Futuristic Mystery Romance published by St. Martin’s Press 09 Feb 21
This is my month to be disappointed in series and authors who have been the mainstay of my reading journey. I had just finished reading all 51 of the books in this series over the months of October, November, and December and was beyond excited to score an advance reader copy of this one. But I am sorry to say I do not feel the same level of excitement once I finished reading the book.
It starts with murder – after all, Eve Dallas is a homicide cop – and thanks to the movie about one of her iconic cases, she’s now recognized by sight and name. When she shows up at your door, you know it’s about murder and potentially the victim is someone you knew. This one started with a 911 call, but Eve and her star team of N.Y. City Police detectives find the flaws and holes in the story told by wealthy Gwen Huffman. Looking into Gwen’s background brings into focus her family affiliation with a fanatical group.
Standard police work requires interviewing a lot of people and turning over a lot of stones, but this time two and two definitely don’t add up to four. Then a cry for help from a helpless women sends Eve and her team on a search that will eventually expose a sewer that must be exorcised. Kidnapping, murder, discrimination, sex trafficking – there is no crime that is exempt from this group’s roster of criminal activities, and Eve will take this house of cards down. Aided by the FBI and Interpol, Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke, along with the might of the N.Y.P.D., will stand up and avenge the murder of a beautiful young sculptor whose only crime was to fall in love with the wrong woman.
I missed the emotional intensity of being teary when a young child puts her head on her dead father’s chest to say goodbye or the hairs on my arms going rigid when a murderer is going after Roarke’s connections or Eve’s connections. I find myself struggling to explain what I found missing, and the only word I can come up with is ‘passion.’ Don’t get me wrong, this is a good story and I am glad I read it, because it keeps the series complete for me, but it’s not one that I’m going to find myself lifting off my shelf for another browse through.
Grade: C+
Summary:
The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wineglasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don’t add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body—but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?
As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within—and soon they’re getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.
Other books in this series:
