The cleverly-named GOLDEN IN DEATH is J.D. Robb’s 50th In Death series book. Get it? 50th, aka the Golden Anniversary? I was greatly amused when I realized the cute little wordplay for the title. At 50 books in, the characters are well-defined, and there are no big changes in the realm of Eve Dallas and Roark. This series has become like a comfortable and broken-in pair of shoes. The sparkle has worn off, but you reach for them time and again because the well-worn treads are soothing and just what you expect. I was surprised to see this book clocks at 400 pages, as it reads like a shorter book.
Set about 30 years into the future, Eve Dallas is a stalwart and accomplished NYPD homicide detective. Her uber-billionaire Irish husband, Roarke, is a megabuisinessman who used to be a very successful thief, and now uses his well-honed criminal skills to help his wife investigate cases. I always enjoy Eve. She’s a great combination of prickly exterior and hard-nosed cop, with a slowly-revealed heart of gold. Her hard-won emotional availability has been teased out over the course of the series, and is one of the best things about Eve. I adore how supportive Eve is of her husband Roark, her partner Peabody, and others that Eve loves. Roark is equally fantastic- a man whom any spouse would be thrilled to call their own. He’s insanely competent in all the things in his purview, and competence porn is a very pleasing thing for me in stories.
In GOLDEN IN DEATH, murders are carried out by means of poison concealed inside of golden eggs, a clever conceit. The prime suspect is very quickly identified, and there’s not much mystery to the story. We don’t even get to see much of Eve’s usual posse of side characters other than her detective partner, Delia Peabody. I found myself missing both the usual cast of quirky friends and colleagues almost as much as I missed a robust mystery in this book. Even the continuing emotional maturation of Eve is pretty muted in book 50.
Robb’s 50th procedural, GOLDEN IN DEATH, has a shinier-sounding title than the story delivers. Other books in the series have been more robust and gripping, but I think Eve Dallas fans will be happy to see their heroine kick butt as usual and make New York City a safer place. Robb’s mystery does deliver consummate Eve Dallas tenacity and wit.
In the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates a murder with a mysterious motive—and a terrifying weapon.
Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body—and killed him.
After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team—and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed—it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. Not every victim Eve encounters is an angel, but it seems that Abner came pretty close—though he did ruffle some feathers over the years by taking stands for the weak and defenseless. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman—or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims.
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