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In Death #33.5
The Unquiet
Features the In Death novella Chaos in Death
Five New York Times bestselling authors - five superlative stories.
From J.D. Robb: Eve and Roarke return to investigate a series of murders connected to a brilliant young surgeon in Chaos in Death.
From Mary Blayney: A shopkeeper's solitude is complicated by a magic coin, a daring rogue, and dreams of her late husband, who whispers but one word...wish.
From Patricia Gaffney: A lonely woman and a hotline psychic turn their astonishing connection to the other side into an unexpected romance.
From Ruth Ryan Langan: The shattered soul of an angry spirit imprisoned in a Scottish manor house could be a young widow's only salvation.
From Mary Kay McComas: A young ghost eases his brother's pain and guilt by inviting him into the dreams of an imaginative author of children's books.
Five New York Times bestselling authors - five superlative stories.
From J.D. Robb: Eve and Roarke return to investigate a series of murders connected to a brilliant young surgeon in Chaos in Death.
From Mary Blayney: A shopkeeper's solitude is complicated by a magic coin, a daring rogue, and dreams of her late husband, who whispers but one word...wish.
From Patricia Gaffney: A lonely woman and a hotline psychic turn their astonishing connection to the other side into an unexpected romance.
From Ruth Ryan Langan: The shattered soul of an angry spirit imprisoned in a Scottish manor house could be a young widow's only salvation.
From Mary Kay McComas: A young ghost eases his brother's pain and guilt by inviting him into the dreams of an imaginative author of children's books.
408 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
1041 people are currently reading
3103 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Robb
177 books35.3k followersJ.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Stolen in Death (St. Martin's Press, February 2026) will be the 62nd entry in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
January 9, 2019
I love this series and I flove Eve 😍
November 23, 2018
I really liked this book. I enjoyed all the stories and the interesting turns they took. Every one of them kept me interested and the imagination and creativity was great. I wouldn't have been able to think these things through. Chaos was a great twist to a known story and I didn't even figure it out til the end. It was kind of a 'duh' moment. This was the suspense and mystery story. Blayney's story was good too. I liked the coin and the 'wish' along with the ending. It was a perfect HEA. Dear One was good too. I liked the humor and phone calls. It was sweet and happy, but still had it's serious moments. I really liked Langan's story too. It was understanding and I 'had something in my eye' for the ending. Sweet, happy, sad and content all at the same time. McComas story was great too. I little confusing at times, which just goes to show the great writing, what's a dream and what's not. I was completely in tune with Ivy on that score. The ending was good too, and the interpreting dreams was lost on me for quite a while too. Overall, this was a great book and good for reading anytime. It would be a shelf book (keeper) if I owned it. Enjoy!
April 24, 2015
I’m not sure if it was deliberate, but there’s a lot of old movie homage in this collection -- we have “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “The Shop Around the Corner” and “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.”
Chaos in Death by J.D. Robb. This closely follows New York to Dallas and has some spoilers. It was a pretty good mystery -- though I have to wonder what tells Robb uses that make it so I always know who the bad guy is the second he or she appears -- but I found the resolution of the paranormal element lacking and unconvincing. 2 stars
Her Greatest Treasure by Mary Blaney. Another historical “wishing coin” story, linked to the others Blaney's contributed to this anthology series. I liked this more than the previous ones; it felt like it belonged in an old-fashioned Christmas anthology. 3 stars
Dear One by Patricia Gaffney. A 900 number psychic and the suspicious nephew of one of her clients unwittingly become friends over the phone. I’m not quite sure what this is doing in the anthology, since the paranormal aspect is extremely thin... for that matter, so is the plot, but Gaffney’s style always delights me. 3 1/2 stars.
Unforgiven by Ruth Ryan Langan. A betrayed widow and the ghost of a betrayed husband find peace together. One of those annoying reincarnation plots that it seems every anthology like this has. Not a bad read, but the writing and plot are very generic; I found myself snorting through an over-the-top love scene. 2 stars.
His Brother's Keeper by Mary Kay McComas. A complicated, hard to follow ghost story -- I don’t know if was inspired by a movie but it read like one. 3 stars.
Originally reviewed 12/7/22, updated 4/24/15
January 24, 2013
I borrowed this book just for the J.D. Robb one. It was a particularly brutal killing from a serial killer. What a lovely reinterpretation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I guessed it out pretty easily but it was still done in an interesting manner and I love Ms. Robb's writing. Definitely an enjoyable read and a nice Eve tide over story until the next.
Her Greatest Treasure
This one was weird. It's like Monkey's Paw by Edgar Allen Poe, but in a nice way. Some of the information revealed didn't exactly make sense in how Mr. Chase could figure it out. There were no real hints. Still, the "object" which grants a wish was interesting. The author mentions there are several little stories about this mysterious object. I'm not interested enough to go search for the books.
Dear One
This one was just odd. A psychic who's not really a psychic? The entire premise of this story just didn't do it for me. It was an okay read. Molly was a nice character, but nothing about her impressed me. None of the other characters did much for me.
The Unforgiven
I have to confess, bossy Scottish Lairds are a weakness of mine. Not sure why, but they are. I found this story sad and enjoyable. I loved it. I would actually read more of it. I didn't want this story to end. Ms. Langan did a great job. This is probably my favourite story in the bunch as far as romance goes.
His Brother's Keeper
W.T.F? This one was another bizarre one. The plot wasn't bad. The characters were okay. The "ghost" was quite aggravating at times. I didn't like Oliver that much. The main character is a female children's book author. She was kind of annoying at times. Eh, still it was well written.
This anthology is recommended for paranormal romance readers who want a few stories that are just Woo-Woo out there.
Her Greatest Treasure
This one was weird. It's like Monkey's Paw by Edgar Allen Poe, but in a nice way. Some of the information revealed didn't exactly make sense in how Mr. Chase could figure it out. There were no real hints. Still, the "object" which grants a wish was interesting. The author mentions there are several little stories about this mysterious object. I'm not interested enough to go search for the books.
Dear One
This one was just odd. A psychic who's not really a psychic? The entire premise of this story just didn't do it for me. It was an okay read. Molly was a nice character, but nothing about her impressed me. None of the other characters did much for me.
The Unforgiven
I have to confess, bossy Scottish Lairds are a weakness of mine. Not sure why, but they are. I found this story sad and enjoyable. I loved it. I would actually read more of it. I didn't want this story to end. Ms. Langan did a great job. This is probably my favourite story in the bunch as far as romance goes.
His Brother's Keeper
W.T.F? This one was another bizarre one. The plot wasn't bad. The characters were okay. The "ghost" was quite aggravating at times. I didn't like Oliver that much. The main character is a female children's book author. She was kind of annoying at times. Eh, still it was well written.
This anthology is recommended for paranormal romance readers who want a few stories that are just Woo-Woo out there.
June 3, 2019
The Unquiet (In Death)
Book 1 - Chaos in Death - a take off of Jekyll and Hyde, Book 2 - Her Greatest Treasure - make a wish, Book 3 - Dear one, Book 4 - The Unforgiven and book 5 His Brother's Keeper all nice short stories of mystery, love, thriller, and quiet times.
Book 1 - Chaos in Death - a take off of Jekyll and Hyde, Book 2 - Her Greatest Treasure - make a wish, Book 3 - Dear one, Book 4 - The Unforgiven and book 5 His Brother's Keeper all nice short stories of mystery, love, thriller, and quiet times.
March 14, 2020
Just okay
December 31, 2014
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
his is anthology, with stories from five different New York Times bestselling authors. It includes an In Death novella, Chaos in Death, by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts. Each story has a bit of a spooky or ‘from the other side’ kind of feel and I will break them all down for you by story now …
Chaos in Death (3 Star rating)
In Death, Book #33.5
By J.D. Robb
Author’s website: http://www.jdrobb.com/
Three reforming drug users are found dead and meticulously placed for discovery. Eve Dallas is hunting the golden boy doctor as the likely murderer, but what her witness describes is something out of a horror film.
For a novella, I thought this story was pretty good. We have our always skeptic Dallas, with a case that makes her look at the possibility that monsters could be real? It’s a true Jekyll and Hyde story that was a lot of fun!
We even get an intimate scene between Eve and Roarke. Mystery, emotion, sex… what more could a girl want?
“I feel so used. I find I like it.”~Roarke
This is a nice fun and quick In Death novella that the fans of the series are sure to enjoy!
Her Greatest Treasure (3 Star rating)
By Mary Blayney
Author’s Website: http://www.maryblayney.com/
It’s the year of 1816 and Lydia is still adjusting to life without her husband. He gave her a necklace with a strange coin on it and told her that it was her ‘greatest treasure’ before leaving. His ship sunk and him with it, he was never to be seen again to explain exactly what he meant with his last gift to her.
Now a thug attacks Lydia wanting her ‘greatest treasure’ and she must figure out what’s going on, and what her next move should be. Luckily she ran into Mr. Chase (quite literally) at the right time so he could help her figure things out!
This story was kind of slow going for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. I recommend sticking with it! There is adventure, mystery, and even a little romance thrown in, not to mention the touch of historical romance the tale brings.
Lydia was a nice strong lead character that has been through a lot, especially in the last year as she tries to right the wrongs her husband made, while also trying to run a business and make a living in a ‘man’s world’. I liked her determination and character.
Mr. Chase was also a lot of fun. A rake that may have finally met his match, at least from a romance standpoint!
This is a couple and a world that I would love to see more of. The author does include a note at the end of the story explaining the origin of the coin and telling us about her other novellas that also feature the coin. I think it’s an interesting concept to make her novellas be the travels of that coin and I found the history lesson she gives us to be kind of neat as well.
Dear One (3 Star rating)
By Patricia Gaffney
Author’s Website: http://www.patriciagaffney.com/
Oliver thinks his grandfather, Charlie, is really losing it wasting money he doesn’t have on a 1-900 number psychic. He once again has to be the bad guy and tell his grandfather he can’t call Madame Romanescu anymore. But that doesn’t mean Oliver can’t call her … you know for research purposes.
This short story had good and bad points, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
The bad points (because I like to end things on a high note) are that the storyline seemed slow at times and I just kept wondering when something was going to happen! It also seemed pretty cliché and done before with the falling in love with someone not knowing they were the person they’ve been talking to all along. And, of course the misjudgments all around, plus it was pretty obvious what the end result of the tale was going to be.
The positives. I really did like some of the interactions between characters. The brightest spot of this whole book was definitely the grandfather, Charlie.
“Then it goes two ways. Sometimes you help me, sometimes I help you.”
“Oh, Charlie.” She was so touched. “You are … so dear to me.”
“Likewise. So what can I do to help?”
“Not a thing. Honestly. Except what you’re already doing–being my friend.”
“No problemo. Okay, here’s what you can do for me.”
“What?”
“Take my obnoxious grandson’s call.”
Charlie cracked me up in the first chapter, playing the wily pouting child to his grandson’s stern father figure role. There were a few times Charlie made me laugh out loud and I really enjoyed him.
The Unforgiven (4 Star rating)
Ruth Ryan Langan
Author’s Website: http://www.ryanlangan.com/
Betrayed by her deceased husband, having lost everything, Bree comes to her husband’s family home in hopes of a new beginning. She never expects to start to believe in ghosts, let alone fall in love with the one that haunts the cottage she’s staying in.
“I’ve waited so very long for this. For you. For someone as beautiful, both inside and out, as you, my beloved Brianna. Do you not see? ‘Tis no accident that you’re here. We were destined through time, through eternity, to meet. To love.”
This story, although the shortest in this anthology, was surprisingly good! I didn’t know what to expect from the description of the story on the back of the book, but I quickly fell in love with the tale. It’s a story teaching us to let go of past betrayals in order to find peace, and even I; one who can hold a grudge for what seems an eternity, really enjoyed it!
I plan to read more from this author in the future:) .
His Brother’s Keeper (2 Star rating)
By Mary Kay McComas
Author’s Website: http://www.openroadmedia.com/mary-k-m...
Children’s book author, Ivy Bonner has been plagued with nightmares and decides to take a break by staying at one of her mom’s friend’s cabin while they’re away. But it doesn’t seem to stop the dreams.
Ivy finds peace in the neighbor’s gazebo and starts knowing things she shouldn’t. She’s even starting to hear a voice in her head! Is she totally losing her mind?
In this story both Ivy and Craig (the neighbor of the place she’s staying) have been plagued with dreams for months, dreams engineered by Craig’s deceased brother, Oliver, in attempt to get a message across to his brother. This story has a ‘the truth will set you free’ kind of message to it.
This story just didn’t appeal to me. I felt how Craig’s emotions kept changing so quickly, adoring Ivy, to hating her when she drew Oliver, to ‘oh my mistake’ and ‘ I’m so sorry’. It came off as disjointed and not only making it hard to follow, but to make the growing relationship not believable.
I found this story kind of boring as a whole.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, this was a pretty good anthology, one of the better ones I’ve read. I liked most of the stories within these pages. My favorite by far, surprisingly wasn’t the In Death story, but instead Ruth Ryan Langan’s The Unforgiven. This is the one story that made me want to read more!
None of these stories felt like short stories, so I was impressed as that is quite the feat! When I was done reading this book, it was truly as if I had just read five full-length novels! The stories where well fleshed out and I would definitely recommend this to those wanting to give an anthology a try!
his is anthology, with stories from five different New York Times bestselling authors. It includes an In Death novella, Chaos in Death, by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts. Each story has a bit of a spooky or ‘from the other side’ kind of feel and I will break them all down for you by story now …
Chaos in Death (3 Star rating)
In Death, Book #33.5
By J.D. Robb
Author’s website: http://www.jdrobb.com/
Three reforming drug users are found dead and meticulously placed for discovery. Eve Dallas is hunting the golden boy doctor as the likely murderer, but what her witness describes is something out of a horror film.
For a novella, I thought this story was pretty good. We have our always skeptic Dallas, with a case that makes her look at the possibility that monsters could be real? It’s a true Jekyll and Hyde story that was a lot of fun!
We even get an intimate scene between Eve and Roarke. Mystery, emotion, sex… what more could a girl want?
“I feel so used. I find I like it.”~Roarke
This is a nice fun and quick In Death novella that the fans of the series are sure to enjoy!
