Bonded in Death

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb.

This is a series that continues to surprise, and never gets stale. J.D. Robb is THE master of character development with a cast of the most well-loved characters being written today.

Bonded in Death gives us some history regarding Summerset, who he was in his younger years, and the amazing group of people he had as "chosen family" - back in the day, and still.

One of my favorites in this series.

This was one of the best "in death" books I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed the intricate story line, and the characters.
I found this a fast read, as I did not want to put it down. Thanks to the publisher for the arc copy of this !

Just when I think this series couldn't possibly get any better, it does! I adored seeing Sommerset as a larger part of this story and the backstory was poignant. Eve is growing as a person and watching her work is always a delight. It was a one-sitting read!

J.D. Robb's futuristic In Death series is back with her 60th installment, Bonded in Death, and it's as good as all the books before it. In this installment, Eve investigates the death of Giovanni Rossi, found murdered in the back of a limo, clutching one of Eve's business cards and a cryptic note about seeking vengance on The Twelve. Who is this secret group that the dead Italian senior citizen belonged to? Thanks to the help of her homicide team, Roarke, and their butler Summerset, all becomes clear. Together, they work to stop the killer's vendetta.

This book takes us to the Urban Wars of the mid 2020's and a long held grudge. We come to learn about the work Summerset, and a group of allies, did in London at this time. While fans of the series already knew some of Summerset's back story, it was interesting to learn even further and to discover more about the Urban Wars. I've read the entire series and highly recommend it. The well crafted characters, including a long list of recurring ones, feel like family and I'm always eager to see how they're doing. 5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to J.D. Robb, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

Once again, this author has crafted a story that pulls me in from the very first page. The writing is sharp, fast-paced, and layered with so much emotional depth that it feels like the plot takes on a life of its own. What really stands out to me is how the tension keeps building, not just from the twists and turns of the story, but from the characters' personal struggles. It’s that perfect balance between heart-pounding suspense and deep, human connection that makes this book so hard to put down. It’s rare for a book to keep me guessing right up until the very end, and yet, with this one, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The writing style is always a standout, so effortless and immersive, yet full of sharp moments that cut straight to the heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Continuing my streak of being Nora’s #1 fan, this might be one of my favorite of the In Death series to date (and that’s saying something, given how many of them there are). I loved getting more of Summerset’s background, more of the Urban Wars, and I personally love a world where I already know the characters well, it’s like a comfort show.

Followers of this series are going to be surprised and love this book! It is good and some things revealed might shock some readers. As always, I love revisiting these characters. Great job to the author; I didn't see it coming!

This is one of mt favorite series. I have now started again from the beginning for a second time having read them all once. While the plots and outcomes are similar they keep your attention. I really like how the characters developed through the series b

What a fantastic addition to the series! Bonded in Death, the sixtieth book in J. D. Robb’s well-written futuristic police procedural set in New York City, is one of the best in the series. This series features homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas, her husband, Roarke, and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, along with an assortment of regular secondary characters. This time we get more of Summerset’s background and history along with a fascinating murder. Summerset is the man who became a father to Roarke when he was a young boy on the Dublin streets.

Giovanni Rossi arrives in New York, but he was a part of a small, secret organization consisting of twelve individuals during the 2020’s. He arrives in response to an old colleague and dies soon after being picked up at the airport. Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the case frustrating. Rossi had just arrived from Rome. His widow doesn’t know why he left, and the police still don’t what killed him or why. When Summerset, learns of the crime, he’s shocked and reveals how he knows the victim.

Time spent with Dallas, Roarke, Peabody, and their colleagues and friends is always entertaining. Eve is smart, tenacious, determined, focused, brave, and believes in what she does. However, her way doesn’t usually include the social niceties. It’s compelling to see how Eve’s mind works as she gets a better picture of the killer. As always, the interactions between Dallas and Roarke as well as with their friends and her homicide team are enjoyable and bring different facets of her personality to light. While this book didn’t include a lot of interactions with their friends, it included several people important to Summerset.

Murder, suspense, and drama immediately pull readers into the storyline. The author continues to use prose to elicit a strong emotional response from readers. While this one included some flashback scenes, Robb made the transitions smooth and the content riveting. While the killer is known early in the book, the story is about the investigation and search for him or her as well as the relationships people have formed.

Skilled in using humor to bring out character personalities as well as to offset some of the more serious aspects of the story, I didn’t want to put the book down. Strong characters, excellent pacing, and delightful relationships are a constant in this series. Woven through the novel are threads of friendship, standing for victims, found family, betrayal, greed, love, connections, bonds, hate, jealousy, justice, trust, anger, and much more.
Robb is an excellent storyteller who combines clever plots, intense scenes, lots of solid police investigation, and engaging characters with depth. The narrative has the right balance of mystery, police investigation, romance, and creative twists.

Overall, this novel was an emotional and twisty tale with great characterization that kept me engaged throughout the story. If you enjoy intriguing near-future police procedurals with a strong female lead, then I recommend this series. I can’t wait to read the next book.

St. Martin’s Press and J.D. Robb provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 04, 2025.

Bonded in Death is book 60 in the In Death series. I have not read every book in the series but I have read a few and this one did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Bonded in Death is releasing February 4 2025. Thank you so much to Netgalley and J.D. Robb for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Wow, this book is amazing. Lots of tension, fast-moving, yet there’s also emotions. The plot, story is interesting, & the characters are great. #BondedinDeath #NetGalley

This was a wild roller coaster ride. High impact velocity. This is a very case centric book. This book is Eve Dallas at her best. She was hard hitting and fully locked on catching the murderer. I enjoyed how she systematically went through all the clues. We learned so much more about Summerset and his life before he met Roarke. This case has given Eve and Summerset a better understanding of each other. This is one of my favorite In Death books. JD Robb did an outstanding job of writing as to honor and celebrate the publication of her 60th In Death book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Bonded in Death, book 60 in this series, is by far my favorite book.
I've been reading this series since 1998, and Eve Dallas never disappoints me.
In this book, someone is targeting The Twelve, a group of comrads from the Urban Wars.
The group consists of people Dallas knows, so once again this becomes personal.
I love watching Dallas process her thoughts, her character is so well done, that I can picture her sitting at her desk, feet up, having a coffee, and wondering who stole her hidden candy bar.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I'm happy to recommend it to other readers.