Vendetta in Death

In Death #49

by J.D. Robb

When a family man is tortured, killed and left in front of his family home for all the world to see, Eve Dallas knows she is on the hunt for a particularly dangerous killer.

But death uncovers secrets and the killer leaves a note revealing the victim to be far from the family man he appears.

As Eve scrambles to find out what she can to link victim and killer, another body is found. Another man with a dark and murky past.

The race is on before the killer strikes again but Eve must wrestle with her demons and her conscience as she decides whether she really wants to protect men who probably deserve everything they get...

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Suspense, Romantic Suspense

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2019

About the author

J.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.

Reviews

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So when Dexter tortures and cuts up killers he's a hero, but when a woman does it to rapists in a pseudo Wonder Woman suit she's suddenly crazy? I call sexism!!


She was just living the dream...

Okay, so maybe she is a little crazy. But who doesn't go a little crazy when their significant other screws them over? One time, when I was a teenage drama queen, I wrote "Asshole" in lipstick on a boyfriend's car window. I mean, sure it wasn't quite as dramatic as torturing him and cutting off his genitals until he bled to death, but you know he had to think about what he did as he got out the paper towels and Windexed that window. That taught him real good! Plus, we were young and he would have had to ask his mom where they kept the Windex. My diabolical plan was diabolical.



Crazy Wonder Woman calls herself Lady Justice. She is killing all the mens and leaving bad poetry with their mutilated bodies about how they deserved it. Again, totally channeling the teenage angst. Writing bad poetry about scorned love? Girl, why don't you just dye your hair black and listen to angry lesbian indie music instead? It will be a lot less jaily that way.


Although some "poets" should go to jail. Don't call this your "art", Not-Dave!!

Eve is determined to catch CWW, even if these guys had it coming. *sigh*
Okay, Eve, you do your cop thing.
I for one will be thinking that CWW might have done womankind a favor, even if she went a little too far. Who am I to judge her methods of processing her emo feelings?

Well, okay..


The book was pretty good. I always wish for more interactions between Peabody and McNab, and never get it. But Eve an Roarke's relationship is pretty steady these days, and Roarke continues to be one of my favorite book boyfriends. He's gone from an alpha to a beta, but he's still hot.

[Hulya Kara Yuksel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummm J.D.Robb, can you publish the 50th book a little bit sooner? 😁😁😁 Ahhh I should've read this book very, very slowly but when it comes to Eve & Roarke, I couldn't hold myself. 😜 I literally devoured this book. ❤

What can I say more? I just love this series sooooo much. ☺☺

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Sneak peek of the Vendetta in Death!!! :)
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/915f698...

OMG I can't wait to meet with Eve & Roarke again. <3

Expected publication: September 3rd 2019

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I managed to leave this book on the shelf for two weeks before my steely resolve collapsed and I grabbed it and read it as fast as I could. So much for saving it and making it last.

It's a good one! The topic is very relevant to current events although actions are taken way in excess of the norm (we hope anyway). There is a very crazy lady who does some really crazy things but Eve of course is on to her. The police work is good and I thought the ending was pretty tense.

As usual the success of the book hinges on the relationships and the little things which happen to all the characters as their lives proceed. Roarke and Eve are certainly in a happy place right now, both of them adjusting to the way they have to give and take. Speaking of giving and taking I seriously suspect Roarke of being the Candy Thief - if he can keep Eve's office auto chef stocked with healthy soup he could also remove her hidden candy bars.

Not long to wait for book 50. I am looking forward to it already.

14/12/2020. Second reading. Amazing that it was still a top read only a year after the first reading! This one is notable for the relaxed relationship between Eve and Roarke and the excellent and entertaining dialogue between the two of them. Say what you like about Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb but she can always make you laugh and she can always make you cry.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this one started with a punch! We get to know a lot about the perpetrator from the start and most surprising is it’s a woman, though we don’t know her true identity. Her first target is a notorious predator in the corporate arena who uses his power to do some pretty awful stuff to the women who cross his path (think Harvey Weinstein) and her brand of justice is not for the faint of heart. Lieutenant Eve Dallas and team have their work cut out for them when the next murder occurs with all the same elements but no apparent connection.

