Crime comes to New York again and into the lap of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. This time snipers have taken out three people in Central Park. A day of skating gone horribly wrong and seems so random. Eve will use every means at her disposal to find the shooter and is not even stunned when she finds that this crime is pulled off by an APPRENTICE IN DEATH.

This crime is just the first if she can't stop them but she is going to need help. As part of her team is her gorgeous billionaire husband Roarke with his sometimes shady resources, partner Detective Delia Peabody and an expert on the weapon used a member of SWAT Lowenbaum. Will they be in time to stop an even more deadly strike? It might seem the snipers are just one step ahead of them, but Eve is determined to put a stop to this crime spree.

APPRENTICE IN DEATH is J.D. Robb at her finest. I often wonder with so many books under the In Death brand that there is no way to keep it going without losing some of the spice and intrigue. But Robb brings these characters to life each time and even manages to give us something different, a chance to watch them change and grow, sometimes despite themselves. Eve is single-minded in her fight against crime but she has learned to give time to her love and her friends... even managing to attend little Bella's birthday party. That was really an adorable and needed lightness in this book.

The steam factor between Roarke and Eve is legendary and continues in this book as they seem to fall deeper in love in each book. It was kind of funny watching Eve not panic at the new design ideas Roarke has had drawn up for the remodel of her office and also plans for their bedroom. (That one I personally wasn't too happy to hear about, I love the image I have in my head of that room.) There is also a few touching moments with Sommerset but I was relieved when she assured Roarke that it wouldn't change their daily sniping at each other, as that brings a number of funny moments to all of the books. I have to pat myself on the back because this time I was so proud of myself because I guessed at a major item in this book, something I can rarely do with these books. Bragging to much about what it was will give too much away but still I am pleased that this time I was a match for Ms. Robb.

I don't know how she does it but I am so glad J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) is continuing this series and keeping it alive and different with each offering. I own all of the books in the series and have reread them a number of times, and already I am looking forward to the next one.