I love the continuing saga of Eve and Roarke and their friends and colleagues. The mystery itself was fast-paced and engaging. The suspects were all capable and intriguing. I like the connection between Eve and the victim. It links back to other cases in the series. While you could read these as stand-alone mysteries, the heart of the story is its connective tissue as an ongoing series. Do your self a favour and binge this series. 100% recommend.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for this advanced reader copy.

Eve just gets to sleep and she is awoken to go to a crime scene, someone is dead. Roarke, Peabody and McNab show up also and continue to help solve the crime. It’s frustrating and it is not clear who has committed the murder. I hate to say more because I don’t want to give it away. A great read!

Another great Lt. Eve Dallas book. This had murder and all the usual characters and especially tender moments between Eve and Roarke. Peabody and Eve work together to find who murdered a bride at her pre-wedding party. I loved it and can’t wait for more. It’s like catching up with friends.

Passions in Death brings back the Eve and Peabody from the earlier novels. There is a lot more of them working together in this book and I absolutely loved it. I also loved Eve's response when Roarke has a bad day - it's not often that we get to see that side of Eve. Re the case, you kind of know who the culprit is halfway into the case, but it was nice to see all the friendships and relationships in action in this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

PASSIONS IN DEATH is book #59 in the immensely popular ‘In Death’ futuristic police procedural series by JD Robb. The Down & Dirty Club is open on a Monday night for guests of the pre-wedding party of Erin Albright and Shauna Hunnicut. The brides and their tribe of friends’ drink, sing and dance the night away in celebration of the two women's upcoming nuptials, leaving all inhibitions on the floor with their clothes. During the height of the party, Erin slips away unseen to a back room to prepare for a special surprise she's planned for her bride-to-be Shauna, and that's where Lt. Eve Dallas, accompanied by her ridiculously wealthy husband Roarke, finds her lying in a pool of her own blood. Eve's momentarily taken aback as she recognizes the room as the same one in which she had once fought for her own life, and she vows to get justice for this woman whose future has been brutally stolen from her. As the story unfolds, evidence points toward a cold, premeditated murder of passion by someone close to the victim - someone she trusted and considered a friend.

Erin and Shauna will be married in five days. But tonight is all about music, friends, dancing, and drinking. Until one of them is found dead, and it wasn’t an accident.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the scene. With a little help from Roarke, she gets the investigation started. As soon as Detective Peabody arrives, she starts looking for motive and opportunity. Eve is certain that this wasn’t a random crime. As she digs, she finds that a relationship is at the heart of this tragic murder.
As always, and enjoyable whodunnit. Who would want to kill someone who is everyone’s friend and so in love. Chalk one up for me, because my early guess proved correct! 59 must be my lucky number. I look forward to spending time with these characters twice a year.

PASSIONS IN DEATH is the fifty-ninth book in J.D. Robb's futuristic, police procedural style In Death Series. For new readers feeling overwhelmed with the sheer number of books, you can be confident jumping in at any point as each title in the series stands alone with a murder mystery solved and needed backstory included within the pages of each book. However, the main characters as well as some of the repeat support characters are introduced in early books, and character development is a key part of the storyline throughout the series. Hard-core Dallas fans will tell you that it enhances your reading pleasure to start with NAKED IN DEATH and proceed through the series in order of publication.

Drinks flow freely at The Down & Dirty Club which is open on a Monday night for guests of the pre-wedding party of Erin Albright and Shauna Hunnicut. The brides and their tribe of friends’ drink, sing and dance the night away in celebration of the two women's upcoming nuptials, leaving all inhibitions on the floor with their clothes. During the height of the party, Erin slips away unseen to a back room to prepare for a special surprise she's planned for her bride-to-be Shauna, and that's where Lt. Eve Dallas, accompanied by her ridiculously wealthy husband Roarke, finds her lying in a pool of her own blood. Eve's momentarily taken aback as she recognizes the room as the same one in which she had once fought for her own life, and she vows to get justice for this woman whose future has been brutally stolen from her. As the story unfolds, evidence points toward a cold, premediated murder of passion by someone close to the victim - someone she trusted and considered a friend. No one has a bad thing to say about the victim . . . so which member of her close tribe of friends murdered her?

