Divided in Death

A man and his lover are stabbed to death in the middle of a tryst. Homicide Detective Eve Dallas is called to the scene and finds the man's wife standing over the bodies with their blood on her hands. She's got means, motive and opportunity. A slam dunk? Not really. The wife in question is Reva Ewing, an ex- Secret Service agent who is a hero for "taking one" for the president and an employee of Roarke's. Reva is spear-heading a top secret government contract to counter a destructive computer virus that could cripple the country. Eve and Roarke believe that Reva's involvement in this project is the reason she is being so clearly set up. The two of them team up along with the regulars Peabody, Feeney and McNabb to figure out who wanted Reva's cheating husband killed, why they wanted Reva set up and why a few other civilians are turning up dead.For me the good part of this book isn't really the murder mystery. If you've read the other 15 or so books in the series, you've already sussed out Eve's rhythms. She remains consistent in how she works, how she thinks and where she connects the dots. As far as plots go, this one was so-so and the villain wasn't even very interesting or scary.No, what made this book good continues to be the story arc of Eve's dark past and her relationship with her husband and the people who surround her. From the very first book "Naked In Death" when we first meet Eve we are in a nightmare with her as she relives her horrific childhood. Over the course of the series Roberts has handed out dribs and drabs of information so that Eve has learned bit by bit more about her past. Obviously Eve has the resources to learn more but she chooses not to. Yet this case, brings her past starkly into the present. Not only does Eve unwittingly learn much more about her past she but it also brings her into direct conflict with Roarke. Although Eve and Roarke have clashed in the past over their own ideas of justice and vengeance, this time the difference isn't just philosophical but deeply personal. They spend a large part of the story divided and uncommunicative with each other. It is a nice, realistic bump in a relationship that in series time is only about two years old. It brings it home that even though they are deeply in love and quite devoted, Eve and Roarke still have a lot to learn about each other.If you haven't read the other books in the series, you could follow the plot very easily. But there are a lot of references to people and names in the previous books that you could miss some necessary subtext. Not the best of the series but a good, comfortable installment.I recommend

This shows even the best marriages can hit a rough patch. Murder and one of Roarke's people is set up for the murder. That is just not going to fly.

Five stars wow outstanding storyline the characters are unbelievable strong and amazing they seek the truth and win the hearts of innocent people

good delivery just what I needed

Though some would say the books in this series stand alone, and I guess they do, my personal recommendation would be to read them in order. One of my favorite things about this series is that the characters grow, their relationships grow. To miss that removes a vital element, IMO, especially since it’s rare. Certainly don’t start with this one. It’s good, of course, but not the best I’ve read so far. I did appreciate the lack of graphic violence in this story. I also liked the way the author handled the government agency involved (a necessary evil that both under- and over-steps), seeing Mavis, Mira, and others, watching Peabody blossom. I love how highly the author values loyalty (within intimate relationships as well as employer to employee), the conflicts and compromises of marriage (and there is a tough one here for Dallas and Roarke), and her resounding of my most treasured truth: love is always the answer. There’s a twist when it comes to the mystery/police procedural aspect, and it did keep me turning pages, but it wasn’t the highlight for me in this one. I just wonder what will happen next with these wonderful characters :>).