What do you think?
Rate this book
In Death #27.5 & #29.5
Ritual in Death / Missing in Death
Dark, mystifying and powerful forces are at work in these two superb J.D. Robb short stories.
Ritual in Death
When a naked, knife-wielding man who thinks he has killed someone crashes a glamorous ball she's attending, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is almost relieved. The clues point towards ritual murder, but Eve knows there is nothing supernatural about a deadly lust for power...
Missing in Death
Aboard the Staten Island ferry, a tourist sees something she shouldn't have - and soon no one can find her. But if she didn't jump, and she's not on board, where is she? Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team know that all the answers lie in what she saw on that ferry.
Gritty, sexy and non-stop crime-fighting - enter the world of Eve Dallas.
Ritual in Death
When a naked, knife-wielding man who thinks he has killed someone crashes a glamorous ball she's attending, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is almost relieved. The clues point towards ritual murder, but Eve knows there is nothing supernatural about a deadly lust for power...
Missing in Death
Aboard the Staten Island ferry, a tourist sees something she shouldn't have - and soon no one can find her. But if she didn't jump, and she's not on board, where is she? Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team know that all the answers lie in what she saw on that ferry.
Gritty, sexy and non-stop crime-fighting - enter the world of Eve Dallas.
292 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
70 people are currently reading
551 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 23, 2023
This book contains two novellas in the In Death Series, Ritual in Death (book 27.5) and Missing in Death (book 29.5).
Ritual in Death :
Eve never particularly enjoys the high-society parties she has to attend as Roarke's wife but this one gets much more interesting when a naked man bursts in, covered in blood and raving about a dead woman he might have killed. It isn't hard for Eve and Roarke to follow the bloody footprints back to Suite 606 where they discover a woman brutally murdered in what appears to have been a satanic ritual. It's obvious that there was more than one attacker but is the man from the party one of the killers or another innocent victim?
I think what I love most about the In Death novellas is that they always contain a hint of the supernatural, Eve is always totally out of her depth when we move beyond cold hard logic into slightly weird territories and it's always fun to see her slightly off balance. Roarke is much more willing to accept things he can't see and Peabody is definitely a believer. This particular crime was pretty horrific so I really enjoyed seeing Eve take down the people involved.
Missing in Death :
It's not often that Eve finds herself called on to investigate a missing tourist on the Staten Island Ferry but that's exactly what happens in this novella. She has a missing tourist plus a large amount of blood but no body and no clue who the potential murderer might be.
This was another great story in the In Death series, even with her novellas J.D. Robb manages to give us a good mystery and this one really tests Eve's sense of right and wrong. Perhaps justice isn't always covered by the laws she so fervently believes in. As with most of the novellas we don't see the whole series cast in this story but we do still have plenty of Eve and Roarke time, Peabody is on top form and even Somerset holds out an olive branch (or chocolate chip cookie in this case!).
1st read - September 2019
2nd read - November 2021
3rd read - February 2023
Ritual in Death :
Eve never particularly enjoys the high-society parties she has to attend as Roarke's wife but this one gets much more interesting when a naked man bursts in, covered in blood and raving about a dead woman he might have killed. It isn't hard for Eve and Roarke to follow the bloody footprints back to Suite 606 where they discover a woman brutally murdered in what appears to have been a satanic ritual. It's obvious that there was more than one attacker but is the man from the party one of the killers or another innocent victim?
I think what I love most about the In Death novellas is that they always contain a hint of the supernatural, Eve is always totally out of her depth when we move beyond cold hard logic into slightly weird territories and it's always fun to see her slightly off balance. Roarke is much more willing to accept things he can't see and Peabody is definitely a believer. This particular crime was pretty horrific so I really enjoyed seeing Eve take down the people involved.
Missing in Death :
It's not often that Eve finds herself called on to investigate a missing tourist on the Staten Island Ferry but that's exactly what happens in this novella. She has a missing tourist plus a large amount of blood but no body and no clue who the potential murderer might be.
