Are you like me, and ready to sit by the fire with a
favorite blanket wrapped around you, a favorite drink by
your side, and a good book in your lap? If you answered yes
to any of these questions then I suggest CALCULATED IN DEATH.
As fans know this is a long running series, and while there
are often times that I personally feel that an author who
has a series needs to wrap it up, the In Death series
appears to be getting better and better. While each story
does have a self contained story line I do suggest for those
new to Robb and her long standing series they they begin
with the first installment as relationships change and grow
throughout, and you want to be on the ground floor for that
CALCULATED IN DEATH is a story that could almost be pulled
from the headlines; people with power and money who want
more, and will do almost anything including murder for hire
and to gain what they believe to be rightly theirs.
As the story opens Marta Dickenson, a wife, mother, and
accountant is found murdered. At first it appears that she
is the victim of mugging gone wrong. However, as primary on
the case Eve doesn't believe that things are as simple as
they seem. Soon she finds that there are more threads to
pull, and eventually they will all lead to the person or
persons responsible for the crime.
Eve is an experienced police officer, and highly respected
by her underlings, but even the best smartest officer needs
a team of people to help solve a crime. Here is where we
get our all favorite returning characters, Peabody, McNab,
Feeney, Nadine, Mira and of course Roarke. What I noticed
most about CALCULATED IN DEATH was that Peabody has a large
role, which as Eve's partner is natural. However, with the
exception of Roarke the others seem to be an afterthought in
the story. Not that when they appeared it seemed
forced...rather that Eve is gaining confidence in her
relationship with Peabody and Roarke, and doesn't need the
others quite as much.
For fans who love seeing Eve's interpersonal relationships
grow and expand they might be disappointed. For fans who
love seeing Eve put her superior police skills and knowledge
to work they will turning page after page.
For me CALCULATED IN DEATH started a bit slow, but picked up
steam as the perpetrator began to realize that too many
people knew his/her plans and they had to be eliminated.
Thinking that the are beyond smart and above the law it's
always fun to read the interrogation scenes as Eve is such a
great character during them...leading the proverbial horse
to water and making it drink.
With the close of CALCULATED IN DEATH we see more evolution
of the relationship between Eve and Roarke, and I for one
can not wait until the next installment. Good that
J.D. Robb is a somewhat fast writer and the wait should not
be that long.
On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the
bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most
cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve
Dallas knows better.
A well-off accountant and a
beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn’t seem the
type to be on anyone's hit list. But when Eve and her
partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the
lieutenant knows Marta's murder was the work of a killer
who's trained, but not professional or smart enough to
remove all the evidence.
But when someone steals the
files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her
billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure
out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an
innocent woman. And as the killer's violent streak begins to
escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it
means using herself as bait. . . .