Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #36)
February 26, 2013
Futuristic Suspense
Putnam
Once again, I’ve invited my favorite Roarke lover, Claire to guest review. You can find her previous reviews for this series here.
Blurb: On Manhattan’s Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better.
A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn’t seem the type to be on anyone’s hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta’s murder was the work of a killer who’s trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence.
But when someone steals the files out of Marta’s office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke’s world of big business to figure out who’s cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer’s violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait. . .
Roarke Hook-up from The Dame Mandi of Smexybooks. Thanks so much once again, babe!
When Eve catches a new case, seemingly a mugging gone wrong, and is plummeted into a world of numbers and dirty money, who better to enlist the help of than her Irish god of a hubby, Roarke. ( Is there nothing this amazing man is not an expert in? ) A devoted wife and mother of two, accountant, found with her neck snapped, no reasons, no whys, but the murder expert Dallas knows instantly, it’s a killing of the stupid kind, not from a serial killer or even someone competent. Having said that, Eve has to trample through the business world to discover who wanted secrets to stay hidden and which of the high-flying big-wigs are lying through their capped teeth.
It actually pains me, right from my Roarke loving heart, to admit this book, for the most part, moved so slow I lost interest almost from the beginning. There was so many details that felt unnecessary, too many names that even when the murderer was revealed I had a ‘huh who are they’ moment. Now, I know this is always a pet peeve of mine in any book, so it probably won’t bother other readers, but I can usually get around it for the In Death series because the murder plot is always so engaging I get dragged along with the excitement. However, It didn’t happen with ‘Calculated.’ Slowly paced and with secondary characters I didn’t give a royal fig about made for a pained read. Really pained, because this is one of my all time favorite series and one of the few I look forward to twice a year.
It wasn’t all bad, though. What gave me hope and kept me turning the pages, was as always, the personal touch Robb smatters across every In Death. I still very much adore seeing Eve and Roarke’s life together, in those moments this book came alive for me, right off the page.
– "She’d hit the mega-jackpot with Roarke, a man who understood her and loved her anyway"
– "His Eve. His gift at the end of a long, hard day"
– "Just FYI, if you let another man rub up against you, and I sniff it out, you won’t be able to buy me off with bacon"
Sigh. I adore them. Their everyday is nothing like real life, I don’t have a multi-gazillionaire picking out my clothes and showering me in diamonds or trudging through blood to save me ( Ahhhhhhh love him ) but their love works and works well. It’s not always easy for poor Eve, super smart and catching murderers, but clueless sometimes in the art of romance and the confusion when Roarke wants to do some small gesture for her always gives me the giggles. Add into that mix, Snarky Summerset, always happy Peabody and her skinny-assed McNab (seriously, why does he wear all the dayglow clothes?! I don’t want to see the future if we’re all wearing neon pants…. ) and Morris who intrigues me, I’m wanting more from him in future books. And of course, not forgetting the vending machines that somehow hate Eve and the sulky fat-cat Galahad. All those moments will forever have me reaching for an In Death book.
While any In Death fan will know, the sexy times in these books will never rival that of erotica, but are always written romantically, more to show Eve and Roarke’s love for each other, rather than smut ( Cmon Robb, give us some smut! ) but woah on a cracker, My book lovah Roarke was eye-sweatingly delicious with the few sex scenes in Calculated.
– "He wanted her wild, he wanted her desperate, wanted –needed– to drag her down into the madness with him"
– "He set the animal in him free, and its mate met it as ferociously"
RAWR. You set that animal free, bad boy. Doesn’t have to be said, but I will anyway. I am a card-carrying-card-waving screamingly obsessed Roarke fan. Pair this wild loyal loving Irish Trazillionaire up against ANY book boyfriend and Roarke would wipe the floor with him and still have time to make Eve a nice pizza dinner and buy six or so planets ( Love right there! ) Ahh. Love him.
Calculated in Death is not my favorite in the series, I’d even (sadly) go as far to say If I’d skipped this book I wouldn’t really be missing much <insert caterwauling fangirl sobbing here> BUT I forever remain loyal, and would always recommend people give this series a chance. This just wasn’t for me this time. I still remain rabid for the next In Death Installment. May the series forever reign! I need to know the candy thief. Dammit.
I give Calculated in Death C-
~Sparklybearsy. Aka Roarke’s NEXT wife Aficionado
Recent Reviews:
All About Romance – B
Wit and Sin – 4/5
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Ahem, Roarke is mine.
Ahem. Don’t make me take off my jewellery. We’ve been through this before. #Mine
My thoughts are pretty in line with yours. I picked this up yesterday at the bookstore and skimmed it briefly and was not at all impressed with the beginning of the book. Enough to make me not regret not picking it up. It just could not hold my interest. That makes me sad. I have over 30 In Death books and I love the relationship between the two of them. But the side bits aren’t enough to hold my attention through the plodding storyline.
Oh.. umm, can there be a line for Roarke? I want him too :)
*shifty eyes* No. LOL.
This book was just a slow crime. I’m sure the next book will be filled with so much gruesome blood and gore and fast pace it will make up for it, totally! =)
I’m definitely still 1 million percent on the In Death wagon. I gotta stick with it if only for the candy thief reveal!
Hey Mandi :) I actually thought the case and investigation were solid in this one. At least, Eve didn’t zoom in on the identity of the killer right away! However, it’s true that the personal aspect of the book hasn’t really evolved in a while. In my opinion, I think Ms Robb has to think about wrapping up the series unless she really stirs things up.
*LE GASP* Blaspheme! Roarke must go on and on and on and on and on and on some more. Forever. Always. Infinity.
I would like a little shift in the personal aspect of the books however, too. NOT a baby, as some want. Maybe take them back to Ireland.
Thanks for having me over again, Mandi. I wore my best shoes this time! *grins*
Still super sad I didn’t adore Calculated. :(
GO Read ‘In Death’ Go. Go, people.
Thanks for the review! I finished this one yesterday. I liked it, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite. That being said, it did give me my Roarke fix and I am always grateful for that. :)
What are the 10 best books in the series? Also, how dependent are the books on the ones that came before for understanding what’s happening. I loved the first book, but have been somewhat daunted by the ever-growing catalog.
I’m thought the book was a little slow myself. Now I’d like to see either Roark or Eve kidnapped and either/or work to find the other.