Abandoned in Death

by J D Robb

[Berls]

I'm never disappointed by this series. I keep waiting for a book to be one book too many, but it hasn't happened yet. Not even close. As always, I loved the continued character development of all my favorite characters. It's like getting a visit with good friends, every time I listen to one of these books. A visit under very sad circumstances but still, it's good to see them.

To be honest, though, when I started this book, I thought I might have to put it down. Not because it wasn't good, but I've always been sensitive about kids and am even more so with my toddler. So, the devastating start with the abandonment of a small child because of a mother strung out on drugs threatened to push me into a place where I couldn't continue. Thankfully J.D Robb broke that story line at just the right moment and the fast forwarded to the future where that same child is grown and dangerous.

Sometimes Eve is hunting for a killer while we have no idea who it is. Sometimes we have full knowledge. This time was somewhere in-between because we saw scenes with the killer and his hostages, but never have his identity revealed. This amped up the anxiousness as the clock ticked. And I think made the discovery all the more shocking. And the closeness - he dumped his first body on the playground where Bella would play once they moved into the house - definitely inspired some tearjerker moments for me. I'm also so touched when I see people standing up for Eve and/or her friends (her adopted family basically).

And, as always, I listened to Abandoned in Death, narrated by Susan Erikson. She's become the voice of all these characters and I would be very thrown if someone else voiced these good friends :)