CONCEALED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

An In Death Novel
Putnam
February 18^th, 2014
978-0-399-16972-4
Mystery/Suspense
Hardcover
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Self-Purchase
3.5 Hearts





When Lieutenant Eve Dallas gets a call from her husband, she has no idea she is about to face twelve murders and a case with enough twists that leave her scrambling for answers. She finds that the building her husband is renovating was once a shelter for runaways and troubled kids. What she finds out leaves her cold as the secrets from many years before come out in the open and when someone close to her is connected, loosely, to the murdered girls, Eve must use all her wits and resources to find the answers she needs to give these twelve girls justice.

J.D. Robb’s In Death series has over thirty books in it and as you expect, it can get a bit tiring but in her latest installment we find, for the first time, that Roarke is center stage and part of the story is in his point of view. Eve is more settled in her marriage and life and it shows in CONCEALED IN DEATH. But I can honestly say  I like this softer side of her especially as she has to figure out who murdered twelve young girls over fifteen years before that were found in her husband’s building project. Ms. Robb delivers a cold case that draws you in and keeps you glued to the pages until you along with Eve & Roarke find the answers to answer the multitude of questions. The writing is still strong and though you find Eve’s feistiness gone for this book, you still get a sense that the case matters to Eve, that justice will be served if she has any say in the matter. The characters are well written and engaging with familiar faces popping up to help the story along and the introduction to a new character that has Eve on edge. What really gets to me each time I open one of these books is the connections Eve has with these characters. From the Mira’s to her oldest friend Mavis to other characters the reader meets along the way in the series. Every character brings something to the series and I totally enjoyed the way Eve interacts with them. Plus the characters continue to grow and find themselves in each book which makes the stories in this series so much better in my mind.

CONCEALED IN DEATH is a slower paced story that may annoy certain readers expecting a fast paced, got to catch the killer sort of story that past books have had. This is more of a cold case kind of feel and the author does a good job in letting Eve and Roarke’s emotions, feelings come across more fully. I loved the softness that Eve displays while chasing down leads or finding out whom the twelve bodies are. Ms. Robb delivers a strong story that is full of twists and turns that leave a reader breathless in the end though I am looking forward to seeing Eve kick butt in the future In Death books. Now I need to see when the next book featuring these marvelous characters is coming next.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement