Editorial Review

Reviews

Disappointing
It is very rare indeed when I feel the Amazon peer review system has guided me to a book I don't enjoy as much as the other reviewers. This unfortunately is one of them.
First off, it isn't a mystery. You'll know who the villain is just a few pages in. Second, the background of Silva, the federal policemen investigating the crimes, was overly melodramatic and contrived. Indeed the whole book is melodramatic and predictable. The only surprise is the continued brutality, which admittedly may be a part of Brazilian land disputes, but here only helps in tallying up the number of innocent victims. The overall tone is preachy and in only a couple of instances admits that the solutions to Brazil's land problems lie in some sort of compromise. The rest of the book is full of brave landless peasants fighting against evil landowners and corrupt cops with only the help from their friends, the equally brave Vatican defying Liberation Theology spouting priests (there are evil priests here too). I don't want to ascribe any politics to Leighton Gage, since I don't know much about him, but if the next book also has an overtly social reformist tone it'll be a disappointment as well.

fascinating but violent Brazilian police procedural
In a classic sh*t rolls down hill, the Pope calls the Brazilian president twice; in turn the president pressures the Director of the Brazilian Federal Police Nelson Sampaio to resolve the matter ASAP; in turn Nelson orders Chief Inspector Mario Silva to uncover the identity of the person who assassinated Bishop Dom Felipe Antunes at a church mass in front of a crowd at Cascatas. Mario understands he is to drop everything else and personally handle the investigation in the remote town and capture the felon yesterday.

Silva travels immediately to Cascatas only to find angry townsfolk as the affluent landowners and the reform minded Landless Workers' League are in a brawl over sharing the wealth. Each side's leaders demand Silva investigates a local case that has raised tensions to a point that hostilities seem imminent if he wants any cooperation on the Bishop homicide. The son of a local landowner, Orlando Muniz Junior vanished without a trace. His father and his allies believe the league abducted and probably killed him. The League believes the lad is on holiday.

Silva is a fascinating character as he has enough personal issues and a difficult case without getting involved in the local tsunami, but cannot keep out of it as more kidnappings and murders occur. He makes little progress on either investigation and what he does learn like the church is involved in protecting its own when pedophile accusations surface make him wonder if the Bishop's death is related. Although extremely violent as the title is not false advertising, fans who have a strong stomach for gore will enjoy this Brazilian police procedural.

Harriet Klausner

Suspenseful story of frontier justice south of the equator
In a carefully crafted mystery-thriller debut Blood of the Wicked, Leighton Gage reveals a little- seen side of Brazil. This is not a beach book of tanned and toned bodies moving to a languid bossa nova rhythm along the sandy shores of Rio de Janeiro. Nor is it an Amazon adventure. This story takes place in the pantal of the southeastern region. It is a gristly tale of greed, torture, murder, and of personal and institutional corruption in a country where one percent of the population owns half of the arable land, and where much of the peasantry is condemned to a life of involuntary servitude.

The story reveals the region to be a breeding ground for strife and Gage loses no time throwing us into the fray. Enter Dom Filipe Antunes, Bishop of Preidente Vargas, descending by helicopter on the town of Cascatas do Pantal to bestow blessings on the new church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres. The bishop is greeted by a ring of townspeople, a crescent of banners of the Landless Worker's League and a posting of State Police. The delegation of local officials approaches at an annoyingly slow pace and a bullet from a high-powered rifle finds the bishop's heart as he stands alone.

Who did it? Was it landless workers upset that Christianity was not being practiced on its most fundamental level? Or was it wealthy landowners looking for another excuse to persecute the land-reform agitators?

Enter the institutions. The Vatican is upset. Powers in Brasilia demand a politically balanced solution. The job falls on the shoulders of protagonist Mario Silva, Chief Inspector for Criminal Matters of the Federal Police of Brazil.

Mario Silva knows a lot about criminal activity in Brazil -- urban variety, anyway. In the book's early pages we learn how his father was murdered by robber after making a fatal mistake -- stopping for a red light. We also learn how Mario Silva found the robber and exacted justice, urban Brazilian style. Subjects of Silva's investigation included pawn brokers, street kids, hoodlems and policemen who supplement their income by shaking them down. Silva's action did not involve arresting his father's murderer and bringing him to trial. However, distinctive feature's of the robber's tatoo and the uniqueness of the stolen object made Silva absolutely certain that he had gotten and dispatched the right man.

Investigating the murder of the Bishop in provincial city of Cascatas do Pantal, Silva is not able to take such decisive action. He is hamstrung by bureaucracy, blocked by the uncooperative Colonel of the State Police, and is hampered by people's fear to speak. As Silva investigates systematically we learn many interesting facts the way. We learn about the "Theology of Liberation" which was once advocated by rural priests and has now found the disfavor of the Church hierarchy. We learn of the vast fazendas (rhymes with haciendas), some as large as Connecticut. We learn that the constitutional allows for seizure and purchase of unused portions of these large holdings by populist movements. We also learn that the legal process is complicated and that the judges are for sale.

In Blood of the Wicked, Lieghton Gage serves up a strong brew of horror story, police procedural, slasher novel and whodunit. It would defy classification were it not a true and never- ending story. It is the story of a land war and frontier justice, south of the equator. A landowner has his overseer nail a protesting peasant to a tree. A group of hooded vigilantes rousts the landowner from bed, butchers his overseer in front of his eyes, then carts the landowner off to be buried alive at the top of a hill. We learn that the commandant State Police is not just a bureaucratic short-timer, but is one of the bad guys. The priests, we learn, come in several flavors besides Jesuit and Franciscan. Escalating violence gets way ahead of Chief Inspector Silva's procedural investigation of the initial crime. The struggle becomes a combination of range war and Mafia turf fight with many players lending a hand. When the dust settles, justice is served, but mainly because Silva the only honest man left standing and because national TV cameras are poised to broadcast the story.

The "ripped from the headlines" quality of Blood of the Wicked is the result of the author's wide experience with the Brazil, which includes marriage and frequent visits to the country.

If you're not faint of heart, Blood of the Wicked satisfies on many levels
First Line: Something took the helicopter and shook it like a jackal worrying a carcass.

Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Federal Police is called upon to travel to remote Cascatas to investigate the assassination of a bishop. When he arrives, he finds himself in a veritable vipers' nest of crime and corruption: the bishop's assassination, the disappearance of a wealthy landowner's son, the continuing conflict between the landowners and the Landless Workers League, the deaths of homeless street children, drugs... the list seems endless. With Colonel Ferraz of the State Police in Cascatas firmly against Silva, will the inspector be able to solve any of the crimes in this remote area of Brazil?

I was bowled over by this book. First and foremost, what impressed me was how thoroughly Gage immersed me in modern Brazil. Until picking up Blood of the Wicked, the books I'd read about this country centered on a bit of colonial history, and lots of Amazonian exploration. In reading about present-day Brazil, I became acquainted with favelas (shantytowns), with the fact that dead street children are referred to as "hams", with the age-old struggle between the Haves and the Have Nots, and with a degree of police corruption that made me ill.

Although the book is excellent armchair travel, it had to be coupled with believable characters and a strong story line to get this sort of reaction from me. Chief Inspector Mario Silva is a man of principle. As a young man facing total police disinterest in finding the men responsible for the deaths of his parents, Silva took the investigation-- and the law-- into his own hands. This serves a dual purpose. The reader does become unsure of Silva's reactions and methods in Cascatas, but there is also the belief that he will fight for justice in the face of any amount of corruption.

Another character stands head and shoulders above all others: State Police Colonel Ferraz. He literally became a man I loved to hate, and I couldn't wait to see what Silva had in store for him.

Blood of the Wicked can be very brutal-- murder, torture, the corruption of absolute power, the desperation of poverty-- but the depiction of the country and the dedication of Chief Inspector Mario Silva kept me mesmerized to the final page.

One of the Best
Blood of the Wicked

I started reading this book on a whim because my kids are finally asleep and I wanted to relax with a good book. It was a great choice. This book keeps me on my seat. I don't know much about Brazil, and this book introduce me to a Brazil beyond bikini-clad bodies. I find the tidbits about Brazil very entertaining.

This is a crime book, and it's written well. Sure the body count is high, but it's part of the story. Some innocents die; that's real-life too. A book should entertain, and this book does it very well.

I hope it makes it to the movies. I got the same excitement reading this book as I did reading Hostage by Robert Crais. It's got that same can't-peel-my-eyes-off-the-pages quality. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Detective Peter Decker of the LAPD is stunned when he gets the report. Someone has shattered the sanctuary of a remote yeshiva community in the California hills with an unimaginable crime. One of the women was brutally raped as she returned from the mikvah, the bathhouse where the cleansing ritual is performed.

The crime was called in by Rina Lazarus, and Decker is relieved to discover that she is a calm and intelligent witness. She is also the only one in the sheltered community willing to speak of this unspeakable violation. As Rina tries to steer Decker through the maze of religious laws the two grow closer. But before they get to the bottom of this horrendous crime, revelations come to light that are so shocking that they threaten to come between the hard-nosed cop and the deeply religious woman with whom he has become irrevocably linked. ... Read more

Reviews

Great introductory book to a new detective pair.., November 27, 1997
The first of eleven novels in the Peter Decler/Rina Lazarus series, The Ritual Bath, published in 1986, throws the two together for the first time when Decker is assigned to investigate a rape at the mikvah in the Orthodox complex where Rina lives with her two sons, Shumel (Sammy) and Yaakov (Jacob or Jake) . Decker and his partner Marge Dunn are shocked that such a heinous crime could take place at a Yeshiva, Jewtown as the police refer to it. As the novel unfolds and murder comes into play Rina and Peter are drawn to each other. As one would expect their relationship is frowned upon because she's religious, frum, and Peter is considered an outsider. Peter's biological mother was a Jew; but was given up for adoption at birth. Through an adoption agency mix-up he was placed with Baptist parents. He grew up as a Baptist. Magnificent treatment and presentation of Orthodox Jewish lifestyles! Realistic struggles and wonderfully developed relationships along side of the police drama/mystery. Faye begins Peter and Rina's life story here with romance and tenderness while helping Peter to discover his roots and begin to touch his spiritual beliefs.

Once you start you can't stop reading this series!, October 10, 2000
I recently discovered Faye Kellerman's entertaining and informative series about Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. I began by reading 'Ritual Bath' (the first in the series) on Rosh Hashanah. It was a perfect read for the holidays and by Yom Kippur I had completed five more Decker/Lazarus novels and was on to a seventh book. I like that the characters are intelligent and have good values but are presented as human beings-flaws and all.

This first book about a rape that occurs just outside the mikvah in a small orthodox community shows how the relationship between Peter and Rina begins to develop while cleverly solving the crime. It deals more with issues of religion than the rest of the series. I found this quite enlightening being a very secular jew living in a community that is becoming quite orthodox.

I don't want to give away any of the story as many reviewers do so I'll just advise you to read this book. However, I'm warning you that you will not be able to stop with just one of Faye Kellerman's books.

Well-written debut novel, January 27, 2003
Police detective Peter Decker is called to an orthodox Jewish community to investigate the rape of one of the women who lives there. The call is made by the victim's friend, Rina Lazarus, whom Peter is attracted to immediately. Thus begins a wonderful mystery series which features a strictly religious orthodox Jewish woman, and a man who is indifferent to religion, but not to Rina. The tension between the two creates a wonderful dance of approach/avoidance and a question as to whether their beliefs or their feelings will reign supreme in their relationship. Decker becomes acquainted with Rina's two sons and does his best to protect her from any future sexual attacks by the predator who roams the yeshiva community. The rape occurred near the mikvah where the women go for spiritual purification. Throughout the book the reader is treated to a background of orthodox Jewish practices and receives a real education in this fascinating religion. The difficulties in the relationship between Rina and Peter are clearly defined, but the ending leaves room for further development in the other books of the series.

I knew I would like it from the start., May 6, 2002
I went into the public libarry and was looking through the "New Arrivals" shelves when I happened to stumble upon "THe Forgotten" by Faye Kellerman. I read the description on the book jacket and decided it would be a good read. I plopped down my library card and took this new find home.

I was enthralled by the first three chapters. There was excellent characterization and dialogue. But I stopped reading the book after chapter 3. The reason...I meet these wonderful people, Peter and Rina. I wanted to know more about them. I wanted to know how they met and how they fell in love. And to learn the answer to these quesitons I read the Other Books By section in saw that The Ritual Bath was the first book in the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series.

I immediately returned to the library...no luck...no copy on the shelves. So I beat a path to my local book store and purchased my own copy. I DEVOURED it! The book is wonderful. It is full of wonderful characters and great dialog.

Start with this book and then read the whole series!

Happy reading!

This mystery, its insights & its characters fascinated me., August 13, 1999
Det.Peter Decker takes the call when a wife is raped while walking home after her mikvah within the grounds of a yeshiva near Los Angeles. With his partner, Marge Dunne, Peter comes face-to-face with his birthright, a secluded devout sect, a worldly rabbi & the woman who will renew his faith in life in more ways than one.

I was fascinated by what I found in Faye Kellerman's The Ritual Bath. She has composed a fully-fleshed mystery complete with the sacred & profane. "Jewtown", so called by everyone outside of it, has a reputation for easy pickings by burglars & vandals. Its very seclusion, created to enhance the practice of their faith, makes the yeshiva an easy target.

It's been 35 years since I lived in a Wisconsin retreat where a thousand people of the same faith stayed for the summer; coming in waves every two weeks. It's been that long since my days took on that lovely religious rhythm of prayer & play, fasting & feasting, study & sports within the community body. Faye Kellerman's The Ritual Bath brought back fond familiars.

When I discovered that Peter Decker was adopted & it hadn't bothered him much up until then; when he has to question Rina Lazarus in the women's mikvah & is surprised by her good looks, powers of observations & her reluctance to be there alone with him; when he meets Rav Schulman, the Rosh Yeshiva, & they strike up a smoke & a cordial connection; when Peter & Rina struggle within themselves, curious about each other - she, a widow with young sons to raise & a religion to practice; he, divorced for years with a teenage daughter for the summer & no spiritual calling...I couldn't stop reading.

Then Rina is harrassed by a quartet of youths outside a supermarket & Peter's on call for that. Suddenly she's calling him from the mikvah where someone is trying to get at her through the locked door & windows. The newly hired & much liked security guard is nowhere to be seen.

By this time they both realize she has been the target all along & none seems to know why. By now Peter Decker's heart has become engaged &, if Rina could admit it, so has hers.

Faye Kellerman offers us a rich, evocative tale - yes it is set about a mean & dirty act by wilful & destructive people. Real life is like that, isn't it?

Very well done, I really liked this one! An unusual, absorbing, erudite read of mysteries within mysteries. Delicious!

Kind of a slow start to a series., October 18, 2001
In this first in the series, Peter Decker is called to handle the rape of a woman inside a Jewish complex. Although I enjoyed the informative part of the book which dealt with the mikvah and the other rituals of the Orthodox Jews, the character of Peter Decker seemed one-dimensional and wooden. The attraction between Peter (and outsider) and Rina is an interesting twist when you condsider that Peter was given up for adoption and raised in a Baptist family although his birth mother is Jewish. However, Peter's and Rina's growing attraction for each other creates an interesting storyline, and hopefully the author will be able to develop this character (Decker) into someone who isn't quite so one-dimensional.

Good thriller, October 19, 2000
Faye Kellerman is well known for her thrillers, and "The Ritual Bath" is the first of the Peter Decker/Nina Lazarus series. This book is both attractive for readers who appreciate the "thriller" as well as for those who are not familiarized with this type of gene. F.Kellerman elaborates on two parallel plots, the first one being the crime itself (a woman is raped close to the mikvah) and the love relationship between two individuals of different religious background (Rina Lazarus the orthodox Jew and Peter Decker the strong-minded police detective). The latter plot is more artistically developed and takes precedence over the first one. The setting is a small Jewish orthodox community on the outskirts of Los Angeles and the meaningful descriptions of orthodox rites are embodied with great moral content. Well elaborated, main characters with strong structured identities, a most enjoyable reading.

An award-winning debut mystery - the 1st in the outstanding Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series, August 27, 2005
"The Ritual Bath," Faye Kellerman's debut novel introducing the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series won the 1987 Mcavity Award for Best First Mystery.

Detective Peter Decker is called to investigate a vicious rape in a remote Orthodox Jewish Community in the California hills outside of Los Angeles. One of the women was brutally attacked as she walked home from the mikvah, the bathhouse where the cleansing ritual is performed. Rina Lazarus, the lovely young widow who discovered the victim, acts as an intermediary between Decker and the yeshiva, (a Jewish religious seminary), students and their families who are suspicious of outsiders.

Decker is also working on a case involving a brutal serial rapist with a foot fetish, who operates in an area near the yeshiva. It is a possibility that this psychopath, called the Foothill rapist, is the attacker. Or the perpetrator(s) could be a gang of teen thugs who have been responsible for anti-Semitic vandalism and violence in the past. And then there are suspects who are members of the religious community itself. From the first, it is clear that further assaults of a similar nature are more than likely to occur. The next incident, on the yeshiva grounds, is a horrific murder. As evidence accumulates, it appears that Rina is the psychopath's primary target.

Rina is a beautiful woman both outside and in. The mother of two young sons, she lost her husband, a brilliant seminary scholar, at a very young age. She is now in her late twenties and maintains the mikvah, as well as teaches mathematics, to support herself and her boys. She has not had much contact with men since her husband's untimely death, and although she and Decker are very much drawn to each other from the first, she refuses to involve herself with a man who is not an Orthodox Jew. Rina had a secular upbringing and chose to become an observant Jewess when she married.

The author deftly handles the workings of various intense personal relationships and crime solving with apparent ease. As with the other Kellerman books I read, her characters are her strength. They are truly three-dimensional and their dialogue is extremely realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the humanity of the characters, and details of the Orthodox Jewish customs and lifestyle.

Her mysteries are solid. No loose threads are left behind. I plan to read more of this excellent author's work and highly recommend it to others.
JANA

Multi-Cultural Mystery, June 6, 2004
In this novel, the first in a series of stories featuring LA detective Peter Decker and Jewish teacher Rina Lazarus, Kellerman weaves many elements together successfully: there's a crime, a hero (and heroine), the promise of romance, a social message, and enough action to keep the reader interested in both the resolution and the characters. The story begins with a rape; as heinous as the crime is, the fact that it has occurred in a yeshiva in the Southern California foothills adds even more complications that usual for Pete Decker. The community of the yeshiva is closed, literally and symbolically, to outsiders. The only person who seems willing to help Decker is Rina, a young widow who is devoted to `Torah' Judaism, and her sense of duty includes running the mikvah, or ritual bath, for women in their purification after monthly menses. Rina found the victim, a woman who left the mikvah only to be attacked on her way home. As the plot unfolds, Kellerman reminds us of the fact that Anti-Semitism is unfortunately alive and well in our own time, even if not intended: the cops, including Decker, refer to the yeshiva as `Jewtown' at the beginning of the novel; later, Rina is accosted by punks in a parking lot, simply because she is Jewish. Decker balances his pursuit of the yeshiva rapist with another rapist with a similar mode of operation, and the two plotlines intertwine well. Although I pretty much knew who did the yeshiva rape and why fairly quickly into the novel, the characters kept me interested in following their story: it was obvious that Rina and Decker would have some kind of relationship by the end of the book, despite Rina's devotion to her religion and only dating within it. Kellerman does add a little bit of `deus ex machina' at the end to smooth the way for future books with these two characters, but that is forgiven, since we do end up caring about them and their relationship. Definitely a good beginning to a (hopefully) good series.

The Ritual Bath, April 8, 2003
I have to admit, this book was a "second attempt" for me. One of those that you've picked up before, started, went "eh" to and put down. I'd picked up "The Ritual Bath" once before and only made it about three chapters in (failed the 3 chapter test) but I kept hearing good things about this pair and about the author so I decided to give the book another shot. I'm glad I did. This book is actually very well written. I'm not sure why I didn't see it before. My guess is that I had to mature into the book as I have into others.

What I loved about this book is that you could feel the emotions of the two main characters just rolling off the pages. You felt the struggle and the temptation and the integrity of Peter and Rina, and you cheered for them. I found myself rolling my eyes at Chanya (maybe it was Chayna, I know it was a C name) and smiling at Sarah and Rina's two boys. I was interested in the characters' lives. I found the picture painted of live on the yeshiva interesting.

I'm definitely searching out other works by this author, in order, so I can watch the relationship between Rina and Peter progress. This is one book I'm glad I gave a "second chance" to. ... Read more

Editorial Review

An indulgence for readers: the new Eve Dallas novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort found stabbed through the heart with a bayonet.

Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life-and death-are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer.

As time runs out on another innocent victim's life, Eve's investigation will take her into the rarefied circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in-and into the perverted heart of madness... ... Read more

Reviews

Solid Entry in a Great Series, November 2, 2010

Let me say right off the bat that, if you're new to the In Death books, I strongly suggest you start with the first book in the series, Naked in Death, and read the series in order. Watching Lt. Eve Dallas and Roarke meet, fall in love and work to create a relationship while struggling to come to terms with their horrendous childhoods is one of the most rewarding aspects of this series. Readers who have shared their journey from the beginning will, I believe, enjoy the series much more than those who start somewhere mid-stream.

That said, Indulgence in Death is the 31st book in J.D. Robb's terrific futuristic cop series and it starts out in Ireland with three of my favorite (and, IMO, not overly used) In Death scenarios: Eve and Roarke on vacation, Eve exposed to the countryside and all of the terrors it holds - cows! sheep! roosters! (oh my!) - and Eve doing something wonderfully loving and perfect for Roarke, which tends to get me a bit teary-eyed. The vacation is short-lived, though, and as soon as Eve is back in her comfort zone in NYC, a new case once again takes center stage. Odd murder weapons and victims that were at the top of their game are two aspects of a series of murders that send Eve and Peabody on a search for one of the scariest kinds of killer - one who kills solely for the thrill of it.

While not one of my top five favorites in the series, Indulgence in Death is a solid entry. Robb's superb pacing, her wonderful balance of dialogue and narrative and her ability to consistently weave plots that keep me guessing about either the murderer, the motive or the method (though rarely all three) are all at work here. As with all the In Death books, the mystery, for me, is only part of the appeal. The characters, their growth (or lack of it) and their relationships with one another are of equal importance. Eve in particular, continues to fascinate me and, in the last few books, I've felt that she is showing real growth in understanding others and in reaching out to them to provide the type of support or friendship they might need (Morris comes immediately to mind). I believe this deepening of her non-Roarke relationships to be great for her all-around emotional well-being and I'm glad to see it.

I consider the In Death books to be an almost perfect mixture of intrigue, police procedural, romance, humor and heartwarming moments. Opening each book is, for me, a lot like stopping by to visit old friends - the kind of friends I really enjoy spending time with. I love Eve. I love Roarke. I love Peabody. And I like and enjoy renewing my acquaintance with just about everyone else in this world, too. Even after more than 30 books, the series remains one of my favorites.

Happily recommended.

Here's My Problem...., November 2, 2010
Frankly, the last two or three entries into the "In Death" series have sent me racing back to re-read some of the earlier books in the collection: Naked in Death, Rapture In Death, Holiday In Death, Betrayal in Death, etc. And this new title, "Indulgence in Death," continues the trend for me.

Interestingly, for the first quarter or so of the book, I didn't think this would be the case. "J.D. ROBB IS BACK!" I thought as the book immediately drew me into the narrative by opening with Roarke and Eve's visit to Ireland to visit Roarke's family. In this early section of the book, Robb creates a beautifully written, and oftentimes humorous and witty, set piece that speaks to love and family and friendship and the growth of Roarke and Eve, both separately and together. And in reading these early pages of "Indulgence," (which could often be quite moving), I became aware that somewhere along the way, while reading every single book in the series since the first in 1995, it was these elements that came to be most dear to me and are now crucial to my enjoyment of each new installment.I'm interested in finding out about the growth and development of the characters we've all come to know and love through 30-plus entries. Not only Eve and Roarke, mind you, but the people who impact their lives: Peabody, Mira, Mavis, Feeney, Summerset, McNab, Nadine, Charles, Louise and all the rest. The murder mystery elements? Perhaps not so much.

