Personally, I really like when they re-package these In Death novellas together, as I don't usually care to read the other authors' stories that are originally published with these. If I weren't just a bit OCD, I'd probably skip these novellas altogether, because I find them generally unsatisfying. But, they are part of the whole of the series and include more interaction of a cast of well-loved characters, so I can't bring myself to pass them by. The stories are too short to really develop a good crime story, and there are elements JD/NR seems to like including in these shorter stories that I just don't get into. I avoid most things that involve paranormal. I like good old human interaction.
That said, these novellas give the author a chance to dip into some odd ideas that possibly wouldn't support a longer story.
In this collection, we have Eternity in Death, Ritual in Death, and Missing in Death.
Eternity in Death includes the currently popular vampire theme. There are some interesting twists, and Eve's interactions with Peabody and Roarke (who are more open to the mystical) are always fun when they deal with these things.
I enjoyed Ritual in Death more than the average In Death novella. One can't look too deeply into the why and the details of the death, as they don't really hold up all that well. But, it's interesting to see how Eve identifies the weak link and pulls it all together. As I said, the story doesn't hold up to much study, but for me, it was better than average for the novellas.
Missing in Death started out with a great premise. I love the conundrum of it. Unfortunately, the mystery evaporates quickly when a 'magic weapon' is uncovered. There is some satisfaction in the subplot involving Homeland Security, with other back stories being brought full circle. And there is a challenge to Eve's very strict (read, black and white) moral code, to which she responds appropriately. Still, I ended up feeling like the magic weapon was a cheat!
So, three stars for the packaging of the stories (so I don't pay money for stories I will never read) and for some clever story ideas. I can't see that I would rate a collection of these novellas higher than 3 stars, as they will simply never be as satisfying as the regular length books.