Witness in Death

I have read all of the In Death series by Nora Roberts (J.D.Robb)and have enjoyed the clever repartee between Lt. Eve Dallas andher partner Peabody probably better than Eve's somewhat tortured dialog with her husband Roarke. This book's plot is interesting in that Eve and Roarke are witnesses to a death on stage at Roarke's new drama dome. The murderer is known but the "why" of it is not. Eve's pursuit of the "why" makes for a convoluted discovery and involves a cast of colorful characters so typical of the author's fertile imagination.At this point in the series, I am a bit tired of Roarke's greed and the author's constant reminder about Eve's nightmares of her hideous childhood. Enough whining already! Also tiresome is the too precious relationship that is developing between Dr. Mira and Eve, as she is being patronized into a sort of "daughter" for the psychologist with huggies and kisses. That bird won't fly.I like Eve just fine as a rough as a corncob character. I like her toughness, her grit, her insecurities and her brilliance as crime solver. It is, in my opinion, time for her to be promoted to Captain and have Peabody and a new female character enter into the picture as a crime solver and give Eve her just dues for her role as mastermind. This could add some fascinating color and new trails of intrigue to the series. Also overdone is the rattling of candied nuts in a bag perpetually being munched by Captain Feeney. His limited dialogs replete with curses is tiresome and boring after awhile. This guy is supposed to be her mentor and he comes off increasingly as a buffoon. Lastly, even though this book is not the latest in the series Lt. McNab's too cute smart mouth ramblings make him seem unbelievably stupid at times.Mavis and Leonardo in the story line add a dash of pizzaz, yet less is more for those two. Yes, this review sounds critical and it is not meant in a mean spirited way. It is just that thestory is getting stale and, in my view, it is time for a fresh perspective to surface. I will, however, continue to read any new books and have stored them for rereading. That is how much I really like this series.

If you're a newcomer to this series, welcome to Nick and Nora in the Third Millenium. JDR has slicked up the old Thin Man concept and brought it into the future, where the world is one of excess and hyperbole in all forms. Beef and coffee are delicacies, prostitution is legalized and rigidly controlled, new drugs - legitimate and otherwise - are readily available, but the seven deadly sins are unchanged. Cars travel in all spacial dimensions and planets are for sale, but cops still like donuts...Soft-boiled Eve Dallas and her handsome, mysterious, omnipresent husband Roarke, sleuth together in a plot that regulars to the series will recognize as more psychologically oriented than its predecessors. Eve and Roarke witness a real murder onstage during the opening night of a 20th century crime drama staged as a retro-performance - one of Roarke's weaknesses is for 20th century black and white / film noire, and of course, it's his playhouse...All the players are related to one another in some way through the victim, and Eve has to look closely at the nature of love and hate in personal relationships as she struggles to figure out whodunnit right under her nose. All of the books in this series develop subplots, the strongest of which is the evolving relationship between Eve and Roarke, two abused children who have grown up to excel at what they do, but who bear the scars of their youth in grim silence - until they find each other. This story brings us regulars along a little further in their lives. Eve finally starts to conquer her ambivalence about their bond, although she clearly has a way to go. Roarke remains somewhat maddeningly cool - it'd be interesting to see him lose control once in a awhile.Reading these novels is like coming home every six months to the next installment of an ongoing saga, although we still know less about Roarke, and it would be nice to see more through his eyes. Their relationship still has a thorny side that can leave the reader just a little annoyed at both of them, which is a tribute to the empathy with which the characters are drawn. There's lots of room for other characters to shine, although fans will note that Mavis and Nadine took something of a back seat this time, to make way for Peabody, McNabb, and the up and coming Trueheart. I was waiting for this one, and now that I've finished it, I have to wait another six months for more! If this is your first book in the series, don't despair - you've got nine others to savor, and if you pace yourself, maybe you can make them last until JUDGMENT IN DEATH comes out later this year. You'll probably understand the nuances of Eve's and Roarke's relationship faster if you read them in chronological order, but I started out in the middle and then bactracked, so it's not lethal if you end up reading this book first - and it might be more fun!One thing - I wonder who the candy thief will turn out to be?

I kept flashing to the movie as I read this book. I enjoyed this book more than that classic film. Eve is a great partner for both Roarke and Peabody.

I love this book series. You will too.

Five stars fantastic story and happy ending when the characters all end up finding the truth behind hidden masks.of deception