I haven't read the previous 54 books, but I did enjoy this one. I do plan to read more. This was very engaging. The plot was well-developed and shocking. I highly recommend it!

What a great series and as book #55, this one did not disappoint. The characters, Peabody and Eve, give us their true selves.
Many triggers in this book, but the story is meaningful.

This was like a very long episode of Law & Order SVU. Not necessarily a bad thing, I just wasn’t crazy about the story. It was a good ending, I just felt like the story dragged on forever.

For fans of JD Robb, readers will be delighted this is a signature, true Robb story that features all the elements of classic investigation tactics and humor that we all know and love.
For first time readers, they will get the flavor of what it is like to be hanging with badass LT that is Eve. I like when Roarke has a more active role and we get to see him step in. to help.
When she introduces youth into her books, she seems to have a heightened interest and drive in solving the mystery. Another winner in the series!

Homicide detective Eve Dallas stands in for victims, making their pain her own. The circumstance of their death fuels her energy to avenge them and bring them justice. No crimes affect her more deeply than sexual abuse and exploitation of children: Eve’s painful past gives her a visceral understanding. Her father repeatedly raped and terrorized her, a regime that ended with his death at Eve’s hand. Roarke, Eve’s gazillionaire husband, is fully cognizant of Eve’s brutal childhood. His life’s ambition is to love her up such that her past stays firmly in the past but that is impossible, particularly in her latest case.

It’s late June in New York City’s Battery Park, in the year 2061. Eve stands over the body of a beautiful red-haired teenager with a spear of wood sticking out of her chest. The way the body is positioned, how the girl is dressed, and the blood on the corpse cause red flags to go up.

“She’s Mina Cabot, from Devon, Pennsylvania. Looks like a mugging, but . . .” Eve looked back. “See how she’s laid out? Not posed or anything, but it’s still neat. Not like she took the spear in the chest and fell. And no grass stains on her clothes. No blood on the ground—we’ll have the sweepers check that, but . . . Let’s roll her.”

How and why did a girl from a loving family disappear months earlier? Eve is relentless, ruthless, and deeply curious, always digging deeper into what doesn’t make sense. Like Mina’s clothes, as Eve tells Peabody.

“Her shirt’s damp—hasn’t dried through—and TOD confirms she died during that storm last night. But the pants? They’re dry, and the blood on them? Rain didn’t hit that.”



“They fit her though. Well, maybe just a tad short, like she had a little growth spurt.”



“Her ID lists her at five-four. Morris to verify.”



“They’re good pants. School-uniform navy.”



Eve’s eyes narrowed. “‘School uniform’?”

A growth spurt? Peabody notes that the pants aren’t summer weight: How does that factor in? Eve’s grey cells engage, as she reexamines the posed corpse. She asks Peabody why the killer would bother to take Mina’s shoes, earrings, and ID, and take the time to change her pants. Eve queries Mina’s circumstances since the time of her disappearance because “she sure as hell didn’t look like a kid who’d spent any time on the streets.” When the detectives attempt to track down Mina’s simple but elegant white shirt, they come up cold: There are no labels or distinguishing marks.

Mina’s expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas that she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking—and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits.

The blood on Mina’s body is that of Dorian Gregg, a runaway and one of society’s forgotten waifs. Is someone trying to set Dorian up for Mina’s death? Is Dorian injured—is she still alive? Pictures show a strikingly beautiful Black girl.

J.D. Robb gives us poignant glimpses into Dorian’s hellish past. Dorian would have done anything to escape from the hellish gilded cage where she and Mina were held.

She knew, of course she knew, her ancestors had been sold into slavery, and when she’d still gone to regular school, she’d studied about the whole damn war fought over it.



But this was 2061, for fuck’s sake! People couldn’t just sell people.



But they would. They would.

There’s a citywide manhunt for Dorian. Eve puts herself in Dorian’s brain: she gets it because she was once on the lam. Eve goes berserk when she interviews Jewell Gregg—Dorian’s hard-handed mother—and her Child Services case manager, Pru Truman. Jewell continued to take her SAHM stipend in Dorian’s absence, never bothering to have the cops search for her only child. Eve has Jewell thrown into jail. Peabody must psychologically restrain Eve, who’s furious over Dorian’s neglect by people who should have loved and cared for her. Eve wants to send Dorian’s criminally neglectful case manager to a dungeon, and new-ager Peabody gets it.

