J.D. Robb novels are my not-so-guilty pleasure. Murder mysteries set in the 2050’s decade with all sorts of futuristic technology, they are quick reads and just the kind of thing I want when I don’t have to pay strict attention to the details. After reading fifty-one of her books (all but the newest), I know the characters intimately: Dallas, Roarke, Summerset, and all the gang at the NYPSD.
The stories are good. Unique. You might think that after fifty-one deaths, the plot lines would get stale but nope, Robb always comes up with something new and intriguing.
Every death Dallas investigates is personal. She makes it her job to find peace and justice for the victims and their families. Many of her investigations bring personal danger to Dallas, her family and friends.
But Shadows in Death brings the threat even closer. During a murder investigation, Dallas’ husband, Roarke, spots an old nemesis from his days on the streets of Dublin. The man has always claimed to be Roarke’s half-brother, and he has always hated Roarke. His name is Lorcan Cobb; he is an assassin-for-hire.
In Shadows in Death, the murder is quickly solved, the husband who hired the hitman jailed. We’re not even halfway through the story and they already caught the bad guy? Well, not exactly.
It’s clear to both Dallas and Roarke that Cobb was hired to commit the murder, but they have to prove he’s guilty. And they have to catch him, something no one has been able to do in the twentysomething years of Cobb’s career. Meanwhile Cobb makes it clear he wants Roarke–and anyone who matters to Roarke–dead.
No spoilers here, except that we all know the killer will be caught and somehow Dallas and Roarke will save the day. There will be other murders before that happens–true of almost every “In Death” novel.
J.D. Robb is the pen name of Norah Roberts, well known for her Irish-based romance novels. I’m not a romance novel kind of gal so I’ve never been very invested in those novels. But her J.D. Robb “In Death” series is a whole different story (pun intended). If you love a good whodunit, I highly recommend them.
Susannah Willey Writes 