A thrilling, and engaging story that I read extremely quickly. Would highly recommend to others. I have read many by J.D. Robb and this may be one of the best!

I've been reading this series from the beginning for years now and I'm never bored. Another winner by this author, it had me glued to my kindle.
I rarely work out whodunnit as the author often throws in a red herring. I think this time I was actually in sync with Eve.
Eve Dallas along with her husband Roarke (just stop to sigh here lol) are on a murder case, even when the victim was a bitch justice needed to be served. Once again this author put these characters through the wringer. There was so much going on and I was lapping it up. This author's mind fascinates me the way she works Eve and Roarke. The case gradually evolved and layers were pulled back. If only our police has this technology now.
Great story, fantastic characters. I highly recommend it.

When I was 14 years old, my mother decided to play a game of hide and seek with a book that I'd been eagerly awaiting to read. She then proceeded to tell me that if I wanted to read it, I'd first have to find it.
Needless to say, the house got completely trashed in my search for the elusive book, but in amongst my searching, in the back of one of the hallway cupboards, I came across a copy of Entranced, by Nora Roberts and fascinated by the mention of psychics and witches (I love fantasy and paranormal romance), I decided to read the book.
This was how I first discovered Nora Roberts books and it wasn't until a few years later that I learned that she wrote the In Death series books under the pen name J.D.Robb.
From the moment that I learned that she had an ongoing futuristic police procedural/detective series I was captivated and I read every book that was out at the time.
However, for me, something started to change. I don't know whether it was me and my viewpoint of the series that changed or whether something was slightly different in the way that the story was written, but a few years ago, I stopped reading the In Death series because for me, the spark had been lost.
I personally felt as though the characters weren't really growing or had come to some kind of a stall or something had just been lost.
In an effort to recapture that love and connectiveness that I had previously shared with the characters and the series, I read Secrets in Death , however, I still felt as though nothing had really changed in the series and that the characters weren't as alive, as present, as easy to emotionally connect to as they had been in the first half of the series.
But that's just me, and maybe nothing has really changed with the series so much as it's been me that's changed. In any case, it was still an enjoyable book, even if it didn't completely capture and enthrall me.

It is amazing how J.D. Robb manages to come up with new plots and twists even after 44 previous books. Secrets in death is just as compulsive as the previous books and leaves the reader wanting more of the fabulous couple, Eve Dallas and Roarke.
This time, the plot centres on the murder of Larinda Mars, who bled out in front of Dallas while she was in a fashionable bar. As the investigation gets underway, it becomes apparent that Mars not only traded in gossip for her show, but traded in blackmail on the side. With so many suspects to choose from, Dallas and her team have a busy time trying to uncover the secrets that Mars carried with her, not just about the people on her list but about the reasons that her face had been virtually reconstructed. And for readers, there is a secret close to home that is finally revealed.
The success of this series is a tribute to J.D.Robb’s ability to write a tight, interesting murder story, this time concentrating on how the team do the investigation. I was left wishing that there was more to read. Fans will not be disappointed.

This is number 45 in the series and there are a few novellas and short stories as well. I know of someone for whom no. 44 was the first and they were able to enjoy it without having read the first 43, but I'd suggest if you've got holidays or free time, or are looking for a new series - head to the bookshop or your library and start at no. 1 and get to know the likeable and consistent characters JD Robb (Nora Roberts) has created.

Secrets in Death is another good quality offering in this series (in which we've now reached the year 2061). Interestingly this book feels like more of a straight whodunnit and doesn't involve mass murders or anyone overly psychopathic. Well, except for the victim - Mars - who our lovely police psychologist Dr Charlotte Mira, easily labels to be a 'sociopath'.

It's part of Dallas' make-up though, the fact that even though her victim is possibly more evil and unlikeable than the killer, they still deserve justice. And this case is a tad confronting for Dallas and her offsider Detective Delia Peabody in that respect as we learn of the number of people and secrets Mars was holding hostage. Dallas is frustrated that the blackmail victims didn't feel they could go to the police, but she herself  understands the shame of some secrets....

I've mentioned in my last few reviews that Dallas' boss, Commander Whitney has been AWOL, but thankfully he's back in this new book. Albeit briefly as he only gets a few lines. Possibly he has been ill or pregnant or had some sort of scheduling conflict which rendered the actor playing his part unable to participate in recent books. Oh... wait?! #teehee

As usual there's a good balance between stuff in Dallas and Roarke's personal lives with the crime before them and only a couple of sex scenes which I found surprisingly palatable. (Not being a fan of sex scenes in books!) And there's the usual stuff about Dallas' artlessness when it comes to her gazillionaire husband's wealth, her cynicism about all-things sentimental, her hatred for superficiality and vanity, and hidden-to-all-but-those-who-count generous-heartedness in this outing.

As an aside, I chuckled at a couple of current pop-culture references included as 'ancient' phrases of slang and vintage TV shows such as The Walking Dead.

I could have - but didn't - read this in a sitting, instead savouring it over a couple of bathtime reads.

3.5 stars

Reviewed in our monthly catalogue at www.rosemarysromancebooks.com