Book Review: New York To Dallas by J.D. Robb

So cool that even books have trailers these days. As if I wasn't excited enough. I was calling bookstores and actually went there everyday (the perks of living a ten-minute walk away from the mall) just in case they already have the book for sale.

And, finally, they did! I spazzed in the bookstore. True story.

New York To Dallas is the latest In Death novel. The 33rd! Wow. I can't believe I've been reading this series for so long now. I think I was still in college when I started! But I don't regret reading all of them and it remains my favorite series ever.

Protagonist Eve finds herself facing a previous antagonist - her first one from her rookie days. The culprit has escaped jail and now set his sights on her for revenge. The case brings her back to the past, both from that case and also from her own childhood which dregs up uncomfortable memories for her and her husband, Roarke.

I admit I may have been a little spoiled about this book. I blame myself because I was reading the reviews and tortured myself with the teasers. That's why when the twist happened, I was already braced for it. Was it worth it? Hmm...

I tried hard to resolve my feelings about this book. It was a bit heavy for me, which is understandable because of the subject matter. The humor is also not as prominent as with the previous novels. I think it's because the New York 'crew' wasn't in the book that much. I missed Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Truehart and Baxter. That's why when a character was brought over to Dallas, I was so happy that it sort of felt like home again, like what Eve felt.

It was just different. Not bad different, but just different. I think that it was a necessary journey that Eve had to take so the story could move forward. It deserved it's own book so I understood why this book had to be written. Will it be my first pick when I get the urge to read an In Death novel? No. Not right now. But it may be further in the series when I want something a little more emotional and revisit Eve's journey.

But now that it's over, I am now looking forward to the new book. It looks really fun from the synopsis and you can bet I'll be bugging and stalking the bookstores once again.

Authentication shot!

Book Review: Treachery In Death by J.D. Robb

Every J.D. Robb book is an automatic buy for me. This latest installment in the In Death series reinforced my decision in doing so.

This time, Eve deals with a case of corruption inside NYPSD. Eve takes this a little personally, as she hates how the villain of this piece disgraced the job and the badge she proudly wears. With a few select people (including Webster from Internal Affairs) they do solid policework and build a case to bring the guilty party's crimes to light.

I fell in love with Eve and Roarke (mostly Roarke, but what woman could blame me?) the first time I read about them in Naked In Death. Now in the 32nd book (plus a few novellas), they have firmly entrenched themselves in my heart along with the rest of their crew. Whenever a character appeared in the novel, it was like I was welcoming an old friend - from the snarky Summerset, the stalwart Peabody, and the ultra-mag Mavis to name a few. We also get to meet a few new characters, one of which particularly made me laugh with his creative use of the F-word.

Though without the high-profile, flashy murder and the crafty serial killers, this book is one of the best in the series, in my opinion. Robb gives us a picture of Cop Central and the characters inside it and how the system works. I love how she describes it that I could almost see the grimy floor and the hear the buzz in the bullpen. But most of all, you can feel the cops who work with Eve and the dedication each one of them puts on their jobs.

If you've already read the rest of the series, you definitely wouldn't want to miss reading this. And if you haven't heard of J.D. Robb, the In Death series, Eve or Roarke - you should start now and thank me later.

P.S. Roarke beats that Cullen boy any day.

***

Treachery in Death

Putnam hardcover
978-0-399-15703-5
February 22, 2011
$26.95