*Have You Heard? * Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure* Devoted in Death (In Death #41) by J. D. Robb

Posted November 18, 2015 by RobbieLea in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

*Have You Heard? * Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure* Devoted in Death (In Death #41) by J. D. RobbDevoted in Death (In Death, #41) by J. D. Robb
Also by this author: Festive in Death (In Death, #39), Brotherhood in Death (In Death, #42), Apprentice in Death (In Death, #43), , Echoes in Death (In Death, #44), Secrets in Death (In Death, #45), Dark in Death (In Death, #46), Leverage in Death (In Death, #47)
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, Brilliance Audio on September 15th 2015
Pages: 384
ISBN: 039917088X
ASIN: B00SI0B74M
Goodreads
four-stars

Eve Dallas tracks a couple whose passion is fueled by cold brutality in the newest crime thriller from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Obsession in Death and Festive in Death.
When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .
Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.
As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve . . .

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audiobook1This week I’m reviewing Devoted in Death which is book 41 in the “In Death” series. I briefly mentioned the series in my introductory post last week and since I recently listened to this latest offering, I thought now would be a good time to review what has become a story I love to follow. My introduction to J. D. Robb and the “In Death” series was a hardcover book. For the life of me, I can’t remember which book it was. As time went by, I read several other books in the series in no particular order. One of the most endearing features of the “In Death” series is that they can be read out of order since each book contains its own story.  But it wasn’t until I downloaded the audiobook of “Ceremony in Death“, the fifth book in the series, that I truly fell in love with the characters and the story that binds them together. At that point, I decided to return to the beginning, listen to the first book “Naked in Death“, and continue the series in order.

I’m going to say up front that Devoted in Death is not one of my favorites. One of the things I love about the series is the author’s ability to write hard-nosed police procedurals which are softened by the relationships between the characters and the love story between Eve and Roarke. It seemed to me this book was long on procedure and soft on the back story. Even though I missed some of the usual banter that goes on between the characters, I have to say the author is cracking me up with the way she is developing Eve’s take on the familiar sayings most of us use and never think about. Personally, I think since Eve rose from her own ashes and invented herself, she can interpret them any way she likes and, I have to admit, at times her interpretations make so much sense it’s a bit scary. Tell me you wouldn’t laugh out loud and then say “hmmm” to hear this opinion of opera: “You can’t understand anything anybody’s saying, then they all die.”

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the peerless skill of Susan Ericksen as narrator.  Her vocal interpretation of the characters takes this series to a higher level. What could be a more perfect foil for a tough, no-nonsense woman cop than a man with other-worldly good looks and a lilting Irish accent? Ms. Ericksen gives each character a distinctive voice which is readily recognizable to the listener even if the character isn’t identified by name. The fact that she has narrated all the books is a powerful tool that lends a unique continuity to the series.

So. . .do I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely! If you are a fan of the series, you don’t want to miss a single episode.  If you aren’t familiar with this series, then I would gently suggest you begin with the first book “Naked In Death“. It’s still one of my favorites and will get you off to a good start. By following the series in order, you will also be treating yourself to the author’s introduction of each character in Eve’s and Roarke’s unique circle. A word of warning. . .you may become addicted!

four-stars

About J. D. Robb

With a phenomenal career full of bestsellers, Nora Roberts was ready for a new writing challenge. As her agent put it, like Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and caffeine-free Pepsi, a pseudonym offered her the opportunity to reach a new and different group of readers. The first futuristic suspense J. D. Robb book, Naked in Death, was published in paperback in 1995, and readers were immediately drawn to Eve Dallas, a tough cop with a dark past, and her even more mysterious love interest, Roarke.

The series quickly gained attention, great reviews, and devoted readers. Since the debut of Loyalty in Death (the ninth In Death book) on Halloween 1999 on the New York Times bestseller list, every J. D. Robb title has been a New York Times bestseller. While fans had their suspicions, it wasn’t until the twelfth book in the series, Betrayal in Death (2001), that the publisher fully revealed that J. D. Robb was a pseudonym for bestselling powerhouse Nora Roberts. Unmasked, Nora Roberts fans who hadn’t yet picked up one of the Robb books were quickly playing catch-up.

Robb’s peers in the mystery world are fans as well, with accolades for the In Death series from such blockbuster authors as Stephen King, Jonathan Kellerman, Dennis Lehane, Kathy Reichs, Lisa Scottoline, Janet Evanovich, David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, Robert B. Parker, Ridley Pearson, Linda Fairstein, and Andrew Gross.

The In Death books are perpetual bestsellers, and frequently share the bestseller list with other Nora Roberts novels. J. D. Robb publishes two hardcover In Death books per year, with the occasional stand-alone original In Death story featured in an anthology.

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