In the 52nd In Death novel, J. D. Robb rachets up the scale of crime New York City Detective Eve Dallas confronts as she deals with the death of Ariel Byrd, a West Village artist.

Dallas and Peabody respond to a homicide call from the Upper East Side for a dead body on West Fourth in West Village. As the two detectives review the crime scene, they speculate the murder may be a crime of passion. Next, Dallas and Peabody travel to the Upper East Side to interview Gwendolyn Huffman, who reported the incident.

Gwen describes her shock at finding Ariel dead when she arrives for her sitting with the artist and flees in fear.  As evidence piles up, Dallas and Peabody conclude that Gwen lies and may have recruited help to kill Ariel. Gwen's relationship with Ariel creates a potentially devastating problem for Gwen with The Natural Order, a cult-like organization, and Ariel threatened to tell.

When Dallas and Peabody interview Stanton Wilkey, the Natural Order leader, a young serving girl slips a note to Dallas, providing a woman's name and birthdate.  There is no record of the woman leading the detectives to speculate about what that means.

What begins as a simple murder mystery quickly morphs into exposing complex international criminal activities. Ms. Robb is a prolific and talented storyteller, and she takes the small murder thread and builds a riveting thriller, all while tying up many loose ends. The author also creates intriguing characters, especially the group supporting Dallas and her husband, Roarke, through each of Ms. Robb's 52 adventures. Don't miss the compelling read, FAITHLESS IN DEATH.