“And if you’d told me to toss her in a cage, I’d’ve done it. Hopefully you’d have covered me when she sued our asses off for it, but I’d’ve done it either way. It’s not that she didn’t help Dorian, and who knows how many others, but that they weren’t kids to her. They were just charges. Nameless charges.”

Street people and runaways are not nameless charges to Eve. She visits Tiko, once a street thief and now a budding entrepreneur. She shows him Dorian’s picture and he remembers her, saying “Gotta look twice at that kind of fine.” Tiko sold her a Halloween colored scarf. Who else disappeared around the same time as Mina and Dorian? Timeline in hand, Eve searches for similar circumstances and finds several beautiful young girls who went missing. It can’t be accidental. Why trap and groom young girls since prostitution is legal in 2061? Simply put, there are evil people who want to control others, body and soul, who will brook no restraints. When Eve finally meets Dorian, she understands the depravity of the scheme: “the Pleasure Academy is a living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed.”

Eve and Roarke fight over the toll the case takes. She tells him she’s the boss, that’s it’s her case to solve and although he accepts that, he goes toe to toe with her notion that he has no right to interfere.

“But I question something I can see hurts you, and I have no right? I’m to back off, have no voice, no say, no opinion? Well, bugger that. I’m your husband, not your pet.”



Stunned, she took a step toward him. “I never—”



And he stepped back, very deliberately. “You’ve about a half hour before the Miras get here.”

Eve Dallas has a legion of smart, loyal colleagues, friends, and advocates—the capturers and exploiters of teenage girls don’t stand a chance. This is a stand-out in the “In Death” series, bringing in memories and people from earlier books (like superstar singer Mavis Freestone and street-urchin-guru Sebastian). No need to read the entire series but you’ll enjoy Desperation in Death more if you revisit the first three books.

My favorite series! Desperation in Death is a great addition to this addicting series. I love the characters and settings and it never gets old.

The topic was child trafficking so not the easiest of reads for everyone but I really enjoyed this one. I can't believe this is number 55 in the series. I have missed a few but that's fine - this is written in such a way that it can be a standalone. The police work was thorough and interesting.

I have been reading this series for literally decades! This is #55 in the In Death series. They're really police procedural that take place in a future NYC. Eve Dallas is the lead detective and she and her partner Peabody solve a case in every book. There are also regularly appearing side characters in the stories, sometimes with bigger roles sometimes smaller. I love visiting the crew. I know exactly what I'm going to get- jokes about super-bright ties, references to Roarke's wild blue eyes and Irish accent (he's Eve's husband -and occasional police consultant), and regularly appearing people/scenes. Additionally, there's always a good mystery.

This one is focused on A victim who appeared to be being groomed for a sex trafficking. The fast-paced investigation and information about the sex trafficking industry made me stay up way to late to finish this. It was another good one!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. All opinions are my own.

It's hard to believe that Desperation In Death is book #55 in the In Death Series, and I'm just as addicted to these stories as I was at books #1-3. So much can be said about the writing, plotting and character development and I'm happy to say it still hits home book after book. Robb's expert care and delivery of sensitive subject manner has never wavered and was never more evident than in this story about the horrors of human trafficking. While the subject matter is heartbreaking, once again Robb has delivered a mesmerizing story that held me in a trance until The End.

Mina Cabot and Dorian Gregg were both abducted as teenagers - two individuals walking home alone and then they vanished. Readers learn that they're being held and trained at the Pleasure Academy. Numerous girls have been imprisoned for months and trained for a life of service and exploitation. They are eventually sold to men to live as their sex slaves. Mina and Dorian hatch an escape plan and manage to get outside the facility before tragedy strikes. One is left dead while the other flees for her life.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYC police department, is called to a heartbreaking crime scene at the edge of Battery Park. Joined by her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, they begin investigating the death of a young girl found with a real sharpened piece of wood driven through her small chest. While it may appear to be a mugging, Eve quickly realizes that someone is being set up as there's blood drops from what turns out to be a second teenager. Eve and her team begin working, quickly uncovering clues of a child trafficking ring. They need to find the second missing girl before the villains searching for her kill her also. The story that ensues is dark, gritty and difficult at times to read.