Now, to be fair, I should note that in the new book there is a point where a murder takes place in Ireland, but that crime and the investigation that subsequently takes place serves to illuminate the growing maturity of Eve more than anything else, and is really well done. But generally speaking, the murder mysteries in the last few "In Death" books have not been doing it for me. They often feel rather stale and written almost by rote. I'm no longer being drawn into or engaged by this element of Robb's storytelling. Been-there-done-that -- which is maybe why this latest book -- once it gets to the point where Eve and Roarke return from Ireland and get back to the central crimes committed in this installment -- didn't hold my attention nearly as much as the earlier chapters did. Instead, it took me away from the people I really wanted to read about or gave a damn about.

In the earlier books, Robb was exceptionally good at hitting just the right balance between the personal and the professional (Eve's cases/Roarke's empire), and it is for this reason that I've not grown tired of re-reading many of them. I hope she finds this balance again really soon. I'm not ready to give up on this beloved series. Yet!

Indulge in this in death, November 6, 2010
JD Robb's In death series is the only long running series that continues to excite and keeps one interested even after 30+ books and anthology short stories. I started at the beginning with Naked in Death and continue to read this series when a new book or short story is released. That will only occur in November and February ever year and it is long wait from Feb to Nov. Every time that I read this series is like catching up with old friends to see what is going on in their lives. You could say that the In Death series is an indulgence for me since I rarely buy books in print (love my kindle) and this is one of the few series that I still do.

Indulgence starts off with Roarke and Eve off on a 2nd anniversary vacation to Ireland to see Roarke's Irish relatives. It is nice to see them among family and relaxing for once. Of course, murder never sleeps and always follows our famous homicide detective around even on vacation in Ireland.

On her first day back in NY, Eve catches a new homicide case. Someone is killing people who offer services to others and are at the top of their respective services. The other catch in these murders are that the victims are killed with some unique weapon. It is like the game of clue. Who did it, where did they do it, and with what weapon? The killer or killers are figured out fairly quickly and most of the book is spent on getting the evidence to prove the crimes committed. It keeps you interested because you want to know how Eve and her team wraps it all up.

I always enjoy the books in the in death series and indulgence is no different. The one thing you do see is the growth and maturity of the characters since the beginning in the series with Naked. Eve and Roarke are comfortable in themselves and their marriage. They understand each other and you can see the love for each other. They still fight like all good couples and are both controlling in their respective careers but they have learned to compromise on somethings. They have grown in their relationships with others as well. You see this in the interaction with Roarke's Irish relatives and the friends that have come to be their family. Feeney, Dr Mira, Peabody, McNabb, Whitney, Baxter, Trueheart, Morris, Summerset, Louise and Charles all make appearances and help with the case. These people have become Eve and Roarke's family.

I can't wait until the anthology short story at the end of Nov and the new in death in Feb. I do recommend to start at the very beginning with Naked if you are new to this series. You will not be disappointed in this series. It is one of the few long running series that is still fresh, has character growth, and exciting even after 30+ books.

Well done, November 7, 2010
I love the fact that this book in the series starts with Roarke and Eve on vacation. The beginning of the book grabs you because there's truly not much development of their vacation time in other books. It's a perfect addition and plays well with the development of the relationship with both Eve and all the other characters in the book, Peabody, McNabb, Morris, Dr. Mira and all the others. There's a hint that Roarke and Dallas' relationship is developing to consider children without screams of horror, YEA!

The crime is different and still perfect for the time line and provides new interest for those of us who wonder if there really is another case that could be interesting enough to hold our attention. For long term In Death readers, a truly enjoyable book.

A FINE INDULGENCE, November 6, 2010
For the past two days I have luxuriated in Indulgence In Death...in Eve's, Roarke's...and in Nora's world.

What a wonderful indulgence!

Those naysayers who doubted Nora, who accused her of phoning in her past editions, (admittedly the last two weren't the greatest) should now enjoy this entry. For fifteen years of our lives and two years of Eve Dallas', Nora has dazzled us with Eve's journey from a violent, lonely existence to a life redeemed...reclaimed by friendship and love. Where could Nora take Eve many queried, after thirty novels and six or so short stories? All is well! Eve is back, still complicated, rude, funny, brave and scared, and we are happy once again to inhabit her world, if only for a few days, twice a year.

Indulgence is classic Eve and Nora. I love the scenes with Eve slapping her badge down on the desk of a patronizing snob. Honor, duty and "standing for the dead" matter more to Eve than all the money in the world (which she could access if she wanted). Her acts of kindness, often clumsily rendered, still endear Eve to her friends and fans who understand her struggle to communicate affection.

Indulgence touches all the bases Eve's fans love and require. We need our banter with Peabody and Eve's threats to "kick her ass." Exchanges with Charles and Louise still embarrass the ironically, straight-arrow Eve. As usual, a colorful McNab and Peabody amuse and unnerve Eve with their sexual antics and silly remarks. Summerset provides his usual prods and provocations. And, of course, fatherly Feeney and motherly Mira provide a framework, a grounding of support for Eve. For Morris, who still suffers from his great loss, Eve plans to throw a barbeque, "a meat thing" to help pull him out of his self-described, self-indulgent need to be alone. And, of course, there is Rourke. All of the characters we love are there in this episode, directly or indirectly.

Our Eve has grown up. In a discussion with Peabody, her partner, Eve ponders the word recognition, emphasized by italics, and a word Eve uses when thinking about her relationship with her best friend Mavis...and perhaps thinking about her own journey from fear to recognition and love.

One scene demonstrates the connection between Eve and Roarke. He adores and protects Eve, even from herself. After forty hours of pushing herself, Eve collapses on her cramped office floor, and in a typical, face-down, exhausted, Eve-fashion takes a nap. Rourke finesses the lock, slips into the tiny room and lies down on the crowded floor to share a nap with his wife. With body, brains and life's breath, Eve and Roarke recognize in each other one "who gets it."

Later, upon looking at her old home or hive as she calls it, Eve recognizes the new person she has become, and with these words Eve reveals the crux of the novel... the essence of the In Death series:

Maybe she wasn't exactly the same woman she'd been when she'd lived in the hive, and maybe she'd come to understand that she was better for it. But the core remained, didn't it? She still did what she did, still did the job, lived the life.

And so do we.

Thank you, Nora

Seduction in Death take two, November 7, 2010
A subtitle for this book could be called Seduction in Death II: Electric Bugaloo.

I admit I probably am grading this a bit harshly. But the entire time I was reading it, my overwhelming reaction was to keep thinking how similar it was in motive, perps and structure to the earlier book. One refrain just kept going over and over in my head -- "this feels lazy".

And not just the re-tread in plot components but also the simple police work. Instead of true deduction and procedural follow through to come to the conclusion of who the perps were, Eve has these leaps of intuitive logic that not only instinctively pinpoint who the murders are, but also why they are doing what they do, how they pick out their targets and even their thought processes. And she does this very early on in the book, absent any real solid evidence, and she is spot-on on every aspect.

So I graded harshly because Robb has shown in previous books that she is capable of writing good police procedure and that Eve has previously come to equally spot on conclusions but only after solid evidence and real deduction.

The other thing that really disappointed me, was how almost cartoonish in their two-dimensionality the villains were. Another thing that Robb has ceaselessly demonstrated through the course of this series is that she is capable of creating a fully fleshed villain. Even the ones who seem particularly sociopathic such as Ava from Strangers in Death or outright evil such as Ricker from Judgment in Death or just plain old liked to kill for a living such as Yost from Betrayal in Death --- all received depth and made a qualitative impression on their particular book. With these previous villains Robb gave us an insight into their thoughts and emotions. Even the two bored society boys from Seduction had their illuminating moments of 'voice' and agency. But the villains in this book felt almost like villain seat-fillers.

The best parts of this book were the dialogue, beginning and the ending. The dialogue seemed particularly snappy and witty. I also enjoyed the first part of the book while Even and Roarke were in Ireland where she helped the young Irish cop solve his first murder. And the last couple of chapters are actually worth an extra half star. I always enjoy it when Eve runs an op with her team to nab her perps and this one was no different. Eve acting like a drunken boor who married Roarke for money was fun to read.

I've said in previous reviews that Eve seems to be a serial killer magnet. It seems unlikely that in little over a two year span of time that Eve would come across as many serial, multiple and thrill killers as she has. The "...In Death" novellas work great because they are just regular murders that Eve gets to solve, but I'd like the regular books to go that route more often. I liked Salvation in Death a lot because it was one murder and Eve simply worked it -- no muss, no fuss.

Good story, great Eve/Roarke relationship, November 11, 2010
The "In Death" series appeals to people for many different reasons. If you primarily like Eve/Roarke interactions, as I do, you'll enjoy this one (although they're not as fiery as they were in the past; Eve and Roarke have settled into the married rhythm pretty well). For me, the first three chapters alone were worth the price of the book.

While there are similarities to a previous case (and it is odd that no character in the book mentions the similarity), this one is more of a procedural than its predecessor. It focuses more on how Eve and company gather the evidence to make the arrest after they have determined the murderer. I enjoyed watching the team build their case. Without giving too much away, Eve's plan to capture the murderers is enjoyable to read.

I didn't like Kindred in Death, but I did like Fantasy and this is even better. In my opinion, Indulgence is one of Robb's best in a while.

Good mystery, excellent character development, November 5, 2010
Though I enjoy the mysteries, it's not the main reason I love the In Death series. What makes it special is the relationships Eve has with other characters and how that impacts her investigations. Though this mystery was not particularly inventive, it gave Eve reason to interact with a lot of characters with great results. There's a fair amount of humor in most of the series, but this one seemed to go to the next level. I quite literally laughed out loud many times throughout the story.

The book opens with Eve and Roarke in Ireland on a long overdue vacation. This part of the book was outright fantastic because we see their relationship evolving. The dialog clearly demonstrates how much they are coming to understand one another. However, other characters also get a boost. The last few books had Roarke taking such a large role in the mystery that others, like Peabody, were pushed into the background. Though this is good occasionally, I was glad to see Peabody come front and center again for this mystery. Even better, Peabody is starting to step out of Eve's shadow. She takes more initiative, and even provides some insight into the case that Eve missed! It was a welcome development - moving them more toward equal partners. The mystery itself was not very deep, and I figured it out even more quickly than normal, but all the character development more than made up for it. I simply could not put it down, and read straight through.

Overall, another very satisfying book from Robb that has me eagerly anticipating the next one. Highly recommended to series' fans.

dear ms robb...please get your old ghost writer back, December 15, 2010
i have read every singe book nora roberts/jd robb has written and this is without a doubt one of the worst. omg...who wrote this? who made roarke and eve so plastic and yuppie/huggy? are you kidding me? i hope to hell that roberts publishers or public relations people are reading this because they are about to witness the end of one of the great series if they don't fix this problem now. i haven't even gotten to the end of this book and i am doubting i will. it started out not awful but half way thru it was like they had to find a 1st year english major who had read a couple of robbs books to take over the writing. it is that bad. i keep skimming it trying to get thru it hoping i will get better... and it doesn't. and you would think her editor would at least catch the obvious mistakes like the fact that charles and louise did not continue to live in the townhouse they cohabitated in after they married.. he bought her a new (old) house and was decorating it for her.. and no way dallas would sit there and eat an omelette and have breakfast conversation about the murder/etc with them. oh please.. while i have thought for awhile that dallas needs to grow up some this is not the way to go... i would rather have her snarling her way thru books that turn into this new age groupy or whatever it is she is now. and roarke...oh please... he is turning into some self satisfied yuppie idiot... get the old ghost writer back and pay her whatever she asks because this book sucks.

It is wonderful to read how enduring they are as a couple but there is also less time for the gritty mystery, November 4, 2010
Indulgence In Death by J. D. Robb
Paranormal Romance/Suspense -Nov. 2nd, 2010
4 stars

In Indulgence In Death, Eve and her husband Roarke are taking a well deserved vacation after facing a near death experience. They travel to Roarke's maternal family in Ireland where they are greeted with love, laughter, and a sudden murder. They return relaxed to New York and a puzzling string of new murders that do not seem to have any connection. Eve is determined to find the murderer/s. And she has a deep suspicion of the identity of the culprit/s but proving it may become fatal since that person or persons are rich and influential.

This book was a departure from the earlier books in the Death series because Roarke and Eve are letting go and allowing people to get closer to them. There is a real feeling of love and kinship as many of the side characters have also settled in with their significant others. Those who love this series will be gratified since it will make them feel right at home. I won't say that this series has lost its edge but it does have a softer side. So readers who like the grim darkness of the author's previous books may find this one a bit more lightweight in comparison.

The beginning of the story felt a little strange because it spends quite a bit of time with Roake and Eve in Ireland and his extended family. Once they get back to the states, that is when the action really begins. It almost felt like 2 different stories. One with Eve and Roake on a `honeymoon' and another with the big murder investigation. What was also different about this novel was that Eve has a good idea who may be the murdering the victims so the ending is not a complete surprise. Much of the investigation is spent trying to prove her theory and catch the suspect/s.

I enjoyed returning to the Eve and Roake's adventures. As their relationship and group of friends have grown, so has the focus of the novels. It is wonderful to read how enduring they are as a couple but there is also less time for the gritty mystery. So readers might find this story less involving.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
... Read more

Editorial Review

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

Reviews

Heat Wave: Great Fun for Castle Fans and Non-Fans Alike!, September 29, 2009
As a work of literature, "Heat Wave" is a sensational success. The story is written with an appropriate tone and just the right balance of wit and accuracy. The information pertaining to the case is appropriately crisp and matter-of-fact while the relationships and interactions between people are genuine and human. The characters are well-developed without being too overbearing or distracting from the woven crime cases. Even a character like Jameson Rook, who is exasperating and arrogant on the best of days, is given just the right amount of human qualities to endear him to the audience. The reader will care about the characters and read eagerly for the solution to the crime.

As an adjunct to the ABC comedy crime drama "Castle," "Heat Wave" hits the mark as the creative work of Richard Castle. Fans of the show will recognize his wit and humor in the prose as well as the inclusion of his experiences with the NYPD and Detective Kate Beckett into the story. The characters and their relationships are perfect mirrors to those that Richard Castle experiences with his ride-along at twelfth precinct which makes it an easy transition for fans of the show. ABC has gone to greater lengths than any network I've ever seen to provide their fans with something interactive that directly ties into the show. Far beyond "breaking the fourth wall," this book pushes the limit of the artistic world meeting the "real world." Fans will feel like they are sharing the experience with their favorite characters from "Castle" by laying their hands on Richard Castle's first Nikki Heat novel.

ABC Dropped the Ball, October 8, 2009
First the good... It was a great fast paced little book. The writing was tight, the dialog fast paced, and the characters really jumped off the pages. Very visual. Reading this, was like watching a great movie in my head. There are a ton of characters, and somehow none of them get lost in the shuffle. The writer really did a good job of keeping everything moving along.

Now the bad... As soon as I heard that ABC was bringing out the Nikki Heat books that Richard Castle was writing, I thought it was Brilliant to piggy back the books on top of the show's success. I read the first 3 chapters on line, and I was out of my skin excited. I was picturing a novel about the size of the other Richard Castle books Detective Beckett handed out to her fellow detectives in the pilot episode, to help them track down the murderer who'd been copy-catting murders from the books. I really expected it to be the type of book worthy of Richard Castle's name, a celebrated author who'd had 26 best sellers. Instead, it ended up being almost a book form of an episode.

If you really stop and think about what this book is supposed to represent, the beginning of a new character and series for Richard Castle based on a dynamic New York City Detective, you'll see what I'm trying to say. This book would have a hard time standing on it's own without the show, and that's where I think ABC dropped the ball. I think ABC could have given us a lot more credit for being able to read a full sized novel with strong characters based on Beckett and Castle and not confuse them with the characters on screen. They could have made the characters varied enough that we would have seen the parallels and still been able to differentiate between Castle and Beckett and Rook and Heat. And, given us the depth that can only be found in a novel.

After falling in love with Richard Castle on screen, I really wanted to read one of his books. I wanted to see what kept him on the best selling list for 26 books. I wanted to see the writing that Detective Beckett fell in love with and helped her heal after her mother's death.

Will I read the next one that comes out? Yep. I will. Mainly because I'm a weak weak woman who's fallen in love with this irrepressible novelist, and will take whatever scraps are pushed my way. I won't like myself because of it and will know that I'm settling, but alas, what's a girl to do?

We're having a Heat Wave (Name the lyricist), September 30, 2009
I am an avid fan of ABC's Castle (Monday nights 10/9c) and was excited to read Richard Castle's latest book, Heat Wave. For those who are not in the know, Nathan Fillion stars as Richard Castle, a famous mystery novelist who is initially called in to help the NYPD solve a copy-cat murder based on his novels. Stana Katic stars opposite as the young detective Kate Beckett. Following his encounter with Beckett, Castle decides to use her as the model for his next book series. He uses his contacts and receives permission to accompany Beckett while investigating cases. [thanks Wikipedia] Heat Wave is the first of Castle's new book series: Nikki Heat. My favorite thing is every character is believable & I can picture all of them. I love Rook and Heat and their scenes are amazing. I can totally picture Castle dreaming & writing each scene they are in together. And if you are asking yourself, does it really have a story line? Yes, in fact, it takes so many twists and turns that the minute you think you have a suspect, new information comes in and you have to re-evaluate all the evidence. Some points drag on a bit but it helps you get into the story; you are right there in NYC traffic with Heat & Rook trying to fly but the siren means absolutely nothing in the standstill of traffic. When scenes get too tense, Characters are there to crack a joke or banter between each other, including how many ways to describe a bookie's muscle. Overall, ABC did a great job on this TV tie in and the writers should be applauded and given pay raises. I hope to get more Nikki Heat and I am hoping Det. Beckett reads Heat Wave and comments about the book; especially the blackout sequences.

Entertaining, but not even close to a 5 star book, October 19, 2009
The book is not bad. In fact, it's reasonably compelling read and there aren't any major faults in the book. The characters are decent, but they're also nearly identical to those on the show. Not sort of close, but nearly identical. (Down to the point of rehashing scenes from the show, which is, the point of his sitting in with the HYPD to write a book.)

So why 3 stars? First off, it's written at a 5th grade level, which is to be expected since it's for a TV audience and they're going for broad appeal. That's great and all, but this is a little light even for the genre. Secondly, it's HIGHLY sanitized for a the ABC audience. (It feels about as gritty as a Jello(tm) pudding.) Thirdly, there are scattered, shameless product placements. (Why do I suddenly want a Chipotle carnitas burrito...) Lastly, it's a bit short and if this is the book that he's holding up on the show, then the hard cover must be in very large print.

If you REALLY love the show and want to read what is essentially a good episode, this is for you. if you're expecting this to be a novel that could hold it's own without the show, you'll probably be little disappointed. (And some of the 5 star reviews are clearly shills for the book. "Immaculate prose"?!? Please! It's cliched, gimmicky, recycled-from-the-show but still entertaining. But unfortunately, that's all it is.

Amazingly done, October 15, 2009
Amazing,

What was originally a smart advertising for the TV show, actually manage to stand very well by itself. The story is solid, the characters lovable (even more because we know the 'people' they are based on), the storytelling is effective.

It even have the same 'flavor' than the tv show, you subconciously imagine the action as you would see it on tv while you read the book.

I really hope they will continue and that Richard Castle will soon write another book. Whoever the author really is, hats down. The only regret is that the book is only 200 pages.

At a time where less and less people actually read, I hope this will bring more people to the pleasure of reading a good book.

Fun but not excellent, October 23, 2009
Simply put it is a fun book but not excellent.

I do not recommend the hard back edition due to cost, but gladly would recommend the paperback when it comes out. It would be good paperback for $6 to $8, but not $20+. I'm sure I'll buy the next books (per the Castle 16-Oct episode at least 3 more are 'promised') after they go to paperback, but not before.

The major disappointment is the fact the Castle TV show makes you feel this should be a super blockbuster, and it just isn't. The writing is good. The characters are solid, and feel like people you could meet. The humor and banter in the book are surprisingly good and biting. It got unexpected chuckles from me as I read it. The book just doesn't have those little extras that defines a master's best work.

For those who already love the TV show it is an fun tie-in. I loved that scenes mentioned in the TV show are in the book. Like the mention of "the hot love scene on page 105" (it really is on page 105!) It is not what I would call 'hot', but it is written like most mystery genre love scenes. Men (like myself) aren't left wonder if we fell into a romance novel.

Overall, the writing is good and consistent. It does leave items unexplained or briefly explained. If you watch the show these points will automatically be fill in. If you don't watch (and love) the show you will miss a lot of the fun.

King of the Castle and Bookshelves, November 2, 2009
I'm a hard person to please when it comes to mystery books. Janet Evanovich disappoints, James Patterson makes me happy most of the time but even there I can find some faults.

I found ABC's Castle to be a breath of fresh air, we are being chocked to death but the forensics procedures. CSI and it's spin offs, Bones, Criminals Mind, Numbers need I go on? So an old fashioned detective drama with a large does of humor is exactly what viewers needed. It is witty, charming, entertaining and has Nathan Fillion, what more do you need?

Heat Wave apparently, as I said I'm hard to please when it comes to my detective novels so when I say that this is an excellent novel I mean it! It is as funny as the show with very similar characters but with enough differences that it seems just like something Richard Castle would write without actually naming the main characters Richard and Kate.

The case itself is FABULOUS! I can usually predict the killer in most procedurals and novels but I have to admit about halfway through the novel I just gave up trying to figure it out and just let myself be surprised. A great deal of fun is in these pages, amazing one liners, fun characters, with a serious side that stands out much more against all of the humor. Fans of the show will see parts of their favorite episodes within the book as well, again as if the real Richard Castle was drawing from his own experiences. People who have never seen the show will not be lost as everthing is explained within the book, however you might just find out a fun way to spend your Monday Nights (Castle comes on at 10pm eastern on ABC for those who wanted to know)

All in all an excellent read and may I say a great idea to tie into the show.

Heat Wave: Why Bother?, August 23, 2010
I enjoy ABC's Castle on TV. I have liked Nathan Fillion ever since I first encountered him in the SF series "Firefly", then the movie, "Serenity". I really enjoy his family in the series. I like the character of Kate Beckett. This book, though is horrible. When other reviewers say that they like it, I am totally puzzled. I am at page 102, and wondering if I can go on. It is so poorly written, in such a poor style it is painful to read. It is so bad, that I have to wonder if it was written as a joke of how the crime writer Castle cannot really write at all.

I have read thousands of books in my life. Many, many mysteries and police dramas included. Some were very good, and some not so good. Ed McBain's series of the 87th precinct are an excellent example of a good cop novels, and I recommend them to everyone. This book though, is the biggest stinker that I can remember in quite a while. It is now selling for $8, down from the issue price, which should also tell prospective readers something. IMO, $8 is still way too much. Don't waste your money. Buy something good.

Rick Castle writes another classic!, October 22, 2009
For those who don't keep up with that terrible time waster known as television, Richard Castle is one of the two protagonists of a series called, cleverly enough, "Castle." I'm not going to say anything more.

This is Castle's first novel based on his ride-a-longs with members of one of Manhattan's crack homicide squads. We have to believe that there's a lovely officer working this beat, since there is simmering sexual tension flowing through the pages of this book.

Written in the style of such masters of murder as Ellery Queen, Dashell Hammet, and Alfred Hitchcock, Castle's alter ego, Jameson Rook, trails the sexy detective as she hunts down the murderer of a New York multi-millionaire. Nikki must work her way through clues that point her toward the Russian Mafia and the art world. Twists and turns take Nikki and Rook to find the murderer, return millions of dollars in art, and win the day.

I'm blown away at how good this book is. It's a quick read, something that you might want to curl up by a fire to read (and did I just write that? I've been reading too many cheesy mystery novels recently) with your favorite wine and honey. And, truthfully, I wouldn't mind if that honey was the author himself.

Look for the Easter Egg.