This was another great story in the In Death series, even with her novellas J.D. Robb manages to give us a good mystery and this one really tests Eve's sense of right and wrong. Perhaps justice isn't always covered by the laws she so fervently believes in. As with most of the novellas we don't see the whole series cast in this story but we do still have plenty of Eve and Roarke time, Peabody is on top form and even Somerset holds out an olive branch (or chocolate chip cookie in this case!).
1st read - September 2019
2nd read - November 2021
3rd read - February 2023
November 3, 2025
Two short novellas in the In Death series. The stories may be short but they are full of action and mystery none the less. Both stories were very good and uniquely different. I suggest you give them a read.
April 7, 2019
Ritual in death 4/5 stars (read 11 Nov. 18)
Missing in death 4/5 stars
Missing in death 4/5 stars
May 7, 2013
Short, powerful with a lot of punch with just a twist of something different to keep you guessing as.
Ritual in Death brings back characters from Ceremony in Death...
Both stories bring in the conflict of Eve and Roarke, standing on different sides of things...
As always very entertaining seeing them muddle through marriage, life and the entertaining twists their shady, murky and sometimes dangerous pasts brings into the mix.
At the end.... The stories leaves one longing for more... but that just has to wait for the next book. :)
Ritual in Death brings back characters from Ceremony in Death...
Both stories bring in the conflict of Eve and Roarke, standing on different sides of things...
As always very entertaining seeing them muddle through marriage, life and the entertaining twists their shady, murky and sometimes dangerous pasts brings into the mix.
At the end.... The stories leaves one longing for more... but that just has to wait for the next book. :)
August 12, 2016
Ritual in Death 5*
I really liked this one. Only it was a little bit harsh, but everything was in place.
Missing in Death 3*
This one started promising but I could not dive into the story, and it took more time to finish.
I really liked this one. Only it was a little bit harsh, but everything was in place.
Missing in Death 3*
This one started promising but I could not dive into the story, and it took more time to finish.
May 10, 2024
Ritual In Death: In Death series 27.5
Read: 01/05-01/05 2024
Every case is personal to Eve but in this one it feels personal to Roarke too since the crime takes place in one of his properties and at least one of his people seems to be involved!
The perpetrator walks straight to Eve's hands but it's as easy at it seems?
Eve and her team and Roarke start to investigate and at some point due to their different methods used for uncovering the truth Eve and Roarke come at odds but Eve has to keep an open mind for this case!
A quite good short story with all the elements that make J.D. Robb's books a delight to read!
Missing In Death: In Death series 29.5
Read: 07/05-07/05 2024
In Missing In Death Eve faces a complicated case since she can't figure out how a murderer an his victim can disappear from a ferryboat full of people and not only that... a woman goes missing and by all accounts appears to be alive despite the fact it seems she run into the murder scene!
While she uncovers the identity of the victim it's hard to feel any sympathy but justice must be come upon the perpetrator despite his tragic past but it's not always so easy...
The deception runs deep and Eve faced once again with the organisation who was responsible who her past torment and suffering! It's hard to not to feel empathy for the murderer and there's more that connects her to him!
Missing In Death is a good mystery but also a good insight to Eve's personality and makes you wonder in the end... What is real justice when the system lets you down?
Read: 01/05-01/05 2024
Every case is personal to Eve but in this one it feels personal to Roarke too since the crime takes place in one of his properties and at least one of his people seems to be involved!
The perpetrator walks straight to Eve's hands but it's as easy at it seems?
Eve and her team and Roarke start to investigate and at some point due to their different methods used for uncovering the truth Eve and Roarke come at odds but Eve has to keep an open mind for this case!
A quite good short story with all the elements that make J.D. Robb's books a delight to read!