While Desperation In Death stands alone, as does each of the books in the series, there is a tremendous amount of character development in the previous books. I love that many past characters end up with appearances in this book as Eve calls in all her markers and people to solve this case. Series readers understand how personal this case is to Eve as it brings back her own dark past and nightmares. Roarke is there, as always, helping her get through it personally and assisting the tech team professionally. I love that we see more of Eve leading her team as I enjoy seeing how much she's grown both personally and professionally. Desperation In Death is another excellent book in the series. Highly recommended to fans of the series and readers of mystery and suspense as well as police procedurals.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for a gifted copy of the latest in the In Death series. I can't believe we're at 55. JD Robb went in hard on this one. Eve, Peabody, Roarke and the rest work to bust up a child sex trafficking ring. All the content warnings for this one. It was a hard book to read which is not new for this author these days but some of the scenes floored me. I wanted a little bit more of a resolution at the end but I really loved the way the story unfolded and how it intertwined with both Eve and Roarke's pasts. Definitely can see Nadine writing another book about their work and getting all the nominations. Just when I think it's time for this series to be done, I get sucked right back in. Can't wait for the next one.

Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team are back in this new installment in the long running In Death series. This time they are working to solve a murder and find out who is kidnapping girls for exploitation.

The series does a good job of character development if you read the books from the beginning. However you can jump in anywhere to appreciate a good story where you can depend on justice being served. The series takes place in New York City 2061 which also adds some fun elements.

Dallas is not always an easy character to like. She has quite a backstory and can seem hard at times. But her bottom line is standing for the victim. Her husband Roarke is also a complex character. There is a very well-rounded group of supporting characters that really add to the story.

This particular case had some disturbing parts as it dealt with sex trafficking including children but I thought it was handled well. Plus you can always count on this author to bring the case full circle. If you enjoy audio books I highly recommend this series on audio. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

With two girls having been abducted, and one escaping, Sadly, as the girls were escaping, one of them died. Detective Eve Dallas is in a frantic race against time to find out who abducted the girls. It doesn't take long for Eve to realize that exploitation is behind the abductions and Eve cannot help but remember her tragic past when it comes to said abuse.

Eve is an amazing character that J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts) has blessed her readers with. Multidimensional emotions, including being tough on the outside, but with strong sensitivities when it comes to handling cases such as this. Also, Eve's past comes through from time-to-time, and this is one of the ways that allows her billionaire husband Roarke to shine through, as he helps her through the trauma that was her past.

As this current case hits very close to home for Eve, she works hard at keeping everything in check as she is working. As always, Eve's team is quite instrumental in this investigation. Getting to know Eve, Roarke and her team over the years has been wonderful. With a new team member it will be interesting to see how that character evolves. As painful as Eve's past was, it was pivotal when it came to driving her as she turned over every stone in order to solve this newest case.

This remarkable series grows stronger and stronger with each book. This is the 55th book, and the setting has progressed three years. Eve and Roarke are going strong and, as has been done in the past more than once, he is more than helpful as Eve tries to learn who is abducting these young people and to bring them to justice.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the video review of this fabulous book: https://youtu.be/-80cjSELvBM

In the latest installment of the In Death series, we have child sex trafficking. I think this may disturb some readers due to the subject matter, but the details are gently glossed over.

The story is written well. You know who is good and who is bad. But you don’t know everything. As the story unfolds, more truths are revealed.

You don’t want to miss out on this one!

Thank you SMP and net galley for an ARC!!

Really great police procedurals! I can't believe this is the 55th book in this series, woah! You definitely don't need to read them all to understand whats happening though. But there are definitely a ton details loaded in this story. I found at times the amount of details made the story drag on. I found it all so fascinating but almost found it seemed too easy for the police to figure out what had happened.

Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5
I was gifted this eARC for my honest review

After a dead teenager is found, Lieutenant Dallas is determined to figure out what was the cause. She later finds out that its all connected to a sex trafficking network, and this case might be a little to personal for her.

This was my first J.D. Robb book, and I don’t think it will be my last. I know this book is 55th book in the series and yes it would have probably helped me out a lot to have the background stories with some of the characters but I found myself enjoying and picking up on what the MC and SC were talking about, a few times I did say “ I really should have read the others” but really, if you have not read any of the books you can pick this up and give it a try.

I loved the plot to this book, it has romance, action, passion, determination, and heartbreak. What really got to me was the whole sex trafficking network and how they used their minds and their jobs to break this network down piece by piece until that specific network was taken down. I found I really like Lieutenant Dallas a lot, I found that I was able to connect with her easily and she is someone I would want fighting for me.

Be prepared though, when reading this book. I found the opening scenes really moving and I cried, I also cried here and there throughout the book but around the ending I really had to fight the tears back.

I can’t say too much more because I do not want to give anything away but if you like fiction with true crime, I would recommend this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me a chance to read this eARC for my honest review.

Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb (pseudonym for Nora Roberts) brings murder, suspense, and anguish to a well-written futuristic police procedural set in New York City during the spring of 2061. What happens when children are abducted and exploited?