A Great Read and Tie-In, October 12, 2009
I love the show Castle, so I was very excited to pick up this book -- and I wasn't let down. At first I wasn't so sure about the inclusion of the Castle-type character (with the not-so-subtle name of Rook), but eventually the parallel to the show grew on me. The title character Nikki Heat is a strong, independent woman who can really kick some butt, and she made a good protagonist. I loved the "action scenes" in the novel in particular, and thought they were very well-written. Any fan of Castle should definitely pick this up. ... Read more

Editorial Review

When a bomb explodes at a birth-control clinic and a young client turns up dead, Detective Jackson is assigned both cases. But are they connected? Kera, the clinic nurse who discovers that the girl's Bible group is really a sexual free-for-all, thinks they are. But confidentiality keeps her from telling the police, so she digs for the truth on her own and becomes the bomber's new target. Soon another girl is murdered. Can Jackson uncover the killer's shocking identity in time to stop the slaughter? ... Read more

Reviews

A Darn Good Read, December 5, 2007
I would normally not have picked up The Sex Club off the shelf, as I'm not much of a mystery fan. However, the masterful and expressive cover caught my eye. Surprise - L.J. Sellers held my interest from first to last, and I hated to see the story end. This is a police procedural, following the steps of the detective as he solves the crimes. The police aspects are well-researed, and the reader rides along with the detective eyes open and cheering. The characters are well drawn, complete with human foibles, and very sympathetic. Thankfully, the author did not stoop to giving the detective more than his share of faults. The tender romance is treated softly, a natural outcome of proximity, but does not overwhelm the crime story. And the crimes! Realistic for today, sadly. As it is set in Eugene, OR, home of my alma mater, that added personal interest, but the setting could Smalltown, anywhere. Living as I do now in a hotbed of Christian conservatism, the issues she brings up of religious fanatacism were very to the point. I am looking forward to the next Detective Wade Jackson novel.

LJ Delivers, September 2, 2008
Author LJ Sellers knows how to write a compelling, page-turning, heart-stopping, blood pumping thriller of a story. She has created a vivid and multi-layered cast of believable characters. From promiscuous church-going pubescent teenagers to a lonely and wanting love in her life main heroine that works as a dedicated nurse in a Planned Parenthood clinic, to a religious psychopath with a God-complex blowing up buildings and doing everything she can to exact God's punishment on sinners, the characters jump right out of the pages and take up residence in your head.

LJ has a no frills, concise style of writing with a voice that does not get in the way of the story. Her prose shows the controlled and classic restraint of a veteran writer. The story she writes is so strong and intriguing she has no need of all the bells and whistles of frilly fiction that we so often see in novels, the countless adjectives, adverbs, exclamation points, etc. She just delivers the story, and hits you right over the head with it. She can take a bite out of your heart and stab you in your ear with a few simple words.

I highly recommend The Sex Club. Plan on putting everything aside for a day, because you won't be able to put it down once you get drawn into it, and that happens very quickly. I look forward to reading more from Sellers.

Explosive Mystery, March 28, 2010
Writing about the hard issues and choices that women have is something in which L.J. Sellers excels. In The Sex Club, Sellers tackles the controversial topic of Planned Parenthood, a world-wide organization that provides counseling on sex education, disease transmission and pregnancy options.
A pipe bomb explodes at a birth control clinic and we are introduced to a wonderfully portrayed nurse/heroine named Kera Kollmorgan. One of her clients from the clinic is soon found naked and dead, tossed without regard in a dumpster. There are so many potential suspects and very few clues to lead to any case solution, and the violence continues to escalate as conflicting philosophies and relationships collide. Kera appears to be the target but due to patient privacy issues, a lot of the clinic information cannot be released, even to the police. Add in another level of intensity when you realize that most of the victims are early teens, hardly more than children that are playing a very dangerous game. Secrets abound and the lead detective fears that his own teen daughter may be targeted as well. Kera has realized the connection between the dead girls and the school and churches they all belong too, and rather than reveal the information, starts her own investigation which puts her in the spot light as a target as well. Oh, and add a little politics in there for flavor as a high ranking official becomes under suspicion and the investigators are walking on tenterhooks.
Sellers' straight forward writing style coupled with a compelling mystery will capture your attention from the start and keep you turning the pages through the thrilling conclusion of this very important topic. The police procedural aspect of the story is well researched and the characters believable in their complexities.

This book was provided to me free of charge by the author.

Planned Parenthood - or not, February 28, 2008

"The Sex Club" is not the book one expects from the title, nor from the opening sentence, for that matter: "You can put your clothes back on, then we'll talk some more." The words are spoken by Kera Kollmorgan, a registered nurse at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Eugene, Oregon, to a young girl of perhaps 14 years of age, who has come for treatment of an STD. The only thing more startling to the reader than the fact that a middle school student is sexually active is that she is only one of a group of similar barely-teenaged kids, churchgoing members of a bible study group who have all ostensibly taken vows of celibacy, in the `club.' Almost immediately after this encounter, a pipe bomb goes off, damaging the building and causing severe injuries to one patient. Things only get worse when the young girl's dead body is discovered the following day in a dumpster. And it appears that the bomber, dismayed that the clinic is still functioning, is not done with them, and Kera soon finds herself a target of the antiabortionist as well.

The dead girl had sent a personal e-mail to Kera shortly after her clinic visit and, when Kera is contacted by another young girl the next day near the school where the girls were both students, she "took that as a sign that both girls had wanted or needed something from her personally. On the surface, they had sought her advice. But had they also wanted her permission? Forgiveness? Maybe they didn't even know. But they had drawn her in, and now she felt compelled to follow through." The daughter of "hippies before it was popular to be hippies," she has always been committed to causes, spending five years in Rwanda before coming back home. She has lost a son to the war in Iraq, where her husband is now serving and where he has indicated he is going to stay--her dedication to her work and to the women who sought help at her clinic has become her whole life.

Handling the bombing case for the cops initially is Detective Wade Jackson, later assigned to the young girl's homicide. He is himself the single father of a fourteen-year-old girl who had been a friend of the dead girl, separated from his alcoholic wife, with obvious conflicts on the case. The investigation turns out to have political implications, further complicating his job.

The author, a resident of Eugene, Oregon and, among other things, a political activist [no surprise there], has written a well-plotted, suspenseful tale with two very human and engaging protagonists, with a pulse-pounding ending. It would appear that a second book featuring Detective Jackson is on the horizon, and it should be another winner.

A Better-Than-Expected Page Turner!, January 8, 2008
As I began to read this book, after the first few pages, I got the feeling that this was going to be a mediocre book written with the author's personal ideology as the main thrust....featuring a stereotypical, fanatical, evangelical Christian as a "mad bomber" of a Planned Parenthood facility. I prepared myself for probable exaggerated and predjudicial judgement against "pro-lifers" (or "anti-abortionists"), in the form of a book.

Although the book (and author) was definitely and obviously on the pro-choice side of the coin....my assumptions were wrong and my intuition was mistaken. This story turned out to be quite good, much better than at first expected.

Centered around several main characters, the story revolves around two very serious crimes that had rocked the town. Detective Wade Jackson was investigating both; the bombing of the Planned Parenthood clinic, and the murder of a young teenage girl. Kera Kollmorgan, the clinic nurse, becomes the target of a religious fanatic who believes she is doing the work of God when she tries several times to kill the "abortionist whore". Meanwhile, the mayor of the town is linked to the killing of a young girl, who happens to be only a few weeks pregnant....a possible motive?? Detective Jackson tries to determine if these two separate crimes are somehow linked.

Kera learns that the murdered girl and several of her friends, who had been clients of the Planned Parenthood facility, have been having group sex under the guise of a Bible study group called Teen Talk. These kids are from ultra religious families, and their secrets become revealed as the story progresses.

Many twists and turns make this book come alive with psychological tension and intrigue. I found myself rapidly turning the pages, very anxious to learn the final outcome of the many different angles of this deftly crafted story. All the elements of the story come together at the end to leave the reader feeling satisfied and satiated.

A fine book written by a gifted author. I would recommend this book to others. I look forward to a possible series featuring the likable Detective Wade Jackson in the future.

An enjoyable read, October 29, 2010
Owning a Kindle has opened my reading list up to a lot of new writers- indie and professional alike. L.J. Sellers has been one of those lovely new discoveries: The Sex Club was my first contact with Det. Jackson and whilst it is not perfect, I look forward to reading Sellers' other titles.

In terms of writing, the quality is right up there with more well-known crime/drama/police-procedural authors. It was an easy read that was hard to put down. Some of the dialogue was a little stiff and formal, but the biggest weakness was the characters- they tended to be black and white, two-dimensional stereotypes. The "baddies" were right-wing and possessed negative traits, the "good guys" tended to be lefty-liberals. It made the book a little predictable. Interstingly, the majority of characters are female.

The Sex Club Entertains While Exploring Contemporary Issues, September 7, 2010
The Sex Club by L. J. Sellers is a well written, engaging police procedural. Sellers tackles controversial issues like teen sexuality, women's rights, religious zealots, and the abuses humans inflict on one another without ever forgetting to entertain. Sellers introduces us to Detective Jackson in this first in the series. Detective Jackson works with Kera, a clinic nurse, to investigage a group of teenagers whose promiscuity has lead to a need to keep secrets. The fear of discovery impedes the investigation into the death of one of the groups members. As those secrets are revealed, people in powerful political positions have a lot to lose and create obstacles to impede the case's resolution. Detective Jackson fears for his daughter's safety, and refuses to let the case quietly grow cold. At the same time, a group of religious zealots have their own agenda for wanting to avoide the truth being discovered. Sellers creates well-rounded characters the reader wants to know better. The Sex Club has a tightly woven plot that keeps the reader intrigued until the last page.

Fantastic Mystery for Book Groups, November 6, 2009
The Sex Club is set in Eugene, Oregon where workers at Planned Parenthood, the devout members of a Baptist church, and a group of promiscuous teenagers intersect. The book moves along as a police procedural, but deftly frames difficult relationships and conflicting ideologies very skillfully. The (sometimes edgy) subject matter was handled with great care so as not to offend the sensibilities, but at the same time, the book explores opposing points of view and delivers justice to the characters so cleverly that a few times I had to stop reading and consider what the characters were feeling. The ending was brilliant no matter which side of the abortion debate you may fall on.

The characters and relationships in this book were very well done. I was impressed with the swiftness that the author painted the difficulties of single-parenthood for Detective Jackson, likewise the romantic relationship that is so clear even though the exchanges between Jackson and Kollmorgan are brief and constrained by their conflicting duties. One other reviewer here commented on the religous extremeists and I have to agree that these characters could have been more rounded. Interestingly, while I strongly disagree with the work done at Planned Parenthood, that didn't affect my enjoyment of this fast moving and emotionally complex work.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book free at Bouchercon and I have met the author in person and found her to be a very likeable sort, so much so that I interviewed her on my Blog Talk Radio Show.

CJ West
[...]

The Sex Club, October 8, 2009
I enjoyed the way the author presented this mystery novel and how she handled a subject that is of obvious importance to her and any other woman.
From a man's perspective I found the characters realistic and engaging, the action fast-paced, and the finale satisfying.
The story revolves around a nurse in an abortion clinic, a small town detective, and a religious nut receiving orders direct from God who happens to also be a terrorist bent on destroying the clinic and all who work therein.
Tragedy in the form of violent teenage deaths resulting from a secret sex club are brought into play, effectively paralysing the church congregation and the towns citizenry as the protagonist detective casts about for the killer.
You won't be able to figure the outcome; the final scene has a satisfying twist that will surprise, as any good mystery should.
I recommend this book and give it four stars.

Excellent Mystery at a great price, July 23, 2009
Next to fantasy/science fiction, I love a mystery. My usual choices in mystery are the women crime solvers, from Agatha Christie to Nora Roberts.

So, I might not have chosen this book off the bookstore or library shelf. Luckily for me, I met L.J. at a local book and art event and I got my copy straight from the author. She says, "People say they can't put it down." Well, I put it down, but only when I was too sleepy to track the words on the page. She's telling the truth when she calls it a page-turner.

Detective Jackson is a workaholic policeman on the homicide squad of a smallish town (Eugene, Oregon). But we don't start with him. We first meet Kera Kilmorgan, a counselor at the local Planned Parenthood. When a girl who visited PP is murdered, the two come together to find out what happened.

Kera is also threatened by "God's Messenger," a religious fanatic setting bombs in the local PP--Kera's place of work.

Sellers skips back and forth between Jackson and Kera, with stops along the way with some of the teen girls and their parents, some of whom are involved in both crimes.

Can't say anymore because a mystery's ending is sacred to those who trouble to read it.

In my estimation, anybody who enjoys a detective mystery is bound to enjoy this book. If you live in Oregon, especially Eugene (which I do), then the settings have their own fascination. I know exactly which streets L.J. describes. I know which places are real and which are imagination, but it's always a ton of fun figuring out the secondary mystery--where the heck is that!?

I look forward to the next Detective Jackson book due for release in September titled "Secrets to Die For." ... Read more

Editorial Review

A wife is murdered in a brutal, bloody knife attack at her rural Harrisburg, Pa., home. Almost immediately, her sleeping husband is a prime suspect. Meanwhile, a truck driver-turned serial killer is roaming the interstates for more female victims, and no one is tracking his bloody trail.

Journalist John Luciew takes you inside the bungled Pennsylvania State Police investigation and traces each tortured step in a three-year journey to justice with a compelling and revealing nonfiction narrative account that reads like a novella.

You’ll step into the shoes of the accused husband, who quickly goes from distraught victim to prime suspect. And you will be inside the police interrogation room for his 11-hour grilling.

You’ll see the bloody trail of evidence police overlooked as a budding serial killer who despises women continues to prowl quiet neighborhoods in close proximity to busy truck stops and bustling interstates.

You will follow the seemingly random path of the masked, black-clothed killer as he roams suburban developments during late-night “human hunts.” An unlocked door or an open-air patio can be the difference between life and death.

This murder machine has no motive other than to kill women. Even more chilling, there’s no rhyme or reason to his attacks -- other than the anonymous interstates connecting his crimes. Before he’s finished, the trail of death and assault hop scotches from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, oblivious police in Pennsylvania are fixated on a motive. Who else but family would know that a wife would be on her patio at 2 a.m.? All signs point to her husband. A grand jury is convened. Subpoenas are issued. Homicide charges could be imminent.

The clock is ticking in a real-life drama of life and death, freedom and imprisonment.

How many women must suffer under a serial killer’s knife before he is stopped? How far will police push an innocent man? Who will piece together the murderous truth?

John Luciew unravels this riveting true story and displays the bravo journalism and sharp eye for facts that have fueled his ripped-from-the-headlines fictional thrillers KILL THE STORY, ZERO TOLERANCE, SECRETS OF THE DEAD and FATAL DEAD LINES.

Only this time, his chilling account of actual events will leave you wondering whether it could happen to you.

Also included are two long-form narrative nonfiction pieces on life inside Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system. This journalism directly influenced and informed Luciew's juvenile justice-themed thriller, ZERO TOLERANCE. See how with an extended excerpt of Zero Tolerance, also included, that shows how the facts inspired the fiction.

This nonfiction Kindle book contains approx. 22,000 words. ... Read more

Reviews

not worth what I paid for it, December 17, 2010
I wasted my $$$$ on this - maybe I didn't get all of the story but if I can read it in an hour then there wasn't much to it

Excellent Value, October 19, 2010
This book moved quickly and keeps one guessing. It is a great value at the low price in the Mystery category.Suspect/Victim

True crime that reads like a thriller!, August 3, 2010
A wife is murdered in a brutal, bloody knife attack at her rural Harrisburg, Pa., home. Almost immediately, her sleeping husband is a prime suspect. Meanwhile, a truck driver-turned serial killer is roaming the interstates for more female victims, and no one is tracking his bloody trail.

Journalist John Luciew takes you inside the bungled Pennsylvania State Police investigation and traces each tortured step in a three-year journey for justice in a compelling and revealing nonfiction narrative account that reads like a novella.

You'll step into the shoes of the accused husband, who quickly goes from distraught victim to prime suspect. And you will be inside the police interrogation room for his 11-hour grilling.

You'll see the bloody trail of evidence police overlooked as a budding serial killer who despises women continues to prowl quiet neighborhoods in close proximity to busy truck stops and bustling interstates.

You will follow the seemingly random path of the black-clothed killer as he roams suburban developments during late-night "human hunts." An unlocked door or an open-air patio can be the difference between life and death.

This murder machine has no motive other than to kill woman. Even more chilling, there's no rhyme or reason to his attacks -- other than the anonymous interstates connecting his crimes. Before he's finished, the trail of death and assault hop scotches from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, oblivious police in Pennsylvania are fixated on a motive. Who else but family would know that a wife would be on her patio at 2 a.m.? All signs point to her husband. A grand jury is convened. Subpoenas are issued. Homicide charges could be imminent.

The clock is ticking in a real-life drama of life and death and freedom and imprisonment.

How many women must suffer under a serial killer's knife before he is stopped? How far will police push an innocent man? Who will piece together the murderous truth?

John Luciew unravels this riveting true story and displays the bravo journalism and sharp eye for facts that have fueled his ripped-from-the-headlines fictional thrillers KILL THE STORY, ZERO TOLERANCE, SECRETS OF THE DEAD and FATAL DEAD LINES.

Only this time, his chilling account of actual events will leave you wondering whether it could happen to you.

Plus, special bonus material!
Also included are two long-form narrative nonfiction pieces on life inside Pennsylvania's juvenile justice system. This journalism directly influenced and informed my juvenile justice-themed thriller, ZERO TOLERANCE. See how with an extended excerpt of Zero Tolerance, also included, that shows how the facts inspired the fiction.

This nonfiction Kindle book contains approx. 22,000 words.
Zero Tolerance
Kill The Story
Secrets of the Dead
Fatal Dead Lines
... Read more

Editorial Review

Amazon.com ReviewThis Bonus Content Edition includes the full text of Shaken plus an alternate, chronologically linear version of the book which allows readers to choose their own reading experience.

Since her debut in Whiskey Sour, Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has dealt with her fair share of criminals. But she may have finally met her match in “Mr. K,” the brutal serial killer who has eluded Jack not once, but twice, over the years. Mr. K is the essence of evil, credited with more than two hundred horrific homicides. Now, on a hot August night, Jack finally gets the chance to face the maniac—unfortunately, she must do so while bound and gagged in a storage locker, primed to be his next victim. As she awaits her fate, Jack looks back on her career, from her first homicide case to her recent retirement. The twenty-five years in between saw Jack’s attitude toward justice, the law, her job, and her personal life shift drastically. She is a different woman now…but is she good enough to stop a madman? Novelist J. A. Konrath’s trademark blend of suspense and wry humor are on full display in this tense thriller, a gripping tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

J.A. Konrath achieves the stupendous feat of blending both a prequel and a sequel in this timeline-hopping thriller, expertly making the pieces click together like an intricate Swiss watch.

Over the course of her decades-long career, Detective Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels has pursued her own great white whale: a sickeningly twisted serial killer named Mr. K.Years ago, Jack came heartbreakingly close to catching him, but he managed to slip away. Now Mr. K is back from her nightmares, and she's his captive, in a secret place where she's beyond rescue. Bound and gagged, the clock ticking down till zero, Jack faces a death more excruciating than anyone's worst imaginings. She has seen Mr. K.'s other victims, so she knows how terrible her end will be.

In flashback, we see just how Jack ended up at this moment in her life. From her first exposure as a rookie to Mr. K's handiwork, through her career-long pursuit of her nemesis, we watch Jack grow as a cop, as a woman, and as a friend to her two eccentric colleagues, Harry and Herb. That journey is both terrifying and wildly hilarious, a wacky combination that only a writer as good as Konrath can pull off.Throw in a deeply moving denouement, and you have a story that hits every single mark.

The pace is frantic, the horrors truly horrifying, and the dialogue will have you laughing out loud even as you're gripping the pages in terror. Konrath is so good, he makes other novelists jealous--and count me as one of them.

Five very enthusiastic stars out of five. --Tess Gerritsen

Reviews

The penultimate Jack Daniels Story Novel is well worth your time, October 26, 2010
This is an exciting, suspenseful story from J.A. Konrath. Winding down his Jack Daniels series, this book puts the female heroine in some very painful, dangerous spots. I really enjoyed the way it was told, shifting back and forth through 3 different time periods, telling 3 stories that may (or may not) be connected.

This is only the second Jack Daniels book I've read (the other was Fuzzy Navel), so I can't speak towards whether or not it stays to the Jack Daniels formula, but I found the humor to be less outrageous than Fuzzy Navel, but more realistic. For example, in Fuzzy Navel there were life and death scenes with characters cracking jokes...that doesn't happy here. The humor comes more from the characters and how they interact.

The ending may strike some as a letdown, as it seems to sacrifice the end of this story in order to set up the next (and last) book in the series. I was first unhappy with it, but the more I thought about it and the way the story was told, I decided that it worked for me. I'm eagerly awaiting the final volume. In the mean time, I'm going to go back through the earlier books and catch up on what I've missed.

Full Disclaimer - I received an advance review copy of the book for free, in exchange for promising to review the book. I did not promise a favorable review, nor was my opinion of the book slanted because I received it for free. I would have gladly paid for the book (indeed, I had it pre-ordered on Amazon before I received my free copy....that money is now going towards buying the earlier volumes in the series).

First time Konrath Reader, October 27, 2010
An excellent mystery/suspense/thriller! This book is great. I've never read a Konrath book before; I'm not a fan responding to everything he writes as `best ever'. It's really that good of a novel. It's fast paced, suspenseful and funny.
Yeah, it's part of a series. Not having read the rest of the series didn't impact my enjoyment at all (though I will likely be reading the rest at some future point!).

There are a couple of caveats. 1) Murder by torture is a significant part of the book. If this bothers you then you should read something else. 2) The main version of the story purposefully jumps between 3 separate (though interrelated) events that occur in distinct time periods. This is very well done and builds suspense on multiple levels as well as showing the character's development over decades of `story time'. The digital versions come with a chronological version as well. I strongly recommend reading the author's main version. If you find it confusing or just can't stand the non-linear narrative then go to the alternate. 3) Some of the reviews contain spoilers. STOP READING REVIEWS! BUY THE BOOK NOW!

A three-pronged Jack Daniels thriller; Konrath creates another winner, October 26, 2010
The 7th, and next-to-last, Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels novel is an excellent read filled with action, suspense, and heart-felt emotion. It takes place in three time periods, and Jack is the focus in all of them: present day, three years ago, and twenty-one years ago. I read the book in its intentional out-of-sequence composition, and it was clearly understandable that way. No need to read the chronological version unless you want to do so.

While there is certainly no need to have read the previous Jack Daniels books or stories before reading this one, there are some delightful references that give an extra bump to the enjoyment factor if you have. Again, not important, just additional hints or explanations that ring bells for those of us who have read the entire series.

I've been reading Konrath's works (both under his name and his pseudonyms) for years now, and while I have enjoyed all of them, SHAKEN shows how much he has grown as a skilled writer over the years. His action is even more vividly described. His descriptions are taught and revealing without extra wording. His pacing is more deliberate and swift. His characters' emotions ring even truer than they already did.

I plan to also purchase the paperback when it is published. I actually wish there was going to be a hardcover, too, since I have all the Jack Daniels novels in hardcover. Regardless, it's an excellent book in any format, and that certainly includes this Kindle edition.

I feel cheated!, November 3, 2010
I have read all of the Jack Daniels series. I have also read the other books written by this author, including his books by Jack Kilborn. I have enjoyed all of his books to date... except Shaken! I enjoyed it until it ended at 50% of the book and then it made a sales pitch for an author I have not read. Apparently the conclusion to this book with be written with this unknown author to finish this series. That might have been ok, if this book hadn't been what I consider a cheat. The content of the book only goes to 50% of the kindle book... the last 50% of the book is the same material in chronological order. But it's the SAME material. I feel that this approach really cheapened the whole experience of this anticipated new addition to the Jack series. I appreciate 'cliff hangers' as well as the next. However, I have never felt like a book left in a cliff hanger was done solely to get me to buy another author's books. This is a pitiful arrangement between two authors that leaves a bad taste in my mouth about Shaken and the series author, whom I had great interest in before this stunt.

Really good ... until the ending, October 30, 2010
This book was good enough to get me to buy another by the same author before I had even finished it.

However, the ending was such a copout, I wish I had waited to make that second purchase. I probably wouldn't have done it.

Either the author found herself in plot trouble and felt a Hail Mary ending would bail her out ... or somebody talked her into discarding a perfectly good ending in favor of something that guaranteed a sequel. Either way, it was not worthy of the rest of the book ... or any book. It was, in fact, one of the crummiest ending sequences I have ever read.

I read the linear version (on the Kindle, a mixed-flashback version is also available). Maybe the linear version made the cheapness of the ending more obvious. Maybe I would have felt better about it if I had read the more confusing flashback version.

