A fast paced and entertaining procedural (thriller) set in 2061 New York. I've only read a couple of the preceding books in this long running series and each time. including this one, I find myself wrapped in the story with no worries about not having read the earlier ones. This time out, Eve Dallas and her team are in a hunt- a propulsive hunt- for a villain who injected an innocent 16 year old out for a night of music with a toxic combination of drugs and viruses. Who else has been injected? What's the villain's plan? I liked this not only for the story but also for the characters- how Eve interacts with others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a page turner.

J.D. Robb Never misses. Once I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. This was a fast paced enjoyable book. J. D. Robb is an excellent story teller. The maturity and growth in Roarke's relationships is amazing.

Thank you for allowing e to read this title for an honest review.

Random In Death by J. D. Robb is a captivating read that skillfully reintroduces the essence of police procedural, making it both rewarding and engaging.

Engrossing- 5 star
I have been a fan of this series since the first one came out in 1995. You are drawn into the world Eve and Roarke live in and the relationship between their friends. Each book has a fresh mystery to solve and you can not put the book down until you know who is the murderer. I feel that with each book, more of the supporting characters are getting the spotlight and being able to showcase what they can offer.

The only drawback in this book was the lingo the teens used. It took me a bit to understand but once I did, the reading was better.

I can not wait until the next Eve, Roarke, and gang mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having never read a novel by J.D. Robb, I didn’t know what to expect. Any limited expectations I had were certainly exceeded by this fast paced, exciting novel showcasing how police detectives piece together limited bits of information available in an attempt to identify a suspect in murder investigations. Even the minor characters are well described and some of them were extremely charismatic and actually had this reader choked up at times. My only reservations are not knowing about the relationship and background of Dallas and Roarke, which I am sure would have been clear had I read previous books in this series.
I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Thank you J.D. Robb and St. Martin's Press for providing and e-ARC of this book through NetGalley, in return for my honest review.

It's summer 2061 in New York City and sixteen year old Jenna Harbough is excited to be off to her first no parent concert. Her night has barely begun when Jenna is poisoned on the dance floor, and it's up to Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her crew to find the killer and stop them from hurting others. This is a great police procedural set in the future but with a relevant to today topic.

It's hard to believe this is the 58th book in the Eve Dallas In Death series. I've read and enjoyed them all. With each book, we come to know Eve, her husband Roarke, and her partner Peabody a little bit better. As the series develops, we're introduced to a cast of recurring characters. The interplay between the recurring characters and Eve grows with each book. I've become invested in these characters. I look forward to each new book, not knowing who we'll see, and excited to read about their life updates. This book is an excellent addition to the series, a 4.5 out of 5.

the setup…
Jake Kincaid and his legendary rock band Avenue A never forgot their roots and return twice a year to play at Club Rock It, the place where it all started. One of those nights is reserved for the under twenty-one crowd and sixteen-year old Jenna Harbough has convinced her parents to let her attend with her two best friends. An aspiring musician, she fantasized that she’d be able to get Jake to listen to her demo. As she and her friends were enthralled in the concert, Jenna feels a sharp jab in her arm and sees the guy who did it as he moved on. Not thinking much of it, she continued partying until it was clear she was in distress. She headed to the outside alley for air, only to run into Jake who was taking a break. He comes to her aid but Jenna dies in his arms. Girlfriend Nadine Furst immediately reaches out to Lieutenant Eve Dallas, the city’s top homicide cop and her friend who is on vacation. It doesn’t take long for Eve to figure out Jenna might not have been targeted, especially when the same thing plays out again one day later.

the heart of the story…
How do you find a killer who selects his victims randomly? It was fascinating to see Eve and her team disassemble clues and form a path and profile to likely suspects. Of course, hubby Roarke applied his serious tech skills, this time absolutely a critical need. This was the finest in police procedurals, especially how they were able to hone in on a profile, sift through mounds of data, elevate relevant information and quickly set sights on the right target. Throughout all the insanity of these random murders, there were some tender and lovely moments to balance things out.

