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Book Review of Delusion in Death (In Death, Bk 35)

Delusion in Death (In Death, Bk 35)
sharalsbooks avatar reviewed on + 259 more book reviews


Well, bless your cotton socks, Eve Dallas! After 35 books, I was pretty much convinced that there wasnt a case or crook out there that Eve wasnt shocked by. Angered, enraged, yes; determined to solve and catch, absolutely. Shocked, never, but she definitely is shocked with this case. In addition, shes worried and a little frightened by the turn of events her new case has brought down on the city of New York. Thats what made this book so enjoyable for me. The plot was believable and frightening in its realistic delivery. Day to day activities like going to happy hour or grabbing a bite to eat at lunch time takes on a whole new apprehensive angle. Nobody is safe, nobody is exempt and the killer is virtually invisible.

If you have been with Eve and her crew from the beginning, you already know that she doesnt let a lot of people get close to her. You have to be invited into her inner circle, which is where you get to see the real Eve. The woman cares about her friends, family, cat and yes, even Summerset. Go ahead and pick your jaw up off the floor; Ill wait. As much as Eve and Summerset enjoy getting under each others skin hurling insults and looks of disgust toward one another, I loved seeing this side of Eve and Summerset. In Delusion in Death, Eve and Summerset sit down together to a meal, having polite and civilized conversation and sharing a bond over this case. A truce has not been called and they will probably be right back at each others throats in the next book, but this was my favorite part of the book. I enjoyed seeing two adversaries come together over a common goal to work together to achieve successful results.

We also see Eve being proactive trying to protect Mavis, Leonardo, Bella and Dennis Mira. Most of the time, she reserves her worry exclusively to Roarke, usually because he is neck deep in the case with her. I got an excellent sense of how deeply Eve feels for the people she truly cares about, though she has a hard time expressing it most of the time.

As usual, Eve quickly figures out who is responsible, though she is in store for a few twists and surprises near the end. I thought the twists were brilliantly executed. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly Eve deduces who the responsible parties are for each case. She must have some kind of a super computer brain instead of the thought patterns of a mere human. By the time I come even remotely close to being comfortable with just a guess, Eve has already identified her suspect and taken steps to bring them to justice.

My Final Verdict: If you are already a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed by this very good installment. If you are new to this series or have never read the series, I highly recommend it and not trying to sound like a broken record, but starting at the beginning of the series is the best place to begin. Meeting Eve for the first time and seeing how her relationships with Roarke, Mavis, Mira, Peabody and everyone else all began is a treat. J.D. Robb has done a brilliant job of creating characters you get to know and care about in a series so rich with detail that illustrates vividly in my minds eye what it truly is like living in New York City in the mid-21st century.