This story starts when Mina Cabot and Dorian Gregg, abducted teenagers, attempt to escape the Pleasure Academy where they have been imprisoned for months and trained for a life of service and exploitation. Unfortunately, the plan isn’t the success they desired.

Our protagonist, Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYC police department, stands over a crime scene at the edge of Battery Park. Joined by her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, they find and identify the body of a teenager. While set up to look like a mugging, the details tell another story. Blood helps them identify a second teenager. When the clues lead to child trafficking, Eve won’t rest until everyone involved is identified and arrested.

Time spent with Eve, Roarke, and Eve’s colleagues is always entertaining. Eve is definitely a compelling and three-dimensional character. Her need to serve and protect comes through in every book, but the underlying impetus for this is best understood by reading this series in order. The way Eve was abused as a child makes this a case that enrages her. Keeping her head clear and her emotions under control are needed for her to succeed. As always, the interactions between Eve and Roarke are enjoyable and bring a different facet of Eve’s personality to light. Several of the reoccurring police characters play significant roles in this book. However, readers also get to see a bit of their private lives. The addition of Detective Willowby from the Special Victims Unit provided needed insight and help.

The prose is well-written and engaging. This time Eve’s passion for justice and those that need help pushes the story beyond finding a single murderer, to taking down those that prey on children. The plot is thought-provoking and tragic. While this book has some action, it is mostly a police procedural. The action is concentrated at the beginning and the ending. It is appalling in places and uplifting in others.

Robb usually manages to embed humor in her novels, providing some much needed levity to offset some of the more serious and grim aspects of the story. There was very little of that in this serious case. She brings strong characters, great plots, wonderful relationships, and excellent pacing to the series. Woven through the novel are threads of caring for others, friendship, partnership relationships, freedom, distrust of authority, alliances, leadership, and trust. Themes include murder, justice, family dynamics, child abuse, child trafficking, and power as well as standing up for the innocent and the dead.

If you enjoy engaging near-future police procedurals, then I recommend this series. This is the fifty-fifth book in the In Death Eve Dallas series and I have read all of them up to this point. Overall, this novel was heartwrenching as well as darker and grittier than usual. I was desperate for Eve and her team to capture the evil perpetrators. This was a disturbing book, but one that is well worth reading. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

St. Martin’s Press and J.D. Robb provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are not biased in any way. Publication date was September 6, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Desperation In Death by J.D. Robb is the 55th book in her In Death series. I have noted this many times that I love this series, as I have read every single book, as well as all the novellas of this series. I also love Eve and Roarke, who I still consider the best literary couple. Desperation in Death is another very good addition to this series. I will never have enough of this series, and marvel how Robb continues to give us fascinating stories at 55 books later; though this book is one of the darker books in this series, with lots of twists and turns.

Eve is called to a scene where a dead teenager is found; as she notices the clothes/undergarments on the dead girl, she begins to suspect that the girl was a victim of a sex trafficking organization. Eve and Peabody begin a search of another missing teen, who was injured and ran away; they are determined to find the missing girl, before the villains find her. As the case continues to get darker, it causes Eve to remember her own past, as she is mentally and emotionally distraught; with Roarke and Peabody trying to keep her calm. We learn more about the missing girl, Dorian, and her now dead friend, Mina; as they escaped the “Pleasure Academy”, only to have Mina push Dorian to safety, bringing her own death.

It was sad and dark, as we see how the young girls are being kidnapped at a young age, and forcefully trained to be a sex slave. Eve pulls everyone together, including other departments to help find the so-called academy and Dorian. Roarke, who we know, always helps Eve on her cases, and this is no different; but he is concerned how this case is affecting Eve.

I always love to see all the many recurring characters, such as Peabody, Nadine, McNab, Mira, Mavis, Feeney, Reo, Summerset, Galahad, and Eve’s entire police team. Closer to the end, Dorian will eventually open up to Eve, and help find the villains and the Academy; giving her own justice, as well as all the girls rescued.
What follows is an intense, exciting, non-stop action filled race to find the people running the awful sex trafficking Academy. The story is grim and tragic, with the last third of the book being very tense and exciting, with edge of your seat suspense.

With 55 books and many novellas, Eve has changed drastically from being alone to having so many friends and teammates she cares about. J.D. Robb once again gives us another masterpiece to this wonderful series, which I hope keeps on rolling for many years to come. Desperation in Death is another masterpiece to this amazing series, which is always so very well written by J.D. Robb.