Her Greatest Treasure (3 Star rating)
By Mary Blayney
Author’s Website: http://www.maryblayney.com/
It’s the year of 1816 and Lydia is still adjusting to life without her husband. He gave her a necklace with a strange coin on it and told her that it was her ‘greatest treasure’ before leaving. His ship sunk and him with it, he was never to be seen again to explain exactly what he meant with his last gift to her.
Now a thug attacks Lydia wanting her ‘greatest treasure’ and she must figure out what’s going on, and what her next move should be. Luckily she ran into Mr. Chase (quite literally) at the right time so he could help her figure things out!
This story was kind of slow going for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. I recommend sticking with it! There is adventure, mystery, and even a little romance thrown in, not to mention the touch of historical romance the tale brings.
Lydia was a nice strong lead character that has been through a lot, especially in the last year as she tries to right the wrongs her husband made, while also trying to run a business and make a living in a ‘man’s world’. I liked her determination and character.
Mr. Chase was also a lot of fun. A rake that may have finally met his match, at least from a romance standpoint!
This is a couple and a world that I would love to see more of. The author does include a note at the end of the story explaining the origin of the coin and telling us about her other novellas that also feature the coin. I think it’s an interesting concept to make her novellas be the travels of that coin and I found the history lesson she gives us to be kind of neat as well.
Dear One (3 Star rating)
By Patricia Gaffney
Author’s Website: http://www.patriciagaffney.com/
Oliver thinks his grandfather, Charlie, is really losing it wasting money he doesn’t have on a 1-900 number psychic. He once again has to be the bad guy and tell his grandfather he can’t call Madame Romanescu anymore. But that doesn’t mean Oliver can’t call her … you know for research purposes.
This short story had good and bad points, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
The bad points (because I like to end things on a high note) are that the storyline seemed slow at times and I just kept wondering when something was going to happen! It also seemed pretty cliché and done before with the falling in love with someone not knowing they were the person they’ve been talking to all along. And, of course the misjudgments all around, plus it was pretty obvious what the end result of the tale was going to be.
The positives. I really did like some of the interactions between characters. The brightest spot of this whole book was definitely the grandfather, Charlie.
“Then it goes two ways. Sometimes you help me, sometimes I help you.”
“Oh, Charlie.” She was so touched. “You are … so dear to me.”
“Likewise. So what can I do to help?”
“Not a thing. Honestly. Except what you’re already doing–being my friend.”
“No problemo. Okay, here’s what you can do for me.”
“What?”
“Take my obnoxious grandson’s call.”
Charlie cracked me up in the first chapter, playing the wily pouting child to his grandson’s stern father figure role. There were a few times Charlie made me laugh out loud and I really enjoyed him.
The Unforgiven (4 Star rating)
Ruth Ryan Langan
Author’s Website: http://www.ryanlangan.com/
Betrayed by her deceased husband, having lost everything, Bree comes to her husband’s family home in hopes of a new beginning. She never expects to start to believe in ghosts, let alone fall in love with the one that haunts the cottage she’s staying in.
“I’ve waited so very long for this. For you. For someone as beautiful, both inside and out, as you, my beloved Brianna. Do you not see? ‘Tis no accident that you’re here. We were destined through time, through eternity, to meet. To love.”
This story, although the shortest in this anthology, was surprisingly good! I didn’t know what to expect from the description of the story on the back of the book, but I quickly fell in love with the tale. It’s a story teaching us to let go of past betrayals in order to find peace, and even I; one who can hold a grudge for what seems an eternity, really enjoyed it!
I plan to read more from this author in the future:) .
His Brother’s Keeper (2 Star rating)
By Mary Kay McComas
Author’s Website: http://www.openroadmedia.com/mary-k-m...
Children’s book author, Ivy Bonner has been plagued with nightmares and decides to take a break by staying at one of her mom’s friend’s cabin while they’re away. But it doesn’t seem to stop the dreams.
Ivy finds peace in the neighbor’s gazebo and starts knowing things she shouldn’t. She’s even starting to hear a voice in her head! Is she totally losing her mind?
In this story both Ivy and Craig (the neighbor of the place she’s staying) have been plagued with dreams for months, dreams engineered by Craig’s deceased brother, Oliver, in attempt to get a message across to his brother. This story has a ‘the truth will set you free’ kind of message to it.
This story just didn’t appeal to me. I felt how Craig’s emotions kept changing so quickly, adoring Ivy, to hating her when she drew Oliver, to ‘oh my mistake’ and ‘ I’m so sorry’. It came off as disjointed and not only making it hard to follow, but to make the growing relationship not believable.
I found this story kind of boring as a whole.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, this was a pretty good anthology, one of the better ones I’ve read. I liked most of the stories within these pages. My favorite by far, surprisingly wasn’t the In Death story, but instead Ruth Ryan Langan’s The Unforgiven. This is the one story that made me want to read more!