I immersed myself into the story immediately as it connected with current events and challenged my sensibilities because the victims were so nasty. Still, disassembling the clues provided an even greater hurdle as the suspect pool grew quickly. What made it doubly intriguing is Eve zoning in on a suspect just based on her gut instincts and having to still go through the process of eliminating everyone else, which was the professional thing to do. She could be wrong so you had to avoid being distracted.

It wasn’t all low moments as there were opportunities for Eve to distribute some real justice for some of the victims of other predators. Those were feel good moments we don’t often get to see in these stories or real life and it was uplifting considering these were issues with which we are currently grappling. It’s a strong performance and the police procedurals were excellent. I always worry if the next book in this long running series is going to be a disappointment but, not to worry. This isn’t that book.

[Corina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always it was entirely entertaining.

Eve and Roarke are still kicking ass, better than ever. Their relationship is the ultimate goal!! And going strong even after 49 books. And I'm still as in love as I was reading the first book.

Loved the small glimpses of all my favorite characters.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook review

I can’t believe that’s it’s been almost 50 books since I first met Eve, Roarke and the rest of them. Well more if you count the novellas. I think that very few series can survive these many books and still keep true to themselves.

Story-wise Vendetta in Death isn’t the strongest in the series. I would say that it’s lost some of its shine, its essence, compared to the other books. These books have always been as much about the cast of characters surrounding Eve, as it has been about solving the current crime. Granted the current crimes are more brutal and gruesome than they usually are. In this book though, the relationships and the friendships were way in the background and more often than not they felt like an afterthought. As if those few scenes or mentions were just thrown in just to keep the reader/listener from forgetting them. Like we’d have any hope to forget any of them, we’ve followed and loved them for 50 frickin’ books now. So I missed them in this book, even Roarke wasn’t as present and prominent as he usually is and where was Somerset. Does it count as a “real in Death” book if Eve and Somerset aren’t sniping at each other?

There were a couple of priceless scenes in this book though; Mavis’ encore. They had me laughing out loud. I could just picture Eve and Roarke’s faces; they totally made the book for me. I think that Susan Ericksen has a lot to do with that. I mean she knows these characters and can portray them like no other. With every line she delivers she brings them to life, their feelings and actions are always spot on. Not to mention the unbelievable amount of voices she effortlessly switches between. In truth, these audiobooks wouldn’t be what they were if not for Ms. Ericksen.

[MicheleReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The In Death series never gets old. Not an easy feat when you’re at book #49. Incredible. Always great to have another adventure with Eve and Roake. This time they are working to solve the Lady Justice murders. We start off with the brutal death of Nigel McEnroy who seems on the surface to be the perfect man – successful business owner, good husband and loving father but he has a very dark side and is also a rapist and sadist. When someone parading as a female vigilante takes credit for the crime, the hunt begins. This is not a mystery that waits until the end to be solved. The actions of the killer and the means of capture keep things interesting. Always fun to escape into the futuristic world of this entertaining series. Many thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I debated with myself about writing a review or just rating the book. This is book forty-nine in the series. What is left to say about Eve Dallas. I enjoyed meeting again with all my favorite characters. Robb is an excellent writer and, so far, she has not failed me. If you are looking for a good mystery, read this book.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and forty-two minutes. Susan Ericksen goes an excellent job narrating the book. Ericksen has narrated all the books in the series. She is an award-winning audiobook narrator.

[PamG · Rating 5 out of 5]

VENDETTA in DEATH by J.D. Robb is the 49th book in the In Death Series featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas. I have read all of them and continue to be thoroughly entertained by this series. The novels are police procedurals with this one set in 2061 so they have some technologies that don't exist today, but that is a minor aspect compared to the mystery and suspense contained in each novel.

The story takes place in New York City and the female protagonist is homicide lieutenant Eve Dallas. The first victim is a wealthy businessman known for sexual harassment in the workplace. A note on his body is Lady Justice. Soon, additional bodies show up. All have an attached poem signed by Lady Justice. All have a similar cause of death. What do the men have in common? How is Lady Justice identifying them? Who is Lady Justice?

It is always entertaining to spend time with Eve and Roarke as well as their friends and Eve's colleagues. Roarke and Peabody play bigger roles in this novel than they did in the previous book in the series.