the bottom line…
This was a fast moving story because time was of the essence to stop the madness. I love a good police procedural and this was one of the best. As it impacted people close and important to Eve, she had an opportunity to show how she’s grown and evolved in how she handled that aspect. There were also some old friends who resurfaced, reminding me of the breadth of beloved characters relevant to this series. Lest we not forget the great house project, too, always fun to get updates. Another winner in a series that continue to find a way to stay relevant and fresh. 4.5 stars

Random in Death by J.D. Robb is the 58th book in her fantastic In Death/Eve Dallas series. As I have noted previous times, I am a huge fan of this wonderful series, having read every book and novellas. I also love Eve and Roarke, who I still consider the best literary couple. Random in Death was another fantastic addition to this series. I will never have enough of this series, and marvel how Robb continues to give us fascinating stories at 58 books later.

The story starts off with Eve and Roarke enjoying a quite evening at home, when she receives a call to a scene of a murder at a music concert. Sixteen- year-old, Jenna Harbough was at the concert with friends, enjoying her favorite band, when she feels being stabbed on her arm. Within minutes, she begins to feel sick, and stumbles out side and dies; as she was injected with a vicious cocktail of a various combination of deadly drugs. Jake Kincaide, lead singer to the band and Nadine’s boyfriend, tries to revive her to no avail; it is Nadine who calls Eve to hurry to the scene. After interviewing everyone at scene, the lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body with the needle having major infectious agents.

The following day, at a different venue, another teenager is injected with a syringe needle, highly infected and she too dies. Eve and Peabody, as well as Roarke are scrambling to find the killer before another young girl is murdered. Slowly, Eve tries to put the pieces together to reveal possible perpetrator, especially after a third girl was injected, but she survived, as her extra jacket limited the injection; and she was saved, with her and her friends giving some idea what the person looked like and what they wore.

With Eve in full control of the case, she and Peabody do everything to identify the real killer. With the team helping out, they needed to explore the dark mind of a young teenager, who was a psychopath, who hated girls who ignored him. When they get closer, they rush to find the killer, who is now after a 4th girl. Will they save her?

I have to say I love Eve and Peabody together, and I also love when Roarke goes with her on some interviews. I always enjoy spending time with the many recurring characters, such as Peabody, Nadine, McNab, Mira, Mavis, Feeney, Reo, Summerset, Galahad, Charles and Louise.

What follows is an intense, exciting, non-stop action filled race to find out who the real killer was; with edge of your seat suspense. To say too much more would be spoilers, and this is too great of a story to ruin it for you.
Random in Death was a compelling, captivating, horrifying thriller from start to finish. J.D. Robb once again gives us another masterpiece to this wonderful series, which I hope keeps on rolling for many years to come. Random in Death is another masterpiece to this amazing series, which is always so very well written by J.D. Robb.

I loved this! This series is just the best to me. This time Eve and team are focused on murders that are seemingly random, no commonality can be found between the victims. The police procedural is interesting, and a lot of the recurring characters are in it. Some good progression on one of the sideline stories too. I cannot wait for the next one in the series.

OMG I so love the way that Lt. Eve Dallas' mind works!

Following the death of a teenage girl at a rock concert with friends, Lt. Dallas and her team set out to find the murderer.

Along the way we meet well loved characters and colleagues that we've gotten to know. Even though all 'In Death' books are standalones, it certainly gives a richer reading experience when you can greet characters like long lost friends.

Relentless as always, Dallas and Peabody spearhead this continually evolving case. Whilst gathering seemingly inconsquential information, Dallas is digging to get into the head of the killer, a style and strategy that works over and over again.

Like much of this author's work, it's the dialogue both to herself and to those she works with, that sets this particular series apart for me.

You very much come to rely on Eve's process to guide you through each and every case, ultimately finding those responsible.

I love this series, the characters and colleagues, but most of all I love how Eve and her ever increasing circle 'stand' for the victims!

Another not to be missed 'In Death' experience.

I loved reading this book! I love this series, ever since I picked up the first book off my mom's shelves. Reading this latest installment, where the victims were chosen at random...it was a challenge for Eve and the gang to overcome to find out who the villain was!

