This mystery centers on an old enemy of Roarke's from his childhood in Dublin. It begins with the murder of a woman in a park. While Eve is investigating, Roarke spots an old enemy in the background. He knows that Lorcan Cobbe has become a paid assassin.

It doesn't take Eve long to prove that the woman's husband is guilty of hiring Cobbe to murder his wife so that he can get revenge for her daring to have an affair and so that he could inherit her substantial wealth. Eve's willing to make a deal on the sentence if the husband will turn over information on Cobbe.

The main thrust of the book is trying to track down Cobbe before he can get his revenge on Roarke by killing everyone he loves and then killing Roarke. Eve's detectives are quick to join in on the hunt because they consider Roarke to be one of their own. Also, Cobbe has a previous history of murder in New York which was never solved but which Commander Whitney and Captain Feeney worked. They both want to catch Cobbe and throw in their expertise too.

I enjoyed all the details of the investigation to find Cobbe. I liked the strong relationship between Roarke and Eve and its contrast with the life of Cobbe. Cobbe was jealous of Roarke when they were kids and always claimed that Roarke's father was his father too and that he was the older son who should be his heir. That jealousy is leading him to make mistakes in the case Eve is investigating that will allow her to finally capture him.

I both read the Kindle version and listened to the audio version of this book. It is the first I've listened to. I thought the narrator sounded a little too old to be Eve and didn't think Roarke sounded Irish enough. Otherwise it was an engaging experience to listen to. ( )

A bit disappointing for me. Lots of talking, quite slow, not the best installment in the series. Still a good book and I enjoyed it, but not my favourite. Four stars. ( )

Rourke's past comes back to haunt him when a familiar face pops up at a murder. A psycho from his childhood has Rourke & Eve on the case to catch a contract killer who has eluded authorities for 20 years. Investigating a murder and tying in past murders has Eve and her team along with an agent from Interpol helping out. Well thought out mystery of connecting the dots to box in the killer ( )

Robb does a good job of building an exciting, enjoyable read and Erickson is a good narrator. The main characters, Eve Dallas and Roark make a good couple and you get hooked on them. This is a mature book and contains language and some sexual content. There are about 60 books in the series, but they (so far) seem to stand alone - no real need to read in order, thank goodness!

FROM AMAZON: In the new novel in the number-one New York Times best-selling series, Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband’s dangerous past....

While Eve examines a fresh body in Washington Square Park, her husband, Roarke, spots a man among the onlookers he’s known since his younger days on the streets of Dublin. A man who claims to be his half brother. A man who kills for a living - and who burns with hatred for him.

Eve is quick to suspect that the victim’s spouse - resentful over his wife’s affair and poised to inherit her fortune - would have happily paid an assassin to do his dirty work. Roarke is just as quick to warn her that if Lorcan Cobbe is the hitman, she needs to be careful. Law enforcement agencies worldwide have pursued this cold-hearted killer for years, to no avail. And his lazy smirk when he looked Roarke’s way indicates that he will target anyone who matters to Roarke...and is confident he’ll get away with it.

Eve is desperate to protect Roarke. Roarke is desperate to protect Eve. And together, they’re determined to find Cobbe before he finds them - even if it takes them across the Atlantic, far outside Eve’s usual jurisdiction.... ( )

Shadows in Death
4 Stars

A woman is murdered in Washington Square Park and Roarke, catching a glimpse of the suspect in the crowd, recognizes him as a vengeful foe from his past. Soon the race is on for Eve and her team to stop a vicious killer who has acquired a new target - Roarke.

This is one of a handful of books in the series in which the villain's identity is revealed almost at once. While this is not usually my preferred setup, in this particular case, the early reveal is essential for both plot and character development. That said, it is unfortunate that his character has no foundation in any of the previous books as springing him fully-fledged on the reader at this point detracts somewhat from the story.

The investigation itself relies on solid police work and the excellent relationships that Eve and Roarke have with the people in their lives. From Charlotte and Dennis Mira to Commander Whitney and Eve's loyal team to Summerset and Roarke's Irish relatives, it is a pleasure to see them all rally around and express their respect and loyalty to Roarke in both words and deeds - it was definitely not a given.

Overall, Shadows in Death is an engaging addition to the series, and having the focus shift to Roarke was an inspired choice by Robb. Looking forward to the next book.





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