The characters are compelling and three-dimensional. It seemed that Eve had even more depth in this book. The goals of both the protagonist and the antagonist were clear and proactive with well-drawn emotion. The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. The prose is well-written, entertaining, and engaging The plot is interesting, thought-provoking and intense. My one quibble with this book is that there were not enough twists and turns. The killer was identified half-way through the book. However, the author did a great job in emphasizing the path to getting enough evidence for a warrant. After all, this is a police procedural.

For those not familiar with this series, it is best read in order due to the backstories of the main and secondary characters. There is generally some language and violence as well as a steamy scene or two. Additionally, there is humor. In this one, a variety of humorous incidents occurred. One involved ties and socks, another was with Bella, and a third came from a request from Mavis. Overall, I recommend this series to those that enjoy police procedurals with some romance. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first mutilated body homicide detective Eve Dallas was called to in the early hours of the morning, had a poem attached, signed by Lady Justice. The victim was a wealthy businessman with a chequered past, one which Eve and Detective Peabody would see over and over as Lady Justice continued to ramp up the vendetta.

As the killings continued, so too did the investigation. Frustration from Eve and her team; Roarke by her side doing all he did best. Would they find Lady Justice? Would they bring that form of justice to an end so lawful justice could take a stand?

Vendetta in Death is another brilliant episode in the In Death series by JD Robb. #49 in the long standing and excellent series, with #50 Golden in Death, to be released in February 2020. I’m really enjoying this series – my go-to pleasure reads – and hope it doesn’t end any time soon. The characters – Eve and Roarke, Peabody and McNab, all the side players; one big family and a great cast to enjoy. Highly recommended.

[Ira · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

I don’t think Eve need to handle this case, it’s too bloody easy!
Peabody, Baxter or one of her team will solve it just fine!
While I still love this series, I do miss big cases that we found in earliest of this series.

Oh well, sigh.

Now, I want to read Doyle’s and Acton’s Murder in The Blood, their new book which just published today! 😘

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

After reading four dozen books with the same characters, you’d think I’d be tired of them. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Vendetta in Death is the 49th(!) book following Eve Dallas, a Homicide detective in New York City in the near future. By this point, Eve and Roarke and every person in their lives feel tangibly real to me, and every new installment in this series feels like a chance to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while.

In Vendetta in Death, a new vigilante has come onto the scene, and she makes Batman look like a Boy Scout. Her name is Lady Justice, and the “justice” she dishes out is incredibly brutal. Lady Justice preys on predators, men who have manipulated and abused women in some way. And she doesn’t just give them a beatdown and warn them to straighten up, or she wouldn’t have crossed into Eve’s world. No, after she tortures these men for hours she literally unmans them, castrating them and letting them bleed out before dumping their bodies back on their doorsteps. While these men are horrible, and do deserve to be brought to justice, this is the wrong way to go about it. Eve has to find a balance between finding true justice for these men, as well as for the women they’ve hurt.

One of the things I love about Nora (Robb) is the fact that she tackles tough topics in such a tactful way. Here we see a lot of discussion about powerful men and the ways they take advantage of women, using their power and prestige to scare their victims into silence. Often, what finally makes these women step up and speak out is the realization that, if they don’t, other women will suffer the same fate. One of the ways that people are able to find the strength to make this stand is through finding the right support group that will stand with them. Nora shows us how much trust goes into being part of such a group, and how even the most positive of enterprises can be twisted to serve a darker purpose without the members knowing. And isn’t that a further abuse, taking what’s meant to be a safe space and using it to fuel your own vendetta?

I don’t really know what to say about this book except that everything Nora writes, whether under her own name or her J.D. Robb pseudonym, feels like coming home. No other author draws me in as quickly and completely. No other author’s work feels as cozy and soothing, even when it’s about grisly murders. And when it comes to In Death, no other series has made a cast of characters so real for me. It’s been a joy to watch Eve grow and overcome her brutal start in life, and to finally allow people in and end up inadvertently gathering a huge, loving, unique chosen family of wildly different people. I’m already eagerly awaiting book 50!