None of these stories felt like short stories, so I was impressed as that is quite the feat! When I was done reading this book, it was truly as if I had just read five full-length novels! The stories where well fleshed out and I would definitely recommend this to those wanting to give an anthology a try!
January 6, 2021
NOTE: I only read the J.D. Robb novella, Chaos in Death . And a weird one it was, indeed! Perfect for reading at Halloween.
Eve gets called in on a triple murder and luckily, there is an eyewitness of the killer. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the killer can’t possibly be human; all Eve’s medical experts — Dr Mira, Louise, Dickhead — all agree. The hair, the DNA shows part human, part ape. Mad scientist, right? Yeah, the killer really is the clichéd mad scientist. Lots of fun!
Eve gets called in on a triple murder and luckily, there is an eyewitness of the killer. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the killer can’t possibly be human; all Eve’s medical experts — Dr Mira, Louise, Dickhead — all agree. The hair, the DNA shows part human, part ape. Mad scientist, right? Yeah, the killer really is the clichéd mad scientist. Lots of fun!
October 21, 2018
The Unquiet is a compilation of stories, all with a theme of visitation from a spirit from beyond. The first, Chaos in Death by JD Robb is the least ghostly and features Eve Dallas who is solving the mystery of green monster who stalks and kills in a frenzy of rage. The Greatest Treasure by Mary Blayney tells the story of a magic coin that grants the holder one wish. In, The Dear One, Patricia Gaffney writes about a fortune teller who falls in love with the grandson of one of her clients. Next Ruth Ryan Langan shares a story called The Unforgiven in which a young woman inherits a Scottish manor haunted by a resident ghost. The final story, His Brother's Keeper, by Mary Kay McComas is about a young writer who is haunted be a reoccurring dream of falling. The stories vary in quality, the best of which was the first by JD Robb.
June 10, 2019
Five entertaining stories in one book. They are all different and creative.
March 8, 2025
I read this for the story by J.D. Robb. It was entertaining and had a slight paranormal edge. It had most of the hallmarks of a Dallas story condensed into ten chapters.
October 28, 2011
Chaos in Death by JD Robb- I was really happy to see the other regular characters back in this story, I missed them in the last book. I liked this story right up until the end.... the paranormal doesn't work for me in this series of books. Eve Dallas is just to grounded for that to work for me in her stories. This story would have worked so much better with a non-paranormal ending.
Her Greatest Treasure by Mary Blayney- This is one of the type of stories that you can enjoy but its not neccesarily a great story.
Dear One by Patricia Gafffney- Really liked this story, it was funny and had some great characters. Very entertaining story!
The Unforgiven by Ruth Ryan Langan- I liked this story, again a good read without being great. Nothing that made me say wow, but I think if it was a longer story it could have been really entertaining when I think of all that could have been in the story while the ghost and heroine duked it out getting to know each other instead of coming to terms so quickly because it was a short story. I liked the ghost better than the heroine in this story.
His Brothers Keeper by Mary Kay McComas- This was one of my least favorite stories in this book. I thought it could have been a lot better, it felt like she rushed the story like it had to be a short story and should have been longer?
Her Greatest Treasure by Mary Blayney- This is one of the type of stories that you can enjoy but its not neccesarily a great story.
Dear One by Patricia Gafffney- Really liked this story, it was funny and had some great characters. Very entertaining story!
The Unforgiven by Ruth Ryan Langan- I liked this story, again a good read without being great. Nothing that made me say wow, but I think if it was a longer story it could have been really entertaining when I think of all that could have been in the story while the ghost and heroine duked it out getting to know each other instead of coming to terms so quickly because it was a short story. I liked the ghost better than the heroine in this story.
His Brothers Keeper by Mary Kay McComas- This was one of my least favorite stories in this book. I thought it could have been a lot better, it felt like she rushed the story like it had to be a short story and should have been longer?
May 10, 2017
Chaos in Death is a short story that can be found in the book The Unquiet that features three other authors whose stories I didn’t read. The Eve Dallas and Roarke series are always a good read.
December 4, 2014
meh...a quick read
February 3, 2022
I bought this book solely for J.D. Robb's "Chaos in Death" and that was a definite 5 star short story for me. The only reason I didn't finish that one the day I started reading it is because I had a social event that evening, otherwise I would definitely have finished it as soon as I got home. It's every bit as good as all of the books in the "In Death" series and a must read for fans of it.
My only slight quibble is that the 'science' at the end was so far off that even today we know it's impossible, which normally isn't the case when Robb verges into sci-fi territory. It does, however, have a certain charm and harkens back to some of the classic sci-fi of the past (I'm not naming the book due to spoilers!), so I could let it slide overall.
The other short stories in this book, though, are what pulled the rating down from the 5 star of the first story. They went downhill from the first one and I really had to force myself to finish the last short story.