A gripping, deeply emotional police procedural, PASSIONS IN DEATH displays Robb's expertise in continuously delivering highly visual, masterly plotted, strong character driven stories that keep fans clamoring for more. Her ability to meticulously maneuver Eve and company through the solving of yet another complex murder case is highly entertaining and nothing short of amazing. While PASSIONS IN DEATH is a bit slower paced than some of the other books, the short list of red herrings, lack of apparent motive, and frustrating perplexity of the case keeps both characters and readers on their toes while setting a mysterious smoke and mirrors atmosphere and tone throughout. As always, I find Eve's mind a fascinating place to be when she's sniffing out clues and homing in on the murderer with the intensity of a bloodhound on the trail of prey before striding into the interrogation room with fire in her eyes and justice on her lips in an old fashion showdown with the villain reminiscent of the final gunfight at the OK Corral. There's never any doubt who the victor will be.

PASSIONS IN DEATH is another highly visual, inventive masterpiece by Author J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts, highlighting the many intricacies of relationships especially within found family or a close circle of friends. Fans will appreciate appearances from a few of the series' regulars like Peabody, Mavis and Bella. PASSIONS IN DEATH is a compelling, highly addictive blend of crime and police procedural suspense with a sexy side of fairytale romance ala Eve's own mysterious prince of a husband, Roarke. Highly recommended to fans of the series as well as fans of intriguing mysteries and suspense thrillers.

As an avid long-time fan of the In Death series, this is another hit. And particularly if you like it with JD Robb gives us a tiny bit more of ooey gooey Eve and Roarke. Passions in Death takes us to murder of soon to be bride that may seem like it was accidental but quickly narrows in what seems to be like a close knit circle of friends.

Although I enjoy the serial killer stories JD Robb writes, the ones with the singular homicide is where the case work shines because it is able to examine singular persons and walk through every concept. For fans of the tech geeks, this one involves more low tech and more Mira driven techniques. As usual, you'll have a toss up between who you might think the killer is, but in the end, you can't beat the evidence and inkling.

For newcomers to JD Robb, you'll enjoy this for the fun bantering between the LT and partner Detective Peabody. You'll love reading about them in action and how they meticulously solve murder cases. It'll be a great introduction to the love between Eve and Roarke and then you'll want to delve into her other 50+ books in this series!.

DEATH BY J.D. ROBB

Passions in Death may be the fifty-ninth book in J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas series, but the stories are still fresh. Best of all, though, is the chance to catch up with Eve Dallas, her husband, Roarke, and Dallas’ co-workers and friends.

It’s the early hours of the morning when Dallas is called to the Down and Dirty, a sex club. A group of friends had enjoyed a loud and boisterous night of drinking and dancing before Erin Albright married Shauna Hunnicut. But, a staff member found Erin’s body in a private room where she had been garroted. Erin planned to surprise her fiancee with honeymoon tickets to Hawaii. The artist had been saving from sales of her art. Now, Shauna’s world is shattered with her lover dead in the club.

Eve and Roarke know this will be a tough case for Dallas. Before their wedding, she was attacked in that same room. She managed to fight off her attacker and bring him to justice. Now, she and her partner, Peabody, and the rest of the NYPSD team will have to find justice for Erin.

As always, this series combines fascinating police procedural set in the near future with personal details of the lives of Eve, Roarke, and their friends. Their home life is always fun to read about, with their butler, Summerset, their cat, and their sex life. There’s humor and so much love. And, Dallas is always learning more about the people in their lives, learning about friendship and the social skills she lacks.

But, I always look for those phrases that emphasize Eve’s passion for justice. This time, she knows the murder was personal, and there was passion involved. She sees it as mean and stupid and a personal murder. Roarke tells her she’s the victim’s “agent of justice”. When Erin’s parents show up, Dallas saw “the weight of their grief. She carried it with her to the bullpen.” That’s what I admire about these books. The stories are excellent. I love police procedurals. But Eve Dallas never forgets the victims, and, with every investigation, every case, she carries the weight of the grief of those who loved the victims.

So many years on and so many books in, J.D. Robb's "In Death" series remains one of my favorites. In this latest installment, we get a somewhat softer Eve Dallas than we have seen before, as she and her team work on a case that leads Dallas to reflect on love, friendships, and how the ties that bind come to be.

The focus of "Passions in Death" is very much the crime, even if it does force some interesting introspection by Dallas. The crime isn't huge as crimes go, though the ripple effects are of course, many. Overall, a nice addition to the series.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

***ARC provided by NetGalley for review***

Another installment of the In Death series, now with texts!
No, seriously, is this a brand new thing, getting to see the texts they send, because I do not recall seeing it ever before.