From "Red Adept Reviews", December 12, 2010
Plot/Storyline: 5 Stars

Mr. Konrath did a very unique thing with this eBook. He offered two different ways to read the same book. The first version, and the one I chose, is a `shaken' (pun intended) tale, while the second version is told in a linear fashion. Yes, it's the exact same book, from what I could ascertain having read only the first version, but in the second, the chapters, which come from three different time frames in the first version, are arranged chronologically, for those who prefer that style.

I chose to read the first version simply because the foreward states that he meant it to be read that way. However, keeping in mind that I have read all of the Jack Daniels books, I would recommend the second version to anyone trying out this series for the first time. For fans, the book offers some great references to past events that we are familiar with and some deeper insights into those events that were unavailable previously.

I can't help but liken this series a little to the Evanovitch Plum books. I read all of those up until number thirteen, but got bored with them after that since Plum just didn't seem to make any headway in life. This is not so with the Jack Daniel's series. She has changed partners, married, divorced, gotten a new love, and much more. She lives a full, ever-changing life.

The plots of the books in the series cannot help but get a little repetitive. I mean, how many different types serial killers are there, anyway? And, how many different ways can Jack catch them? Regardless, the style of the narratives keep the storyline fresh.

I did feel like the ending was a little `out there.' However, I have to give Mr. Konrath this: It was unpredictable. It does have a little bit of a "I gotta buy the next book" ending, but not so much that I felt cheated. The scenarios in each timeline were complete.

Characters: 4 3/4 Stars

Jack Daniels' character got a little deeper for me. She didn't grow forward in this installment, but a lot was filled in by using the previous years' timelines.

My only complaint were that the villains were just too conniving and playful. I don't think that most serial killers are such game players. But, this is fiction, and they were psychopaths, so I must suspend some disbelief.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

Mr. Konrath has some of the best dialogue I have ever read in a crime novel. It is filled with humor, yet never appears forced. The writing style in this book was no less than what I have come to expect from this author. The smooth style made for a truly enjoyable reading experience.

Gripping Vivid Terror, December 9, 2010
This book had me from the first page with an OMG. I could hardly put the book down until I found out what happened. If you like quick reads that grip you from page one and leave you wanting more I highly recommend this one. So much so that I am going to down load the sequel to this book, Stirred as soon as it comes out. I am now a fan of J.A. Konrath . [...]

SHAKEN has made me a Konrath fan!, November 24, 2010
SHAKEN was the first book I've read from author J.A. Konrath, but it certainly won't be the last. Part of his Jacquelyn "Jack" Daniels series, the book is a great standalone thriller that never left me feeling lost because I hadn't read the previous titles in the series.

I was hooked within the first few pages. Although the book bounced around quite a bit, Konrath did it so well that I only had to stop once or twice to remember which story I was following at a given time. SHAKEN had the pace of an Alex Cross novel. The short chapters nudged its stories one step closer to the payoff, when Konrath masterfully tied it all together during the edge-of-your-seat conclusion.

One minor fault was the names of two important characters, Daniels' closest allies Harry and Herb. I had to stop a half-dozen times to sort them out. But it's a very small annoyance in an otherwise excellent novel that inspired me to put the rest of the books in the series on my Amazon wish list.

Highly recommended!

perplexed and apprehensive, November 15, 2010
I'm not sure how to rate this book. Nearing the end I was thinking 4.5 creeping toward 5 stars. There were several things I absolutely loved. Once I "got" the pattern of the time jumps I found them a clever and skilled writing application to illustrate the parallels in the stories and thought they added momentum or urgency that wouldn't have been felt in reading the linear version. The "farewells" had me bawling and exclaiming out loud (the children weren't happy at being woke up at 4am). The crime fighting team of Phin, Harry and Herb was fantastically entertaining.

Then "something" happened and I thought wow! that was cleverly foreshadowed and I'm only at 49% . . . this is going to be a great book. Then I turned the page and it said "EPILOGUE." I felt ripped off and hurtled my iPod touch at the wall (I am happy to report the iPod Touch will break plaster without breaking itself...apparently only liquid is deadly). The ending was just TOO ABRUPT; there was no RESOLUTION and it was not SATISFYING. What my first reaction had thought was clever foreshadowing morphed into a quasi form of deus ex machina that has jeopardized my trust in the author. I mean come on when you are reading a mystery thriller the reader/author implied contract is the "team" will solve it. When something just drops out of nowhere and erases the central conflict of the main character it IS NOT SATISFYING. Now I wasn't happy about the cliff hanger ending of Fuzzy Navel. Shaken wasn't a cliff hanger, because technically the epilogue told the 'status' of the character, but to me it was empty and unsatisfying. One moment I'm in the thick of the action and the next it just ends SUDDENLY with no resolution. No information on the thoughts or emotions of any of the 4 central characters. There was no resolution. STRIKE ONE.

I have been an avid reader of this series. Unfortunately all evidence points to the fact we are at that contradicting point where the readers are deeply invested in a character the author is bored writing. Meaning all character progression was in fleshing out Jack Daniels' back story. STRIKE TWO.

Now when you combine this lack of character progression with the author's afterword...I am terrified and VERY apprehensive for a character I love. The fact that the last book in a series about a character I love is being co-authored is alarming. Given my impression of the other author's writing (from Serial and Draculas) leaves me very worried that the next book will be more about horror than an enjoyable thriller that concludes a character I am deeply invested in. The morphine shot at a time of critical development for the **t** supports this impending horror trend.

For the first time since discovering J.A. Konrath I am hesitant about if I want to buy the next book.

i cannot wait for stirred!!!!!!, November 2, 2010
read'em all need more!
i truly love the relationship created between harry and jack as well as herb & phin but harry is what keeps me coming back! the collaborative efforts peek my interest as well and i am left hanging at the end of shaken just wanting more...it will give me time to catch up on luther kite-to prep for future books
if you love the jack daniels thrillers you will love anything my ja konrath, i recommend Draculas! and banana hammock!!!! as well as reading anything by crouch, strand, and friends.
keep on truckin' ... Read more

Editorial Review

A gorgeously written novel that marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense. ... Read more

Reviews

A Great Novel with an Annoying Ending, August 12, 2007
This novel takes a bit to get going, but once it does you're sucked into a really great mystery novel. The character are flawed but still very real and you find yourself caring about what's happening to them, asking yourself why they are making decisions that are obviously bad, and annoyed when you don't get the ending you've been waiting for since page one. Even better, Tana French immerses us into modern Ireland; a country that continues to ride the Celtic Tiger economy while dealing with all that implies. There are two issues I have with the novel. First, the author basically gives us two plots and gives equal time to both; however, only one of those plots ever reaches any sort of conclusion and the one we most want to see solved is left open ended. Second, while the other plot is resolved it's resolved in way that was very annoying and a major letdown. Maybe the author thought she was being different but ending the novel this way, but it didn't work. No, I don't think every novel has to conclude with everything nicely tidied up, but when I turned the last page I was just left with a feeling of disappointment. Still, it's great novel, especially for an author's first published work.

Uneven and disappointing, May 29, 2008
I'm usually pretty bad at figuring out whodunnits, but honestly I solved the Katy Devlin murder at around the halfway point -- it was just too obvious. That was a major failure of the book made worse when Ryan addresses the reader at the end and suggests that we have been just as befuddled as he was. French perplexingly seems to suggest that she's pulled a "Murder of Roger Ackroyd" on us with a narrator who tells us in the very first pages that he lies. But in fact he hasn't lied, not even by omission; he's just been phenomenally stupid.

The second major failure of the book was in the way French crafts characters and relationships. The cutesy-poo banter between Cassie and Rob might be fun for a 16-year-old to read, but I found it boring, annoying, excessive and hugely unrealistic. Every single time they interact, there has to be an exchange that I guess the reader is supposed to find clever and sexy, but in fact, the playfulness of their relationship struck me as a kind of clicheed teenage romantic fantasy: the guy and girl are best friends (though not lovers -- yet) and everyone believes they're in love but they are the last to realize it themselves; then when they finally do sleep together, it changes everything...oh please, Ms. French; save that for your YA book.

Moreover, French seems to like the character of Cassie so much that she makes her just about perfect. Cassie is always right, and she does almost all of the detective work on the case. Rob does end up making a key breakthrough, but does so in a way that seems like a fluke on his part, plus that's his sole contribution; everything else is done by Cassie, who is also apparently the only person on the force who knows the definition of a psychopath and understands profiling. The result of this is that, ironically, after a while I started to wonder why we even needed Rob in the story at all. I also think this is part of the reason why many readers found Rob unlikable -- Cassie is so flawless that we can't help but see Rob as excessively flawed, which I'm sure is not quite what French intended.

And of course, there's the ending. I am not against ambiguity; in fact, many contemporary mystery novels leave at least some part of their plots unresolved as a way of adding realism; no matter how much we may want to seek the truth, a detective knows better than anyone how impossible it is to find it absolutely. And yet, as others have said, the ambiguity here serves absolutely no purpose (except, as has been suggested, to pave the way for a series). If the idea is supposed to be that "some things simply can't be uncovered," we hardly needed 400+ pages to understand that. Moreover, in these 400+ pages we learn almost nothing new about the 1984 case other than a few vague hints of what seems like supernatural forces -- and, importantly, Rob doesn't seem to have learned anything or changed at all after going back to the woods. Why even bother writing about it then?

On the plus side, yes, she can write beautifully at times, as many have said. But frankly I'm getting a little tired of all these super-mega-best-sellers covered with glowing accolades that make it seem like you have to read it or you'll be missing out on the event of a lifetime. I see it more like this: if you read this book, you'll probably find some of it quite enthralling but a lot of it disappointing; if you don't read it, don't worry about it too much.

Enigmatic literary mystery thriller--don't expect genre!, January 10, 2008
After reading numerous reviews, I am compelled to counter a lot of the remarks by frustrated reader reviewers expecting more of a resolve than is served up in the story.

This is the kind of mystery that feels organic. Language, imagery, poetry, sensuality, metaphor, emotional density, visceral fear--that is how the story is revealed. This isn't exposition and a lot of declarative sentences. It is not formula. It performs a vivisection on genre. As much as it is a mystery of the present murder of a young girl and an unsolved past mystery of the main protagonist's boyhood (he is now a detective who as a young boy survived a violent attack on himself and two friends, who were never found), it is much, much more. The story is allegory. It is about the enigmatic quality of relationships, the complicated enmeshments glued by dysfunction, the underbelly of fear that keeps people from leading full lives, and the question of survival in a life of elliptical events.

Detectives Cassie and Adam were characters that haunted me around the clock, even when I was not reading the book. The characterizations were meticulous. The inner dialogue was fresh with deep, psychological insights, and the minor characters were not drawn for convenience or contrivance, either. Not one character seemed cardboard. The book was unputdownable; the story was a generous mix of harrowing and romantic and wry and witty and dramatic and tragic. I might even consider the word epic as an apt description. And it was this epic quality that makes it stand apart from your prosaic thrillers that flood the marketplace.

This is not Stephen King. It is way too literary, layered, full of allusion, and linguistically lush. The author makes it both accessible to the reader while also challenging the senses. She has a grasp of comic timing and dramatic irony. She loves her characters. It is evident in every beautiful sentence that Tana French writes. She did not use a cookie cutter to write this. This came from the marrow of her bones, the center of her heart. The unfolding of the story never feels forced or artificial.

If you are looking for a dues ex machina, or if you are inflexible about having all your ducks in a row, then this is not a novel for you. I was initially frustrated at the close of the novel because all the answers were not forthcoming. But as I chewed on it for a night and a day, I realized that my reaction is also a part of the story. I do not want to reveal too much, but the reviewers who criticized the author for essentially cheating them out of a certain kind of ending remind me of the characters in the story also working out their personal demons through this mystery. I do believe that the author slyly and discreetly puts the reader right there in that Irish berg. It forces the reader to reflect on personal issues concerning resolution.I am one of the characters by the time it is over--I am part of the town.

It is plausible, also, that Tana French could bring back Cassie, Adam, Sam, and several other characters in a future book. I would welcome their return!

Disappointed, August 4, 2007
I could not put this book down. I think Ms. French's' writing style, the story and setting were terrific. There was such a great chance to link these two mysteries together in the end. I woke early on a Saturday morning to finish it and promptly threw it across the room! I was so let down by the ending. What happened Tanya? I do not think I would put myself through another novel by her to be let down once again.

Excellent!, August 18, 2007
It is so refreshing to read a mystery in which the main characters are just regular human beings. That's the case in this story. Without giving away too much, I'll say that you shouldn't expect all the loose ends to be neatly tied up in the end; that doesn't happen in real life, and it doesn't happen here. But there is at least a degree of resolution to every story line.

These characters are interesting, not because of their James Bond good looks and extraordinary talents, but because they are human beings, good at some things, not so good at others, and even frustratingly obtuse at times.

The writing in this book was gorgeous and rich, and I can't wait for the author's next book. I couldn't put it down!

SPOILER ALERT-Don't read if you plan to read this book, April 23, 2008
Wow I was really into this book. I LOVED it. I read it non-stop all day and could not put it down. By 11 PM Sunday I was worried that I wouldn't get enough sleep before work, but I just HAD to find out what had happened to Ryan and his friends when they were 12. Then as the ending got closer and closer I started having a bad feeling. I shook it off, sure that all would be right at the end. By the time I had about 10 pages left I realized this book was not going to explain one damn thing about the central and most important mystery. I was spitting mad by the end, I had stayed up late to finish it for nothing. Did the author even know what the resolution of the mystery was herself? I got the impression that she didn't. It has hints here and there about what happened, but if you were supposed to figure it out from vague clues, the book was a dismal failure. I cannot believe that Nancy Pearl from NPR recommended it. The bomb of an ending completely erased everything I enjoyed about this book. If you like being frustrated and angry, then this might be the book for you. Otherwise there are a zillion good mystery books out there. I heard she is writing a sequel but I think she could have left happy readers with a resolution to this one, and still had them clamoring for more. Instead we are left with a broken trust.

The ending was ridiculous, July 12, 2007
I strongly agree with other reviews here criticizing the ending. I was much more interested in the disappearance of Adam's friends than the murder of little Katy. I also stayed up all night just to find out what happened to them. How utterly disappointing to find out this would never be addressed. Are we seriously supposed to believe some "laughing" human with "antlers" was chasing around kids, putting some of them on sacrificial altars, clawing some of their shirts apart then putting their bloody shoes back on???????? How ridiculous. You have to have some responsibility to your readers, who have spent thirty dollars on your book. I always joke when I am watching a movie "what if right in the middle it just said 'the end' and the credits started to roll, wouldn't that be funny! Everyone would be so confused!" Well, no joke, that's exactly what this was like and I wasn't laughing.

Made Me Mad and I Couldn't Put it -Contains Spoilers, December 29, 2007
I'm in complete agreement about the ending. To give the reader all that about the crime in 1984 and not resolve it. Completely unacceptable. There aren't even any viable possibilities. Were they eaten, do you suppose? I agree also that the mystery of the 1984 crime is what keeps you involved. The relationship between Ryan and Cassie? Contrived but forgivably so if it was going to get us to the bottom of the 1984 crime.

I'm baffled by why the book's considered such an achievement. Sections are beautifully written. Yes. Others verrrrryy awkward. Rosalind's untrustworthiness completely obvious (that might have been intentional to show Ryan's unreliability, but I don't think the writer had enough control to make clear how we were to take his blindness).

Also, I was willing to suspend all the "Hey, wait a minute . . ." thoughts I had about how a person who had been a victim of a hugely famous crime could become a cop without anyone knowing. Are we to understand that Ireland's police are so backward that they wouldn't have any way of tracing that? Is that why it's set in 1997? to get around those pesky questions and leave it all explained by a lack of technology? Surely there would be psychological screening?

A Book Worth Discussing, August 16, 2007
This book deals with the investigation of the murder of a child by a trio of detectives. The detective through whose eyes we see the story is heavily damaged by a similar episode in his own past, and the book is an in-depth study of his own issues as much as it is a murder mystery.

And, bless it, it does have one ambiguous storyline that lends itself to discussion and argument. I found it very satisfying. It's not a quick, shallow, connect-the-dots cozy. The writing is lyrical, the characters are complex. It lends itself to a second reading with pencil in hand to note themes and recurrent images - a great pleasure for those of us who will always be life's lit majors. Anyone who has read Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" will hear some echoes.

If you must have all your little plot lines tied up with big bows on them in the last 4 pages of the book, this is obviously not a good choice for you, as some of the other reviews suggest.

Could I find fault with it? Not much. [This from a reader whose criticisms, large and small, about every single book our mystery group read were the despair of the rest of the members]. A little too much foreshadowing (problem solved if about 2 sentences were cut), and some readers will not be entirely confined by the main character's viewpoint and may reach conclusions about the murder before he does. And I'm not even sure that the latter is a fault, as it adds to our opinions on his own character.

Nearly Brilliant, September 21, 2008
I loved this book so much --up until the very end-- that it breaks my heart to give it only two stars... Yet I'm sorely tempted to give it only one.

The plot was fascinating, the characters were vivid and complex, the prose was elegant yet engaging, the dialogue was convincing and lively... I was thrilled with this book, and felt I had found an exciting new author to follow, and a new art in a genre that usually leaves me cold. But no, I'll probably never read another book by Tana French.

There are all sort of implicit agreements between an author and his or her readers, and chief among them is the unspoken promise that the author will not leave you hanging, flapping in the wind with no resolution or explanation by the end of the story. With that trust we go forward. With that trust we invest the hours and attention, staying up way too late to devour just a few more pages, and then a few more; stealing off to read for a few minutes, one ear cocked for bosses or parents or kids or spouses, when we should really be spending our time more productively; and, finally, picking up our book with a rush of gratitude and a sigh of happy contentment in those precious moments of perfectly free time.

Jana French broke this trust with "In the Woods" and though it's actually one of the best new books I've read in a while otherwise, I won't run the risk of being fooled again. If her non-resolution of one of the two mysteries that form the spine of the tale is an attempt at a sort of artful meta-commentary on the nature of trust and disappointment as demonstrated in the rest of the story, I have to say that for me it fell totally, utterly flat. If, on the other hand, it was meant to be a way to kick off a series, with readers always hopeful that the core mystery will be resolved by the end of four or five or six or 26 books, I'm even more thoroughly disgusted. I won't be blackmailed into buying more of the same, desperately hoping that the tale that was promised in the first book will finally be told.

It's a shame, too, because if it weren't for that stunt, I'd be lining up for the next one... I would have loved to continue on with these characters and this author; I didn't need to have my hand held over the flame. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the very first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Eve Dallas gets involved with Roarke, a suspect in her latest murder case. But passion and seduction have rules all their own. ... Read more

Reviews

A truly wonderful series!, May 15, 2001
Naked in death starts out a really great series! Nora Roberts writes these under the name of JD ROBB. I did just start this series as I read everything I can get my hands on from Nora. If you are a new reader, you do need to start with this book and work your way through. I didn't start here first and she really builds the characters through each story that if you don't start from the beginning you miss a lot. I went back and am now starting from the beginning. This series is not Nora's romance format. Of course there is romance in there! This series is a mystery style. It takes place in NYC in the year 2058. When people do travel " off planet" and prostitution is legal. Your car drives you and you have " auto chefs " in house, car , even your office. The way ROBB writes about the future this is truly believable. Lt. Eve Dallas is a tough woman. She is strong, independent, and she truly fights and believes in her job as homicide detective. In this book she finds her main suspect a billionaire name Roarke. He is very charming, Irish, has lived a little on the edge, rich, and good-looking! Eve has now found her match. Roarke didn't have the ideal childhood either and they make the most wonderful couple. This is an excellent series, and keeps you entertained and you don't want to put the book down. Robb does a great job in making the who done it a total surprise! I highly recommend this entire series you will truly be delighted It is awesome!!!

The beginning of a great series, October 14, 2000
The "...in Death" series starts with Naked in Death a futuristic series set in New York City in the year 2058. The star of the series is Lt. Eve Dallas a tough as nails female homicide detective who fights for the rights of the victims of murder.

Eve finds the main murder suspect, a billionaire named Roarke who walks a fine line between legal and illegal, to be just a little bit too attractive for her comfort. He's Irish, gorgeous, and very charming.

This series is written by Nora Roberts under the name J.D. Robb. Don't confuse the romance novels usually written by Ms. Roberts with this series. The "...in Death" series is a far cry from her usual romance story. The series is excellent and I would recommend you read all the books beginning with this one, Naked in Death.

Fabulous start to a series, October 31, 2001
Roberts starts her "Death" series with this book. This is a great series for people who like good mysteries with a little emotion thrown in. While I am not normally into futuristic novels, this series about Detective Dallas set 50 years in the future is great. This particular book in the series does a fabulous job at establishing the main characters, the setting, and the tone for the entire series. While each book can be read individually, I think its important to read them in order.

In this book, Eve Dallas is assigned to a high profile murder investigation that encompases politics, prostitution, and blackmail--engrossing right from the beginning. The chemistry between Dallas and Roarke-- one of the suspects--is aparent from their first meeting. More importantly, the mystery is well constructed and left nothing up in the air.

Overall, these are my favorite characters from all of Nora Roberts novels. I'm glad she chose to use them for a series.

This book is unbelievable!, August 5, 1999
I could not put this book down. Eve and Roarke are the hottest couple in print today. I love the mystery but I love the romance even more. These two are so hot I'm surprised the book doesn't go up into flames in my hands. I have reread Naked In Death at least three times and it never gets old. The whole series is great but start with Naked and go in order because it's better that way. Roarke is the ideal lover. Rich, powerful, dangerous, sexy and totally in love with Eve Dallas. Now that is one lucky woman! Eve is a great heroine. She is smart, brave, independent and loyal. At the same time she has a past that makes her vulnerable, too. She is a real person not some flat character. I can not wait for Loyalty In Death to come out. The only bad thing is I finish them so fast. Keep writing about Eve and Roarke, Nora Roberts. Your fans will be forever grateful.

Great Start For Futuristic Mystery Series!, January 5, 2005
"Naked In Death" is the first book in J. D. Robb's Eve Dallas mystery series. I have been hearing positive things about these books for a long time, and now, after reading this terrific novel, I understand why.

New York City, 2058 CE, are the time and setting of "Naked in Death." Robot drones and voice activated machines do menial work, i.e., clean house, serve meals; there is a total ban on guns, (the police use lasers); major improvements have been made in medicine and technology, with advancements in genetics (and strong genetic control); airbuses for public transportation have replaced subways; tele-links replace telephones - it's not a "brave new world," yet...but there are definite pluses midway into the 21st century. Minor armed skirmishes have taken place between China and the US, and France had another revolution which lasted for a few years. The overpopulated world has more limited resources - real coffee is rare and way too expensive, as is beef and other fresh meat. Robb has not written a sci-fi series, however. Far enough into the future to make the storyline more interesting, 2058's world is still easily recognizable.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD is called to a murder scene where a young licensed companion, (a legalized prostitute ), has been brutally murdered with an antique handgun from the 20th century. The victim, Sharon DeBlass, is from a very prominent family - her grandfather is a US senator. An angry man who preaches morality and leads an ultra conservative branch of his party, the senator would like to totally suppress the case, and perhaps even run the investigation himself. According to friends and relatives, Ms. DeBlass apparently chose her career not only because she liked sex, she did not need the money, but because she was rebelling against her family and strict upbringing. A note was found under her body with the printed words, "ONE OF SIX." So, was the perpetrator a serial killer warning that there were to be five more murders? One of the prime suspects is a sexy Irish billionaire named Roarke. We never learn whether this is his first or last name. Perhaps if one is a billionaire, especially a tall, dark and handsome, with an Irish brogue, billionaire, it doesn't matter. He is quickly cleared of suspicion, and he and Eve embark on a stormy, intense romance - but not before murder #2 occurs.

Eve, although a tough cop who made Lieutenant before the age of 30, is also very vulnerable. She doesn't remember the early years of her life, but knows that she was sexually, physically and emotionally abused by her father, then abandoned at age eight and left to the mercies of Children's Services. She has made her work her life, and letting Roarke get close to her is a first.

Happiness is discovering another excellent series - and from what I have read, this looks like a winner! The writing is tight, as is the plot - an excellent and complex mystery. I really like the characters, Eve, definitely, Roarke - who lives up to his description, Feeney, Eve's partner, and Eve's chanteuse friend Mavis. I can't wait to pick-up book two, "Glory In Death."
JANA

A Great Beginning to A Great Series, June 21, 2001
Naked in Death is the first of several titles in this terrific series and I highly recommend you read the books in order. (If not, it can get confusing trying to understand progressive storylines and relationships.) Set in the not too distant future, the main character Eve Dallas is a tough NY city cop investigating the murder of a female licensed companion (prostitution is now legalized). Complicating her investigation, is her growing attraction to the prime murder suspect - the enigmatic, handsome billionaire Roarke.

