Book review
You just know from the title (no ‘in Death) that this story is going to be different! And of course, the only two cities that have any significance for Eve are New York City and Dallas. So, for those who know the series, it’s clear that this book will be pivotal. This is an ambitious story, and it pretty much delivers.
While the story starts out in a fairly typical manner, Eve is soon making plans to head to Dallas, with Roarke accompanying, to track down a pedophile who escaped Rikers. Turns out, Eve, as a spanking new rookie, took him down 12 years ago, and he’s been looking for payback ever since. (I loved the re-telling of that story!)
Isaac McMasters is a creepy bad guy (of course he is; he’s a pedophile), and I found the story of the renewal of his crimes engaging. Of course, for Eve, being in Dallas and confronting a pedophile (who targets just-pubescent girls) hits all her buttons, but there’s a bigger shock yet awaiting her as she works the case. In and around all of that, she struggles with being away from her own bullpen (her interactions with Peabody are limited to link conversations for most of the story). Even with Roarke to steady her, it’s a rough road, and of course, Roarke struggles as sees the toll the case is taking on Darling Eve.
The story winds down (up?) in a satisfying manner with Galahad coming to the rescue again. There are lots of parallels drawn between the current case and Eve’s own childhood (McMasters and Eve’s father, a young victim and Eve herself, the role of McMasters’ sidekick and Eve’s mother), and JD/NR does well here, so they’re not overbearing – just there to be picked up by the faithful reader. I found Eve’s conversation with young Darlie in the hospital late in the book very moving and thought it showed how much Eve has grown even since her interactions with Nixie in Survivor in Death.
With most of our beloved cast of characters back in New York, a lot of the interaction is between Roarke and Eve, and JD/NR continues to develop their relationship thoughtfully, realistically portraying the slow but sure maturing of this young marriage. I love this quote from Roarke early in the story:
‘I once stood in a field in Ireland, alone, a little lost, and wishing for you more than I wished my next breath. And you came, though I never asked you, you came because you knew I needed you. We don’t always do what’s right, what’s good. Not even for each other. But when it counts, down to the core of it, I believe we do exactly that. What’s right and good for each other.
There’s no rule to that, Eve. It’s just love.’
A couple of minor quibbles, just because I’m the sort that notes these things and finds them irritating:
Eve repeatedly uses the shortened form of analysis, ‘anal’ in this book. I remember it slapping me the first time I read the story, because it took me reading the sentence 3 times before I understoood; I initially thought it was the adjective anal. It didn’t strike me as natural at all, and bothered me every time I read it.
The SUV Roarke produces for their use in Dallas is black, and that’s made to sound like a good thing. Having lived in Dallas myself for several years, I protest: black colored cars are NOT popular in Dallas, given the length and intensity of summer temps! Another detail that put a hitch in my stride.
Note, I’m not taking any points off for them! 😉
- Goodreads rating – 4.44
- REVIEW – Lou Douglas