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series: In Death #49
Publication Date: 9/3/19
Number of Pages: 368

Anyone might think that after 49 books a series would start to decline, be repetitive or lose its focus. Thank goodness that isn’t even remotely the case with this series. I’m as excited for each new release as I was in the beginning – and I am NEVER disappointed. I adore all of the secondary characters and you can’t get a better set of main characters that Eve and Roarke. If you want to get a real buzz, listen to the audio version where narrator Susan Ericksen says – in Roarke’s lilting Irish accent – “Darlin’ Eve”. Whew – it is worth the cost of an audiobook just for that!

There is a new vigilante in New York. Lady Justice has begun to mete out her own version of justice to the men who have been cheating on, abusing and stealing from women. Just before dawn one morning, Eve gets the call from dispatch – there is a mutilated dead body and he is hers to solve. He’s identified as Nigel McEnroy and he lives very near where he was dumped. The following two mornings bring additional bodies, Thaddeus Pettigrew and Arlo Kagan. Their connection? They are victims of Lady Justice and each has a personalized poem written about him – telling the world about his misdeeds. It is readily apparent that Lady Justice hates men and Eve knows it is only a matter of time before she spreads from the group she’s targeting to any male.

As Eve and Peabody identify Lady Justice fairly early, but there is no proof – only a hunch. Lady Justice is smart, and she’s a planner. She’s gone through every move multiple times and has a contingency plan for whatever happens. How will they stop her if they can’t even get enough evidence to get a search warrant?

Eve sets a plan in place to trap Lady Justice – but again – Lady Justice is one step ahead. The fourth victim is now in her hands – can Even, Roarke, Peabody and the rest of the crew manage to save him?

As always, the book is excellently written, plotted and delivered. The characters are as wonderful as always – and Mavis, Leonardo, and Bella have some news to share.

Definitely highly recommend the book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Johnna Thiessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love J. D Robb and her In Death series. I wait for these books to come out. I've read all of them in order. It's so easy to enter into this futuristic world and to cheer for Dallas, Roarke, Peabody and all their quirky friends to catch the bad guys and win the good fight.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is an absolute guilty pleasure of mine. Even at book 49 I don’t tire of the characters or stories Robb/Roberts gives us. Yes they are formulaic and predictable; but when I pick up an In Death book I always know what I’ll get and that’s good enough for me.
RTC.

Completed for PopSugar Challenge 2020: read a book with 20+ books in series.
Vendetta in Death is book #49 in In Death series

[Kelly Kosinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real crazy in this book!! Hates all men.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's because it's been a while since I have been with Roarke and Eve that I enjoyed this one so much. Loved being back with them. I love them ... I don't think I have mentioned that in past reviews (have I?😉). The protagonist was known to us but that did not take away from the enjoyment of the story. Roarke seems to be an integral part of any of Eve's investigations now ... her "expert civilian consultant".

As she gave herself to him, she wondered how she'd ever gotten through all the hard, dark days before him.

The name "Maura" was mentioned twice in the book ... that doesn't happen too often!

"You can blame yourself for that ... if you want to be an eejit."

I love how Roarke uses the correct Irish expressions ... "eejit", "bollocks", "a ghrá" ... ☘️

We did not get any mention of the button in this one ... it should be a condition of the books, that it be mentioned at least once!!

"Maybe it's a weird thing to say ... but I'm glad we're us."

I will say it again, I have no idea how she writes such tales to keep us interested for fifty books. Most of them have been four and five stars for me. I highly recommend this series. 😍

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many disgusting ways to die, in this relatively macabre Eve Dallas mystery. Including castration. Even as a woman, I found that method of vendetta-ing was way beyond my comfort zone. I wonder how many men stopped reading right there.

In general, I suspect it's likely that more women than men read the In Death series. This would be one of many reasons.

WHAT ELSE?

Given the violence in this book, mostly I don't recall many details. Except I do recall the truly terrifying villain, Darla Pettigrew. Or, as she called herself, "Lady Justice." Erggg.

Nobody gets away with murder, not when Lt. Dallas is on the case. In this novel, as well as the rest, she is the real Lady Justice.

