Two murder victims, only a few blocks apart yet separated by almost 40 years, confront Detective Eve Dallas on the same day.  One case involves Dallas’ husband Roarke as the construction site owner where the crew discovers the long ago buried body. Police recognize the second victim as a homeless woman who many in the neighborhood remember with fondness.

Det. Dallas and her crew – Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Baxter, and Trueheart – immediately delve into identifying the two female victims. The homeless woman’s current identity is Alva Quirk, and the beat cops call her a ‘concerned citizen’ who kept records on people she observed breaking the law. Alva’s autopsy indicates historical physical abuse while the coroner considers her current health ‘remarkably good’ for someone living on the streets. Dallas initiates a nationwide search, determined to discover Alva’s real identity and why she ended up homeless in New York City.

Since Roarke owns the building site of the second victim – a young woman and her unborn fetus – he works with Dallas to discover who she is and how she got buried in the basement of a building he is tearing down. So, Dallas engages a forensic anthropologist who determines the body is of Middle Eastern heritage.

As usual, Dallas follows every clue and finds the truth behind both murders. Again, the author spins a complex and compelling yarn. Readers catch up with their favorite characters in this 53rd installment of the In Death series—another engaging and suspense-driven story from the impressive storytelling pen of J. D. Robb.