The book has something for everyone: murder mystery and action, romance and a healthy dose of comedy thrown in to keep things from getting too heavy. Robb's fleshing out of vivid and likeable secondary characters adds to the book's appeal. Makes for great beach reading and you'll want to continue the series to learn more about what happens next to Ms. Dallas and company.

Eve Dallas Should Be Cloned, September 22, 2003
Eve is one incredibly tough and sexy police lieutenant in NY City and I want her to move to Virginia and have my baby. Eve won't back down from anyone and she has everything this male dreams about...smarts, strength, looks, and is an animal in the bedroom in two very sexy scenes without being pornagraphic. Nora Roberts is an incredible writer and really makes you feel for the characters and root for Eve. This was my first book in the series and I can't wait to join the sexy lady cop as she kicks butt in the other books.

Introduction to an Addictive Series!, December 21, 2001
"Naked in Death" is the first book in J. D. Robb's "In Death" series and it starts the series off with style! We are introduced to Eve, the independent and no-nonsense cop and Roarke, the charismatic billionaire who sweeps Eve off her feet.
The mystery/suspense elements are exciting and well thought out. Eve is investigating the disturbing murders of female licensed companions (prostitution is legal in the year 2058) and Roarke is her main suspect! These two meet as a result of her investigation, and as Eve gets to know Roarke, she becomes quite sure that he is not a cold-blooded killer. Eve cannot resist the lure of this mysterious and sexy man and they soon end up in the midst of a passionate romance.
The romance elements of this book blend perfectly with the murder mystery elements, to provide the reader with a wonderfully imaginative, provocative and thrilling story. The futuristic setting is completely believable, and provides an intriguing backdrop for the story without detracting from it.
The main characters, Eve and Roarke are both complex and well-developed, and the dynamics of their rocky relationship will keep readers turning pages.
This is a truly great read and I am quite sure that readers everywhere will want to read more of Eve and Roarke after finishing this first instalment. Enjoy!

Romantic Murder, February 21, 2001
The book Naked In Death, by J.D. Robb is the first book of a futuristic series, taking place in New York City in the year 2058. Lt. Eve Dallas, a cop for 10 years, has dedicated all of her energy and most of her time toward bringing justice to those who are murdered and finding their ruthless killers. Eve has been put on a code five-murder investigation. One of the murder suspects is a suductive Irish billionaire, Roarke. Eve finds herself in a situation that she has never been in before. She has fallen in love. This causes a great deal of confusion and mixed feelings. Dallas is constantly jumping through hoops trying to get one step closer to cracking the case. She has to meet with the senator, interview suspects, go through testing, and deal with personal problems. Naked In Death is one of the best books that I have ever read. It fascinated me to learn that a female played the role of a very well respected homicide dective. The book is full of mystery and romance, which makes it a definite page-turner. It moves at a fast pace leaving no space for boredom. I strongly advise everyone who loves romance entwined in suspence to read this inviting novel.

Eve Dallas is my hero!, October 31, 1999
I just finished the first four books in the series, and I've enjoyed them all. Nora Roberts has created some wonderful characters in this series. Eve is great--a dedicated cop who is haunted by her past; prickly, wary, a loyal friend to those few she calls friend, and surprised she's in love with Roarke. HE is gorgeous (I keep seeing Pierce Brosnan), rich, shady, totally dedicated to Eve, and indulges her shamelessly despite her protests. Peabody is a refreshing addition to the cast of characters. The stories are great, the bad guys not TOO easy to figure out, and the characters have depth and believability, as well as suprising flashes of humor that leaves the reader chuckling delightedly. Keep 'em coming, J.D. Robb! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The legendary Hollywood Hills are home to wealth, fame, and power--passing through the neighborhood, it's hard not to get a little greedy.

LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fianc�e, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.

Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.

Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.

Hollywood Hills is a raucous and dangerous roller coaster ride that showcases Joseph Wambaugh in vintage form. ... Read more

Reviews

"It's a whole lot better to be judged by twelve than buried by six.", November 3, 2010

There are sparks of vintage Wambaugh in Hollywood Hills, the wry, sometimes poignant observations that gave his early work its authentic cache. Wambaugh made his bones in The New Centurions and The Onion Field, his later years inspiring a blend of humor, absurdity and real cop lore. I haven't been fond of the Hollywood series, often too stereotypical, but in this novel the particular camaraderie of law enforcement is a strong element in the plot. Familiar characters return, "Hollywood Nate" Weiss, Flotsam and Jetsam, the surfer cops, but with less absurdity and more of the in-your-face drama of the streets, the split-second decisions and bizarre threats arising from even the most innocent request for help from authorities.

Underneath the daily role calls, the crazy antics of a "Hollywood Moon" and the unpredictable residents of the city, the cops of Hollywood Division go on their nightly rounds prepared for any outrageous situation that comes over the radio. Hollywood Nate is temporarily paired with Lorenzo "Snuffy" Salcedo, Nate yet to realize his dreams of stardom in spite of the SAG card he carries in his wallet. A meeting with a B-list director, Rudy Ressler, offers an intimate encounter with the surgically-enhanced widow, Leona Brueger (shades of "Sunset Boulevard"), but the usual petty criminals and tweakers are busy ruining their lives and endangering citizens, including Jonas Claymore, who is obsessed with the Bling Ring and Nigel Wickland, an art dealer with a scheme to profit from the wealthy Widow Brueger's upcoming tour of Tuscany.

Various partners patrol the streets as their radios squawk, including a veteran female officer instructing a younger trainee on the hazards of being a woman in law enforcement and the surfer cops affectionately dubbed Flotsam and Jetsam, their tours accompanied by a language honed on the beaches of Southern California. Everything that can go wrong does, in a mad collision of coincidence and mendacity that leaves two men dead, fruit of the greedy impulses of those who yearn for a place in a city touched with magic, but only for a few. The gold of Hollywood's younger days is tarnished by broken dreams and no-talent clones, but fools continue to flock to the Mecca of celebrity, where Wambaugh's boys in blue acquit themselves with panache and humor in an ugly, often sad landscape. Luan Gaines/2010.

If you have read and liked the other books in this series I am sure you'll enjoy this one, November 4, 2010


Joseph Wambaugh has been writing about police and police work since the 70s. He published his first work while still an LAPD cop. I can remember reading The Onion Field and the powerful impact it had on me. After the turbulent times of the 1960's, Wambaugh did more to build back the reputation of the police than any other writer. His work was dark (The New Centurions, The Blue Knight) but enthralling as he laid out the emotional cost of police work. I haven't read Wambaugh's books in a long time so I was surprised with Hollywood Hills. It is a police procedural but in a much lighter vein than I expected. It chronicles the stories of the police who work out of Hollywood division in Los Angeles. It is a fast moving story with a plot centered on an art theft. There are a myriad of characters - both cops and crooks. The story is told by alternating the narrative between the police and the criminals. It is funny and the dialogue is realistic (except for the two surfer cops who were unintelligible to me). Wambaugh's depiction of every day police work seems so real, cops get in fights with bad guys, and cops get their noses broken, no super heroes here, just everyday police work. No one character is the center of this novel, each character is lightly drawn and given a place in the story but the lack of character development for me, reduces my enthusiasm for the book. Hollywood Hills is part of a series (Hollywood Moon, Hollywood Station, Hollywood Crows) but is easily read as a standalone book. If you have read and liked the other books in this series I am sure you'll enjoy this one, if you are looking for a Wambaugh story from a previous era I think you'll be disappointed.

This series stays fresh and exciting and this book proves it, November 16, 2010
Every city has its story and is filled with every manner of character willing to tell you all about what makes them tick, the more personal the better. In Joseph Wambaugh's latest Hollywood Hills series he explores this theory and writes the story from every perspective possible in rapid fire succession. He starts with the police officer who wants to be a movie star, the struggling director that wants to be an Oscar winner, the drug addict trying to figure out how to get the money for the next score, an ex-con working a new angle, the art thief plotting his next idea, all the police officers on the beat dealing with all of this and still getting up the next day to do it all over again.

There are so many people coming and going in this book and the chapters are fast reads and come at you from every point of view. You are interjected with thoughts, feelings and desperate acts that you at times feel you need to be writing the characters down just to keep up but just as you are saying "who is that guy" Mr. Wambaugh pulls everything together so that you know what this character is up to, thinking and figuring out their next move along with them. It is fascinating reading and everyone in this book completes it and without each of them it would not work as well which is something this author is the master of.

Every person has a reason for being in the story and every reader will be mesmerized as they follow the plot of all these lives. As a fan of the police procedural book that Joseph Wambaugh writes this one stands out for me because he has taken the core characters and expanded them and pulled in new ones in such a way you can't put this book down until you figure out what is going to happen. I am thrilled to have read this and been able to hopefully sell a few copies with this review.

Joseph Wambaugh, the master of cop write., December 20, 2010
Regular readers are now friends and very comfortable with most of the characters working Hollywood Station. Read the Hollywood series in order if at all possible. No author can write about cops as Wambaugh can. The scene where the boot knife is searched for and the dialog right after gave me goose bumps. So real, so very real; and moving. Wambaugh is the real deal and the rest of those who write of cops are not even close; even Connelly and Connelly is good. Wambaugh's take on female cops is intriguing and must be right on as well. He takes a number of them to dinner, minus male cops, and gets the lowdown for plots and characters. He never stops being the investigator. And, we benefit.

I hate when I notice not many pages remain when reading Wambaugh novels, but keep in mind the years of 'jones-ing' during his writing hiatus for too many years and am thankful for what I can get my hands on.

The 'Oracle' during my tenure on the street was Sgt Richard 'The Hooker' Traylor. RIP Hook, and Semper Cop. Catch you at that really big roll call someday.

Another hit by Joe Wambaugh., December 9, 2010
Hollywood Hills is another hit book in Joe Wambaugh's series of Hollywood books. The story continues with the saga of "Hollywood Nate, Floatsom and Jetsom, and the rest of the officers assigned to the Hollywood Station. Hollywwod Hills is a must read and I highly recommend it. His police humor is right on target and his stories always gives the readers an real insight into the everyday happenings of police work.

wacky jocular Hollywood Station police procedural, November 20, 2010
In the Hollywood Hills, movie director Rudy Ressler and his fianc�e wealthy Widow Leona Brueger meet LAPD cop "Hollywood" Nate Weiss. Rudy thinks Hollywood as the right look for the screen while Leona thinks he has the right "meat" for her boy toy. They ask him to keep an eye on their estate while they are out of town, which he agrees to do.

Former convict turned butler Raleigh Dibble works at the Ressler mansion where he plans to stay legit. Leona's sleazy snobby art dealer Nigel Wickland also watches the mansion, but has different plans for what is inside and for the butler he placed inside. However, his scheme runs into problems when drug addicted losers Jonas Claymore and Megan Burke intrude on his game. As the rest of the Hollywood Hills cops deal with an assortment of crazies like the notorious Wedgie Bandit, the Bling Ring break and enter teens and the Addams Family clones the Goths, cop Della Ravelle guides rookie officer Britney Small as to how to properly surf (with a nod to Flotsam and Jetsam) LAPD and the dangerous streets worked by the LAPD Hollywood Station.

The fourth Hollywood Station police procedural (see Hollywood Moon and Hollywood Crows) is a wacky jocular thriller due to the clash between the cops and robbers. Fast-paced throughout, the main plot has several folks crashing and clashing at the Ressler mansion, but not all are after a master art theft. Readers will appreciate Joseph Wambaugh's wonderfully amusing entry; as the great author places all the insanity and lunacy inside serious criminal and police activities. This is another winner.

Harriet Klausner

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "RIDING THE OX, CHASING THE DRAGON, ART THEFT & DOUBLE CROSS IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS!", November 11, 2010
Famed author and former LAPD detective Joseph Wambaugh provides a follow-up to his hilarious cast of characters in *HOLLYWOOD MOON* without missing a beat. The transition is smooth as silk as the reader is once again entrenched in the daily lives of cops assigned to the Hollywood Station such as actor wannabe "Hollywood Nate" Weiss... "Surfer-Dudes" Flotsam and Jetsam... "Snuffy" Salcedo... "Gypsy"... Sergeant Murillo... "Compassionate" Charlie Gilford... and a cast of "thousands". Engrained like a mantra within every cop in the station are the words of the late great Oracle: "DOING GOOD POLICE WORK IS THE MOST FUN YOU'LL EVER HAVE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIVES." And if that cheerful hymn doesn't seem to fit an insane, screwed up situation... then the second most relied upon exhortation bellowed out by the troops is "HEY! THIS IS **FREAKIN** HOLLYWOOD!"

In the midst of the normal crazy-character-driven-Hollywood-shenanigans... which includes among other things... brawls between lowlifes dressed up as characters such as... Marilyn Monroe... Superman... and Catwoman... on Hollywood Boulevard... along with a monster of an ex-con wired on drugs while watching porn with a mechanical device attached to his manhood... in a Goth's house in which he has been asked to leave... yet refuses... which leads to half the police department being involved in a donnybrook that results in multiple injuries and hospitalization. All this craziness isn't even the main plot. The main plot involves a copy and replace scam of valuable art pieces which originally only involved an elderly art gallery owner, *Nigel Wickland*... and an ex-con now house sitter *Raleigh L. Dibble*. (How's that for two great names?) Before you know it two young druggies Jonas Claymore and his girlfriend Megan Burke are in the middle of everything... and you don't know which criminal is going to double deal who. Perhaps Wambaugh's best literary character nuances lie in the descriptive prose of the wretched drug culture with such gems as: "BEATLE SHOWED TEETH LIKE JAGGED LICORICE DROPS"... and "THE TWEAKER SHOWED HIM EYES AS EMPTY AS A HAUNTED HOUSE."... And in death... "HE WENT DOWN ON HIS BACK, EYES OPEN, AND THEY NEVER CLOSED AGAIN."

A great example of the author's rapier literary humorous descriptive power is when he describes a defense attorney who "SEEMED TO BELIEVE EVERY WORD THAT HIS SOBBING CLIENT TOLD HIM. A DETECTIVE SAID OF THE LAWYER, "HE'S THE KIND OF GUY WHO GOES TO A STRIP CLUB AND BELIEVES THAT THE LAP DANCER REALLY LOVES HIM."

If you're familiar with the stylistic flow of the Academy Award winning movie *CRASH* and the way all seemingly unrelated situations eventually intersected, that's the artistic concept of *HOLLYWOOD HILLS*.

HOLLYWOOD HILLS is funny and sad, eloquent and simple, December 22, 2010
Quite a bit has changed in the 39 years that Joseph Wambaugh has been writing police procedurals. In 1971, the then-Los Angeles police detective became a national name with the publication of THE NEW CENTURIONS. In the 1970s most police officers were white males; the only females in a Wambaugh novel were prostitutes, drug addicts, or victims of crime. The drugs of choice at the time were heroin and some cocaine. Police officers in Wambaugh's early work were hard-drinking, hard-living cowboys fighting crime in the urban wild west.

By 2010, Wambaugh's novels, as well as the police department and community he portrays, represent a much different world. The Los Angeles police department is a United Nations of officers --- male, female, white, black, Hispanic and Asian. The preferred drug may now be OxyContin, Percocet or methamphetamine. Police officers are now better educated and understand that their brain and experience may be far more important weapons than their service revolver. This is the modern Los Angeles police department presented to readers in HOLLYWOOD HILLS, the fourth Wambaugh book set in the Hollywood Station precinct of Los Angeles, where even criminals believe they are one audition from stardom.

The Wambaugh formula is well known to his millions of readers. With wry humor and sardonic narration, he begins his novels by juggling multiple criminals and police officers to a plot that often appears aimless for the opening chapters. In HOLLYWOOD HILLS, many of the officers have appeared in previous titles. "Flotsam" and "Jetsam" would rather surf than patrol in their squad car. Nate Weiss, proud carrier of a Screen Actors Guild card, dreams of a major role in a police movie, even one made for television. Snuffy Salcedo is tired of chauffeuring the Chief of Police and transfers to Hollywood Station to do real police work. After a basketball career at Long Beach State, Viv Dailey took the police department test on a whim, and the rest, as they say, is history.

No Wambaugh tale is complete without the criminals and the dupes. Somehow they all come together from disparate locales and activities to coalesce into crime that has more twists and turns than the roads leading into the Los Angeles mountains.

The crime that serves as the melting pot for HOLLYWOOD HILLS is the theft of some valuable pieces of art. Nigel Wickland, a Hollywood art dealer, is like many Californians, the victim of hard economic times. He cannot sell any art because there are not enough buyers. In addition, sellers are demanding too much for their paintings. The perfect storm of too much supply and insufficient demand has Nigel so desperate that crime seems his only way out of bankruptcy. He hatches a plot to use modern technology to forge artwork, steal valuable paintings and sell the originals in Europe. Enlisting the aid of Raleigh Dibble, an ex-con turned chef, Nigel plans the perfect crime. Quickly that perfect crime becomes a nightmare, and Wambaugh is on his way to a fun romp through Hollywood.

Along the way there are side trips and an entertaining cast of criminals, police brass and common folks. HOLLYWOOD HILLS is funny and sad, eloquent and simple. Anyone who knows anything about real police work knows that Wambaugh's portrayals are true to life and that he remains a true master of the police story.

--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman

Gelati's Scoop, December 16, 2010
Back in the day I used to read all of Joseph Wambaugh's novels: The New Centurions, The Blue Night, The Choirboys, The Black Marble, The Glitter Dome, The Onion Field (non-fiction). It seems I have missed nine novels since and four non-fiction books. I am not going to list them; you can see them on the inside of the novel, Hollywood Hills when you crack it open. Let's get into the action shall we?
"The legendary Hollywood Hills are home to wealth, fame, and power--passing through the neighborhood, it's hard not to get a little greedy.
LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fianc�e, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.
Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.
Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands."
My little siesta from his work I think worked to my advantage as far as my enjoyment level of this novel. How can you say that Giovanni, really? Joseph Wambaugh was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2004 so it isn't that he can't write. My angst and the reason why I stopped reading his work, I think, comes from the old adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Everybody has a style, and I enjoy his style; it is pretty awesome. I just think I got into a rut where everybody wanted to be him, the next Joseph Wambaugh. There is only one that I know of.
Hollywood Hills helped me rediscover my enjoyment for what he brings to the table: witty repartee between his characters, off the wall characters, sub-plots galore, and a way to weave them altogether in a very interesting way. Did I keep up with his literary mimics? No. I don't remember any of them, but after I cracked this open, the reason why he is The Man in this genre came back pretty quick and hard. Being the OCD reader I am, I have just received a wake-up call that I am not going to miss and backtrack to the novels I have passed on and enjoy them. Don't be like me, be a choirboy and read Hollywood Hills, it won't leave you crying in The Onion Field over time lost.
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Life on the streets of Hollywood, December 11, 2010
Chalk up another successful novel in Joseph Wambaugh's continuing saga of the fascinating "coppers" in the country's most colorful police precinct, the guys and gals of Hollywood Station. In an earlier post I reviewed the three previous novels in this ongoing story [] , back when I was so foolish as to assume that they constituted a trilogy. Not so, clearly: there's just too much life left in the surfer cops, Flotsam and Jetsam; Hollywood Nate, who is still chasing after stardom with his SAG card; and even the Oracle, whose portrait stands on the wall of the squad room amid the movie posters -- and the Oracle actually died somewhere along the way, victim of a massive heart attack after 46 years on the job.

There's a plot to Hollywood Hills, just as there was in every one of its three predecessors, but this is a novel about people, not events. There's just enough action to drive the characters from the opening page to the very end, showing their stuff along the way.You may wonder what happens next, but you're likely to be far more curious about how things turn out for Flotsam, Jetsam, Hollywood Nate, and that young female rookie cop.

Like so many of Joseph Wambaugh's police procedurals, Hollywood Hills charms with what it reveals about the nitty-gritty of life on the front line of the Los Angeles Police Department. Because these coppers are uniformed officers -- street cops -- not high-powered detectives or police politicians. Clearly, Joseph Wambaugh has stayed closely in touch with the Department he left as a detective sergeant nearly half a century ago.

(From Mal Warwick's Blog on Books) ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the latest from the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, Eve Dallas tracks down those who break the law-including the ones sworn to uphold it.

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master.

But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

"Ultimately it's us and our choices.", July 23, 2006
"Still Life," by Louise Penny, takes place in Three Pines, a small rural village south of Montreal. This placid and beautiful hamlet is shaken to its core when a beloved and gentle seventy-six year old woman named Jane Neal is shot through the heart with an arrow. Was Neal's death the result of a hunting accident or was it murder? If it was an accident, why has no one come forward? If Jane was deliberately slain, who could have wanted her dead? One suspect is Jane's estranged niece, Yolande Fontaine, a cold, unfeeling, and greedy woman who is desperate to get her hands on her aunt's property. In addition, Yolande's husband is an obnoxious boor with a criminal record, and their son is a known delinquent.

In charge of the investigation is Chief Inspector of Homicide, Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec. Although he is in his mid-fifties, "violent death still surprised him." Gamache is a man of integrity with keen powers of observation, and he is an excellent listener with an uncanny ability to make people reveal their innermost thoughts. Assisting Gamache is Inspector Jean Guy Beauvoir, who has been Gamache's second-in-command for over ten years. Agent Yvette Nichol, an arrogant and impulsive young woman, is new to the team, and she quickly annoys her superiors with her irritating and smug attitude.

The varied cast of townspeople includes Clara and Peter Morrow, who are local artists; Clara, who was extremely close to Jane, is devastated by the old woman's death. Olivier and Gabri are gay partners who run a bistro and a bed and breakfast, and early in the book, they are victims of a vicious assault by three boys who mock the pair's sexual orientation. Myrna Landers is a former psychologist who has deep insight into the human condition. Ben Hadley has been Peter Morrow's close friend for years; Ben's mother, Timmer, died a month earlier after a lengthy battle with cancer. Ruth Zardo is a brusque curmudgeon who is not terribly popular, since she consistently says whatever is on her mind. Phillipe Croft, a troubled and surly fifteen-year-old boy is a suspect, as well, since he knows how to shoot with a bow an arrow and had a recent altercation with Jane.

Louise Penny has written a dryly humorous, thoughtful, and engrossing study of a network of close-knit friends and relatives who celebrate their successes and mourn their losses together. Who among them is harboring evil intentions? This book is reminiscent of Christie's Miss Marple mysteries, in that a snake suddenly rears its head in an apparently benign Garden of Eden. Until the snake is found and destroyed, anyone could be the next victim. The author's delineation of the individual personalities is remarkable. The plot is nicely constructed, with enough red herrings to keep the reader off balance. Penny is a gifted descriptive writer and the dialogue is lively and fast-paced. Gamache, far from being superhuman, makes mistakes but tries to learn from them, and he is an appealing protagonist. The title has a dual meaning. First, it refers to a painting by Jane Neal, called "Fair Day," which may point to the identity of her assailant. Additionally, "still life" is a metaphor for a person whose life is emotionally stunted and who blames others for his problems, instead of developing into a mature and productive adult. All in all, "Still Life" is an auspicious debut novel by a promising new author.

Wow!, May 17, 2007
This is the most powerful debut mystery I've read in years. Meet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Suret� de Qu�bec, the most capable, intelligent, and charming detective to come along in a very long while. His first case takes him to the tiny town of Three Pines, just north of the U.S. border, where someone has killed a much-loved elderly woman with a bow-and-arrow. Who? Why? Gamache must sift through the complex relationships of a colorful group of local citizens to find the surprising answers.

Here are my favorite current mystery series authors: P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes...and Louise Penny. Yes, she's that good. Trust me. Read STILL LIFE, then read A FATAL GRACE, the second in the series and every bit as good as the first one. I can't wait for #3. Highly recommended.

I want to move to Three Pines!, June 26, 2008
Louise Penny has written a wonderful "cozy murder mystery." The mystery is intriguing and well laid out. It is the characters, though, that you will fall in love with. They make the story! In this book that is the first in a series, Penny does a great job "hooking" the reader so that you want to read more about Three Pines. I bought Fatal Grace (the second book) at the same time as this one, and I am glad I did. I jumped right into it when I finished Still Life. Definitely worth your while!

Some flaws in first novel in a series, October 13, 2009
Although this is by no means a bad book, I didn't like it nearly as much as the other reviewers. To me, the writing was sometimes disjointed and did not flow smoothly, in particular in the conversation between characters and sometimes when jumping between the present and the past. For a first novel about a village and the police officers called there to investigate a suspicious death, there was too much detail to absorb about all the different characters. A good series peels the layers away gradually, allowing depth to be revealed over time. I thought this book tried to reveal too much, too soon.

Inspector Gamache IS an appealing and intelligent character. All of the officers are supposed to be sharp in intellect. That made it strange (and annoying) to see how young officer Nichol misunderstood her superior's advice. It was also mystifying how Gamache, who is so observant and understanding of human nature, could not see how his advice to Nichol had gone wrong.

Finally, I just didn't "buy" the villian of the book. There were enough other plausible suspects to make it interesting, but, in the end, I couldn't believe that the killer could have kept his or her true nature hidden from so many intelligent people for so long. How could the other villagers have not seen something to make them know the nature of this callous individual over the many years they had lived together closely? In a big city where you nod hello to the other people in your apartment building, then I buy that you say "He seemed like such a nice guy." I grew up in a small town, and I found it hard to believe that almost no one really knew the killer. I want to read a mystery that makes sense and that is internally consistent, but I felt this book fell a bit short in that regard.

A pleasant little visit to a small town in Quebec... well, except for the murder and all, October 23, 2006
Though I usually go in for tough police thrillers, I sometimes mix things up by reading a light, funny mystery or- like this book- a quiet, thoughtful mystery set in a small town (a "cozy", I believe this type of mystery novel is called). "Still Life" nicely combines the easygoing attributes of a "cozy" mystery- quirky, eccentric characters, a small-town setting, pretty much no violence- with a little modernity, in the form of occasional well-placed profanity (though not much) and modern demographics (a gay couple is included among the main characters).

The main detective character, intelligent and interesting, owes a little to Christie's Hercule Poirot, but not everything. The mystery itself is pretty interesting, too, though some aspects of its solution are a little broad and clunky, as are some of the explanations of why ultimately cleared characters were acting suspicious for a time. Any shortcomings are quibbles, however, and shouldn't deter one from trying out this nicely done mystery story set in a quiet little corner of Quebec.

incredibly good writing, September 3, 2006
this is an amazing, beautifully written first novel. not only is the plot first rate, the characters are drawn with a rare degree of perception and even compassion. the relationships are realistic and change as the investigation proceeds and when the murderer is caught. the dialogue is natural, and reflects the personality of the character speaking.

there is also wonderful humor in the descriptions and the dialogue.

this is the mystery to lend the friends who think mysteries are shallow, formulaic and generally not worth wasting time on. this is the book to lend to friends who love good writing.

i can't wait for the next.

Murder in a small Canadian town, October 9, 2007
Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, is so small that when a homicide inspector from the provincial police force is called to the scene, he first needs to find it on the map. In Three Pines, it seems like everyone is either an artist or a wannabe artist; that includes the dead woman, Jane Neal, who had just submitted a work to a local exhibition. The painting -- primitive or brilliant? -- proved to be controversial with the jury, and the question of whether she was murdered or accidentally killed by a hunter's bow & arrow is equally perplexing.

Even though this is a first novel, readers may be forgiven if they sometimes find themselves thinking that they've picked up a book by an author hitting her stride in mid-series. Penny makes Chief Inspector Armand Gamache a fully-realized character, occasionally referring obliquely to previous cases he investigated along with his assistant Beauvoir. She also knows how to hook the reader -- why, for instance, have none of Jane's closest friends ever been invited into her home beyond the kitchen? What is the secret being hidden by troubled teenager Philippe Croft, whom Jane caught in an act of vandalism shortly before she was murdered?

I appreciated the fact that "Still Life" delves deeply into the effect a tragic loss has on the community, something that is often overlooked in "cozy" murder mysteries. The grieving of Jane's friends and neighbors seems realistic and honest. The gay couple who own the town B&B were perhaps a tad too cutesy, but on the whole, I think "Still Life" had a good set of characters and a strong sense of place. I was a little disappointed to find out that Penny has set two more books in Three Pines, since it risks turning into a Canadian Cabot Cove (Jessica Fletcher's homicide-plagued hometown in "Murder, She Wrote"); I had hoped Insp. Gamache would move on to other towns in the province. Penny obviously has a genuine knack for the mystery genre, but it will be interesting to see how long she can sustain her series without branching out a bit.

What a Treasure, July 2, 2007
When I finished this book, I wanted to move to Three Pines. I want cafe au lait with Olivier and Gabri. I want to meet Clara and Peter and friends and see all the art. Can't wait to read A Fatal Grace, the next of the Inspector Gamache mysteries, but then I won't want to finish the book and have to leave everybody. This book was a delight. The plot is terrific, with enough twists to take you in several directions. The characters are so wonderful, Ms. Penny makes them feel like friends. One of my favorites is Lucy, the dog -- even her character is given depth. On a scale of one to ten, it is definitely an eleven.

"The rules of normal life are suspended when there's a violent death", October 4, 2006
The bucolic, rustic village of Three Pines, in the Southern region of Quebec is last place where you'd think murder would be committed. It's the sort of town where the only reason the doors are locked is to prevent neighbors from dropping off baskets of zucchini at harvest time. But this quaint community of artists, writers and retirees is shaken to its very core when one of their most beloved residents Jane Neal is found brutally murdered in the local forest.

Most devastated is local painter Clara Morrow, who together with her husband Peter was Jane's closest friend and confidante. Both are mystified at why someone would want to kill this kindly and gentile seventy-six year old woman, who was an ex-school teacher, tended roses, and was active in the community running the Anglican Church Women, and supporting the various art clubs.

Enter author Louise Penny's main protagonist, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the S�ret� du Qu�bec, a man of formidable talents who is enlisted with the task of hunting down Jane's killer. With the help of his deputy Jean Guy Beavior, Gamache begins his investigation, steadily unraveling the clues and long buried secrets that still haunt the inhabitants of this small town.

It is soon discovered that an arrow had pierced poor Jane's heart. Coincidently it is bow-hunting season, so initially Jane's death could have been an accident. But therein lies the problem, Gamache and Beavior can't find the murder weapon and no one has bothered to come forward. As the pall of grief settles on the community, the detectives discover that Jane died just as her painting Fair Day, was accepted for the local art show, much to the chagrin of some of the committee members.

As fragments of the crime begin to materialize, Gamache is blindsided by the Croft family, their teenage son truculent Phillippe becoming a likely suspect as he had a run-in with Jane and was also an experienced marksman. Gamache, however, becomes caught up in a certainty he cannot prove, there's no motive for the crime. As the picture becomes more distinct, Gamache is convinced that is it Jane's angry and materialistic niece Yolande Fontaine, who is responsible; this cold and bitter woman is absolutely frantic to take over her aunt's house.

The clues eventually come back to Jane's Fair Day painting, where what is most peculiar is that all the people of the village although still recognizable, were painted as stick figures. Gamache is also sure that in this case the act of murder was committed decades before the actual action, something had happened in this community and it had lead inexorably to Jane's death many years later. This doesn't help Clara; Jane was her mentor and her life and now she has to face a world suddenly and violently without her best friend, without the touch comfort and kindness.

The author creates an eclectic cast of characters, all of them very endemic and characteristic of this small, insular and like-minded community: there's Peter's grieving and emotionally shut off friend Ben Hadley who harbors a secret desires for Clara and conceals a difficult past; there's also the town's only gay couple Olivier and Gabri, who run the local bed and breakfast, selling antiques on the side.

There's Ruth, an embittered poet was once friendly with Jane, and suspicion momentarily falls on her, as she has suspicious motives tied to the death of a mutual friend of hers and Jane's. Penny keeps the plot moving as the unhurried, unperturbed and unstoppable Gamache and his team of crack detectives, including the insecure and arrogant young Yvette Nichol, navigates an intricate web of deception, where art runs in the family and where everyone around treats it like law.

Still Life's Armand Gamache signifies the debut of a fresh face on the Canadian crime fiction circuit; there's no doubt that he's an appealing and multi-talented hero. As Armand gets the heart of Jane's murder and the secrets are revealed, he finds himself almost falling in love with all these townsfolk, where their long-lived peace has been threatened in this old and bucolic village that "hasn't become old without knowing grief." Mike Leonard October 06.

So good I wish I could start it anew, August 6, 2009
I love to read and I read a variety of books, especially since I became unemployed. Sometimes I get very depressed and it is hard to pay attention to a story even if by a favourite writer. This book "Still Life'' was absolutely wonderful. It caught my interest and never let it go until I had finished it. Now I want to go back and start again. I had to re-read that this was her debut novel. The characters are well drawn and the story is enticing and psychologically sound. Was the resolution of the mystery a little too obscure, perhaps, but I loved the journey. The people are fleshed out and the relationships of the characters felt real. I would have liked to have met some of those people, and would have despised others. That, to me, is what a good story does. It takes you out of your life (good or bad) and transports you into the story. Thank you Ms. Penny. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The #1 New York Times bestselling series starring Lt. Eve Dallas

The #1 suspect? Eve's lover, Roarke.

Eve Dallas investigates the deaths of two successful women. Their relations with men of power provide Eve with many suspects-including her own lover. ... Read more

Reviews

An Excellent Futuristic Mystery - Wonderful Characters, January 9, 2005
"Glory In Death" is the second book in J.D. Robb's futuristic mystery series. Set in New York City, 2058 CE, robotic drones and voice activated machines do menial work; there is a total ban on guns, (the police use lasers); major advances have been made in medicine, technology, and genetics; airbuses are the preferred vehicle for public transportation; tele-links replace telephones; and people travel to other planets, (Venus, Mars), for vacation and business. It's not quite a brave new world, but there are significant changes midway into the 21st century. The overpopulated world has more limited resources - real coffee is rare and way too expensive, as is beef and other fresh meat. Robb has not written a sci-fi series, however. Far enough into the future to make the storyline more interesting, today's world is still easily recognizable.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD is a tough cop who made Lieutenant before the age of 30. She, is also very vulnerable emotionally. Eve doesn't remember the early years of her life, but knows that she was sexually, physically and emotionally abused by her father, abandoned at age eight and left to the mercies of Children's Services. She met handsome businessman Roarke in book one, and the couple has become seriously involved. Roarke is a charismatic Irish billionaire, who wields considerable power worldwide, and has fallen hard for the first time in his life - for Eve.

Prosecuting Attorney Cicely Towers, a powerful, talented professional, is found dead, throat slashed, in a sleazy part of town. Eve is called in as primary to work the case. Then a second victim turns up. A beautiful, up-and-coming TV actress is found murdered, throat cut, on the rear patio of her apartment building. Eve is again called in -same MO, most probably the same killer. Unfortunately, both victims were involved with Roarke in the past. Obviously this development causes friction in their growing relationship - a relationship which is also stressed by Eve's discomfort with Roark's world of wealth, power and the "beautiful people." Then there's the additional pressure of knowing that another murder will probably take place unless the case is solved ASAP.

Again, J.D. Robb has come up with a winner. "Glory in Death" is a fast paced police thriller with top notch characters and an excellent plot. Although the murder mystery is primary, Roarks's and Eve's developing romance does add a lot and allows for a better insight into the complex characters of the two. The author's knowledge of police procedurals make the storyline more believable. The only problem I had with the book is that Roarke was a murder suspect in the first novel, "Naked In Death" also. This just seems too contrived to me. He is a man with an amazing number of business and personal connections. He knows half the world. It is a bit much to have a stable and respected figure like him suspected twice in a row.

Overall, I recommend the mystery and intend to read more of the series. Great stuff!
JANA

Second book to a great series!, May 10, 2001
I read the first book with such enthusiasm, but this one was only better! Eve and Ruarke continue in the developing a relationship, unlikely for both being they are very strong and independent characters. You get a little bit of both their haunting pasts as you go along. This does keep it very interesting. The year is 2058 and the setting for this future is really easy to believe and she did a great job with the setting. The mystery of "who done it " is really great as I didn't figure out who it actually was in either books! I have already started the third and this is really a great series!!!

great series, August 17, 2002
In this book, someone's slashing the throats of prominent and successful women. Since the suspects include family friends of Lieutenant Eve Dallas' commander and Eve's lover, Roarke, this becomes a very difficult case for her.

If you haven't read the first book, Naked in Death, I would suggest that you do that first, although this early in the series it's not as important. Just as a warning for those who have never read one of the In Death books, the mystery is not really the most important part in the book. I've heard regular mystery readers complain that they were able to figure out who committed the murders long before anyone in the books did. That wasn't the case for me - I enjoyed the mystery element in this book - but the relationships are the reason why I keep reading the series and why I reread all the books. In this book, Eve has to deal with her problems with commitment in her relationship with Roarke. The way Eve and Roarke interact is wonderful, and Eve's gradual attempts at making herself more than just a cop are interesting reading. I definitely recommend this book and series to anyone who likes well done and well paced romance with mystery and murder mixed in.

Great Ending!, November 28, 1999
I read every J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) book I can find. I have enjoyed them all. This one had a great ending and kept me guessing about 'who done it' until the wrap up. I really like Eve Dallas and Roarke as a couple and Eve as a cop is perfect. I'm looking forward to the next one "Witness in Death".

Second installment in an unusual series, June 26, 2001
Glory in Death is not a perfect book but it is entertaining, as is the series. What I enjoy most about the entire series is the fact that it has elements of three genres - romance, mystery and science fiction. Does it do any of them perfectly? No. Is is refreshing to read something that isn't strictly formula? Yes. Could a first time writer get a publisher for something so out of the mold? Probably not, but Nora Roberts knows how to tell a story and publishers know she sells books.

In this book, an outspoken female prosecutor is killed. The victim is a close friend of Eve's boss. One of the interesting elements of the book is Eve's conflict between office politics and what's best for resolving the case. The media is hard on the case - and the newly famous female detective. Her relationship with billionaire, Roarke, only increases the pressure. Much of the book focuses on the maturation of Eve and Roarke's relationship which has some rocky moments.

I also enjoyed the future setting. Manhattan in 2058 is an interesting place. (And everytime I think the gadgets are impossible, I remember my skepticism about a thing called cell phones when a client discussed them in 1983.) I'm looking forward to learning more about this familiar but not so familiar world.

2nd in the series and another great one., June 15, 1999
2 down and 6 to go. I've already started on #3. I haven't gotten tired of reading Eve Dallas's stories. This series is excellent. When it is a series as long as this one, I usually switch to another author. But with this one, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. I don't have #4 yet, but I will call tomorrow about getting it. Only ONE bit of advice. Start this from #1 and work yourself to #8. You need to know the character when you read the books. And the only way to do that is to start with #1 and work your way up. VERY GOOD READING. I can't understand how anyone could have given this book a 1 star or 2 star rating. It's way TOO GOOD for that.

Eve Dallas rocks, June 23, 1999
The most amazing thing about the reviews is how they miss the point of the book! The idea is not necessarily that you don't know who the killer is, it is the process of the proof that is interesting. Eve Dallas continues to be one of the most interesting (though not exactly warm and fuzzy) characters I have ever come across. Eve and Ruarke are both carrying baggage, and it is interesting to see how they deal with their own and the other's.

Ms. Roberts' strength is in the characters, and they are the point - the plot is simply a vehicle for learning more about them.

Fantastic Read!, December 19, 2001
"Glory in Death" is the second instalment in Robb's (aka Nora Roberts) "In Death" series and it is even better than the first one.
In this book, Eve, a cop with the NYPSD in the year 2058 has another serial killer to catch. Someone is killing high-powered women in the public eye, and it's Eve's job to find out who.
Along with the exciting and imaginative mystery, there is also the developing relationship between Eve and billionaire Roarke. Their romance is fresh, complex and quite intense. Roarke is always willing to help Eve solve her cases with the many tools available to him, and together, both personally and professionally, these two make a great team.
Eve will win readers' hearts as the feisty and emotionally troubled heroine and Roarke is a hero who every reader will adore. The plot is suspenseful and well thought out and balances the mystery with the romance beautifully. Overall, this is a first-rate romantic suspense novel with a fascinating futuristic setting and I highly recommend it!

"Glory In Death" is to Die for, September 7, 2004
With a mother who can't see very well, I have become something of an expert on Audiobook Narrators. Susan Ericksen is one of a very few Narrators who could infuse meaning into a reading of the local telephone directory. Using all her tricks, this lady makes her rendition of "Glory In Death" well worth hearing. Not that I am implying the book is not wonderful without her help - but when you must listen to hear a book, the Narrator MUST be good enough to get you hooked on "page" one. I was very interested to see how she would handle a very significant fight between Rourke & Eve, not to mention the ramblings of the killer's monologue (I think it's mandatory - all killers since Iago on have gotten a monologue to themselves) and she got through it all without a hesitation or a hitch. Enough reviews have been written that I need not go into the plot here, but I will say - I can't WAIT for "Immortal"! Although the abridged version is not bad as far as moving the story along, time considerations meant that Eve's scene with Whitney after her nightmare never all got into the abriged version - and I REALLLYYYY want that scene - plus a few others not in some of the other abridgements - put back in in its complete format! There are some 8 more abridged books available - Immortal, Rapture, Vengeance, Holiday, Loyalty, Witness, Betrayal, & Judgement and I devoutly hope that ALL of them eventually get re-done in Unabridged. Maybe if thare is enough of a demand - they might even do the 2 short In Death stories too. That would be wonderful. Here's hoping!

Read it in 1 day!, May 12, 2004
After Naked in Death, I had to run out and buy this one to see where the romance of Eve and Roarke lands. I'm baffled that Robb manages to keep the romance interesting through 2 novels, as I expect she will through the rest of the series (we'll see).

Definately a good read! Love the mix of mystery and romance as I tend to get bored with romance novels alone. I highly recommend, but start it on a day when you can sleep in the next morning, as I found myself up late unable to put it down! ... Read more

Editorial Review

A GUTSY ROBBERY
Several million bucks, stolen from the mob...

A PERFECT FRAME
All caught on video, with no chance of redemption...

A RED HOT RECIPE FOR RAMPAGING REVENGE
Now one man must face the entire Chicago Outfit, a group of hardened Mafia enforcers, a psychotic bookie, the most dangerous hitman on earth, and Detective Jacqueline Daniels...

His name is Tequila. And he likes those odds.

SHOT OF TEQUILA by JA Konrath

This ebook also features an exclusive sneak-peak--three full chapters--of INSIDE OUT, the latest thriller by NYT bestselling author Barry Eisler.


Book Description:

Shot of Tequila takes place in the early 1990s, and is both an homage to and a re-envisioning of classic action novels by authors like Mickey Spillane, Ross MacDonald, Donald Westlake, and Elmore Leonard, but with a more modern twist.

The breakneck action is intercut with scenes featuring Konrath's series hero Jack Daniels, here as a supporting character chasing the main protagonist.

Edge-of-your-seat suspense, non-stop action, and dark humor punctuate this heist novel/fugitive-on-the-run thriller. Fans of Konrath's police procedurals will enjoy the slight departure from his normal writing style, while still finding familiarity with the setting and characters.

SHOT OF TEQUILA is approximately 75,000 words.


Praise for JA Konrath's thriller Fuzzy Navel:

"Fuzzy Navel is Konrath at his best – a hilariously heartstopping thriller." — Linda Fairstein

"This gripping novel is an adrenalin rush." — Library Journal

"This book moves so fast it was like having the words fired into my head by a machine gun." — Crimespree

Praise for Afraid (JA Konrath writing as Jack Kilborn):

"AFRAID is a masterpiece of unrelenting horror. And I'm not exaggerating. Masterpiece. It's the best piece of fiction I've read in several years. It simply NEVER lets up." — James Rollins, author of The Judas Strain

"A bloody, terrifying, hurtling assault across a landscape of non-stop mayhem. A guilty, guilty pleasure." — F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack

“AFRAID is a true page turner, a novel that offers a million mile a minute action and suspense. Definitely, a must have with constant thrills and chills." — Heather Graham, author of Deadly Gift

"Never have I read a novel so gruesome and simultaneously relentless. This book throbs with unmitigated, inexorable. sheer friggin’ TERROR. You’ll probably need a shrink when you’re done.” — Edward Lee, author of Brides of the Impaler

"Fast and ferocious, this is a dangerous thriller that will take a bite out of you. An absolute must read for anyone who loves the adrenaline rush of a shocking story told with style, speed and savage grace." — Jonathan Maberry, author of Patient Zero



About the Author
J.A. Konrath is the author of seven novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. The latest is SHAKEN, published by AmazonEncore. He also wrote the horror novels AFRAID, TRAPPED, ENDURANCE, and DRACULAS under the name Jack Kilborn, and the sci-fi novel TIMECASTER under the name Joe Kimball. (featuring Jack Daniels's grandson as the hero, coming out in 2011.)
... Read more

Reviews

Action Packed!, July 7, 2009
Good Stuff:

This book was action packed

While it's not on the same line as the Jack Daniel's series, it does have her in it and a few funny lines. It also has her partner - When he as SKINNY!

As usual for Konrath, this is of publishable quality.

Bad Stuff:

I can't even think of anything, except maybe that it was sad in a few parts. Oh, wait, that's not 'bad'. Never mind.

Overall:

Warning: This book does contain rape, violence, bad language, cruelty to animals, blood, gore, action, and more violence.

If any of this stuff bothers you, skip it. I hear the Food Network has some good shows.

Konrath Gets It: Good Genre Is All In The Writing, January 3, 2010
This is the first I've read from JA Konrath, whose name I know from his great blog for us writers. I admit I picked this one for the blazing pulp cover. I stayed for the story and the writing.

A guarded little loner of a mob tough, Tequila gets framed by one of his goon peers for a heist that brings on the full bloodthirsty wrath of his bookie boss. Tequila's a grunt, and like any GI, he's cannon fodder.

A feisty, hardworking detective, Jack Daniels, is also on Tequila's trail. Both are outsiders, in their way. Jack's a female cop, for starters, while Tequila has a sister with special needs. It's Tequila's one goal in life to keep sis safe and happy. When Tequila's sacred goal is threatened, Jack sees something in Tequila's fierce revenge that no one else does.

The writing, like Elmore Leonard's, is lean and yet meaty. It's a rare writer who can pull that off. Konrath gets in and out of scenes before he's worn out his welcome and gives you just enough setup to keep you caring.

Some of the action was laid on one too many times for me. But that's just me. Other action totally worked. Is parachuting your escape from a shattered window many, many skyscraper stories up over-the-top? Sure it is, but it's also kickass when you give a rip about who's doing it. In this case, I did.

Nice one, Konrath.

Steve Anderson

extremely fun to read, June 11, 2009
fast paced and funny. set in chicago which is a plus to me. some fighting sequences are too drawn out but on the whole a great story.

Konrath Does It Again!, February 15, 2010
I recently found Konrath via a posting on the Kindle boards which took me to his website/blog which then took me to his books. I just finished Shot of Tequila and his 6 Jack Daniel's books (the series that starts with Whiskey Sour) and I have enjoyed them all! A mix of humor, horror, and action all in the perfect combination that can't be beat.

On a personal note, I wanted to share an observation I had while reading this book with Mr. Konrath and sent him an email. Not only did he respond with great warmth and kindness, he responded the same day. It is really a pleasure to have such a intimate relationship with an author of books you enjoy. Another positive for indie/self-published Kindle authors! :)

Shot of Awesome (clever, huh?), August 16, 2010
Truth be told, I was somewhat skeptical when first picking up (i.e. downloading) Shot of Tequila by J.A. Konrath. Just like so many people, I have been following his blog for about a year now but had never read any of his books. Yes, he has made a living off of his sizable list of novels and whatnot, but that doesn't mean he's a good writer. Look at Stephanie Meyers (in my most humble of opinions). Making money does not mean you are good at the craft, just fortuitous, coming along at the correct moment. So, is this the case with Konrath? Is he riding high on the eRevolution? Does his writing actually suck?

If Shot of Tequila is any indication of his writing as a whole, then the answer must be no. Emphatically, wholeheartedly no. Tequila is the hardbitten story of one Tequila Abernathy, a collector for a somewhat psychotic bookie. Through a dupe, Tequila is framed for a million-dollar heist. Note this million-dollar heist is said bookies money. As one could imagine, all hell breaks loose afterward.