Missing In Death: In Death series 29.5
Read: 07/05-07/05 2024
In Missing In Death Eve faces a complicated case since she can't figure out how a murderer an his victim can disappear from a ferryboat full of people and not only that... a woman goes missing and by all accounts appears to be alive despite the fact it seems she run into the murder scene!
While she uncovers the identity of the victim it's hard to feel any sympathy but justice must be come upon the perpetrator despite his tragic past but it's not always so easy...
The deception runs deep and Eve faced once again with the organisation who was responsible who her past torment and suffering! It's hard to not to feel empathy for the murderer and there's more that connects her to him!
Missing In Death is a good mystery but also a good insight to Eve's personality and makes you wonder in the end... What is real justice when the system lets you down?
January 6, 2021
This was an enjoyable instalment in the Eve & Roarke series, even if I wouldn't say it was one of my favourites.
Someone's been murdered in a women's bathroom on the Staten Island ferry (a ship large enough to carry nearly 4,000 people). Whoever did it left the victim's blood spattered all over the bathroom... but somehow managed to get her body out of the room and past any onlookers without a single passenger seeing them. And, even more strangely, they left someone who presumably saw them committing the crime (or stumbled onto the crime scene right after it happened) alive with nothing but a bump on her head and missing an hour of time.
Without a body, Eve needs to figure out who was killed, why, and of course, who did it.
This had everything I love about hanging out with Eve and the gang - snark, friendship, banter and sexitiems... plus there was the beginnings of some interesting exploration of Eve accepting areas of the world that are morally grey, which was nice.
But, at the same time, I also felt like it was somewhat lacking in the plot department. Ms Robb sets up a compelling mystery premise, but then doesn't really do anything with the idea - the way the murderer did it is really just a plot McGuffin, and everything comes together far too quickly, smoothly and neatly to be really satisfying.
So all in all, I found it worth reading to simply spend time with characters I love, but I don't see it as one of the highlights of the series
Someone's been murdered in a women's bathroom on the Staten Island ferry (a ship large enough to carry nearly 4,000 people). Whoever did it left the victim's blood spattered all over the bathroom... but somehow managed to get her body out of the room and past any onlookers without a single passenger seeing them. And, even more strangely, they left someone who presumably saw them committing the crime (or stumbled onto the crime scene right after it happened) alive with nothing but a bump on her head and missing an hour of time.
Without a body, Eve needs to figure out who was killed, why, and of course, who did it.
This had everything I love about hanging out with Eve and the gang - snark, friendship, banter and sexitiems... plus there was the beginnings of some interesting exploration of Eve accepting areas of the world that are morally grey, which was nice.
But, at the same time, I also felt like it was somewhat lacking in the plot department. Ms Robb sets up a compelling mystery premise, but then doesn't really do anything with the idea - the way the murderer did it is really just a plot McGuffin, and everything comes together far too quickly, smoothly and neatly to be really satisfying.
So all in all, I found it worth reading to simply spend time with characters I love, but I don't see it as one of the highlights of the series
June 21, 2017
Devil worship and spies, and two cases involving memory manipulation.
Ritual in Death was a rather satisfying piece which I enjoyed, though nothing especially stands out from it.
Missing in Death was more of a rollercoaster. The initial investigation (a woman goes missing on the Staten Island ferry and may have been murdered) was great, especially the interplay between Dallas and Peabody which was in exceptional form in this story. The resolution, unfortunately, was rushed and felt a lot like an info dump for the characters as well as the reader. It was like, "Here are the reasons for this moral dilemma Eve faces, handed over on this plate here, and now she's handled it in the only realistic way she could. The End." Missing in Death feels like an idea for a novel which the author couldn't figure out how to expand.
Still, both stories had merit and were enjoyable to read. The End.
Ritual in Death was a rather satisfying piece which I enjoyed, though nothing especially stands out from it.
