B+
Title: Indulgence in Death
Author: JD Robb
Publication Info: Berkley 2010
ISBN: 978-0425240465
Genre: Romantic Suspense
This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Elise Logan, who rules. This book finaled in the Romantic Suspense category.
Plot Summary: First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort stabbed through the heart with a bayonet.
Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life – and death – are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer.
As time runs out on another innocent victim’s life, Eve’s investigation will take her into the rarified circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in – and into the perverted heart of madness …
And here is Elise’s review:
I love the In Death series. Like, don’t get between me and the new release or you lose body parts. Roarke is so ridiculously awesome and Eve is so baffled by relationships, especially her own, it creates a special sort of magic. Point? I knew going into this book that I’d like it. The question was how much.
Indulgence faces a serious difficulty– how to keep the reader’s interest in characters known so intimately? This is where this book stood out from the standard murder/mayhem/witty-dialogue/banging-sex-with-Roarke pack. Yes, the murders (and, by the way, I really wanted to go Rambo-vigilante on these assmonkeys) are the engine that moves the story along, but Eve figures it out fairly early, so it’s more about the process than the answer. The fuel that keeps the plot engine going is the characters. In this one, particularly, Morris (love him) is the impetus for Eve to make a giant leap in her ability to connect. What’s fascinating is how Eve’s desire to help Morris translates into other relationships.
Still, there was a lot here that seemed predictable. Granted, this far into a series you aren’t expecting big surprises, but, honestly, I think Eve and Roarke need some shaking up to move from predictable to fresh again. Though I’d pay dearly to be able to predict having Roarke pick out my clothes.
I loved Eve’s stretching in this one, but the predictability of her relationship with Roarke pulled the overall story down a bit for me.
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I enjoyed Indulgence because I love the In Death series in general, but felt the book lacked something.
Slightly Spoilerish
There were lots of great character moments: the beginning chapters with Eve & Roarke in Ireland; Roarke golfing even though he hates it; Mira’s temporary assistant; Dickie in love.
I just didn’t find the mystery very engaging. In large part because no one — not Eve, not Peabody, nor anyone else — ever thought to mention the game the baddies from Seduction played was somewhat similar. Not saying the cases were the same, because there were lots of differences. I just thought it odd we didn’t have a moment where Eve thought “Hey, this is sort of like the time…” I know they kept mentioning the Icove case because of Nadine’s book, and the one from Fantasy because Roarke had been injured, but Eve’s thought about other previous cases in the last few books and so it seemed out of place not to do so here.
I will still reread it because there are lots of great personal moments, but it’s not one of my favorites. I would still recommend it to fans of the series.
Haven’t read this yet. It’s kind of weird even looking at a review for it, since this is one series I never read reviews for – like you said: “I knew going into this book that I’d like it. The question was how much.” That’s pretty much my reaction to every book. If I like a book in the series a lot, it’s because every part of it worked for me, the mystery, the character interactions, all of it. If I didn’t like it as much, maybe the mystery didn’t quite do it for me, or too much time was spent on couples I’m not as interested in (I’m primarily an Eve and Roarke girl).
The only problem with a series like this is that it can seem like a worn blanket – comforting, but there can be that feeling that maybe it’s been kept around for too long and should be retired before it falls to pieces. It sounds like this book might give me that feeling again, although I know I’ll read it anyway. Sometimes I wonder if the last true, new shaking up that Eve and Roarke can get is a pregnancy (or at least a pregnancy scare).
I’ve read or listened to this entire series and love it! It was a while back that I read this one, so it’s started to blend in with the rest. However, I do remember that it starts with the trip to Ireland, and that was remarkable in that it seemed like it’s own novella. If I’m remembering right, it was separate from the rest of the story that came after it. I liked it, and I’m not complaining, but it seemed very odd – almost like back when they showed a cartoon before the movie, except the cartoon was about the characters in the movie.
It seems pointless to say I love Nora Roberts because it’s such a given, but it just makes it all the stranger that I can’t get into her JD Robb books. I read the first 3 and at no point could I connect to any of the characters. I understand that Roarke is powerful plus handsome and Eve is damaged but strong, but I just couldn’t care. And the slightly futuristic setting seemed laughable. And yet everyone loves this series so much. Should I keep trying? Or is it just me?
This series was proof to me that I’m and HEA junkie. After Eve and Roarke pretty much settled into their relationship, I stopped caring. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but after six or seven books I wanted something fresh. I think I gave up 50 pages into book 8 *shame*
KKW:
It is not just you. I stopped early on as well. This series cemented the fact that I am not a good candidate for series novels. I get picky when a series gets dragged forever and I felt like Nora was filling in a Mad Libs with each new book. Sex goes here on this page, add so-called lousy criminal here, Eve and Roarke have another emotional breakthrough and let’s constantly remind the readers how lucky Eve is to be married to a billionaire. I also wanted to smack Eve most of the time and I doubt that was the author’s intent so clearly not a good fit for me.
That is the beauty of reading though, there are enough books out there that if you don’t like one, you got something else to choose from.
@KKW – I figure, if you’ve given it a good go, it’s probably not worth your while to try anymore. It took me ages to get around to trying Roberts’ books written as J.D. Robb, simply because I hated every one of her romantic suspense books I tried, and then it turned out that I loved the In Death books. There are books some people go absolutely ga-ga for that I can’t stand, even if there seems to be every reason why I should agree with the majority – it happens.
@LG – that’s so interesting, because her suspense as Nora Roberts doesn’t do it for me, but I love the whole In Death series. The non-suspense Noras are just good for me.
Put me in the “love the JD Robb books, but you couldn’t pay me to read a Nora Roberts book” category. Don’t know what the issue is – it is just there. With the Roberts books I feel like I am reading a basic formula with just character name changes; I don’t get that with the Robb books, but I can see how some people would. I put it down to different strokes for different folks and move on.
As for this one – it felt a bit off to me and a like a bit of a re-run from Seduction. Two rich, bored friends who entertain themselves by killing people for no apparent reason. And there was something early on that felt off about Eve and Roarke’s relationship. I can’t really pinpoint what exactly, just that it didn’t really fit for me. Partly I guess I am tired and no longer amused by Eve’s belief that cows and other forms of livestock are all planning a big revolt – we (the readers) get that, move on. Partly I dislike that Eve “knows” things about the killer before the reader can (information is not given) because well she is Eve Dallas and that is what she does.
Overall this one is not a bad book, it would just not be in my top 10 In Death picks. I enjoy the series and will keep reading unless Ms. Roberts does the unthinkable and makes Eve preggers just to please the fans who think she needs a baby to be complete.
@Carin – Yeah, I love her non-suspense books, too, which is why it was such a shock when I disliked her suspense stuff so intensely.
@Daisy – For my part, it’s not that I think Eve needs a baby to be complete (since I’m one of those “weird” women who has no intention or desire to ever have children, I love that Eve’s reaction to babies is so much like mine) – it’s that there doesn’t seem to be much left that can shake things up anymore that’s new. Eve and Roarke as a happy couple is nice, but it can get boring. And yet, I don’t want complications to be a rehash of something that’s already been done in the series. For instance, I think the “a woman from Roarke’s past appears, and Roarke doesn’t realize his reaction to her hurts Eve until after the damage has been done” thing has been done at least twice.
@LG – my preggers comment was not directed at your post, sorry if you thought so. It was meant as a general comment about a general theme with fans that “Eve and Roarke need a baby” and “oooooo – wouldn’t a baby Roarke be sooooo coool!”, etc. Personally I can’t see Eve doing what she does if she has a child, and she is not mentally at a place in her life where having one would be beneficial to her or to the child.
And I get your point – and don’t think you are weird for not wanting/having children. I have 4 (and two grandchildren) and can’t stand babies; give me teenagers any day of the week! – that there seem to be very few options for shaking up the relationship between Eve and Roarke short of having a child or introducing an old flame, however I trust Ms. Roberts will manage something to keep us interested.
Daisy – I have read, in more than a few places, that Nora always claimed that once Eve and Roarke have a baby that is the end of the series. This is because she believes they would want to be hands on and that would mean a big change to the story.
I can appreciate that as someone who does not believe every couple in romance land needs or should have kids to feel complete. So if a baby is on the way, In Death is over.