[Anna lost in stories *A* · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are up to book #50 in this series, and there’s just no new way for me to talk about it… I read the last three available books one after another and now I’m sad… cause I will have to wait for the new installments like the rest of the world ;) if you haven’t picked up this series yet, I highly encourage you to give them a try, and here are some of the reasons why in a totally random order :)

#1 Eve… our heroine is one of my all time favourite characters :) the journey she goes throughout this whole series is phenomenal… from a detective, basically without friends, to work promotions, developing all sorts of relationships and connections, facing her extremely dark and painful past… *sighs* I’m just so proud of her

#2 Roarke… tall and handsome, not to mention mysterious gazillionaire with irish accent… need I say more? ;) his relationship with Eve is phenomenal, his support for her and her work is beautiful and I just love how they are there for each other and grow as a couple…

#3 each book concentrates on a different homicide case, that is solved within that story, so even though they can technically be read as standalones and out of order I highly recommend you to read them in order, because…

#4 characters and relationships ;) the further we get into the series, the more characters are introduced… and most of them appear on multiple occasions in those books :) I love it, because in each installment, especially in the later ones, we get a small scene here and there that will mean that much more to you if you read the books in order, to see the development of all those friendships and romances :)

This is hands down one of my all time favourite series and I cannot recommend it enough ;) go check it out :)

disclaimer
until further notice, I will be adding this little disclaimer at the end of all my reviews… without boring you with unnecessary details I will say this… I’ve been in a writing slump for a while now… it’s happened before, but usually didn’t last very long… it’s connected to a lot of different things in my life, but all those details are personal so I won’t get into them right now… this time unfortunately it’s been already six weeks and it doesn't look like it’s gonna change anytime soon… in all this time I was unable to sit down and write reviews for the books I’ve been reading… and I don’t want to wait any longer, cause I already accumulated quite a few to do… so going forward I will be just writing a very short ones… with maybe an exception here and there if I feel like it ;) I don't want to put pressure on myself to write long and detailed reviews that I used to do for the longest time… instead I will try and add some links to other reviews here on Goodreads if I see ones that I feel share my thoughts and opinions on the stories I read… in the meantime I wish you all happy reading :)

XOXO

A

[★¸. • * ° *Jillie* ° *•.¸☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok here it comes. If this was the first JD Robb book you read in the series it would be a great read. Fun and action packed. I love Nora Roberts. The writing is always perfect and well planed. The audio book is everything you could want and more. The narration is above perfect. However I think this will end the series for me. This book could have been any of the other 10 in this series. It felt like there was a formula to write this. The bad guy does a bad thing, Eve has to think. More bad stuff happens, The murder board goes together And we talk to Dr. Charlotte Mira. What happened? I used to love Mira she has become mundane to me. And I know no one is going to like this but Roarke has become boring to me too (GASP) . Yes he's king of the rich, yes he's beautiful but ugh, what happened to the - he couldn't keep his hands off Eve- part? Really even the sex part is the same from book to book now. REMEMBER when woman in the red dress arrives (Innocent In Death) OMG tension tension TENSION !!! Where did it go? And it feels like Roarke has replaced Peabody as a side kick. And there could not be one person in the world that doesn't LOVE Peabody !! And my real problem is that every SINGLE person brings up the movie the Icove Agenda, DEAR GOD STOP ! And WHO is the candy thief anyway? I don't know ... This may be it for me. Please bring back the old Eve and Roarke !! I know I started almost ever sentence with the word - and... I'm sorry, It just came out that way....

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the …in Death mystery series, written by Nora Roberts under her pseudonym J.D. Robb, features NYPSD ("New York City Police and Security Department") Lieutenant Eve Dallas & her “loving” billionaire husband Roarke set in a mid-21st century New York City.

An opening quote - “I’m Lady Justice, and Linus Brinkman has been found guilty and sentenced to death!”
Lady Justice has killed 3 successful cheating husbands. She has captured her 4th, placed him in her dungeon ready for torture.

Lady Justice believes she’s repaying woman for the “pain & humiliation” these husbands have given to them; unable to do it themselves.

The plot was good.. Eve & Roarke must save Linus. They find the dungeon for imprisonment, torture & murder of men/husbands. Can they ever stop Lady Justice...Dead or alive?

Best of J.D. Robb #37
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The case was at least interesting in this one, albeit the killer was revealed early than usual. Excited for the new 'development'.

I did however feel the sense of ennui from this series. Something gotta change soon, right?