Missing in Death was more of a rollercoaster. The initial investigation (a woman goes missing on the Staten Island ferry and may have been murdered) was great, especially the interplay between Dallas and Peabody which was in exceptional form in this story. The resolution, unfortunately, was rushed and felt a lot like an info dump for the characters as well as the reader. It was like, "Here are the reasons for this moral dilemma Eve faces, handed over on this plate here, and now she's handled it in the only realistic way she could. The End." Missing in Death feels like an idea for a novel which the author couldn't figure out how to expand.
Still, both stories had merit and were enjoyable to read. The End.
October 6, 2017
4.5 stars - Romantic Suspense/Futuristic/Mystery/Crime/Romantic Thriller Novellas
January 18, 2018
same old same old, think i've come to the end of these much as i loved the first dozen or so.
September 9, 2018
"Ritual in Death" novella found in print anthology from the library, Suite 606.
June 7, 2024
Good mystery but set in future which is not my thing. It would be great for those who like espionage and secret agencies, along with high tech gadgets
June 15, 2024
Great read both of them
February 5, 2022
Two very good short stories that introduce you to some of the core characters with some insights into their morales and struggles while still maintaining a strong relationship. Highly recommend if someone wants to test drive a read of the series. Fast paced and intriguing as to who done it?
July 5, 2016
Two interesting short novellas in this book.
In the first story Lt Eve Dallas and her husband, mega-rich businessman Roarke, are at a party when a naked man, carrying a knife and covered in blood wanders in saying he thinks he has killed someone. Eve follows the blood trail to find a dead woman in a pentagram with 68 stab wounds. She's dead, and now it is up to Eve to figure out who did it, and why the naked man thought he had.
In the second story, a woman goes missing on the Staten Island Ferry. And when the search is conducted for her the ladies bathroom is covered with blood. But the woman can't be found, nor can the killer, for that much blood says the person it came from is dead. How did they get off the Ferry? And no one saw them? Another puzzle for Lt Eve Dallas and her partner, Det. Delia Peabody to solve.
In the first story Lt Eve Dallas and her husband, mega-rich businessman Roarke, are at a party when a naked man, carrying a knife and covered in blood wanders in saying he thinks he has killed someone. Eve follows the blood trail to find a dead woman in a pentagram with 68 stab wounds. She's dead, and now it is up to Eve to figure out who did it, and why the naked man thought he had.
In the second story, a woman goes missing on the Staten Island Ferry. And when the search is conducted for her the ladies bathroom is covered with blood. But the woman can't be found, nor can the killer, for that much blood says the person it came from is dead. How did they get off the Ferry? And no one saw them? Another puzzle for Lt Eve Dallas and her partner, Det. Delia Peabody to solve.
July 2, 2019
Of all the novella entries to the in Death universe, I think these two are my favorites. I had read Ritual in Death previous in the anthology Suite 606, this is my first read of Missing in Death. Where all of these novellas tend to have some kind of paranormal leaning, these two were more grounded than the rest. All in all I highly recommend.
Read
April 11, 2015I completely am in love with this series! My only regret is that I can't find them all at my Libraries that I have access to! Specifically I'm looking for them in Audio books as I'm in my car a lot of the time in the day. I have one in my car, and I have a different one I listen to in my bedroom!
December 2, 2016
Another great novella in the fabulous "In Death" series. I love her wonderful writing; the incredible characters and their relationships; and the page-turning plots. J.D. Robb creates a world where you feel you know these people and their world. This book has fascinating twists and unexpected turns. Addictive reading.
January 31, 2014
Two murder mysteries.
Looking at the other reviews on this site I’m missing something as neither of these two short stories grabbed my attention, I found the writing flat, the characters dull and the ‘technology’ felt stuck on just to solve plot issues.
Looking at the other reviews on this site I’m missing something as neither of these two short stories grabbed my attention, I found the writing flat, the characters dull and the ‘technology’ felt stuck on just to solve plot issues.
Read
February 16, 2014very good
September 12, 2014
Finished the second story. A nice twist at the end which gives an hint at the back story of one of the main secondary characters.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews