In J.D. Robb’s latest novel, a serial rapist terrorizing New York couples graduates to committing murder, and it’s up to Lieutenant Eve Dallas to stop them.
Returning home from a charity event with her billionaire husband, Roarke, Eve Dallas is eager to relax and settle in for the night. Plans change, though, when a naked woman darts out in front of their car. Roarke narrowly avoids running the woman over, and Eve instinctively leaps to her aid.
Upon transporting the woman to the hospital, Eve learns that her name is Daphne Strazza. Daphne is the wife of a prominent orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Anthony Strazza, who is later found dead in their townhouse. While Daphne is a witness to whatever horror took place, the traumatic experience has left her unable to speak. Instead, all she can muster up when questioned about who did this to them is two words: “the Devil.”
At first glance, Daphne would make for a prime suspect. Eve finds out that Anthony Strazza was a controlling and cruel man. In fact, he was disliked by many, including colleagues. But as Eve gathers evidence, all of it points away from Daphne and towards another monster– one who has struck before.
Eve finds at least two other cases she believes are related. Each one involves a masked intruder forcing husbands to watch their wife be raped. However, both prior cases lacked any fatalities, leaving Eve to question why the rapist killed Dr. Anthony Strazza.
While investigating, Eve also battles her own demons as she sees parallels between the case and her own painful past. Growing up, Eve’s father had repeatedly raped her and planned to sell her to pedophiles. Instead, she killed him in self-defense. So while Eve is known for taking cases personally, often opting to skip meals and sleep until she believes justice is found for the victim, none have ever consumed her quite like this before.
Eventually, the ‘Devil’ strikes again. This time, though, both the husband and wife are killed. With the crimes escalating, Eve Dallas races to unmask the perpetrator and stop him once and for all.
J.D. Robb (the pseudonym for bestselling author Nora Roberts, who has more than 500 million copies of her books in print around the world) has done a great job developing Eve throughout her series. While readers have long grown accustomed to seeing her tougher-than-nails side, an exterior undoubtedly caused from her painful upbringing, Eve’s softer side has also been on display lately. It’s a welcome change, especially after forty-four books.
Set in a futuristic New York City, Robb’s blend of sci-fi mysteries are unique and different from anything else in widespread circulation, making her novels a must-read experience. Written to stand alone, readers can pick up Echoes In Death and dive in whether they’ve read the series from the beginning or are just now giving it a try.
You don’t end up with sixty-one #1 bestselling novels without a firm grasp and understanding of what readers are looking for. Robb (Roberts) knows what her fans want, and she delivers the goods over and over again.
Book Details
Author: J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #44
Pages: 384 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1250123119
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: February 7, 2017 (Order Now!)