Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death, #44
Mystery Suspense/Romance/Futuristic Science Fiction
February 7, 2017
St. Martin’s Press
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote:
“Ironman sounds suspicious to me. What are the others?”
“There’s Thor, the Hulk,” he began.
“Sounds like porn.”
The 44th case in Lieutenant Eve Dallas’ murder book opens to Eve and Roarke nearly hitting a young lady who walks out in front of their car. Naked, bloody, and obviously injured, they take her to the nearest hospital where they learn her name is Daphne Strazza, wife to renowned surgeon Dr. Anthony Strazza. A quick case of the house shows the husband is dead, brutally beaten to death, and the house robbed. The only clue they can get out the traumatized Daphne is that it was “the Devil.”
As Eve and Peabody investigate, they learn that this one in a string of related crimes where couples are targeted and terrorized by a masked intruder but the first where a death has occurred. They also learn that Dr. Strazza may have been a wonderful surgeon, he was a terrible person and his wife was a victim of abuse before the crime even occurred.
As Eve races against the clock to find and stop the person responsible for these heinous crimes, she must also deal with flashbacks from her own childhood as she realizes the similarities between herself and Daphne Strazza are greater than she first suspected. But that doesn’t stop her from fighting for all the victims in this case. Even the ones who don’t seem to deserve it.
“No matter your race, creed, sexual orientation, or political affiliation, we protect and serve. Because you could get dead.’”
“Even if you were an asshole. We added an addendum on”
I’m a huge fan of J.D Robb’s In Death mystery/thriller series. While in no form or fashion can these mysteries be considered cozies, there is a certain appeal to the familiarity of the world and the characters who preside in it. Eve is a formidable heroine who has captivated readers from the beginning. We have watched her evolve from abused child to top notch cop through her memories. We have witnessed her falling desperately in love with her husband Roarke and eventually learning to not only accept the fact she deserves love but have seen her fight for that love. We have watched her make lifelong friends, develop pseudo family bonds with an older trust confidant, and finally grow comfortable in her own skin.
“The gods, she decided, had opted to mix together all the best elements of warrior, poet, angel-the fallen variety to add some spice-and then deemed he’d love an unsociable, badass murder cop.”
This is one of Robb’s darker mysteries with a healthy dose of suspense and intrigue. I want to note that there are triggers in here that may distress some readers. Per usual, Eve and her team use their skills and knowledge to try and find a serial rapist before he strikes again. The pacing and dialogue flow at a comfortable speed and I enjoy the ease at which Robb flows between Eve’s personal life and her professional one. As the nature of the crimes committed speaks personally to Eve, we see the connections made and the flashbacks that plague Eve. She forms a personal connection with female survivors; especially Daphne Strazza.
“You came here. You asked to help someone. You are no weak sister. “
Old friends along with some new ones take readers through a gauntlet of emotions-making us laugh, rage, and shed a few tears as Eve hunts her prey. Eve’s continued mangling of familiar sayings only adds to the feelings of comfort and familiarity. The softer storyline allows readers to spend more time with the NYSPD and the family style atmosphere only further enhances how much the story and characters have grown. The romance and chemistry between Eve and Roarke is still blazingly hot and Robb doesn’t cheat readers out of their private times together.
The ending was intense but predictable. I figure out early on who the villain was and everyone knows Eve ALWAYS gets her ‘man but regardless the journey was a solid read. Echoes in Death is a welcomed addition to the series, giving readers a suspenseful mystery to help solve and a dynamic couple whose love affair continues to capture our attention even 44 books in. I love visiting NY with Robb and look forward to the next installment.
RATING: B
Recent Reviews:
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The Real Spy Book
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**BONUS!!! The J.D. Robb crew made up this handy dandy world/character chart for new and old fans**
I love this series! Started reading it about 2 years ago so I had a lot to catch up on. Now I await each new book but then read it in a day and then have to wait again – except now I’ve started re-reading from the beginning (that’s fun to see how it started and seeing the characters again at the meeting with Eve).
I tend to re read a few favs front this series alot myself. :)