In this case, finding all the evidence, mining all the details to figure out the M.O. was the most important piece in catching this killer. They remark upon it later, but they fit in a lot of casework in not a lot of time and that pace was pretty relentless to stop the killing!

The victims in this case, are some of the most heartbreaking, they're young, they had so much life ahead of them, and their only "crime" was being what the killer hated, and being there in the right place at the wrong time. Which is so infuriating!

One thing that I really wanted, was the moment when they realize, they've been caught, they're going away for a very long time, maybe not even coming out. Alas. Especially because of the attitude of this one, if it wasn't a killer, then it'd be the average person that you just want to throttle because they're like that. Oh, well, can't have it every time!

This was another fantastic installment in the series and I can't wait for more!

The In Death series is one that no matter how many books you've read each new installment feels new and fresh. Also, although I always prefer to start a series at the beginning, I really think you could start at any point in this series, fall in love with the characters, and fall into the world J.D. Robb has built.

Like any of the other cases, Eve has worked she and her team have their work cut out for them with this one. A young girl has been murdered in a crowded club, and she's not the last. Everyone is up against the clock to find this monster before he can strike again. This book kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see them catch the killer, and the writing is so well done you feel like you are in the middle of the bullpen or following Eve as her shadow experiencing all the things she does as she tracks a killer. I loved getting to catch up with my favorite characters and seeing what kind of eye-bleeding tie Jenkinson is currently sporting! This is one of my all-time favorite series, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series, I'm definitely in the mood to do a reread!

This was a true blue police procedural and I ate it up. We do get some nice character moments with Jake & Nadine, since Jake is on the scene where the first murder happens, so that was nice for us long term series readers and is what makes a really enjoyable installment in this series. But I always appreciate the mystery being at the forefront, and this struck the right balance for what I like best for an In Death book

Hard to believe this is book 58! The freshness, the plot twists and even Eve and Roarke themselves are still new, still delivering the suspense, the intrigue and characters you care about! This is a police procedural that always hits on relative issues. Even though the In Death Series is in the future, it is not sci fi woo woo. To be a teenager and excited for a concert with your favorite band, pretty much everyone can relate. Too lose your life from a needle jab with a horrific cocktail is a frightening thought. We see Peabody (Eve's partner at work) McNab (Peabodys partner in life) Feeney (Eve's first mentor, first boss) and so many more, Jake, Nadine, Mavis, Leonardo to name a few. A solid read that pulls on different emotions and entertains. You can color me giddy! I scored an ARC for J.D. Robbs "In Death" series. I also buy and own every single In Death series book. They are all 4's and 5's. I suggest starting with book 1 and read the series in order if you want to understand the true strength and integrity of Eve, the depth of Eve and Roarkes life and more. Thank you for the arc. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #RandomInDeath #J.D.Robb #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

Random in Death by J.D. Robb is a thriller that is hard to put down. Eve Dallas and Roarke along with the rest of the team work together to catch the young murderer.

This book was compelling from beginning to end. The author, as always, does a great job of detailing the crime and the investigation. The perpetrator is slowly revealed, but their horrible crimes splash across the page immediately from the beginning of the book. As Eve Dallas begins to peel away the layers of this crime, the reader will be transfixed, both by the complexity of the investigation and the potential for more crimes that would surely be coming.

The characters just flame to life, and the personalities of the victims, their friends, and the perpetrator are so well described.

I listened to the audiobook as well, and the narrator Susan Ericksen portrayed teenagers in such an authentic way. She was able to expertly portray drama, horror, grief, sadness, and love in such a powerful way.

Eve Dallas's personal life is subtly layered throughout the book, but never takes over from the crime and investigation.

This thriller is horrifying, enthralling, and captivating throughout. J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) has done it again. She has turned out another quality book that will keep you mesmerized.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault

So this one didn't really work for me. I realized why after I got done and it honestly was that the whole story felt rushed and didn't really work. I think Robb was trying to work in the "incel movement" as a thing still in 2061 which fine, but we didn't get to sit with the story at all. Also, it started to feel like people were just in scenes and taking up room. I also skipped over anything talking about the house renovation, Nadine, Jamie, Quilla, etc. These characters have become so unlikeable and unrealistic to me I just cannot anymore. So all in all, this was a solid 3 star, "In Death".