Irrelevant to the story itself, I really liked this one. I did figure out who did it pretty early on, but so much of this book was more "slice of life" and it's okay that it felt a little bit slower and more predictable than the others.
But they really need to finish that house already, I am getting impatient.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

I was surprised and delighted to receive an ARC for this. I enjoyed this one and thought it was a good read. Though.. I wish they'd finish the dang house already. I'm starting to feel like Eve regarding it. :P

5/5 stars! Passions in Death is book #59 in the In Death series. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t put this book down. I can’t wait until next February when book #60 is released! This book is released September 3, 2024. Thank you to JD Robb & Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

One just cannot get any better than Roarke and Dallas. This title did not disappoint. After all these years, it's nice to see a softening a bit, of Eve. It hasn't changed her ability to get the job done, just socializing her a bit better. I read this title instead of listening to the audiobook. I still hear Susan Erikson reading it "in my head" and no one can do Bella better than Susan! This is the longest running series I'm maintaining and I can't wait for the next title!

A brutal murder at a night club turns a wedding celebration into a tragedy. Lots of suspects, no apparent motive, but Eve will solve it. Count on it. Lots of interesting characters, with a mystery that will keep you reading. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I think that the “In Death” series is the best one out there! I love the interactions between all of the characters, both continuing and new. I like how methodical Dallas, Peabody, and the rest of their unit go about solving each crime. With this one, they had a hard time as there wasn’t much physical evidence to link to any particular suspect. In such a short time, I really cared about the victim and those closest to her in such a short time. I am always sad when I reach the end but glad that the victims aren’t forgotten.

My Thoughts

This time I took a slower approach to reading and it made the book last longer while also giving me more of a chance to form opinions on who murdered the victim.

I feel very strongly that even after 58 books before this one that this series still has room to grow for its current audience and new readers who have just discovered the characters.

Eve Dallas has proven to be one of my very favorite female leads in any genre of fiction as she is a strong woman who hasn’t lost her ability to be vulnerable as well.

For me she shows her softer side more in this story and at the same time proves that her edge has only grown sharper when it comes to investigating and solving a murder mystery.

That being said what weaved this story together was how everything came down to relationships and especially the relationship between victim and killer.

There are a really large amount of reasons why I keep coming back to this series but the simplest one is its main and supporting cast of recurring characters interest me and I have loved getting to know each and every one better over the many years that have been reading the In Death Series.

I hope to keep reading this series for a long time.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Passions in Death is the latest in the Eve Dallas series.

Two brides are having a bachlorette party at a local bar. One of the brides goes into a private room to prepare her surprise gift for her fiancee. She is found brutally murdered and Eve is called to investigate.

Eve herself was once assaulted in that very room. She achieved justice for herself. Now she wants to find the killer who destroyed this young woman's life and the happiness she was on the cusp of.

As always, there is the great chemistry between Eve and her perfect husband, Roarke. I love following this latest book in the series.

Yeah, I loved reading this book! This series is just so fantastic, and I love watching Eve and her team investigate crimes. This latest case-of a bride days before her wedding day being killed before she made a big surprise announcement, yeah, that was terrible!

In this book, we really got to dive into the world of the victim, because of how connected all of these characters were, from high school, and the friends and hook-ups that they have, with all these different connections. It was just figuring out which one was actually the killer, with all the potential motives.

The little updates into their lives is something that I really love. From Eve's feelings towards Roarke buying these places for her, like the bar that had been managed by the douchebag, to the heading to the finish line renovations of Mavis and Peabody's houses, yeah, it was so great! Plus with the focus of the investigation on the connections, the tribe, brings up thoughts of Eve's tribe, and that was so great!

That ending was pretty satisfying. The reasons for this death, that caused so much harm to this friend group, was infuriating, and it was great to see the kill caught, and the way that they played on the persona was fantastic!

Loved reading this book, and I'm so excited for the next, the synopsis sounds fantastic!

Passions In Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #59) 4.5 stars

The latest novel in the long running series that began with “Naked In Death” finds Eve Dallas on her way to the Down and Dirty Club after a murder took place in a privacy room. A pre-wedding celebration was in progress – drinks, dancing and fun. Erin Albright, one of the brides is going to one of the clubs’ privacy rooms to change clothes in order to surprise to her fiancée Shauna. Unfortunately, she is garroted in the privacy room and now the local sex club and bar is now the scene of a murder. Eve Dallas will have to investigate the life of the victim and those closest to her to find the murderer.

This book sets a different pace than the previous book “Random In Death”. There is no serial killer looking for random victims; instead we get a more compact and mundane crime. One death and the key to finding the killer is the classic - Motive, Means and Opportunity. We get an almost slow pace in this book which is normal considering the crime. The killer is introduced early in the book as part of the circle of friends surrounding the victim. However, it wouldn’t be a mystery without a few red herrings and Robb does throw in a few. This was a quick read and quite enjoyable, but I think this would count as a rest period in preparation to “Bonded In Death” (February 2025) which should be fast paced book with lives at stake and a clever killer on the loose.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.