P.s. Who is the candy thief btw? My money is on Baxter. That exclamation in the den was hilarious 😂

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery in this one really worked for me! There are definitely some strong parallels from Brotherhood in Death, but considering that's a standout entry in the series, I'm not complaining, and I do think there was enough variation to make this one pop in its own right

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the series, as always. For me, it's all about relationship development and has been from the start. Vendetta will not rank high on my list of In Death books as I never really connected to the case - it didn't intrigue me as many of them do. But as I mentioned, the character development continues at a high level and let's face it...any book with Roarke-time is a good one. ;)

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead

After the last book I really thought I was done with this series but apparently I can't stay away so here we go.........



Women who've been raped, abused or cheated on are being gruesomely revenged in this new addition to this series. Eve has to work tirelessly to stop a female serial killer fromé kidnapping, torturing and murdering the men who abused women in some form. Even though we knew the killer in the latter part of the book the chase to actually apprehend her was nevertheless quite addicting. We didn't get as much Roarke/Eve or even Jake/Nadine time as I'd have liked but the plot was very very interesting. I'm still unsure if I actually agree with the perpertrator's brand of Justice after what these women have been through, as each experience was told I found myself almost rooting for the castration that she carried out, Justice as served in the end


Rape and abuse feature prominently here

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most kids want to dress up as super heroes. When they do Mom must warn them quickly that a cape does not mean they can actually fly and get off the roof. (or maybe that was just me)
In this book our killer goes after men in her guise as Lady Justice. The first one she kills was such a horrible man that Eve had to remind herself of the motto in the bull pen to keep going. "No Matter you Race, Creed, Sexual Orientation, or Political Affiliation, We Protect and Serve, Because You Could Get Dead. Even if you're an a&&hole."
The search for the killer puts Eve and her gang up against a lot of people who should have gone to the police. Now she must find true justice for all the victims. Even if some of the men are a&&holes.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forty-ninth in the In Death futuristic police procedural romantic suspense series and revolving around Lieutenant Eve Dallas in the New York of April 2061.

My Take
What a load of crap. I don't know who actually wrote this. If it really was "Robb", a.k.a., Nora Roberts, she is really bored with writing the series. It was all surface...yuck...with assorted details tossed in that relate to the characters, but are nothing as usually presented. It simply did not read true to previous stories. Not to mention all the "mentions" the video got — that made me wonder if the movie was the star of this.

Robb uses a third person dual point-of-view from Dallas' and Darla's perspectives, and I think Dallas must be on Valium. There's so little snark in this. Dallas and Peabody's exchanges about the victims and survivors are...tame. As for Dallas' behavior at the transpo center...WTF? When did she become such a wimp? There's all the oohing and aahing over the "stars" of The Icove Agenda, and yet Dallas barely reacts to it. I barely recognized this Dallas for how easygoing she is about a lot of events.

Since when is Dallas summoned to Tibble's office? This moment is also the only time Whitney appears...with that lame dialogue. I know we don't normally discover what happens to the bad guys at the end once Dallas has arrested them, but there are all these perpetrators that Dallas is coordinating with SVU to put them away, and we don't get to find out anything? Not even who she's working with?

Oh, please, that scene with the heat and e-sensors that was so vague about people's positions...?? It's as if we're still in 1999, technology-wise. And what is with all the repetition as to who is with who and where they're supposed to go? Padding by the writer? Alzheimer's for the characters? Roarke's EDD mates? I thought he liked to "play with his friends"? The pizza scene with Dallas' comment about Roarke's deal with her office AC?

There's an interesting take on Dallas' early career when Feeney comes across a nasty scene that is ripe for exploitation. And Robb doesn't really do much with it. Actually, there are a number of opportunities whoever the author really is didn't use. There's so little action between Dallas and all the security guards she encounters. And no, they don't all work for Roarke.

Laughing, oh yeah, $22 mil is small change. As for Eve's comment about the lookie-loos passing an accident scene...oh, yeah!! I so agree! But I hadn't considered popcorn?!

I'm liking the relationship developing between Roarke and Nadine's Jake. I also appreciate that Dallas is still into helping people. At least that's still accurate.

I gotta say I was sympathizing with Lady Justice until Dallas pointed out how much longer the agony would be if the perpetrators were in jail.

