Loyalty in Death (original 1999; edición 1999)

I love all the books in the IN DEATH series, but this was a special favorite. Detective Eve Dallas is on the hunt for a group of fanatics responsible for serial bombings throughout New York City. She and Rourke tease and have steamy passion. I loved the subplot involving Peabody and McNab, a ship I was hoping would eventually happen! There is a family connection in this book, and a really good mystery with several interesting twists! A great mix of police procedural and good character stories ( )

Loyalty in Death

There have always been those who would seek to overthrow a government, a political system, by any violent means necessary. In the year of 2059 that holds true just as it does today. The mission is their own greed and power and such forces never consider the blood of the innocents. Such is the situation in Loyalty In Death by J.D. Robb.

The terrorists in this case are known as “Cassandra” and Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the New York City Police and Security Division has yet to be aware of their presence. As the book begins, she is soon aware of the murder of J. Clarence Branson, who was 50, and was copresident of Branson Tools and Toys. He was screwed to death.

Literally.

His mistress, Lisabeth Cook, did it by way of one of his own power drills and a bolt through the heart. She drilled him to the wall and left him mounted there before calling the police and then sitting and sipping as she waited for the police to arrive. When Lieutenant Dallas arrives, Cook voluntarily confesses to the murder and recounts how he broke their business deal so Mr. Branson had to die.

Lieutenant Dallas knows how the case will go with the way the justice system is and the defense Cooke can afford. She also does not like any of it so she will keep investigating in the hopes that she can prove the need for additional charges and resulting prison sentence upon conviction.

That ongoing investigation, as week as a tip that at first seems to be totally unrelated, will lead her to a terrorist group that calls itself “Cassandra.” As has happened before, that group soon puts not only Dallas, but her husband Roarke, as well as thousands of others in their sights as they look to change the system, one lethal terroristic attack at a time.

As always in this series, there is plenty of action and adventure, head hooping point of view, and graphic sex. Unlike most other cases, Dallas and Roarke are not the only two engaged in the sexual escapades. The chase of the terrorists is pretty good though I had figured out most of it long before we were finally brought there towards the very end of the book.

Overall, Loyalty In Death by J.D. Robb is another fast fun read. As long as one does not take those books very seriously, they are an enjoyable mind cleanser.

The series to this point and my reviews:
Naked in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 1) March 2021
Glory in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 2) April 2021
Immortal in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 3) May 2021
Rapture in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 4) June 2021
Ceremony in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 5) July 2021
Vengeance in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 6) September 2021
Holiday in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 7) October 2021
Conspiracy in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 8) October 2021

My eBook reading copy came from the Dallas Public Library System and the Libby App. Once again, I needed technical assistance from my son, Scott, to make things download and actually work.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022 ( )

In Death 09

The In Death series has, for me, always been more about the ongoing characters. I love checking in on Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Mavis, Nadine and everyone else. The plot is secondary, but when the characters and plot are going on all cylinders, boy howdy are these books fun. This is not one of those books. Later books in the series say how Eve brought down a terrorist group that called itself Cassandra. This is that story, and for some reason, it...bored me. Not something have ever said before with this series. Even a twist involving Peabody's brother didn't bring me any further into the story. Ah, well, everyone should get one misfire. ( )

When a crazed bomber sends taunting letters threatening the city NYPSD homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas loves, she races the clock to find the madman before he keeps his promise to wreak havoc on the corrupt masses. Can she find the bomber before her beloved New York City falls?

In this, the ninth in the “In Death” series, readers will be delighted to find the playful banter between Eve and Peabody is alive and well, offering them a humorous respite from the grittiness of the plot. With Eve working in a different department, readers get to see her in a bit of a different light as the determined bomber tries to destroy what is considered the city’s symbols of the rich. Although written long before the towers fell, today’s readers are likely to find the telling of this tale, with its suggestion of the towers as a possible target, serves as a sad harbinger of things to come.

As always, the relationships are a highlight of the narrative; Peabody and McNab are sure to keep readers chuckling while Eve and Roarke continue to build their lives together. There’s plenty for fans of the series to appreciate here, but those new to the series will find the story works well as a stand-alone.

Highly recommended. ( )