I have been enjoying the books in J.D. Robb’s In Death series for several years now. I picked up Memory in Death right after it was released though I wasn’t able to read it right away because of all the long hours I was working at that time. When I was finally able to read the book, I really enjoyed it.

Before I talk specifically about Memory in Death, I’m going to share a little bit of information about the In Death series.

So far there have been just over twenty full length books and a few short stories in the In Death series. The books are set in the future in New York City. Eve Dallas, the main character, is a homicide detective. Each book focused on a different case that Eve was working on. In addition to Eve, several other characters return in each book. Roarke, Eve’s husband, has been in every book and a very important character to the series. Some of the other supporting characters have been in most of the books, though their parts have been much smaller. Some of the supporting characters were introduced later in the series and others have been missing from books.

The In Death series is set just over fifty years in the future. Memory in Death took place in December of 2059. Almost two years have been covered over the course of the series so far. Certain things about life in the future haven’t really changed while other things have. Guns are illegal and the police use tasers. Guns being illegal didn’t put an end to crime. Cars still drive on roads but they have the ability to fly as well. It is possible to fly across the country or to the other side of the world much faster. Space travel is common and many people actually take vacations to resorts in space. I really enjoy reading about all the futuristic things Robb has come up with for these books.

The Christmas season was in full swing when Eve and Delia Peabody got a case involving the death of a man in a Santa suit. At the police station, Eve was thrown for a loop when Trudy Lombard arrived. Trudy had been Eve’s foster mother. Trudy had been abusive and Eve eventually ran away. Eve sent Trudy away, so she went to see Roarke the next day and threatened to make Eve’s childhood public if Roarke did hand over a lot of money. Roarke made it clear he wasn’t paying and kicked Trudy out of his office. A few days later, Eve was found murdered in her hotel room. Eve was determined to solve the case even though she’d had a troubled past with Trudy. As the investigation continued, Eve learned that Trudy had been abusive to the other girls she had been a foster mother for. In addition to working on the case, Eve had to deal with Christmas, which included a huge party she and Roarke were throwing. Delia was nervous about the trip to Scotland with Ian McNab to meet his family for the holidays.

Memory in Death had a strong connection to Eve’s past that not all of the books have shared. This is the first of the books in a while that had such a strong connection to her past. Her difficult childhood has been shared in some of the previous books and she has usually had at least one bad dream connected to her childhood in each book. She had managed to block out a lot of what had happened, but several things have come out in previous books. Those events did help to shape Eve into the woman she became as an adult. Eve had completely blocked out the time she’d spent in Trudy’s home until the woman suddenly showed up. After that, Eve did start remembering more events from that period of her life without her past becoming the main focus of the book. All of the information about Eve’s childhood that has been shared over the course of the series helped to make her a much more developed character. I have liked it when things from her past were shared, even the very unpleasant things, because they help to explain why she became the person she did.

Eve spent most of Memory in Death trying to solve Trudy’s murder. The murder wasn’t described as it happened. Instead, Trudy’s body was described after it was found. The body wasn’t in good shape and the description could be too graphic for some readers. There was really only one scene that included violence and I thought it was disturbing to read. I didn’t think the book was too violent or disturbing overall. Other books in the series have been more violent. Anyone that has read any of the other books and not found them too violent should be fine with this one. I think that even people that have felt that a few of the books were too violent should be all right with this one because it was less violent over all. There was more emphasis on the mystery and murder investigation in this book. Eve discovered more about Trudy during the investigation, which revealed more suspects. There was suspense in several scenes of the book that kept things interesting.

Eve and Roarke’s relationship has grown and developed over the course of the series. They met in the first book and their relationship grew from there. They love each other and are happily married, though they do have disagreements. They both had to adjust, first just to being in a relationship and then to being married. Eve seemed to have the most trouble adjusting. They have worked through most of that now and Eve is more willing to ask for Roarke’s help. I’ve really enjoyed how their relationship has grown from the first book. There were a few sex scenes involving Eve and Roarke in the book. The scenes were descriptive without being really graphic. They shouldn’t offend any readers. Their relationship is important to the series, but it isn’t the main focus. It didn’t detract from the investigation or the mystery. Delia and Ian, two of the supporting characters, have also been involved in a relationship for several books. There were no sex scenes featuring them.