Ya know, Robb has a good premise. It's too bad no one was interested in writing it well. I normally read a new In Death release, review it, and then re-read it for the pure joy of it. This one? I won't bother. Nor will I be spending my money on it for my own collection.

The Story
It's a nasty slice of a death that brings Lieutenant Dallas and Detective Peabody out in the wee hours. As more victims are discovered, Dallas and Peabody find a commonality among them. One that explains the killer who calls herself Lady Justice.

There's no telling how much blood will spill, if Eve can't stop Lady Justice’s criminal crusade from escalating.

The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is her mega-hunk bazillionaire husband who is so very supportive of her career, her passion. Summerset is Roarke's major domo and father figure. Galahad is their fat, happy cat. An Didean is the shelter for troubled kids Roarke is funding.

Mavis is a singing sensation these days and Dallas' best friend. She's married to Leonardo, a fashion designer, and they have a daughter, Bella. Nadine Furst is another friend of Dallas' and an award-winning author (of The Icove Agenda) and TV journalist. She's dating Jake Kincade, the lead singer for Avenue A, a famous rock ’n roll band. Trina is the stylist who terrifies Dallas.

Homicide, New York Police and Security Department (NYPSD)
Detective Delia Peabody is Dallas' partner. Josie McNamara is Peabody's grandmother whom Eloise remembers well. Detective Jenkinson has a thing for virulent ties while his partner, Reineke, is color coordinating with socks. Detective Trueheart is still a sweetheart and an interesting contrast to Detective Baxter, who doesn't make any cracks regarding his favorite hobby. Detective Santiago keeps losing bets with Carmichael.

Captain Ryan Feeney heads up EDD, the Electronic Detectives Division. Detectives Callendar and Ian McNab are some of Feeney's boys. Ian is also Peabody’s live-in boyfriend.

Dr Charlotte Mira is the chief profiler for the police. Dick "Dickhead" Berenski is the chief lab tech. A jerk, but really good at his job. Harvo is the queen of hair and fiber. Tibble is the chief of police. Commander Whitney is Eve's boss. Dr Morris is the head medical examiner. Cher Reo is an assistant prosecuting attorney who frequently works with Dallas.

Officers Rigby, Keller, and Andrew show up on assorted scenes. Brigg Cohen used to be on the job and now works night security.

Detective Lavina Smythe works for the Metropolitan Police in London.

Darla Pettigrew has moved in with Grand, a.k.a., Eloise Callahan, an award-winning and very famous actress, a widow who still mourns her husband, Bradley Stone. Donnalou Harris is the in-home nurse helping Grand through her pneumonia; Harry is Donnalou's husband. Data Point is the company Darla created. Maura Fitzgerald was a character Eloise played.

Nigel B. McEnroy is brilliant in business, that of placing the right person in the right job with Perfect Placement. Outside of business? You don't want to know. Geena McEnroy is his wife, and they have two daughters. Frances Early is the girls' tutor. Lance Po is McEnroy's admin; he's married to Westley Schupp who teaches art and coaches football at a high school. The hard-hitting Sylvia Brant runs the New York office; Ray is her husband.

Tisha Feinstein is engaged to Clipper Vance and lives in the same building as McEnroy. Tisha's friend Lydia has a brother who's a cop.

Women for Women is...
...a support group...for women. It's led by Natalia Zula who is dating Geo Fong. Her daughter, Kendra Zula, set up the group's webpage.

Leah Lester now works for Universal Financial. Nick Forret is head of security. The jerky Jim is with building security. Londa, female security, knows a Lt Dana Shelby at Central. Abner Henry is a client Leah's been trying to land. Frank "Frankie" Carvindito, an editor for Vanguard Publishing, is the boyfriend Leah is hoping to want.

Jasmine Quirk moved to Chicago. Jessica Alden now works at the Broadmoore as a marketing executive and is no longer dating Chad. Rowan Rosenberg is a student at Julliard. Emilie Gorman was the oldest. Cecily Freeman is gay. Una Kagen Ruzaki has a son, Sam. Her cheap ex, Arlo Kagen, has serious drinking issues. Tiller is the bartender at the Nowhere. Rachel Fassley's son is Jonah; her husband, Chaz, had been murdered. James Tyler had been the son-half of the travel brokers. Sasha Cullins brought an accusation, and Grant Flick is serving time. Jacie Pepperdine is a singer who ran afoul of Ryder Cooke, the head of Delray, a star-maker. Ming was raped at a party by Gregory Sullivan and Devin Noonan.

