Recent Read

Concealed in Death by JD Robb

Steam Level: Warm

 

 

My Thoughts:  I don’t read many print books anymore, very, very rarely.  My hours spent browsing the shelves of the nearest Chapters are pretty much over.  Those times I do read a print book, I usually buy at Walmart because of the 25% discount.  I’ll have to do a post sometime delving into this phenomena more but that’s not the point right now.  One of the rare exceptions are the In Death books by JD Robb.  They are too expensive to get as ebooks and I’ve started waiting until the paperback copies come out.

I have lost count of the number in this series.  When I looked it up, this is book #38 and except for the possible exception of a novella or two, I’ve read them all.  If anyone had told me years ago I’d be reading the 38^th book in a series I would have called them crazy.  I don’t DO series with those kinds of numbers.  But it turns out I do with these ones.

There have been so many changes throughout this series and I’m finding I’m slow to adapt in some ways.  When they first started, I saw them very much as romances with a great mystery to them but slowly they are changing to mysteries with some romance in them and I’ll admit I’m missing the more romantic element to them.  But after 37 books, what can you expect that hasn’t already been done.  So I will have to accept them as mysteries and not as romance. 

 

And as such that will be a good thing because as mysteries they work great.  I’m an end reader.  It’s very, very rare that I can’t skip to the end of the book to make sure it has an HEA which when you think about it is real stupid as they are all romance.  But right from Naked in Death I’ve been able to refrain from peaking, knowing it would really spoil I for me.

There’s not a whole lot new in the relationship sense in this book.  Eve and Roark have settled into their marriage and it’s a very good marriage.  The passion is still there and they ‘get’ each other though they come from two opposite ends of the spectrum.  Eve is all about the law, while Roarke, with his criminal past, focuses on the results.  But when their two viewpoints collide, the talk it out and do see the others P’sOV.  I love this aspect of the books.  And they are both so mad for each other.  I love the small moments between them when they express that love as well as the bantering they do with each other.  It’s wonderful to read.  But alas, it’s not the primary focus anymore.  Instead it’s all about Eve and how she and her team solve crimes, with her Civilian Expert of course on many of them.

In this book, the bodies of twelve young girls have been discovered in one of Roarks newest projects.  The bodies are quite old now so the regular methods of identifying and CSI’s aren’t viable.  While reading this book I couldn’t help but think of the television show Bones.  There is a Bones like character, but she’s not really like Temperance but does the same kind of job.  I wonder if Ms. Roberts watches that show?

Slowly the identity of each young girl is revealed and each have their own sad and often tragic story.  The abandoned building they were discovered in used to be a home for troubled youths and many of them had lived sad lives.  And anyone who has read this series, knows that each and every victim almost becomes a part of Eve.

The mystery, as always, is very well done.  I love trying to solve them before it’s revealed and I almost got it this time.

 

Grade: 4 out 5