Without going into any spoilers, the plot is well laid out though fairly guessable. There are few real surprises, though one in the first half will really throw you for a loop. The interspersion of Jacqueline `Jack' Daniels, Konrath's main character in his other books, was a nice touch. Her scenes usually serve as a sort of interposition and exposition, killing in the gaps and reminding the reader where s/he has been. The climax is tasty to say the least, though I must admit I was expecting a bit more (on the other hand, the anticlimactic scene was extremely climactic in its own way (did that make any sense?)).

The action throughout is spectacular. It plays out like a hyperviolent version of The Matrix. High-flying action and leaps, flips, cartwheels, kicks, throws, punches and whatever else you could possibly want are all here. The best part? It is all done well! It's not just flips and kicks because it's cool. It has a reason behind it and an origin. It is extremely visceral and bone crushing. One particular scene had me feeling the anger a character feels, enjoying wholly the brutal whooping that followed.

The characters are well thought out for the most part. The eponymous character is driven but lacks much depth. That, however, does not take away from the reader rooting for him. He is an intriguing character; I found myself reading over fight scenes twice just to fully picture the hits in all their brutal detail. Many of the supporting characters are weak and one sided. Two of these I found myself getting confused for about half of the book.

Overall, Shot of Tequila was an entertaining read. Short and sweet. I would fully recommend it.

Great book!, March 12, 2010
This shows you that not every good book is published. It was a quick read.

Thriller beyond compare., March 3, 2010
J.A. Konrath is an excellent author. Loved all his Jack Daniel books. Definitely a page turner.

Great action story, August 8, 2009
Really enjoyed this yarn and am now turned on to Konrath's other books. You will be regarded with solid action and believable plot. Read it! ... Read more

Editorial Review

When social worker Raina Hughes visits the home of a young boy she’s been assigned to monitor, things quickly turn ugly. Later, when she’s found brutally murdered, Detective Jackson thinks it's an open-and-shut case against the boy's ex-con father.
Complications develop when new evidence points to a serial rapist who’s becoming more violent with each attack. Raina’s lover, Jamie, knows what the rape victims have in common, but won’t tell for fear of revealing her own secrets. When Jamie disappears, Jackson must uncover the truth before the body count goes higher.
... Read more

Reviews

Couldn't put it down!, June 4, 2010
I was looking forward to reading Secrets to Die For because I'd read Sellers' first book, The Sex Club. Secrets was even better. I couldn't put it down.

It had such a real feel to it. Sellers certainly did her homework on police procedure and the details grounded the story and gave it grit and urgency.

Full of twists and turns, this was just a great thriller / mystery, and I love her detective, Wade Jackson. I'm eager for the next book, please!

A great read, November 25, 2010
I enjoyed this so much that I just bought a second book by this author and plan to buy the rest.

The story and characters were engaging and realistic. It's hard to say a lot without this becoming a spoiler so I'll just say it had lots of twists and turns. I hate when I can predict the ending of a book within the first few chapters and that was not the case here. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A missing little girl named Maggie Rose.


A family of three brutally murdered in the projects of Washington, D.C.


The thrill-killing of a beautiful elementary school teacher.


A psychopathic serial kidnapper/murderer who calls himself the Son of Lindbergh. He is so terrifying that the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police cannot outsmart him - even after he's been captured.


Gary Soneji is a mild-mannered mathematics teacher at a Washington, D.C., private school for the children of the political and social elite. He's so popular that the kids all call him "Mr. Chips." And he's very, very smart. Growing up, he always knew he was smarter than the rest of them - he knew that the Great Ones always fooled everybody. He kidnaps Maggie Rose, the golden-haired daughter of a famous movie actress, and her best friend, Shrimpie Goldberg, the son of the secretary of the treasury, right out from under the noses of their two Secret Service agents. But Gary Soneji is not surprised at his skill. He's done it before. Hundreds of times before.


Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in psychology. he looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. Cross works and lives in the ghettos of D.C. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who wears Harris Tweed jackets and likes to relax by banging out Gershwin tunes on his baby grand piano. He has two adorable kids of his own. They are his own special vulnerabilities.


Jezzie Flanaganis the first woman ever to hold the highly sensitive job as supervisor of the Secret Service in Washington. Blond, mysterious, seductive, she's got an outer shell that's as tough s it is beautiful. She rides her black BMW motorcycle at speeds of no less than 100 mph. What is she running from? What is her secret?


Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair-at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji, who wants to commit the "crime of the century," is playing at the top of his game. The latest of the unspeakable crimes happened in Alex Cross's precinct. They happened under the protection of Jezzie Flanagan's men. Now Soneji is at large again, still wreaking havoc.


Alex Cross must face the ultimate test as a psychologist: how do you outmaneuver a brilliant psychopath? Especially one who appears to have a split personality - one who won't let the other half remember those horrific acts?


Soneji has outsmarted the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police. Who will be his next victim?


Gary Soneji is every parent's worst nightmare. He has become Alex Cross's nightmare. And now, reader, he's about to become yours. ... Read more

Reviews

An Exciting Page Turner, March 23, 2000
This book flies. I had just read a couple of books that I thought were pretty lame and needed something fast and exciting. A woman I work with recommended James Patterson to me. I did a little research and found that this book is the first in a series for fictional detective Alex Cross. (I hate to read a series out of order, even if the stories are independent and don't continue from book to book.) Along Came A Spider is a perfect "fun" read. It moves at a very rapid pace. (The chapters are usually just a few pages.) It has pretty well developed characters considering its quick pace and more plot twists than you'll ever anticipate. Just when the romance element in the book started to bore me Patterson turns it on its ear. Another thing that makes this book so good is that despite the surprising plot twists everything is fairly believable within the context of the story. I read a lot of mystery/suspense and one of my biggest complaints is that I'll get really into a book and the climax will be totally ridiculous. You know, the killer will turn out to be the sister of the girl that was accidentally drown in the rich family's pool the night of the prom thirty-five years before but nobody recognizes her because she's a master of disguise or whatever! Along Came A Spider has none of that. It's consistent, quick and exciting! Read it!

TNT PERFORMANCES OF THIS EXPLOSIVE TALE, April 11, 2001
Whether read by actor, director, writer Charles Turner as is the unabridged version of James Patterson's spellbinding thriller or by Alton Fitzgerald White and Michael Cumpsty on the abridged release, each performer brings a persuasive depth to this horrific tale. It's a story that grabs listeners with the opening lines and doesn't let go until the last syllable is uttered.

Calling himself the Son of Lindbergh, a psychopathic kidnapper/killer seems able to elude the FBI, the Secret Service, and local law enforcement officers. This brilliant sicko has kidnaped the daughter of a famous movie star and the son of the Secretary of the Treasury. He nabbed them despite their ever watchful Secret Service guardians. He knew he could do it, and he did.

Determined to commit the crime of the century, this Mr. Peepers like math. teacher evidently has a split personality, apparently at times incapable of remembering the heinous crimes he has committed.

What a challenge for homicide detective Alex Cross despite his degree in psychology. Another challenge for Cross is mysterious, beautiful, intelligent Jezzie Flanagan, supervisor of the Secret Service. There's attraction with a capital A between these two, but meanwhile a maniacal killer is on the loose.

TNT performances by all in their rendering of this explosive tale.

FIRST RATE SUSPENSE, October 22, 2000
Having read everything by Michael Conelly and Jeffrey Deaver, I was looking for a master of suspense with an imaginative and intellectual lead character. I found both with James Patterson's Along Came A Spider and Dr. Alex Cross.

Alex Cross is a lead detective with the Washington Police Department. He is also a very able licensed psychologist. While investigating a series of murders he is called out to take the lead in the investigation of the kidnapping of a politician's son and a movie star's daughter (Maggie Rose). It isnt long before he finds out the murderer and the kidnapper are one in the same. The manhunt for Gary Sonjei and the search for little lost Maggie Rose have Cross teamed up with the FBI and the Secret Service. Sonjei proves to be evil incarnate with a master plan and a high I.Q. The plot thickens and surprises abound, keeping interest at a high level throughout the book.

Patterson delivers what every suspense reader wants.... a vulnerable and loveable good guy along with a bad guy that has you afraid to turn out the lights at night. Just when you think you have it all figured out he kicks up the intensity another notch.

The book is a smooth read. There are little to no dull spots. You will finish this book wanting to read another Alex Cross novel. I know I did. FIVE STAR THRILLER !!

The Alex Cross legacy begins., January 19, 2000
This is James Patterson's first novel starring his well rounded hero Alex Cross. A brilliant African American detective with a higher moral agenda than your average suspense novel protagonist. In Along Came a Spider we are introduced to Patterson's seamless blending of first and third person narrative that works so well with a many faceted character such as Alex Cross. This book succeeds on many levels: as the villian Gary Soneji is trully vile but not unbelievably so, the supporting characters such as Alex's family are made interesting and revelant to the story, and it progresses quickly with twists and turns that lead to a surprisingly emotional ending. Along Came a Spider has a little of everything: criminal psychology, courtroom drama, love, murder, kidnapping, insightful family interaction, and the kitchen sink! This is a smartly written, superior book!

An addicting masterpiece by the best suspense author ever!, October 31, 1999
This has not been the first time I've read a James Patterson piece. His amazing piece, Cat & Mouse was one of the quickest and most enjoyable reads I have ever had. Because of this, my expectations for this book were extremely high. However, Patterson exceeded my expecations in an unbelievable way. This is a true tale of good versus evil, pitting a Washington detective (Cross) against an abused and inteligent psychopath (Soneji). However, this story is not nearly as straight forward as one might expects, as it is filled with plot twists. Many of these revelations left me in complete shock only as James Patterson can. And although 500 pages may seem never-ending, the pace makes it quite the contrary. It is a must read for anyone who enjoys the suspense/mystery genre of writing, and a high recommendation for anyone else.

Loaded with suspense, May 25, 2001
This was the third Alex Cross book I have read and so far it was the best. In this exciting story Patterson creates a suspenseful plot with some extra twists.

The main plot is detective Alex Cross searching for a murderer/kidnapper. But Alex Cross has a number of social and political issues that he deals with on a daily basis, an example is being pulled off of the murder case of a black family in the projects to find the kidnapper of some rich white kids.

Cross' witty replies are always entertaining when he is confronted by one of his superiors. I also like the way that the subplots in this story came together, it wasn't just filler material. This book left me wanting for more.

along came a spider, February 29, 2000
James Patterson has to be the greatest writers of thrillers/suspence as of late. All I can say about any of James Patterson's books is that if you read a prologue to any of his work, you are hooked. Along came a Spider is no execption. The Character Alex Cross is so well developed and likeable that you only want more of him. James Patterson keeps his chapters short and to the point with no unnecessary narrative's. I read Along came a Spider when it first hit the book stores and i couldn't wait for J.P.'s next book. There are so many twists and turns in Along Came a Spider that you keep trying to figure out how he is going to tie it all together, but he does and so well. I reccommend, Jack N Jill, Cat & Mouse, When the Wind Blows and JP's latest book, POP GOES THE WEASAL. Anything By james patterson is worth the money and your time, he always keeps you guessing

Good suspense, but unbelievably boring romantic scenes!, August 17, 2000
I read this book in the wrong order because I first read Cat and Mouse which is an unbelievably enjoyable novel (Read my review) so I already had a small idea of what happened in Along came a Spider. I will just say that this novel was like reading two different novels. One was a very intelligent suspenseful mystery about a kidnapping carried out to go right where the Lindbergh kidnapping went wrong. The scenes of Alex Cross trying to find Gary Soneji, the court scenes, and the conversations between Cross and Gary Murphy are wonderful. This part of the novel gets 5 stars.

However,I subtract two stars for the unbelievably boring and uninspired romantic twist to the story, there was a point where I just decided to skip whole chapters that didn't add anything to the story. I got through the first three hundred pages faster than I did the last two hundred. It was just mesmerizing to think that the same brilliant mind that came up with the suspenseful mystery came up with the other garbage. Don't get me wrong I do enjoy romance in a mystery novel, in fact I think its an important part but Patterson should ask Jeffery Deaver, who writes so well about the relationship between Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, or maybe ask Ridley Pearson, who does so well with Lou Boldt and Daphne Mathews, to give him a few tips on mixing romance with suspense.

My reccommendation is read this novel but if the mood starts getting romantic don't waste your time, at least not until the end where the romantic scene is important.Alex Cross is a great character and Gary Soneji is the perfect nemesis, I just feel that Patterson did a better job of mixing his romantic chapters with the story in Cat and Mouse than what he was able to accomplish in this novel.

Thoroughly Engrossing, September 22, 2001
Along Came a Spider is the first installment in the detective Alex Cross series by Patterson. I did not read these books in order, but that has not detracted from the flow of any of the books. Since I have read the other books first, and the first book last, Detective Alex Cross has changed somewhat into a mellower, more likeable character. I did not see the movie, but had envisioned Denzel Washington to play the smooth and sophiscated Alex Cross and was disappointed in the choice of Morgan Freeman. But after reading this book, Morgan Freeman fits Alex Cross in this book perfectly - for this book only!!!

I love Patterson's books and have read just about all of them. I find them to be engrossing, suspenseful and I just can't put them down. He foils me with the ending each and every time!!

In this book, Patterson has a serial killer at large, Gary Soneji, who has kidnapped two children, and who wants to be known as somebody. Jezzie Flannagan from the FBI, is also on the case, giving Cross support to capture the killer. Three great strong main characters, exposed to the reader so as to get into their psyche, yet intertwined with each other to make for one incredible story.

The ending is a blow out, which is what I love about Patterson - hanging on to the edge of your seat with each and every page, and giving you the shocker at the end. I love it! His books are definite thrillers and shockers!

My Top 10 of All Times, April 12, 2001
Ditto to all the other comments made by reviewers who gave this book five stars!

This book kept me in suspense from beginning to end. I became a James Patterson fan after reading this book. Although the entire Alex Cross series is exceptional, this is, without a doubt, the stand out book.

I was so disappointed when they cast Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross. Alex in the book is MUCH younger. There are so many aspects of Alex's life and character that were left out to accommodate the elderly movie Alex -- such as Alex's children, grandmother, relationship with a character in the book, etc... (don't want to give too much away - *wink*)

That was a HUGE turn off to me when the movie came out. Because this is my favorite book, I do not want to draw comparisons between the book and movie.

For anyone who saw the movie and was disappointed, I encourage you to read the book; you will NOT be disappointed!!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Murder is not a spectator sport.

Chuck Chandler has choked on more than one occasion—first as a pro tennis player at Wimbledon, then as a womanizing coach at posh tennis clubs around the country. Now at Key West's Old Racquet Club, Chuck gets involved with the wrong married woman—the enticing Clare Carras, married to an enigmatic older man—and soon he is in way over his head.

Enter Tommy Sculley, a retired New York homicide detective who has just joined the Key West force, and his young green partner, Daryl Haynes, who turns out to be smarter than he looks. Up to their necks in an investigation of a bizarre apparent homicide, the two detectives barely keep afloat in murky waters. Events take them from the Florida Keys to Los Angeles and back, as a plot emerges that involves not only the dangerous Clare, but a furious West Coast mob boss determined to get back what is his at any cost.

Reviews

Woods at his best, November 15, 1999
In the novel CHOKE, Woods displays the main character, Chuck Parish, desperate and eager for a new job. Little does Chuck know that he will soon be mixed up in the biggest scandal of his life. Parish soon finds it extremely difficult trying to prove his innocence to the police and at the same time trying to figure out who the real culprit of the crime is. Woods defines the word page-turner in this excellent novel that will leave the reader guessing until the end. CHOKE is a great and easy read that will intrigue and leave the reader spellbound by the time he or she is finished. These are just a few of the many reasons that I give this book all of the five stars and highly recomend it.

An Unexpected Surprise, April 4, 2000
I first discovered Stuart Woods almost 2 years ago; an off-handed recommendation from a co-worker. Since that time, I have become somewhat of an, obsessed or possessed or one of those "est" words, fan.

I read through all of his 19 novels in record time. (during my Stuart Woods feeding frenzy.) I did however leave Choke for last, for as much as I adore Mr Woods, I have very little interest in tennis and I didn't think this would be my favorite book by any means. I was unexpectedly surprised! (as Mr. Woods continues to do to me.)

This is in no way a "tennis" book, it is Mr. Woods at his most relaxed and fun. It is filled with suspense, drama, loads of sex, (of course)and humor. All of the things that make him so appealing.

If you haven't read Stuart Woods before, you will become a fan with Choke. If you have read Mr. Woods before, you will fall in love with him in Choke. Either way, you can't lose. Enjoy!

It Wont Choke You Up, August 21, 2001
The book begins with Charles, a professional tennis player, choking during the final match at Wimbledon. What could be worse then that? He's about to find out when he meets Harry and Claire while teaching tennis for a small resort in Key West, FL. What are they hiding?

In typical Stuart Woods fashion, this book is gripping from the start. With boats blowing up and fast action, it was a good audio book. This is the first book in a month that kept me riveted to my car to a point I didn't want to get out when I arrived at work or at home.

Mr. Sanders (Narrator) did a fantastic job. He was able to use his voice to give characters different accents, and personalities. In addition, he is one of the few narrators I have heard in audio books who could actually do a fairly decent female voice. I truly believe this added to the book.

Fast paced with lots of twists and turns, this is a gripping novel. This is only the second book I have ever had by Mr. Woods. The other was Dead In The Water. Though being relatively new to Mr. Woods works, I found this book to be exciting, fast paced and hard to pull away from just as I did with Dead In The Water.

If you like mysteries or suspense drama, then this is a book for you. For other new comers to Mr. Woods works, don't hesitate to read or listen to this book.

Just OK..., March 5, 2009
This book is typical Stuart Woods. It is good and enjoyable as a day read kind of book. Lots of sex, money and power, and then more casual sex. There was enough suspense to keep my interest, just not much character depth.

"Choke" Loses Its Grip..., July 27, 1999
Easy to read, but wow: talk about flat. Character development is almost non-existent. This is summer- beach reading at its trashiest. Inhabitants of the vaguely-described Key West village are too perfect, even with their authored "flaws". I would love to have friends like the men in the story: all handsome, womanizing ne'er-do-wells with hair that never musses on the windy boats Woods writes about. Fact-giving scenes are interspersed with sex-scenes that read as if the Publisher wrote "Put sex here, here and here" on the manuscript.

The Choke of the title is both the name of the hero's boat and his life-long demon; the expected pay-off of the title dribbles air like a forgotten balloon with a slow leak. So why was I satisfied when I finished the story? Maybe it was the goofy- cop pairing, reminiscent of so many TV detective shows. Maybe it's because the so-obvious plot twists actually twisted back in the latter part of the book, relieving my fear that I knew the answer at page 75. Maybe it's because I read it on the beach in hot sunshine, with the waves rolling ashore, while on vacation. Who knows. Maybe I'm one of the great unwashed, after all. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In early spring of 2059, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called off planet to face a grueling ordeal - giving a seminar at the largest police conference of the year, to be held in a swanky resort.A resort which just happens to be owned by her husband, Roarke, of course.

Even though Eve can't quite see it that way, it's supposed to be at least partly a vacation.But work intrudes in the form of a bloody homicide, and Eve is off and running.The case is complicated by Eve's personal history with the victim - and by the killer's history with Roarke.As danger closes in and the body count rises, Eve must find a way to stop the cycle of violence and revenge, and shove the past back where it belongs. ... Read more

Reviews

The Faces of Murder Are Varied and Complex, May 6, 2006
The above quotation, which J.D. Robb utilizes to introduce this novella, effectively captures the essence of the murders which form the basis of this story. INTERLUDE IN DEATH was originally released in an anthology titled OUT OF THIS WORLD, a collection of futuristic stories by four well known women authors. It can be understood as a standalone story, but its brevity does not allow the amount of character development or background information that is available in the full length novels. Thus, my rating reflects those factors and I believe will be shared by listeners familiar with the series' main characters, who undoubtedly will find this more enjoyable than those unfamiliar with the ... IN DEATH series. This story takes place during the spring of 2059, it was published chronologically after BETRAYAL IN DEATH, the twelfth full-length novel in the series.

Eve Dallas is upset - her commanding officer has placed her in a situation that involves three things that she detests; attending social events, public speaking and off-planet travel. He has scheduled her to make a presentation at a seminar during an interplanetary police conference being held at Roarke's spectacular new Olympia resort. Of course, Roarke is delighted, as he views it as a chance to vacation with her and show off the resort, a trip which she undoubtedly would have refused to make if not for the fact that it was an official request which she could not refuse. When they arrive, Roarke has been energized by the space travel while Eve is exhausted by the tension of the trip and her fantasy of the rocket crashing into a stray meteor and her being burned to a crisp by a fire fed by the rocket fuel. Perhaps the only consolation for Eve is that Lt. Peabody, Feeney and Dr. Mira are all at the welcoming reception. Of course, the reader immediately recognizes that the presence of these familiar characters means that this conference will be anything but a restful interlude for Eve and Roarke, and instead will undoubtedly morph into an INTERLUDE IN DEATH.

Eve immediately meets the legendary Commander Douglas R. Skinner, his wife Belle and his adjutant Bryson Hayes. Skinner was wounded during the urban wars and attained the rank of full Commander by the age of 44. He requests a private meeting with Eve at which he makes known his intense dislike of Roarke and insults her with his comments regarding her lack of judgment and the effect it would have on her career. Eve and Roarke are both amazed at his vehemence and his desire to discredit Eve and destroy Roarke, who of course vows to discover the source of Skinner's hatred in order to protect both Eve and her career given the nature of Skinner's reputation and connections.

Soon, a murder occurs and the evidence points to Roarke or someone in his employ. Eve's desire to pursue the investigation is complicated by the fact that the resort is outside her jurisdiction; she soon learns that the police chief of the resort (hired by Roarke) is a strong willed woman with an agenda of her own, Darcia Angelo. Before long (remember this is only a novella), another murder occurs; then Roarke and Eve are almost killed. Eve gradually uncovers the complicated reaons behind Skinner's obsessive behavior, but not in time to keep she and her team safe from a determined killer intent on revenge.

This is an enjoyable fast moving story, although its limited length means there is less character development and a more straightforward plot than in Robb's novels. Nevertheless, the climactic final scenes are as tense and fast moving as in all the full- length stories. In addition, there are two special treats for readers of the series. First, both Roarke and Eve learn previously unknown and interesting details concerning their fathers. (As series readers know, their ability to overcome the terror of their childhoods has strengthened the bond between them.) In fact, as Dr. Mira sagely summarizes one of the lessons for Eve of this episode is "blood doesn't always tell". Second, the conclusion of this story reveals a much more sentimental side to Eve than the reader usually sees. Her complex reactions to the situation are pitch perfect but quite unusual. In conclusion, as Darcia states so aptly, the violence and subsequent investigation were a "hell of a way [for Eve] to stay out of a workshop"; of course, Eve simply hopes that her next vacation will be on her beloved streets of NY.

As usual, Susan Erickson does a superb job as narrator of the story. As a fan of the series who has been gradually attempting to complete the volumes which I have not read, I surprisingly find that I have come to prefer the audio version to the print version. I would therefore suggest that this unabridged CD version is also an easy way for other readers to discover whether they share my enthusiasm for Erickson's narration. The shorter length (only three CDs which total approximately three hours) makes the price very affordable and means a much shorter time commitment than the approximately ten hours of the unabridged novels. In addition, the Brilliance Audio format of very short tracks (average under one minute each but no breaks noticeable to the listener) is incredibly convenient if at times you need to listen in short segments or might be interrupted unexpectedly. Finally, I strongly suggest that new readers interested in the series read (or listen to) at least the first two books in the series (NAKED IN DEATH and GLORY IN DEATH) before sampling the later stories in the series. While I do not believe those are the best entries, they are very good and if not read first the later stories (including this one) contain some potential spoilers regarding Eve's and Roarke's childhoods.

Tucker Andersen

Wonderful!, November 3, 2006
To Lieutenant Eve Dallas' dismay, she once again finds herself on her husband's posh resort planet where they had spent the last week of their lengthy honeymoon. But this visit to Roarke's domain isn't for pleasure, but business. Police business. Her irritation with her commander at being summoned to a police convention only heightens when she is charged to become a keynote speaker at that same convention. But, even that pesky assignment takes a backseat when she is introduced to a legendary icon in the police world: retired Commander Douglas Skinner. Eve soon discovers that the retired commander has a violent hatred toward her husband, Roarke, with a secret agenda of revenge in mind. Together, Eve and Roarke unravel the commander's plans, but not before multiple deaths throw Eve back into another murder investigation.