Sherri Brinkman was dumped by her jerk of an ex, Linus Brinkman, the CEO of Lodestar Corporation which promotes events. He's currently cohabbing with LaDale Gerald. She's a piece of work! Wynona is security at reception. Hermine is the droid maid. Ulysses is Gerald's stylist. Darren is in charge of security at the transpo center; Len is the idiot guard; and, Monika mans the check-in counter. I don't think Darren or Len got the memo...

Thaddeus Pettigrew epitomizes the worst about lawyers and is a partner at Moses, Berkshire, Logan, and Pettigrew. Marcella "Marci" Horowitz is his helpless girlfriend. Her mother, Bondita Rothchild; her sister, Rozelle; and a friend, Claudia Johannsen, took a trip with Marci.

Maxim Snow is the manager for This Place and has lined up Tee DeCarlo, head server; Edmund Mi, who works the door; and, Lippy Lace and Win Gregor, bartenders. Blick is the midnight bartender. Araby Clark is the owner of Discretion, a company that dispatches licensed companions. Kerry is the receptionist.

"Lady Justice" seeks justice for women wronged. Her alter egos include Solange who is French, Angelique, and Selena who is compensation. Wilford is her droid accomplice. Jimmy is another droid.

Drivers include Shelly, Oliver Printz, and Viktor, who is Brinkman's usual driver. Ms Kinder is frail these days. Mark and Jeannie Horchow are from Toledo.

The Cover and Title
The cover breaks with Robb's usual with a top two-thirds of cracked bluish-gray cement for a background and a relief of scales of justice imposed on it. The lower third is the city skyline, birds flying in the late twilight sky, the river running from left to right, lights reflecting green on its waters. The top edge of the graphic appears burned with a torn edge. There's an info blurb at the top in black. The author's name is centered over the scales in an embossed metallic dark green. The title is in an embossed distressed white across the graphic.

The title is her mission, a Vendetta in Death, taking vengeance for woman wronged.

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh.
I was just waiting for this facepalm to end.

[Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eve Dallas series is an automatic one click for me even after 48 books.

That said, I think it’s time to give Eve a new journey. That’s what made this series great over the crime/police procedural aspects.

It’s Eve herself that makes the series. We’ve watch her grow, stumble, recover, open. But we need something new.

Eve won the battle with opening herself up for the love of a good man and a growing cast of friends. We saw her work through issues of the past.

This book was a good reminder that the past will never leave but this time she handled it far easier than... well... the past.

Now I think maybe Eve should get pregnant. I know the author didn’t think that Eve’s path. But book 50th coming up....This is a great time for Eve to journey into something unexpected and scary. And she’d have Mavis to share in the journey.

Having a baby wouldn’t stop her from being a cop. Women can do it all. Most importantly, Eve and Roark have a support system. Imagine the stories we will get with Eve having to deal with this. We got a brief scare once.

It’s time for Eve’s character to grow in an unexpected way.

For me this installment though new really didn’t have much to it. It felt like more of the same. Something big needs to happen. And since I don’t want Roark to die (side characters death not enough to change the course of Eve’s life), her getting knocked up is the best choice.

Susan Erickson narration was stellar as always.

[Somia · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this addition to the series, Lady Justice as she calls herself is kidnapping, torturing and murdering men who abused and/or cheated on women. The murders are gruesome and soon Eve's instincts let her know who the serial killer is, but she has absolutely no evidence/proof, but as always Eve won't stop until she catches her killer and has everything needed to have her locked up.

The first kill by Lady Justice is brutal and the victim a horrid excuse for a human being. It would have been nice if he had lived so Eve could have sucker punched him.

Did I enjoy getting a fix of Eve and Roarke - oh yeah. But there wasn't enough of the two together for me. Plus I wanted more snark from Eve and the banter between her and Peabody to pop off the page more than it did.

Fingers are already twitching to pick up the next book in the series - so very easy to binge on these.

Potential Triggers: Serial rape. Torture occurs and references to domestic violence.