I honestly don't get why those 4 stories were selected to go along with "Chaos in Death". That is a crime story first, with the sci-fi and romance coming second. The others are romance first with fantasy second, the only exception being "Her Greatest Treasure" which was also a period story. It just makes no sense to me. If you want to do an entirely romance set, then there was a better first story to pick. If you wanted to do something that would appeal to "In Death" readers, then again there were better stories to pick.
So, overall, I would only recommend this book to people who want to own all of the "In Death" series or who don't mind buying a book where the majority of the stories likely won't appeal. Otherwise, borrow it from the library and don't bother reading past the first story. The others are so cliché I was cringing. Some were also really obvious and it was painful to watch the characters in the last story struggle to figure out something that was hitting the reader on the head, loudly and repeatedly.
But I'm still so glad I read "Chaos in Death"!
My only slight quibble is that the 'science' at the end was so far off that even today we know it's impossible, which normally isn't the case when Robb verges into sci-fi territory. It does, however, have a certain charm and harkens back to some of the classic sci-fi of the past (I'm not naming the book due to spoilers!), so I could let it slide overall.
The other short stories in this book, though, are what pulled the rating down from the 5 star of the first story. They went downhill from the first one and I really had to force myself to finish the last short story.
I honestly don't get why those 4 stories were selected to go along with "Chaos in Death". That is a crime story first, with the sci-fi and romance coming second. The others are romance first with fantasy second, the only exception being "Her Greatest Treasure" which was also a period story. It just makes no sense to me. If you want to do an entirely romance set, then there was a better first story to pick. If you wanted to do something that would appeal to "In Death" readers, then again there were better stories to pick.
So, overall, I would only recommend this book to people who want to own all of the "In Death" series or who don't mind buying a book where the majority of the stories likely won't appeal. Otherwise, borrow it from the library and don't bother reading past the first story. The others are so cliché I was cringing. Some were also really obvious and it was painful to watch the characters in the last story struggle to figure out something that was hitting the reader on the head, loudly and repeatedly.
But I'm still so glad I read "Chaos in Death"!
August 25, 2017
Five authors, five paranormal short stories in one book which will keep a reader glued to the pages for several hours - definitely a recommendation for me, as none of the stories were badly written or boring.
J.D.Robb, Chaos in Death: Eve and Roarke at their best, chasing a murderer around New York. It's always amazing how much tension and story, and how much of the dynamics between the now well known main characters, the author can pack into a short story.
Mary Blaynes, Her Greatest Treasure: The Indian coin is back, this time as the valued treasure of a young widowed shopkeeper, whose dead husband comes to her in a dream with one word: "wish". Together with a young mysterious rogue she tries to solve the mystery. A charming and quite amusing story, with quirky characters and a humorous narration style.
Patricia Gaffney, Dear One: Grandson tries to save his Grandfather from the clutches of a telephone psychic. Highly amusing, reminding me of some of the old slapstick comedies in a way, lots of mixups with very likeable characters and a great storyline.
Ruth Ryan Langan, The Unforgiven: Young widow inherits an old castle in Scotland - together with one of her husband's long dead and very angry ancestors. Can they both help each other to find peace? Again, very amusing, but heart-breaking as well as the story develops. A mix between making the reader laugh and tear up. A lovely story.
Mary Kay McComas, His Brother's Keeper: A young dead man wants to pass a message on to his grieving elder brother and uses dreams and a pretty author. Again, very likeable characters, funny dialogues and great narration style, and heartbreaking passages.
All in all, a highly entertaining treasure of five short stories which I found difficult to put down until I had read the last word. Loved it.
J.D.Robb, Chaos in Death: Eve and Roarke at their best, chasing a murderer around New York. It's always amazing how much tension and story, and how much of the dynamics between the now well known main characters, the author can pack into a short story.
Mary Blaynes, Her Greatest Treasure: The Indian coin is back, this time as the valued treasure of a young widowed shopkeeper, whose dead husband comes to her in a dream with one word: "wish". Together with a young mysterious rogue she tries to solve the mystery. A charming and quite amusing story, with quirky characters and a humorous narration style.
Patricia Gaffney, Dear One: Grandson tries to save his Grandfather from the clutches of a telephone psychic. Highly amusing, reminding me of some of the old slapstick comedies in a way, lots of mixups with very likeable characters and a great storyline.
Ruth Ryan Langan, The Unforgiven: Young widow inherits an old castle in Scotland - together with one of her husband's long dead and very angry ancestors. Can they both help each other to find peace? Again, very amusing, but heart-breaking as well as the story develops. A mix between making the reader laugh and tear up. A lovely story.
Mary Kay McComas, His Brother's Keeper: A young dead man wants to pass a message on to his grieving elder brother and uses dreams and a pretty author. Again, very likeable characters, funny dialogues and great narration style, and heartbreaking passages.
All in all, a highly entertaining treasure of five short stories which I found difficult to put down until I had read the last word. Loved it.
August 14, 2025
This is review for The Unforgiven novella
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Too bad that this did not come as it's own and perhaps Ruth am make it a full-fledged novel. It was sweet, happy, sad and content all at the same time. It was a simple reincarnation generic plot too. It was surprisingly good though.
The Unforgiven is the fourth novella in The Unquiet anthology book in January of 2011 in which Nora published her novella with four of her recurring authors – Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan and Mary Kay McComas. This novella is written by Ruth Ryan Langan.
In this short story, Ruth takes us on a journey of Mrs. Brianna "Bree" Kerr, a widow who comes to Scotland to claim what is left of her dead husband' s inheritance that she foresees to use to compensate the massive debts he left her with. She did not expect to come face to face with the spirit of dead Jamie Kerr, an ancestor from early 1600s who after dying remains as an angry spirit.
The romance between Bree and Jamie is there, and I can believe one loves a ghost or spirit. But, making love to one is hard to believe. But it reminds me of 2007 novel The Dead Room by Heather Graham (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) where the protagonist, Leslie MacIntyre feels her fiancé Matt Connolly who was killed in an explosion. Just like Bree lost her husband and found the angry spirit of Jamie Kerr.
Too bad that this did not come as it's own and perhaps Ruth can make it a full-fledged novel. It was sweet, happy, sad and content all at the same time. It was a simple reincarnation generic plot too. It was surprisingly good though.
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Too bad that this did not come as it's own and perhaps Ruth am make it a full-fledged novel. It was sweet, happy, sad and content all at the same time. It was a simple reincarnation generic plot too. It was surprisingly good though.
The Unforgiven is the fourth novella in The Unquiet anthology book in January of 2011 in which Nora published her novella with four of her recurring authors – Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan and Mary Kay McComas. This novella is written by Ruth Ryan Langan.
In this short story, Ruth takes us on a journey of Mrs. Brianna "Bree" Kerr, a widow who comes to Scotland to claim what is left of her dead husband' s inheritance that she foresees to use to compensate the massive debts he left her with. She did not expect to come face to face with the spirit of dead Jamie Kerr, an ancestor from early 1600s who after dying remains as an angry spirit.
The romance between Bree and Jamie is there, and I can believe one loves a ghost or spirit. But, making love to one is hard to believe. But it reminds me of 2007 novel The Dead Room by Heather Graham (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) where the protagonist, Leslie MacIntyre feels her fiancé Matt Connolly who was killed in an explosion. Just like Bree lost her husband and found the angry spirit of Jamie Kerr.
Too bad that this did not come as it's own and perhaps Ruth can make it a full-fledged novel. It was sweet, happy, sad and content all at the same time. It was a simple reincarnation generic plot too. It was surprisingly good though.
September 18, 2023
So good!
Chaos in Death, Book 33.5 of the In Death series by JD Robb @jdrobbauthor - Eve & Peabody are investigating the deaths of three recovering addicts. Each one had a body part removed - Ear, Eye & Tongue for Hear no Evil, See No Evil & Speak No Evil. The witness sees what appears to be a demon. Bulging red eyes, green face & deformed jaw. Dickie, head lab tech, & Harpo, head of hair & fibers, both tell Eve she is looking for a human/ape hybrid based on DNA & the hair that was found. Eve figured out that it is a lab tech who was testing a not approved serum on himself. Yikes!
Chaos in Death, Book 33.5 of the In Death series by JD Robb @jdrobbauthor - Eve & Peabody are investigating the deaths of three recovering addicts. Each one had a body part removed - Ear, Eye & Tongue for Hear no Evil, See No Evil & Speak No Evil. The witness sees what appears to be a demon. Bulging red eyes, green face & deformed jaw. Dickie, head lab tech, & Harpo, head of hair & fibers, both tell Eve she is looking for a human/ape hybrid based on DNA & the hair that was found. Eve figured out that it is a lab tech who was testing a not approved serum on himself. Yikes!
August 7, 2022
I guess these collections are my summer reading. I have been zooming through them in stolen minutes. I wanted to give this one more stars. 3 out of the 5 stories, I didn’t want to put down. Once again, the Eve Dallas story was the strongest. So creative! I enjoyed the supernatural stories, but the romance and relationships only make sense in the settings that allow for magic. I skim those parts to complete the story. I can’t really recommend the book to anyone without a lot of reservations.
If there was a single book with all the Eve Dallas short stories, I’d totally recommend that!
If there was a single book with all the Eve Dallas short stories, I’d totally recommend that!
September 23, 2019
I go into theses anthologies because of the J.D. Robb stories. They always have a common thread and are just fun. The books are great to read when you are pressed for time - you can read each novella when you can. Besides the Eve and Roarke story, my favorite of this group was The Unforgiven by Ruth Ryan Longren. Taking place in Scotland, the location interests, but the human condition detailed in this one really seems to hit a mark. Enjoy!!
