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Glory in Death

In Death #2

J.D. Robb

Berkley Book, December 1995

♥♥♥♥♥

300 pages, ebook, hardcover, paperback, audible book

All of my In Death series was purchased for nook at BN.com

Continuing on my Monday series, Glory in Death changes up the style of the series and and takes us into what has become a 45 book series. This was originally meant to be a trilogy, Nora Roberts’ usual style. But the reception of the first book must have changed her publisher’s mind. The five months between book one and book two was probably spent doing some revision on books two and three and long-range planning for this larger project. Book one definitely has a different style from the rest of the series. It doesn’t have the sophistication or range of the rest of the series. With book two, Glory in Death, we jump into the sophisticated world of Eve and Roarke. There is a different tone to the whole book and the world they live in is opened up. You get the feeling that somehow they are connected to the whole universe, good and bad. The first book just didn’t give you that universal feeling. It was a smaller world, a smaller story.

So what is book two about? The mystery is about a man who has been made to feel inferior by strong women at each turn and is taking revenge. First is PA Cicely Towers found in a bad part of town with her throat slit. Next is actress Yvonne Metcalf on her own patio, again with her throat slit. And then, Louise Kirski, film editor for Nadine Furst at Channel 75 News, dressed in Nadine’s raincoat with the hood up on the steps of the news building. With her throat slit. Was it supposed to be Nadine? Eve was the one being set up as the bait, but he went after Nadine instead.

Eve develops a live of inquiry which isn’t popular with the family of the first victim. It’s also not popular with her chief. But that’s the reason he chose her to handle the case. He knew she was the best and that she wouldn’t back down from doing what needed to be done, from anything or anyone, including him. And he ends up owing her an apology before the case is done.

Once again, Dallas has to eliminate her lover, Roarke, as a possible suspect due to his ties to the murdered women. Her job and his lifestyle cause problems between them and Roarke walks away from Eve. This book shows their relationship in all its aspects from their playfulness with each other to their very hot sex and total consumption of each other to a complete breakdown of communication. It ends with a reunion and total acceptance of each others way of life and what each brings to the relationship. And a proposal.

In this book, Roarke gives Eve the piece that will become the symbol for their relationship. He’s been away, off-planet and he returns with a large diamond on a chain for her. It’s just a really nice piece to him. To her it’s way too much. She doesn’t wear much jewelry, just modest earrings. So to hang this finger-sized diamond around her neck is more than she can handle. This is the breaking point of their relationship. The diamond is a symbol of Roarke and what he brings to their relationship. If she can’t accept it, she can’t accept him, and he walks away. She comes to accept what the diamond means and what he means to her. In fact, when under stress, she reaches for the diamond as she reaches for Roarke. The diamond becomes her talisman, something she wears daily under her shirt. She holds it close as she does their relationship. Their relationship is not always smooth, but it is solid.

This book also introduces Peabody. At first, I thought of Peabody as a stick figure in this book. Sort of as background. But then I thought about the relatively brief interaction between Dallas and Peabody and realized that it really introduced Peabody as she was. A by-the-book uber efficient beat cop looking for a break so she could make detective. She saw her break and took full advantage of it. You can just picture her at attention in her shiny shoes reeling off the list of things she took care of at the crime scene as Dallas listens, perhaps with a bit of smirk towards the end when she asks about the gold shield. Dallas appreciates that sort of efficiency and effort in a beat cop and passes on the good word to her boss to be sure that Peabody gets the chance to advance. We will see more of Peabody in this series, much more.