dragonfire88's Full Review: J. D. Robb - Creation in Death: Library Edition
After hearing good things about the In Death series by J.D. Robb, I picked the first book, Naked in Death, and was quickly hooked. I then went on to read the rest of the books and continue to pick up the new books as they are published. I just finished reading Creation in Death, the twenty-fifth book in the series.
I will be sharing a little bit of general information on the In Death series before I specifically discuss Creation in Death.
The In Death series is a futuristic romantic suspense series that takes place in New York City. Creation in Death began on March 1, 2060. Almost two years have passed in the books since the series began. The series is focused on Eve Dallas, a successful homicide detective and the different cases she investigates. Things connected to her personal life, like her marriage to the very wealthy Roarke, have also been included in the books. In addition to the books, there have also been four short stories in the series. Each book and short story focused in on a different case that Eve was investigating. Every case has been resolved but previous cases have sometimes been mentioned again in the newer books. A few subplots, usually connected to Eve’s personal life, have continued throughout the series. I have read the books in order and believe that is the best way to read them. If they are read in order, the changes that Eve and Roarke have gone through are more noticeable and things will make more sense when previous cases are mentioned.
Eve was enjoying a few days off with Roarke and had plans to do nothing more than lounge around the house when she was called to a murder scene by Commander Whitney. Once Eve arrived at the scene, she realized why he had called her. The victim’s body was left in the same way as victims from a killer nine years before. All the victims had been women with similar looks. They had been tortured for hours, or days, before they were finally killed. The killer had timed how long each woman had lasted, and carved the time on the body after they were dead.
Eve had worked on the case with Feeney and they hadn’t been able to catch the killer. Everyone who had been involved with the case before was determined to catch the killer this time. Cops like Delia and Ian who were new to the case were also determined to catch the killer. Eve was pushing herself hard because she knew the killer would have already taken another woman. Things were made slightly more complicated when it was discovered that the victim had a connection to Roarke. As the investigation progressed, more connections to Roarke were uncovered.
Creation in Death revolved around the investigation. Eve and Feeney especially felt guilt because they hadn’t been able to catch the killer nine years before. Those feelings made working on the new investigation more complicated, especially once Eve discovered something they had missed before. Because the current cast was directly tied to an older case, some history from the original investigation was shared. I did enjoy reading about those things and thought they were interesting. I did enjoy the mystery in the book and felt that it kept my interest. A short prologue shared some of the thoughts of the killer without sharing the identity or motivations for the murders. Really all that was made clear about the killer was that it was a man. Every so often throughout the book more of the killers thoughts would be shared, again without revealing his identity. Those short segments did add a little more insight to the killer without sharing so much that I could easily figure out his true identity or why he killed. There was a good amount of suspense and I was guessing how things would work out.
All of the books in the In Death series have dealt with murders and included descriptions of the victims. Some of those descriptions have been more graphic than others. The victims in Creation in Death suffered horrible torture that went on for hours and hours. The victims were not in good shape and it was upsetting to read about. There were a few times when some of the torture was described as it was happening. Those scenes weren’t really detailed, but they still could be too graphic to some readers. Those parts were more difficult to get through. The descriptions related to the investigation were probably a bit more descriptive than they have been in the last few books. There was some violence in a few scenes that didn’t get too extreme. Several characters, especially Eve, did a lot of swearing throughout the book. Eve used several versions of the word that rhymes with luck. I think there was more swearing in this book than there has been in the last several as well.
Every since they met during an investigation in Naked in Death, Eve and Roarke’s relationship has been very important to the series. Every aspect of their relationship has been shared and I have loved reading how things have grown or changed between them. They have been married for almost two years during Creation in Death. Both of them had to do some adapting to being married, which I thought was very entertaining to read about. They still have some conflicts at times, but they seem to work through them and adjust a bit better than they had in the first few books. The relationship aspects of the books have never detracted from the mysteries. It has been made very clear that Eve and Roarke have an active sex life and there were a few sex scenes in the book. The scenes were descriptive without being too graphic. For the first time in several books, there was a little more shared about Delia and Ian’s relationship as well.
Eve and Roarke are the only characters who have been in every book and short story. Eve has been in more of the books and is a bit more developed than Roarke. He has been missing for parts of some books, especially the earlier books. Both of them have been very well developed by this point in the series while still having a few secrets lurking in their pasts. I love these characters and the fact that they return for all the books.
Summerset was very loyal to Roarke and hadn’t thought Eve was right for him at first. Eve and Summerset have a unique relationship where they snipe at each other just about every chance they get. I feel that it has been shown in small ways throughout the books that the two really do like each other even though they won’t admit it. It really comes out when they are concerned about Roarke for some reason. Summerset was even able to help slightly with the investigation. Eve and Roarke still have their large cat Galahad. The cat and Summerset liked each though Galahad spent a lot of time with Eve and Roarke as well. Many things that Galahad has done has reminded me of my own cats.
Delia Peabody has been in most of the books. She first appeared as an officer that impressed Eve enough to become her aide. After working several cases together, Delia eventually became Eve’s partner. Delia was good at her job, but she wasn’t always as serious as Eve. The two women had a good working relationship and had become friends. Ian McNab was a detective in the Electronic Detective Division. He had worked on several of Eve’s cases and he and Delia were living together. He is very fun loving and flamboyant. I really like the two of them and would like if they were shown more often.
None of the other characters have been around or developed as much. Eve’s superior at the station, Captain Whitney, tends to show up at least briefly in each book, usually when Eve was briefing him about a current case. I think he was around a little more in this book because of the case. Feeney, the captain in charge of the EDD, had been a homicide detective and he actually trained Eve. They had a strong friendship that was sometimes tested by whatever case they were working on since Eve tended to request him when EDD involvement was necessary. I did like that there was a little more development to Feeney in this book. A few other cops, like Baxter and Truehart, also returned.
Dr. Mira was a psychiatrist that worked for the police department. She would develop profiles of suspects, evaluate suspects once they were arrested, and provide therapy to cops that needed it. She was also responsible for the evaluations that cops had to go through after using their weapons on a suspect. Dr. Mira and Eve had developed a good friendship. Eve’s best friend Mavis showed up briefly with her baby. Eve and Roarke both still freak a bit at the sight of the baby, so it was very amusing to see how Roarke dealt with actually holding her for the first time. A few other characters, like Nadine, also returned for this book. I really like that there is such a large group of returning characters in the series.
Nora Roberts decided to use the name J.D. Robb when she started the In Death series. I started off reading the In Death books and then moved on to the books she wrote under her own name. Both groups of books are very well written and entertaining. The In Death books tend to have more emphasis on mystery and suspense while being a bit more violent. The Roberts books also include mystery and suspense, though there is more focus on the relationships. I do think that people that like one group of her books may also like the other since they were actually written by the same person. One of her books, Remember When, actually has both names listed as authors. That book started in current times and concluded in Eve’s time. The two halves of the books were connected by a mystery. Eve’s section of Remember When took place between Imitation in Death and Divided in Death.
Creating in Death was a very entertaining book that fans of the In Death series should enjoy.
Eve has seen this crime scene before: the artfully arranged body of a young brunette, arms spread, palms up, body marked by the signs of prolonged and...More at HotBookSale
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