I love Random in Death -- teenagers in the future still act like teenagers -- and the hunt for the chilling killer by Eve Dallas. I love the characters. I love the relationships. I disliked the narrator quite intensely and it put me off. This may be one of the few books I would prefer to read instead of listen to.

This is book 58 in this series (which totally blows my mind) but it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the earlier books). I do think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the other books because I would have been more invested in the characters if I knew them better. I liked the futuristic speak and some of the teen lingo was so good I laughed out loud. One night as teens watched an iconic band play someone pricked a girl with a deadly cocktail. Despite emergency services being contacted she did not make it and this got Lieutenant Eve Dallas is on the case and she won’t stop until she hunts the killer down. I listened to the audiobook of this one and thought the narrator did a good job bringing the story to life. I liked this book and definitely think I will read more of this series. It was a fun thriller/police procedural.

Another great Eve and Rourke story. I love that these can be read in any order and they’re still good - it’s not a series you have to read from Book 1 to jump into.

Rating: 4.5

As a fan of the series since Naked in Death, book one of the In Death Series, I was on pins and needles waiting to read the latest installment.

Lt. Eve Dallas, her partner, Det. Peabody and the rest of her crew, stand for the dead. In this case, the dead are teenage girls seemingly targeted and harmed for no reason. The victims float through the worlds of Eve’s friends and family making things complicated as she searches for the person responsible. Roarke, civilian consultant, husband to Eve, is on hand to help as well.

The method used on the victim is way worse than I would have ever imagined. The combination is overkill causing some head scratching. One or two would do the job, right?!

The brief respite with Mavis, Leo, Peabody, McNab, Roarke, and Mavis/Leo’s daughter was adorable how she tells Eve she needs a nap. It was a perfect rest point to give the reader a chance to catch up and digest all that had happened to that point.

All of my favorite characters were included without it feeling like there were too many. The confession gave me chills it was so well done.

A witness asks Eve, “You’re going to get them aren’t you?” And she replies, “I’ll repeat. It’s what we do.” I think that says it all.

Bonus: Roarke shirtless, Roarke in jeans and a tee, and Eve “Boss Cop” in tee and vest showing how badass she is. Power couple at its best.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.
Happy Reading!

In the 58 installment of Robb’s in death series a young girl is the first victim. She has talked her parents on letting her attend an Avenue A concert. By the end of the night Eve is called to the scene where she finds Jake and Natalie with the victim. So begins this chapter of thrilling series that pits Eve and the others against a murderer who chooses their victims randomly.

Robb is a master storyteller. The development of these characters continues as we see some step from the shadows to play an integral part here. Her use of description and dialogue move the plot along as it builds to its conclusion. The dialogue between characters had me turning each page to the end. This book could be read as a stand alone. But, having been a fan of this series since the Naked in Death I would encourage you to start with the first book.
I was given an arc from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest and fair review.

The books in this futuristic suspense series never disappoint.

How can the 59th book in a long running series still be this good? Well, Eve Dallas and Roarke still have that incredible staying power as the main characters who stand for the dead and try to achieve some sort of justice for victims of crimes. In this case, young girls are getting stabbed by contaminated needles and are dying before any help can arrive. The substance inside the syringes is a sophisticated concoction that only a truly devious mind could design. How are these victims chosen and what message is the killer sending? Only Eve and her colleagues can find the answers.

I had read quite a few installments many years ago, but became sidetracked by other books and never got back to where I had left off. Picking this one up, completely out of order, was easy and I didn’t feel that I had missed anything so significant that affected my enjoyment of this particular plot and story. I love the details about life in this near future New York City, especially the way that Eve and Roarke live it. I like all the characters and their individual histories, partnerships, and interaction. I both listened and read this and had a great time reuniting with this world and these fictional people. Makes me want to go find another soon and catch up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-book and audiobook to review and recommend. If you like police procedurals and crime thrillers, this series is not to be missed.

Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Random in Death is book number 58 in the In Death series. Had I known this going into it, I may have not requested it because that is a lot of work to be behind on. Anyway, I gave this one a shot and I liked it, there were just some things that didn’t work for me.
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I think that this definitely worked as a stand alone novel but I also think that I would have enjoyed this one more had I read the other books in this series and really had a knack for the characters and the things that they had been through. There were characters in this story that had no rhyme or reason as to their purpose of being in the story, which I’m sure would have had way more impact if you’ve read the entire series.
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I feel like the flow of this one was up and down. All of the parts related the police procedural aspect and the serial killer aspect I was vibing with and was really all about. The romance part and, again, the other characters that seemed to have reason to be in the story, made those parts drag. Overall story wise - definitely a good one, something I was totally about, but 100% think I would have liked it more had I read the entire series.
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One of my biggest issues with this story was the dialect. It was so hard for me to get used to it. It was so repetitive and if I’m being completely honest, it was corny AF. I really hope that the youth of the future does not talk the way they were depicted in this book, let alone the adults, it was just weird.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and it was narrated by Susan Erickson. I think she did a great job, I love that I had this one on audio, because the dialect was so cringeworthy I’m not too sure I would have finished a hard copy.
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I’d love to eventually go back and read this series and then reread this one to see if my opinions change. Either way, I would recommend this one to fans of police procedurals and futuristic novels. This had a cool premise, and I would have rated it higher, but that dialect lol I cant get over it.
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Random In Death releases on 1/23. Be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, J. D. Robb and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Random in Death by J.D. Robb is a futuristic police procedural novel that follows Lieutenant Eve Dallas as she investigates a murder case in New York City. The book is the 58th installment of the In Death series and features a well-written plot that is full of suspense, action, and drama. The story is set in the summer of 2061 and revolves around the murder of a young girl at a concert. The killer is unknown, and the only clue is a small and easily concealed weapon. The book has received positive reviews for its intricate plot and well-developed characters. If you enjoy crime thrillers with a futuristic twist, then Random in Death is a must-read. Y0u can read this as a stand alone.

A solid crime thriller with a sprinkle of romance.

*Can be read as a standalone.*

A murderer is on the loose, targeting innocent girls at random. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is on the case, determined to stop the killer before he strikes again. Join Lt. Dallas on her journey as she uses her wit, experience, and intuition to track down the murderer and bring him to justice. Will she be able to solve the case in time, or will the killer manage to slip away?

This was an entertaining novel that had me hooked from the very first page! Although I must admit, I didn't care for all the teenage lingo. Besides that, it was a great read. If you're looking for a thrilling read that will keep you entertained from start to finish, look no further!

***Thank you to NetGalley, J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts), and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Love this series! Dallas is such an icon for the literary detective scene. This was no different than the others in the series in how fabulous it was.

Eve Dallas and her team are racing against the clock to find the killer of what seems to be random teenage girls. With no witnesses who can describe the killer and the murders appearing random the team must use the minimal physical evidence that they have to stop him from killing again.

I love when I can immerse myself in the world of Dallas, Roark and the EDD and Homicide Divisions of the NYPSD, but where is Dennis Mira!

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Random in Death by J D Robb
In Death series #58. Futuristic mystery cop thriller. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Teen girls are being killed by a cocktail of chemicals that kills them within minutes. It’s up to Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her staff to figure out the killer and then catch him or her.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version of this book which was narrated by Susan Erickson. Susan is a long standing fan favorite with distinctive voices for Eve, Rourke, Peabody, McNab and many others in this series. Listening to the performance you get to hear Eve’s snark and impatient attitude and Roarke’s calming presence and Peabody’s upbeat enthusiasm for her job. In this specific book, we can hear the pressure building as the cops try to beat the clock and the killer before he strikes the next victim.
I was around book 36 before I tried an audiobook for this series. I’ll admit I hated the first two I listened to. Not because the narrator did a bad job. On the contrary, it was an excellent performance. But they weren’t the voices in my head after years of reading. This is maybe the fourth or fifth audiobook I’ve listened to in the series and while I admit one or two voices will still startle me, I love listening to the police work and the tension as it escalates, as well as the calming relationship with Eve’s friends and children and even the fat cat sleeping on her. These books are like revisiting friends once or twice a year but having the luxury of not being in the middle of a murder situation as we sit back and listen.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan audio.

Welcome back Dallas! I have read them all and the last two books haven't thrilled me but this one is great. The pace is back the characters are popping off the page. Nice flow through the "chase" of the story. All the regular crew is there everyone continuing on with thier lives and the job of murder!!! Nice to have them back.

Thank you Netgalley for the Audiobook ARC of Random in Death by J.D. Robb.

Random in Death is the 58th book in the "in death" series written by J.D. Robb. The current time frame of all the books in the series is set in the future. Sometimes the cause of death, the method and the motivate might portray something from the past. Such as in this case where the deceased sixteen year old girl was murdered with a syringe needle mixed with a deadly fast acting cocktail. Each teenage girl that was injected with the cocktail has been chosen at what seemed to be at random.

The death of the first girl, died literally in the hands of a rock star, one she was there to see and potentially wanted to meet. The next day another girl meets her tragic ending. It's up to Eve Dallas and her team to find out who is the next victim and who murdered these girls and why.

