then. She started out as Eve’s aide and is now her partner. Delia has changed a lot since her first appearance in the books. Ian McNab first showed up a few books after Delia did. He has become a regular character as well. He and Delia are involved, though there really isn’t too much about their relationship mentioned in the books. I really like those characters and like them as a couple, so I was disappointed that there wasn’t more about their relationship in the book. Roarke’s secretary Caroline has turned up briefly in several prior books. She was featured more in Divided in Death since her daughter was the murder suspect.
J.D. Robb is Nora Roberts. The books written under each name are similar, but there are differences. The main difference is that the Robb books are all part of one series and set in the future. The In Death series has more of a focus on mystery. In the fall of 2003, Remember When, a book that listed both authors, had a first half that took place in current times, and a second half that took place in the future and featured Eve. Both halves of the book were connected by a mystery. Remember When took place between Imitation in Death and this book. I started off reading the In Death books and then moved onto the Nora Roberts books. I have enjoyed both groups of books. People who like the books of one author will probably like the books by the other since they are the same person.
CHARACTERS
Eve Dallas - She is a homicide detective. She is very dedicated to her job. She wants to do things by the book, but she will bend laws sometimes if that is what she has to do to catch a killer. She is good at it. She still has some trouble dealing with having more friends.
Roarke - He is a very rich businessman. He owns many properties both on and off Earth. Roarke has a shady past, but he is now a legitimate businessman. He is very much in love with his wife and he will do what he thinks is necessary to help or protect her. He is kind and loyal to his friends and employees.
Summerset - He is Roarke’s butler. The two men have known each other for years, since long before Roarke became successful. Summerset was like a father to Roarke, and the two men are close. They are very protective of each other. Summerset acts like he can’t stand Eve most of the time, but every so often he slips and shows that he really does like her.
Delia Peabody - She is now Eve’s partner. Delia has only worked on a few cases so far as a detective. She is still unsure of herself at a crime scene at times, but she is gaining confidence. She considers Eve a friend and has a little bit of a crush on Roarke, though she would never act on it. She is happy in her relationship with Ian McNab.
Ian McNab - He is a detective in the electronic division. He does a lot of work with computers. He works with Eve and Delia frequently. Ian enjoys it when they work out of Eve’s home office. Ian and Roarke get along well.
Feeney - He is in charge of the electronic division. Feeney trained Eve before she became a detective. The two remained friends. Eve likes to work with Feeney.
Mavis - She is Eve’s best friend. Mavis is very unique. She is a very popular performer now. She lives with her fashion designer boyfriend and the two are expecting their first child. Mavis is excited about the baby.
Reva - She works in security for Roarke’s company. She knows how to bypass security and alarms. She was the prime suspect when she discovered her husband dead with his mistress.
Caroline - She was Roarke’s secretary and Reva’s mother. Caroline has worked for Roarke for years. She is very good at her job.
I really enjoyed Divided in Death. The book was very entertaining and enjoyable. This book is a must read for fans of the In Death series. I’m already anxious for the next book.
The first hardcover in the futuristic series by the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author is now in paperback. Hard-edged Lieutenant Eve Dallas has o...More at HotBookSale
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