Obsession in Death (In Death, #40)

by J D Robb

[EBookObsessed]

Even after 40 novels and a dozen novellas, I have to say this series is still absolutely amazing! She always brings something new to the series both in character development and story line. I couldn’t stop reading Obsession. It was a walk down memory lane for series fans but it could still work as a stand alone or intro to the series for newcomers.
I know it is intimidating to look at a series that includes 40 novels. Everyone thinks, I can’t start in so late in a series. As an avid reader (and re-reader) of this series, Obsession in Death had me going “no, no, no” once I recognized who it was from the past books that the killer was going after, but it was also written so it wasn’t necessary to know the series.

Let’s step back for those who haven’t given this series a try. The In Death series takes place in the year is 2060 and it focuses on Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the New York Police and Security Department. Over the course of these 40 novels, Lt. Eve Dallas has worked alone in solving murders but most often she works with her partner, Det. Delia Peabody, her former trainer EDD Capt. Ryan Feeney, the rest of her homicide division and most particularly, her husband, Roarke, who she met in the first novel, Naked in Death. Of course, he’s mega rich and mega gorgeous and takes care of our hard working homicide cop, but before you roll your eyes, you only need to read one book to go “I’m in.”

In Obsession, a killer has been following the career of Eve Dallas and doesn’t believe that Eve has been given the respect she deserves. The killer admires Eve and wants to be her friend and will prove this by killing those who have been disrespectful to Eve.

If the killer truly knew our Lt. Dallas, they would know that the deaths she investigates are personal to Eve. She will stop at nothing to bring justice for the dead whether or not she knew them or liked them in life. It doesn’t take long for this obsessed killer to realize that the gifts being left aren’t being properly appreciated by Eve.

This killer not only develops a taste for the killing, but quickly starts to unravel as they realize that not only does Eve not appreciate what they are doing for her, but that Eve is actively trying to put them in a cage. The killer realizes that in order for Eve to focus her attention on their true friendship, the killer needs to start getting rid of those who surround Eve and who absorb all her attention — like Peabody, Mira, Mavis, Feeney and even Roarke.

With everyone Eve cares about at risk, the clock is ticking quickly to stop the killer before the people she loves are killed in the name of friendship. When Eve realizes that the killer is picking the victims from her own case files, that screams cop or someone on the inside. It gets harder to watch your back when someone you thought you could trust might just be waiting to stab you there.

With a nail-biting ending, J.D. Robb a/k/a Nora Roberts proves that even after 40 books she is still going strong.

THOUGHTS:
I am a big fan of the In Death series. I love a good romance. I love science fiction. I love police dramas. I especially love a good police dramas where there is an ensemble cast working together to investigate the crime. These investigations can each be enjoyed separately. The only thing you would miss by grabbing a random story in the series in the growth of the relationships between the characters.

Although there are definitely some stories which were better than others, they are each creative in their plots. Some involve more science fiction plots, such as Fantasy in Death and Purity in Death, which used advanced technology to kill. Some involve tracking down an unknown killer and others about finding a known killer or several times multiple killer or conspirators.

What we do get in each and every story is the ever growing bond between the characters. Eve was abused and raped by her father, forced to kill him to survive, and at eight was thrown into a careless system of child care. She knew what she wanted and that was to be a police officer. But she had no friends and no basic knowledge of what to do with a friend. When the series starts, the only person she relies on and trusts is Capt. Feeney who was her former partner. She has learned to be wife and a friend through two years of continuing emotional growth on her part, sometimes forced on her by those who cared about her enough to push her boundaries. She is a much different character than when we were first introduced to her 40 books ago which is what makes it such a great series.

I challenge anyone who hasn’t tried an In Death story to grab just one and I am certain you will want to read the complete series. With 40 novels to choose from, there are plenty to keep you busy. Feel free to comment and ask for a recommendation. Normally, I like to start from Book 1, but I was introduced to this series somewhere around Book 17. I started taking out the books from the library, but starting getting annoyed reading them out of order because I had to wait for them to be available. I knew I was missing something in the character relationships. Eventually, I just purchased my own so I could read them in order.

I listened to the majority of these novels by audiobook which is narrated by Susan Erickson. One thing I have missed from being fortunate enough to received an advance copy is Susan’s narration. She does a fabulous job bringing these characters to life and when I read them, I still hear all the voices as she presents them.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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