Skip to main content

Connections in Death

Review

Connections in Death

Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, return in CONNECTIONS IN DEATH, the 48th installment in J. D. Robb’s futuristic police procedural series. Along with the familiar cast of characters, Eve continues her work as a lieutenant in the homicide division of the New York Police and Security Department.

The story sizzles right from the start. In 2061 New York, it is early spring. At a housewarming party for their friend Nadine, an award-winning author, Eve meets Dr. Rochelle Pickering, a child psychologist who is a candidate to manage the new school and youth shelter that Roarke is building. Eve and Roarke know what it is like to survive a tough childhood, and they hope this place will help children and young adults. Little do they know that they are about to become more involved with Rochelle than they might have planned.

"This fast-paced, gripping mystery, which fans of police procedurals and romantic suspense will love, is an exciting story to turn to while waiting for spring to arrive."

When Lyle Pickering is found dead of an apparent overdose in an apartment he shares with his sister, Eve is called in to investigate as a favor. It is hard for Rochelle to believe that her brother, who was rehabilitated and living sober, would have relapsed. He was working, maintaining his addiction counseling, and finding a new way of life. He even had a good job as a cook and had abandoned his gang affiliations. So what could have happened? Did he slip back into his old life unnoticed? Eve is determined to find out.

The not-too-bright murderers leave clues that lead Eve straight to the suspects. There is also a witness in the apartment complex who describes a person of interest. A former girlfriend of Lyle, Dinnie Duff, was seen outside his apartment door pleading for help. Those who knew Lyle thought he had a soft spot for old friends and would have let her into the apartment. Maybe she let someone else in and they gave Lyle the drugs that caused the overdose. By the time Eve and the detective team find Dinnie, she is already dead, and by very violent means.

Obviously, both victims are connected, but why were they killed? What possibly could be the motive? Were gang members looking to make an example of Lyle? If you leave the gang and try to go straight, you are likely signing your own death warrant. Maybe it was a territory grab by a rival gang, or a hit ordered within the ranks of Lyle’s old crew. As the investigation continues, the most likely suspects are also found dead. Whoever is behind the murders clearly has a blood thirst for power and will take out anyone who gets in his or her way.

Tough, resilient and curious, Eve Dallas brings her trademark skills to the job and eventually delivers justice for Lyle. This fast-paced, gripping mystery, which fans of police procedurals and romantic suspense will love, is an exciting story to turn to while waiting for spring to arrive.

Reviewed by Jennifer McCord on February 12, 2019

Connections in Death
by J. D. Robb

  • Publication Date: July 30, 2019
  • Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
  • ISBN-10: 1250308151
  • ISBN-13: 9781250308153