November 20, 2021
Varied assortment
This anthology was a delightful surprise It contains stories set in the future, the past, and the present. Although all the stories addressed the "theme" of the collection, there was nothing repetitive about the stories. I am a big fan of J.D. Robb and just discovered this book. I read it because of her Eve and Roarke story. But I have since hunted down all the other anthologies she has written with her author friends. I'm excited to dig in.
This anthology was a delightful surprise It contains stories set in the future, the past, and the present. Although all the stories addressed the "theme" of the collection, there was nothing repetitive about the stories. I am a big fan of J.D. Robb and just discovered this book. I read it because of her Eve and Roarke story. But I have since hunted down all the other anthologies she has written with her author friends. I'm excited to dig in.
March 2, 2023
A fun & easy read.
"Chaos in Death" by J.D. Robb. Follows "New York to Dallas". Just as you'd expect from Eve, Roarke & Peabody. 3*
"Her Greatest Treasure" by Mary Blaney. Romance with a touch of magic. 2*
"Dear One" by Patricia Gaffney. A hotline psychic & a disapproving nephew. 2*
"Unforgiven" by Ruth Ryan Langan. A widow & a vengeful spirit in a Scottish manor. 3*
"His Brother's Keeper" by Mary Kay McComas. A confusing ghost story. 2*
"Chaos in Death" by J.D. Robb. Follows "New York to Dallas". Just as you'd expect from Eve, Roarke & Peabody. 3*
"Her Greatest Treasure" by Mary Blaney. Romance with a touch of magic. 2*
"Dear One" by Patricia Gaffney. A hotline psychic & a disapproving nephew. 2*
"Unforgiven" by Ruth Ryan Langan. A widow & a vengeful spirit in a Scottish manor. 3*
"His Brother's Keeper" by Mary Kay McComas. A confusing ghost story. 2*
October 8, 2024
Only read Chaos in Death. I can only do this series in short spurts. The violence gets to be overwhelming.
Three recovering addicts are found brutally murdered and Dr. Chaos claims responsibility. A solid witness describes a monster.
Three recovering addicts are found brutally murdered and Dr. Chaos claims responsibility. A solid witness describes a monster.
July 12, 2018
The Robb story was great as usual.
The Blayney story was good too.
The other three were pretty much a waste of time as far as I'm concerned. One was too 'Three Stooges', one was an affair with an ancient ghost to right previous wrongs (really?), and the last story lacked in logic - even in terms of the internal logic of the story.
The Blayney story was good too.
The other three were pretty much a waste of time as far as I'm concerned. One was too 'Three Stooges', one was an affair with an ancient ghost to right previous wrongs (really?), and the last story lacked in logic - even in terms of the internal logic of the story.
June 23, 2020
Engrossing tales.
Everyone of these stories-really good. The idea of “finding quiet” weaves throughout each story - one about death, one about a treasure, one about a maybe psychic, and two about ghosts. None are scary horror tales, rather, much about love. Of course, my favorite is Ms Robb. She always shines.
Everyone of these stories-really good. The idea of “finding quiet” weaves throughout each story - one about death, one about a treasure, one about a maybe psychic, and two about ghosts. None are scary horror tales, rather, much about love. Of course, my favorite is Ms Robb. She always shines.
August 13, 2021
There are 5 different stories with 5 different authors in this book so I have to give it an averaged rating. Two and a half stars is all I can give it, the first story by J.D. Robb was ok but the other 4 stories were just rushed short, lustful tales- soft porn for women? Not keeping this book or encouraging my daughter to read it.
August 2, 2017
'Chaos in Death' by J. D. Robb - 2 stars
'Her Greatest Treasure' by Mary Blayney - 2 stars
'Dear One' by Patricia Gaffney - 3 stars
'The Unforgiven' by Ruth Ryan Langan - 1 star
'His Brother's Keeper' by Mary McComas - 3 stars
'Her Greatest Treasure' by Mary Blayney - 2 stars
'Dear One' by Patricia Gaffney - 3 stars
'The Unforgiven' by Ruth Ryan Langan - 1 star
'His Brother's Keeper' by Mary McComas - 3 stars
October 22, 2017
3 stars - Futuristic/Romantic Suspense/Mystery/Crime/Science Fiction/Thriller Novella
Rating/review for J.D. Robb's Chaos in Death.
Rating/review for J.D. Robb's Chaos in Death.
December 27, 2017
Another short story collection. I just read the In Death book, "Chaos in Death". A very strange case. While it mentioned the previous books storyline, it didn't really add anything to the series. You won't be missing anything if you skip this book while you're reading the series.
March 19, 2018
Way too mushy and the stories that were a bit better, as soon as you could get into them, they ended very abruptly. I read these for the Eve Dallas In Death stories, but I think they are pretty contrived too. One or two of the stories were hard to read they were so bad
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