"Random in Death" has Dallas getting called in by Nadine when Nadine's rock star boyfriend holds a dying teen in his arms after one of his sets. Initially the press thinks he did it (which lasts like 5 seconds by the way, so not really a thing) but Dallas realizes that something happened to the girl and she was given a drug that killed her fast. Coincidences are the watch word in this novel since this victim has a connection to Charles and Louise (which is the first time I think we've even had dialogue from them in like 7 or 8 books). Dallas and Peabody investigate.

Eh. I don't know. Dallas was fine to me. So was Roarke. There was a really almost dumb fight they had which added nothing and could have been cut. There were sweet/funny moments though that I won't spoil. But I just get tired of three years in and Dallas still acts weird about Roarke giving her money when she runs out.

Peabody was annoying again in this one. Her acting like a teen over love is old as hell and it's aggravating. Not that she should be somber all the time. But I was with Dallas over her acting like a fool over Jamie and Nadine dating. Who cares. Shut up.

Summerset was great. It was also great to see Charles and Louise, but they really didn't add anything sad to say. Also Feeney was wasted as anything.

I officially am bleh on Mavis and her family. At this point it just becomes a paint by numbers scene we get. And the house renovation is on my last nerves. We all know we are going to get the longest ever descriptions about this stuff and I just don't care people. I lost interest in Nora Roberts actual book talking about an inn renovation. I don't read "In Death" for that.

The "bad guy" in this one felt very one note and lame. We get their point of view that once again started to feel like filler to me.

The flow of this one was wonky to me. As I said, it felt like a lot of stuff was put in here to fill out pages, but not a lot mattered in the end. And it just felt like there were just scenes. For example, we find out that Feeney hates murders that involves kids so he wants to be involved. I swear he was in like two scenes. You don't even have Dallas talking to him (awkwardly) about it like she usually would. Dallas calls her FBI pal and it goes nowhere. I was all, why was she even inserted in this if it didn't matter? Even DeWinter pops in and once again it was like why is she here? It just seemed so Dallas could be aggravated by her? I don't know. And once again I am begging Robb to just give Nadine and that mess a pass for a while. At this point, no one else would not be screaming to the heavens about the relationship that Dallas has with Nadine and some defendant wouldn't be using it in court too. It's just unrealistic. And I do not want to keep hearing about the Icove case. Nadine writing screenplays about Dallas never made any sense to me since we know that the Dallas we got to know would be okay with her life being put out there like that. I just get annoyed every time we hear about how Nadine won all the awards again. Eyeroll.

The ending was weird in my opinion. It just lingers weirdly and there's just I don't know, it felt very abrupt and like there had to be some pages missing.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of Random in Death by J.D. Robb. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I always have the same issue with Eve Dallas mysteries. I don't really enjoy the banter between the characters when the crimes are first discovered, but I become engaged in the mystery once I get past the first few chapters. This happened with this book as well. I loved the crime/mystery and thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I give it a solid 3.5/5 with the thought that if I hadn't already read so many of the previous books in the series, the opening character introductions wouldn't feel as repetitive. If you are looking for a light mystery series, I highly recommend this series of books.

Another great addition to the In Death series. The books with kids always get me since I've been a mom, so there were a few times I had to put this one down, but, ultimately, I enjoyed it. It was a satisfying ending, not super dragged out and hit all the points I love about the In Death novels.

Losing someone you love is painful. Losing a child, even more so. But when you lose a child and find that they were specifically chosen as a random victim… devastating!

And so begins our newest book in JD Robb’s In Death series. Random in Death hits close to home for police detective Eve Dallas. With her friends caught up in the mix, Eve has to determine whether the people she has come to care about could possibly be a part of something so horrific.

Random in Death is one of the more police procedural type books. The mystery is interesting and great to follow as we watch Eve and Peabody work through their suspects and evidence to determine who could be targeting the innocent.

Random in Death is a little steamier than some and the language of it is more salty but it is a very interesting if peaceful story. It has loads of triggers and hits close to home so be prepared with a box of tissues.