Veena’s review of Brotherhood In Death (In Death, Book 42) by J.D. Robb
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 02 Feb 16
Another winner in Robb’s ever-popular long-running futuristic crime series. Kudos to the author, who has the imagination and style to deliver such a powerful story 40 plus books deep. The beginning is very different from the norm. It’s not murder that rings Eve’s phone but a friend who wants her NYPD police detective friend to come with her to the scene of a crime which is not a homicide. Thus Eve begins the search for clues behind the event that left her dear friend Dennis Mira injured and his cousin Edward missing. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on whose view point you’re considering, within a very short time a very dead Edward Mira is left hanging off the entry chandelier at the location from which he disappeared not so long ago. Now Eve is in familiar territory and engages in full gear to solve this very high-profile homicide case. The truth that Eve pieces together, as the body count of the rich and famous grows, is chilling to say the least.
How could two people who came from the same background like Dennis and Edward Mira be so different? As Eve begins the painstaking job of building her murder board and delving into what constitutes Edward Mira and what he did to scorn the woman who’s behind the crime, we quickly find that Edward Mira is not the most likable character.
So whodunit? Jealous wife, side piece, someone with a political grudge? The list seems to be long and random, but before Eve can get bogged down chasing her tail, another very rich and high-profile victim shows up in similar circumstances. Since the two men were friends who went to Yale together and both have an interesting tattoo, Eve starts to build connections. Before long yet another brother meets his gruesome end. Dennis Mira was at Yale at the same time as Edward and yet he turned out so different from these very successful men at the pinnacle of their power who are now being stalked one by one.
Eve’s own past adds an emotional intensity to the story as her desire for justice wars with her need to protect the victims turned vigilantes. This story humanizes Eve and Roarke, even as the familiar passion still enriches their relationship. Dr. Mira has always been a key character in the series and a long-time favorite of mine as a character which this story just cements further, particularly her love story with dreamy Dennis Mira. The question that emerges is nature vs. nurture, or are there just some bad eggs despite all their advantages that break the mold no matter what?
Thank you, Ms. Robb, for your consistency and timetable. I look forward to February and September when I can get a new fix on Eve and her merry band.
Grade: A
Summary:
Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy. . . .Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.
Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze.
As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming.
No Excerpt Available
Naked in Death, Jul 1995
Glory in Death, Dec 1995
Immortal in Death, Jul 1996
Rapture in Death, Oct 1996
Ceremony in Death, May 1997
Vengeance in Death, Oct 1997
Holiday in Death, Jun 1998
“Midnight in Death,” Silent Night, Nov 1998 (anthology)
Conspiracy in Death, Apr 1999
Loyalty in Death, Oct 1999
Witness in Death, Mar 2000
Judgment in Death, Sep 2000
Betrayal in Death, Mar 2001
“Interlude in Death,” Out of This World, Aug 2001 (anthology)
Seduction in Death, Sep 2001
Reunion in Death, Mar 2002
Purity in Death, Sep 2002
Portrait in Death, Mar 2003
Imitation in Death, Sep 2003
Divided in Death, Jan 2004
Remember When, May 2004 (novella)
Visions in Death, Aug 2004
Survivor in Death, Feb 2005
Origin in Death, Jul 2005
Memory in Death, Jan 2006
“Haunted in Death,” Bump in the Night, Apr 2006 (anthology)
Born in Death, Nov 2006
Innocent in Death, Feb 2007
Creation in Death, Nov 2007
“Eternity in Death,” Dead of Night, Nov 2007 (anthology)
Strangers in Death, Feb 2008
Salvation in Death, Nov 2008
“Ritual in Death,” Suite 606, Nov 2008 (anthology)
Promises in Death, Feb 2009
Kindred in Death, Nov 2009
“Missing in Death,” The Lost, Dec 2009 (anthology)
Fantasy in Death, Feb 2010
Big Jack, Mar 2010 (novella)
“Possession in Death,” The Other Side, Nov 2010 (anthology)
Indulgence in Death, Mar 2011
Time of Death, Jun 2011 (novella)
Treachery in Death, Jul 2011
New York to Dallas, Sep 2011
“Chaos in Death,” The Unquiet, Sep 2011 (anthology)
“Celebrity in Death,” Feb 2012
“Calculated in Death,” July 2013
“Thankless in Death,” 2013
“Concealed in Death,” July 2014
“Festive in Death,” March 2015
“Obsession in Death,” February 2015
“Devoted in Death,” September 2015
“Apprentice in Death,” September 2016
