Glory in Death

Glory In Death is the second book in the popular In Death series by American author, J.D. Robb. When her boss assigns her to investigate the murder of a highly-respected prosecuting attorney, he tells Lieutenant Eve Dallas that he and his wife were personal friends of the victim. Cicely Towers was found with her throat slashed in a very seedy area of the Upper West Side, but there were no signs of struggle or theft.

Why Towers would have gone there after midnight is puzzling. While Eve and her IT side-kick Captain Ryan Feeney are checking out Towers' previous prosecutions in case this is a revenge killing, she is not discounting a more personal motive and interviews the victim's family and close associates, any of whom might benefit from her death.

With little progress and adverse press from a certain irritating gutter journalist, Eve's investigation is bumped into a higher gear when an award-winning actress is murdered in the same way. After failing to find any connection, apart from an association with Roarke, between two well-liked women who were often in the public eye, Eve teams up with journalist Nadine Furst to set in motion a rather dangerous plan to draw out the killer.

By the time a third woman dies, Eve is fairly sure who her killer is, even if her Commander doesn't like the action she takes. The evidence is a problem, and Eve is ordered to keep an open mind. A surprise confession throws her case into confusion, especially when the press get wind of it. But Eve Dallas is thorough and persistent: she will get her man.

Even astute readers who settle on the right perpetrator early on will enjoy the journey to the reveal and the thrilling climax. On a personal level, Eve's stubborn refusal to admit her feelings for Roarke leads to an ultimatum, but things are sorted out between them: a form of cohabitation that suits both is established.

An indecently large diamond pendant, a quick flight to Rome in the line of work, an overnight break in Mexico and a fancy cocktail party are all side-effects of her association with Roark that Eve learns to tolerate, but an unexpected proposal catches her unprepared.

The banter between the characters is usually entertaining and Robb's predictions from 1996 add a point of interest; in this case, that capital punishment would be ruled unconstitutional by 2017. This speculative crime fiction is entertaining and addictive: Immortal In Death is eagerly anticipated.