I like the narrator of the audiobook. It was nice to be able to listen to the audiobook after I had just finished reading the ebook ARC.

Random in Death AUDIO by JD Robb was a good book but somewhat of a disappointment as I have never read one of her books before and expected more. Why it is set in the future is beyond me as all I saw of the future were a few vocabulary changes. Maybe I missed something. It was a decent mystery/police procedural. I would like to have thought that policing would have made some strides forward, but it doesn’t seem they have. The protagonist is Eve Dallas who has had a hard life but now is in love with, and married to, Roarke, a very wealthy man. She attempts to not take advantage of that fact, but it is difficult. He also is present in her investigation. A young woman is at a club, gets stabbed with a needle, flees, and dies in the arms of her hero, Jake Kincaid, a musician. That is frightening enough, but something similar happens the very next night. This is a case of serious profiling and deep investigating to solve this crime as there are few clues. The murderer is thorough and smart. It started off with shoes. Then, the third victim lived. He tried to inject her through a heavy coat and into a bruise he couldn’t see and so she lived. And she was observant.

The characters in this book were brilliant, the recurring ones as well as the ones relating to this case only. The detective work was brilliant and very creative. Eve is a good character, who loves her work and those she works with. They are an excellent team and interesting to boot. I was on the edge of my seat for much of the book. The description of the perp’s father when what his son had done sank in was brilliant. It was a good book.

The reader is Susan Ericksen in whom I was very disappointed. In fact, I nearly DNFed the book based on the opening chapters. It is disappointing because as she read the afterword she has a perfectly lovely voice. Someone must like her because I she she’s been narrating this series for a while.

I was invited to listen to an audio e-ARC of Random in Death by MacMillan Audio, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #JDRobb #SusanEricksen #RandomInDeath

I have read all the Eve Dallas books and would happily continue reading this series forever. I love the characters, the interactions, and the methodical thinking that the main character goes through when trying to solve a crime. In this book we don't get to hear from the suspect until Dallas has fully worked through who he is and what motivates him and by the time we hear from him we know all there is to know. The criminal motivations felt somewhat topical in this day and age as well as the future.

If new to the series you don't have to start at the beginning as each book stands on its own - but it would help as the people in the books have a great deal of history and important development that it would be a less rich experience (but still enjoyable) starting here.

Susan Erickson is the narrator of the Eve Dallas series. She does a great job of differentiating characters.

A special thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas, Peabody, Roarke, and the rest of our beloved crew, is back with another riveting case.
A murderer is targeting young girls by injecting them with a nasty, highly toxic cocktail of drugs which kills them in minutes.

Sixteen-year-old Jenna Harbough is the first victim, jabbed in the arm by a male while attending an Avenue A concert, where she hoped to slip a demo tape to singer Jake Kincade. The next day, another victim, with more to follow.

Eve, Peabody, and the team leave no stone unturned as they piece together the clues. They’re dealing with a highly intelligent perpetrator—someone skilled at chemistry, someone fueled by rage and malice. It’s fascinating to see it all come together, as always, by such a compelling cast of characters.

This is book 58 and still I never tire of the series, of the stories and adventures J.D. Robb so expertly imparts. This fast-paced procedural is the perfect blend of heart and suspense, and a 2024 favorite already.

This is definitely s J.D. Robb novel. Teen girls are getting "stuck" with a cocktail of deadly drugs. Who is doing it and why? This novel has all the hallmarks of her other books which makes it enjoyable to read, and as I haven't read anything by her in a while, it was a good reminder to pick up a few others.

I did find the narrator a little hard to listen to as I had the audiobook. There is no particular reason why other than I found the voice to be a little grating when switching between characters.

This is not the first Eve Dallas novel I've read, but the latest in this long series is the first I've listened to. Readers need not have read any of the previous books to enjoy Random in Death. As usual, Robb tells a good, twisty police procedural that is effective only with the extra knowledge and resources of Dallas' ultra-wealthy husband. All that help pushes the story beyond realism. While the story is twisty and solid, it really doesn't rise above many similarly-plotted well-written novels. Random in Death is set in the future, but except for a few gratuitous nods to "advanced" technology, nothing innovative is part of the story and the future setting is hard to understand. Susan Ericksen's narration is excellent, enhancing the novel just as one expects from the best. Recommended.

Great entry in the series. The narrator really brings the characters to life. I hear her voice even when I’m reading. The whole book takes place over a weekend so it’s very fast paced, nevertheless, all of my favorite characters have a part in the story. I anlways enjoy the little bits of the characters off duty life.