Memory in Death is the twenty-second book in the series. I’ve read and enjoyed all the books and am already looking forward to the next book. Each one has had a unique plot while still building on what has happened in previous books. The case that Eve worked on in Origin in Death, the last book, was mentioned several times. Trudy even said that she decided to visit Eve because she saw some of the reports on the news about Eve’s involvement in the case. That case was brought up more than I remember any other prior cases being brought up in subsequent books. Something that happened a few books ago was also brought once or twice. Each book can stand on its own, but certain events would make more sense if the books were read in order. The short stories have been more self contained, so readers wouldn’t miss too much if they didn’t read one of them.

When the series started, Eve didn’t have many friends and she didn’t deal well with giving gifts for any reason. She got very uncomfortable when Roarke would give her things early in their relationship. For their first Christmas together, Eve really didn’t think there was a need for any sort of fuss and she struggled to find a present for him. She has gotten more comfortable with receiving presents as the series has continued. I really enjoyed reading about her second Christmas with Roarke. She seemed to be more in the Christmas spirit this time and she even took the time for Christmas shopping. The very nice gift to Delia and Ian was actually Eve’s idea. Eve helped with the preparations for the party she and Roarke threw without grumbling. This was just a small part of the book, but I really enjoyed it. It was something that really showed how much Eve has changed.

Eve and Roarke have both been in every book and short story in the series and are the most developed characters. If I remember correctly, other characters that were introduced in the first book, like Summerset and Feeney, have missed at least one book. I really like that there are so many returning characters in each book, though some of the characters do seem to get short changed. Mavis started out as a main character in the first few books and then her part became much smaller. She was even missing from several books. I did miss her in those books. Since she is pregnant, she has been around a little more again. I think it will be very interesting to see how Eve and Roarke deal with Mavis having her baby since they have both been freaked out by the idea. I have been able to read a little bit about the next book and it seems like Mavis will be a more important character again in that one. I really like Delia and Ian and would love for them to have more to do in the books. Some of the returning characters still aren’t very developed but I still enjoy it when they turn up again. Every book has included some new characters that were usually connected to Eve’s investigation and only around for the one book.

J.D. Robb is actually the name that Nora Roberts uses just for the In Death series. I’ve read all the books in the series as well as many of the books she’s written under her own name. I’ve enjoyed them all. The main difference between the books is that the In Death books are set in the future and the mysteries tend to be stronger. The books she writes under her own name have stronger romance elements most of the time. I actually started with the In Death books and then moved on to other Nora Roberts books. I think that people that enjoy Roberts books or the In Death books can also enjoy the others since they are the same author. She has written one book, Remember When, that started in the present and then the second half took place in the future with Eve. I thought it was really interesting how the two parts of the book tied together. Eve's section in Remember When took place between Imitation in Death and Divided in Death.

Memory in Death is a wonderful addition to the In Death series. Anyone that enjoys the books in the series should get this one.

www.noraroberts.com

In Death Series
Naked in Death ~ Glory in Death ~ Immortal in Death ~ Rapture in Death ~ Ceremony in Death ~ Vengeance in Death ~ Holiday in Death ~ Midnight in Death (Short Story) ~ Conspiracy in Death ~ Loyalty in Death ~ Witness in Death ~ Judgment in Death ~ Betrayal in Death ~ Interlude in Death (Short Story) ~ Seduction in Death ~ Reunion in Death ~ Purity in Death ~ Portrait in Death ~ Imitation in Death ~ Divided in Death ~ Visions in Death ~ Survivor in Death ~ Origin in Death ~ Memory in Death ~ Haunted in Death (Short Story) ~ Born in Death ~ Innocent in Death ~ Creation in Death ~ Eternity in Death (Short Story) ~ Strangers in Death ~ Salvation in Death ~ Ritual in Death (Short Story) ~ Promises in Death ~ Kindred in Death ~ Missing in Death (Short Story) ~ Fantasy in Death ~ Indulgence in Death ~ Treachery in Death ~ New York to Dallas ~ Celebrity in Death ~

Books by J.D. Robb and Nora Roberts
Remember When ~

Recommended: Yes