For those of you who are avid lovers of J. D. Robb's "In Death" series, this episode is a must! It brings into focus just one more piece of the puzzle of Eve Dallas.

Dedicated Fan, December 31, 2006
As many people who read the Eve Dallas series are, I consider myself a "dedicated fan." So, I was happy to discover a book not previously read and eagerly awaited receipt of the shipment in which this item was included. All the elements were there...Eve's active dislike traveling off-planet, being ordered (by her Commander) to attend a conference, of speaking in public and the supporting cast of Eve's tight circle of friends and/or colleagues...not to mention her husband, Roarke. And yet, I was disappointed. The story was not nearly long enough. All of the characters (especially the supporting ones)lacked depth and the personality shadings normally present in full length narratives. The story itself, while intriguing, could have been more. "More" what?" I can't say for sure except, possibly, more story/plot, suspense, back-story.... Only us "dedicated fans" know when our thirst for more Eve Dallas has been (temporarily) quenched. I guess the best I can say is that it needed "more of everything!"

Good Reading, July 19, 2007
From the start, I knew this book was originally part of an anthology from the "Out of this World" series Out of this World. I still say even 88 pages of a JD Robb story is worth the price. In this installment, Eve has been given orders by her Commander to attend an off-planet conference and give a talk on homicide. The conference of course is held at the Olympus Resort, one of Roarke's many properties, and most of the gang from Cop Central are in attendance. Seems the big attraction, one Commander Douglas R. Skinner, a police veteran with a 50-year, spotless record is very interested in Eve, mostly because he wants to take her husband down for all the evil doings he had committed in his former life. When Eve is approached by Commander Skinner, she does what you would expect; she tells him to get lost! So begins the adventure of a settling of scores between the police commander and our favorite lieutenant, going head-to-head to balance the scales of justice. Whether you purchase the book by itself for $2.99 + tax or buy it as part of the "Out of this World" series of stories, it IS worth the money!

Are you kidding me????, May 15, 2007
This is not a review of the book - it is a review of the ridiculous 88 page joke I received. Obviously I did not read the description fully enough as this is a tease, not a book - TV Guide is thicker! I love all of the JD Robb books and was looking forward to a good read. I would return BOTH of these 88 page items but I already paid $5.00 shipping, and it would cost me again to return - lesson learned. Don't waste the money as it is NOT the bargain it appears to be.

I blame Amazon for this one, February 28, 2007
I think its completely irresponsible of Amazon not to indicate somewhere that this is some MINI book. I paid more than the $2.99 listed on the front of the book. This is the first and LAST time I order books from Amazon. I don't have time to read every review to find out the size of a book. That should be apparent in the description somewhere.

VETERAN READER OF THIS SERIES JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER, March 3, 2006




The In Death series, as the better part of the reading world knows, is a futuristic mystery series craftily plotted and cleverly penned by Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb. There are well more than a Baker's Dozen in print now, and can enjoyably be read as stand alone novels. Or, if you're an intrepid fan you can begin with the first - Naked in Death, work your way through Holiday in Death, and so on.

What those who do not read the entire series may miss is the evolving relationship between Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke. The suspense, the surprises, and Robb's vivid imaginings are all there for you to enjoy whether you listen to one or all.

Once again, Susan Ericksen narrates. For this listener the pleasure always increases when one has come to associate a performer with a character through a number of readings. One of my favorite memories is of the narrative skill with which she tackled Conspiracy In Death. She seems to become stronger, more assured with each reading of this series - and that's saying something.

Who wouldn't love a vacation at a posh resort? To Eve Dallas the price for this sojourn seemed well, almost negligible - all she has to do is address a police conference. However, forget the spa and saunas as murder rears its ugly head. Eve begins to investigate although she's hampered to a degree by her personal knowledge of the deceased and spurred onward by a past that the killer shared with Roarke.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

Ripp Off, February 9, 2007
I felt ripped off when I got this book. I also paid more than $2.99. There was no indication that it was only a short story. I also ordered Midnight in Death, which is the same thing! I guess it is buyer beware but for the amount of times I order books from here, I never felt cheated before and this time I definitely did. I will certainly make sure this never happens again!

An oldie, but a goodie, September 15, 2006
Don't be deluded by the publishing date. This is NOT a new story. If you're an IN DEATH fan, this does not pick up where the most recent book left off. This was originally published as a short story in a book of short stories named OUT OF THIS WORLD in August of 2001. But, if you're a fan it won't matter. Nothing earth shaking happens in it, so this story could be "anytime" in the later half of the series.

Interlude In Death, November 6, 2006
Fun book to listen to when you want company while doing mundane chores around the farm! Kept me enticed along the way. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A top model is dead--and the suspect is none other than Eve Dallas's best friend. ... Read more

Reviews

They just keep getting better!, May 16, 2001
In this segment Eve is investigating the murder of a top fashion model. Mavis, Eve's very best friend becomes the main suspect. Leonardo, whom Mavis is in love with is also a suspect and is designing Eve's wedding dress for her soon to be wedding to Roarke. Eve does everything in her power to find the real killer and get Mavis off the hook. Eve knows her friend couldn't possibly do this, in spite the evidence. After Eve and Roarke have Mavis staying at their house, more murders happen which do seem connected. Eve finds a new drug seems to be connected. The people murdered were either consuming this drug or dealing it. This new drug is fatal but it makes you young and sexy and eaten up by the wealthy and powerful especially in this fashion world. Peabody is back in this book and is becoming Eve's aide in the homicide world. You learn more of Eve and Roark's past. These books just keep getting better. What an excellent series!!!

Immortal in Death - an excellent continuing series, October 14, 2000
In the latest in the series, "Immortal in Death," we find Eve shopping for a wedding dress to wear to marry the hunk Roarke. If you've read any of the other books in this series, you'll understand why it is so unusual for this tough city cop to be dress shopping.

A supermodel is murdered and Eve's best friend, Mavis, becomes the prime suspect. Also suspect is Mavis's boyfriend, Leonardo, who just happens to be the designer of Dallas's wedding dress. While investigating the murder and digging up the dirt on the fashion world, Dallas discovers that the model (and most of the suspects) are either consuming or dealing a new and illegal youth serum.

It's hard to guess the murderer is in this book, the entire mystery is well written by Robb who keeps the reader guessing.

Mavis's character is brought out in more depth, and Peabody's character is broadened as well making her Eve's aide. Roarke and Eve's relationship shows more depth in this book then in the previous books and we learn more about Roarke's background.

Read the entire series of these "in Death" books, start with Naked in Death the first of the series. They are all excellent.

JD Robb offers an immortal look at life, at death!, May 3, 2000
Let me put it this way...when my order from amazon.com arrived, I tore into the box to get to my J.D. Robb books! I could not wait to hear more of the story on Eve, Roarke and the other zany characters that Robb cooked up for us.

In Immortal in Death, Robb offers us an in depth look at the value of beauty...and how far some will go to attain their looks. When Lietenant Eve Dallas investigates into the murder of a top fashion model, she finds herself walking a very fine line between justice and crime as she prepares to defend one of her closest friends. Eve must go by the book in order to protect and defend Mavis, her zany musician turned best friend in Immortal in Death. Can their friendship stand the heat? Can Eve find the evidence she needs to free Mavis? Or will the ultimate set up become the ultimate betrayal as Eve heads into the high priced world of wealth, power and...immortality.

If you have not read any of the J.D. Robb series, I seriously recommend starting with the first one, Naked in Death. However, Robb gives the reader enough background information in each book, that picking up any one in the series would still grab your attention, keep you on the edge of your seat and racing to the finish line.

Email me with questions on any of the RObb books! toniroger@hotmail.com

The futuristic series that captivates, April 18, 2004
At the end of the previous book, "Glory in Death", Roarke proposed to Lieutenant Eve Dallas after they were both involved in a life-threatening situation with a dangerous killer. Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, shocks us right from the start of this book, when we find that Eve accepted the marriage proposal! For those of you that have read the previous novels, this must come as much of a surprise as it was for me. Eve has always had trouble accepting the fact that she was in love, so it was almost unthinkable that she would be willing to share her life with the billionaire Roarke. However, this sets the tone for the things to come in this book, where we will find out several interesting facts from Eve and Roarke's past. These tidbits of information help us make sense of the attitudes we witnessed from several of the main characters in the past.

This time, the crimes Eve has to investigate are very close to home. Eve's best friend, Mavis, has convinced her to consult with designer Leonardo about her wedding dress. Mavis is in a relationship with the designer, and facing a very jealous ex-girlfriend, Pandora, who is literally fighting to get Leonardo back. One night, Mavis calls Eve in a frantic state from Leonardo's study and asks for help. She had found Pandora, the supermodel with which she had a big fight hours ago, lifeless on the study floor. Eve sets out to find out the culprit and clear her friend. In the meantime, one of Eve's informants turns up dead too, and the investigation leads to a new and deadly drug.

Robb has created a wonderful setting for her mysteries, New York in the year 2058, and has perfected the mix with some great characters, making this one hell of series. In this particular case, besides the "usual suspects", we are introduced to the character of detective Peabody, Eve's new partner after Feeney's promotion as captain of another division.

Even though I think there is a clear advantage of reading this series in order, and grasp the complexities and personal history of each character, the books stand well on their own. Moreover, J.D. Robb does a great job in describing the futuristic world efficiently through examples intertwined in the narration of the events, without making it boring for those of us who are already aware of what the "rules" are. Whether you try this book on its own or you start from the beginning of the series with "Naked in Death", I can guarantee that you will enjoy reading about Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her friends.

Great!, January 14, 2000
J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas mystery/romance/scifi novels are wonderful, and IMMORTAL IN DEATH is one of the best. A much hated model is murdered. Eve's best friend, the absolutely ditzy but loyal Mavis, is a suspect since she fell in love with the hot designer, Leonardo, who had also been the vapid, vicious model's boyfriend. Roarke, Eve's dashing, mysterious almost-husband, gets involved. Peabody, the stalwart, hopelessly romantic cop, makes a strong appearance in this novel. All the trademark sex, zingy dialogue, and good mystery elements are in evidence. Eve solves the crime, but nearly loses her life. J.D. Robb's a bloody genius with these books.

One of the best in the series, June 19, 2000
In "Immortal in Death," Dallas is preparing for her wedding when a local supermodel is murdered and Dallas's best friend, Mavis, becomes the prime suspect. Also suspect is Mavis's boyfriend, Leonardo, who just happens to be the designer of Dallas's wedding dress. While investigating the murder and digging up the dirt on the fashion world, Dallas discovers that the model (and most of the suspects) are either consuming or dealing a new and illegal youth serum.

This, obviously, is the key to the murder mystery, and Robb does a very good job at keeping us guessing. Although she wraps it up a bit to tidily, she does make it hard to figure out who the villain is.

Robb makes Mavis's character more complex and in-depth, and brings in Peabody, a new cop from her previous novel. Peabody becomes Dallas's aide (partner in training) in this novel and is a good foil for Dallas's hardness and intensity. Robb creates a really good chemistry between Dallas and Peabody that yields several witty and sarcastic exchanges.

One of the better parts of this book is the tangent on Sommerset, Roarke's butler. He and Dallas are perpetually sparring and, until this the third book in the series, have a true dislike of each other. Sommerset gives Dallas a hard dressing down for how she handles Mavis's case. And Roarke explains to Dallas how he and Sommerset came to work together, creating a tale that would in itself be an interesting novella. (And this little segment adds a lot of depth to Roarke's character.) This sets us up for some excitement between Roarke and Sommerset when Sommerset learns some of Eve's secrets. And it builds the foundation for some very entertaining exchanges in future novels of this series.

This is one of Robb's better books. Fast-paced, humorous, suspenseful, and entertaining.

The "in Death" series, February 15, 2001
I have read one Nora Roberts novel and I hated it. I read everything and eagerly await the new books by JD ROBB. Eve Dallas is the hard working everybody I would like to be. Her job and life have a personal meaning to her. Not always good or happy either. Meeting the right person throws her life in chaos and she struggles with the pessure of keeping her life together while she opens her heart. I love the slightly futuristic feel to the series. JD ROBB has managed to create a great cop story with great mysteries. It also uses the half century gain to highlight the possible scenarios of some societies easy out policies like gun control and other "hot" issues.

The Future too Soon, July 22, 2009
This series has some very good points and some really annoying aspects. The plots are generally excellent: well-thought out, complicated enough to be satisfying, but simple enough to be believable. The dialog is good and the secondary characters are entertaining and likeable.

The main character leaves a little to be desired in that a) it gets quite tiresome being told all the time how caring she is. The whole defender of the dead, stalwart and true, faithful to the end, devoted friend of each and every innocent person everywhere, lover of the law, hero thing is forced down the reader's throat too often. As are b) the extremely graphic descriptions of the main character's abuse as a child that the author insists on including in every single book at least once, if not more. In addition, I have issues with how the main relationship in the book is handled in book two in that it seems that Roark, the hero, attempts to force his emotionally scarred lover into loving him. It happens that she does so it all works out, but the point is that he didn't know that at the time. The relationship seems to go on in a similar vein for some time. But I'm willing to believe that most people don't mind this.

Unfortunately the whole future thing gets in the way in frequent, little ways that take bite after tiny bite out of enjoyment of the story. Mostly this is because the future as imagined by the author doesn't make a lot of sense in several ways. For one thing, it's only 50 years or so into the future but there are many off-world colonies on a whole bunch of planets, moons, and space stations, including a place known as Vegas II. It reminds me heavily of those shows in the 60's about how we were all going to be living on the moon and driving flying cars by 1989. Those voice overs start playing in my head. Not that the author is saying it will actually be like that, but where was the difficulty in making it even farther into the future?

Even more annoying are the inconsistencies. Things like how real lemon juice, steak, and butter are all very hard to get and expensive, but Elephants aren't extinct, and people carry around pads of paper and pencils and pens. If people haven't got the space for cows, they sure as hell ain't got the space for elephants or tree farms, especially when we already have electronic writing tablets now, never mind in 50 years. And why should lemons be rare when there are all these off-planet farms and plant breeding facilities? Also, people get dried off after showers etc. in these "drying tubes" that blow hot air all over you, like a giant blow drier. If people with long hair tried this, they'd end up with a giant ball of knots on top of their head. Or at least, bangs that stand straight up. Big problem in marketing. And at one point, Eve, the heroine, avoids using lip stain because she doesn't like being stuck with one color for three months, but then in the next book her friend takes off her lip stain with a cream remover. Little things like this are numerous throughout the series.

Occasionally, there are similes or lines that are jarring, but this is normal with any series. However, I don't think I'll be able to forgive the author this one: "The dead and innocent, Eve thought with a shudder as she drove away. She knew that too many of the dead were the guilty." What the hell does that mean? It makes even less sense in the context of the story where they have, if anything, too many suspects - living suspects.

Lastly, I'd like to mention that I started the series by picking up one of the most recent books in an airport. I liked it enough to start the series at the beginning from the library, but was astonished when Eve and Roarke actually get married between books three and four. I was astonished by this because in the book I had started with, at least 16 books later in the series, Eve is still apparently trying to get over being married. It had seemed so obvious in that later book that Eve had Roarke had just gotten married. How can this woman, who is head over heels in love with her "soul-mate" still be obsessing about being married 16 books later? Telling herself every time she sees her husband that he is, in fact, her husband and reminding herself on a daily basis that she is, in fact, married. The prospect has led me to abandon the series, despite the good qualities. Which leads me say again that the plots really are quite excellent, even if the killer is sometimes easy to guess at.

another excellent book, August 17, 2002
In this book, Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates the brutal murder of a model. Eve's best friend, Mavis, is a suspect. As if that weren't bad enough, Eve also has to work on her wedding plans and her increasingly clearer memories of what her father did to her as a child.

Although this is not my favorite book in the series, I still enjoy it and have read it several times. I would suggest reading the first two books in the series before reading this one, simply because Eve and Roarke's relationship is developed over time and skipping those books also skips that development. Also, because I know that these books are located in the mystery section of bookstores, I'll also add that the relationships between characters in these books are as important, if not more so, than the mystery elements. I myself enjoyed the mystery in this book, but I know there are some people who feel it's too predictable. It wasn't too predictable for me, but the reason I reread this book is not for the mystery, but for Eve's relationships with her friends and with Roarke. I definitely recommend this book and this series.

Great read (listen), June 14, 2010
The "in Death" series by JD Robb is terrific! I started with the later titles and recently have gone back to the beginning of the series to enjoy those stories. This was is one of the best I've read (listened to). If you enjoy Lt. Eve Dallas and her crew, you'll like this one. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A billionaire Senator with money to burn...
A thirty year old science experiment, about to be revealed...
Seven people, marked for death, not for what they know, but for what they are...

THE LIST by JA Konrath
History is about to repeat itself


Book Description:

THE LIST is a bit of a departure for Konrath. It's a technothriller about a group of ten people who each have tattoos of numbers on the bottoms their feet, and don't know why.

One of them, a Chicago Homicide cop named Tom Mankowski, has had one of these strange tattoos since birth. When he investigates a violent murder and discovers the victim also has a tattooed number, it sets the ball rolling for an adventure of historic proportions.

To say more would give away too much.

Like the Jack Daniels series, THE LIST combines laugh out loud humor with serious suspense and thrills.

THE LIST is approximately 82,000 words long. This book also contains bonus material:

An excerpt from SUCKERS by J.A. Konrath and Jeff Strand.
An excerpt from THE WALK by Lee Goldberg.
An excerpt from IDENTITY CRISIS by Debbi Mack.
An excerpt from FRAME-UP by Eric Christopherson and Brad Schoenfeld.


Praise for JA Konrath's thriller FUZZY NAVEL:

"FUZZY NAVEL is Konrath at his best – a hilariously heartstopping thriller." — Linda Fairstein

"This gripping novel is an adrenalin rush." — Library Journal

"This book moves so fast it was like having the words fired into my head by a machine gun." — Crimespree

Praise for AFRAID (JA Konrath writing as Jack Kilborn):

"AFRAID is a masterpiece of unrelenting horror. And I'm not exaggerating. Masterpiece. It's the best piece of fiction I've read in several years. It simply NEVER lets up." — James Rollins, author of The Judas Strain

"A bloody, terrifying, hurtling assault across a landscape of non-stop mayhem. A guilty, guilty pleasure." — F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack

“AFRAID is a true page turner, a novel that offers a million mile a minute action and suspense. Definitely, a must have with constant thrills and chills." — Heather Graham, author of Deadly Gift

"Never have I read a novel so gruesome and simultaneously relentless. This book throbs with unmitigated, inexorable. sheer friggin’ TERROR. You’ll probably need a shrink when you’re done.” — Edward Lee, author of Brides of the Impaler

"Fast and ferocious, this is a dangerous thriller that will take a bite out of you. An absolute must read for anyone who loves the adrenaline rush of a shocking story told with style, speed and savage grace." — Jonathan Maberry, author of Patient Zero


About the Author:

J.A. Konrath is the author of seven novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. The latest is SHAKEN, published by AmazonEncore. He also wrote the horror novels AFRAID, TRAPPED, ENDURANCE, and DRACULAS under the name Jack Kilborn, and the sci-fi novel TIMECASTER under the name Joe Kimball. (featuring Jack Daniels's grandson as the hero, coming out in 2011.)
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Reviews

Mesmerizing..., April 27, 2009
I downloaded "The List" to my Kindle for two reasons: 1) I'd just finished "Afraid" and I loved it. 2) "The List" was less than $2 and I was intrigued.
Now I feel like I owe Joe money! I was completely entertained from start to finish. I truly could not put it down. Bert and Roy, two of the main characters, had me laughing out loud. Tom is the hero. He's a cop assigned to a homicide and the body has a mysterious tattoo just like the one oh his foot. Joan is a victim turned heroine and she is my kind of woman....strong AND kicks butt. I can't stand the kind of woman who gets tied to the railroad tracks whimpering "save me, save me".
The suspense is tight and the premise is not past the realm of probability.
I don't want to mention much else because I don't want to give anything away!
JA Konrath writes in the caliber of writers like James Patterson, Dean Koontz, and Greg Iles....with a true bend on twisted.
Check it out....download the sample or just give in, go ahead, get the book. I can't wait to see the movie.

Another Entertaining Konrath Read, September 8, 2009
I've been working my way through Konrath's novels for a bit now, reading one and coming back a few months later for another. Thankfully they never disappoint.

The List is another Konrath book that is available for free on his website or Kindle formated here for an incredibly low price. Like many other of Konrath's books, the gore comes fast and furious along with the jokes. The interplay between Bert and Roy is enough to make the book likeable by itself.

Not to spoil too much of the plot, but the idea of people battling the greatest killers of the past is one seeping with entertainment value to say the least. Like most of his books, it is not great literature or a challenging read. It is pure distilled action and fun. What more can you really ask for?

A boatload of fun!, May 30, 2009
I just finished the list, and have to say, I'm now a Konrath fan. I've been following his blog on writing for years, but never read anything because I wasn't into the genre he wrote. But when I saw he was selling The List for so cheap for the Kindle (Kindle reader on my iPhone) I decided to give him a try. And like one of the other reviewers said, now I feel like I owe him more money. What a blast of a read. It had everything, a great premise, fun dialogue, political intrigue, hint of romance, and Abraham Lincoln. I love Abraham Lincoln. This is one of those books that I put down and instantly thought what a great movie it would make. Thanks Mr. Konrath for selling it so cheap and writing such a great book. I'll definitely be back for more.

Fun read for the price, October 24, 2009
The List was a fun 3-hour read. It was worth the $2 it cost. If it were more than that, I don't think so. Poorly edited, with plenty of factual errors.

Examples poor research:
Car air bags deflate quickly - they would not still be puffed against your face a minute after a crash.
Nobody refers to an M-16 as a "machine gun", even though I guess, technically, they are.
Cell phones do not use frequencies below 50MHz.
The speaker of the house has no secret service agents?


Still, it was entertaining. I can see why publishers weren't interested.

Reads like it was written by a high school freshman..., February 16, 2010
In the afterword to The List, J.A. Konrath says that after his editors made him pare down this book twice, they declined to publish it. So eventually he released it for $1.99 on Kindle.

I think the editors had the right idea.

I cannot fathom that this book is written by a bestselling adult novelist. The prose, plot points, and dialogue read like a high school English essay. I wish I could write about the many ridiculous points of the plot, both from the standpoint of technology and common sense. But in the process I would probably make it sound more interesting than it really is.

Instead let's focus on one concrete example in the prose. Roy, a hulking and surly African-American cop, is working with his partner Tom to protect a nebbish fellow named Bert. Roy and Bert are riding in the back of Tom's car. They are both grown men, and virtually strangers to each other. And for some reason, Roy and Bert start a game of "Punch Buggy" that lasts throughout the whole book. They come up with different variations of it for different models of cars, laugh, and tease each other. As the book develops, Roy and Bert become close friends and look out for each other's backs -- to the exclusion of Roy's own POLICE PARTNER Tom. Seriously? Does anyone over 14 years old play Punch Buggy at all? Let alone a grizzled cop and a civilian?

The only reason I finished this book is because I was stuck on a plane with nothing else downloaded. And ye gods, we were delayed on the tarmac for far too long. That's when I came across the ending and saw that this piece of drivel is actually set up for a sequel. You couldn't pay me $1.99 to read it.

Boring, unbelievable, childish and filled with spelling and grammatical errors, June 17, 2009
This novel reads as though it were written by a junior high student. It's sophomoric and unbelievable. The police procedures are so poorly done (I grew up in a police family...my father and uncle were cops as were so many of their friends) that the protagonists would be fired immediately for their behavior.
The author can't distinguish between homophones like break and brake, sight and site and so on.
Frankly, I found it boring beyond belief but I'm happy for Mr. Konrath that there seems to be an audience for anything. To me the price was no bargain.

Fantastic Adventure, May 16, 2010
While I'm not into the usual "Thriller" genre, this one was a great read. Not too gory, but since cloning is now "common", it made the story very much "today".

A comment on the formatting. Unlike several other books I read from different authors, "The List" was properly formatted for the Kindle and had been PROOFREAD/EDITED which made reading the book enjoyable. Nothing worse than being tripped up by poor formatting and/or "to/too/two", "there/their/they're", etc, and destroying the reading experience.

I could see this made into a movie, not only for the currency of the plot, but also the injected humor every now and then. The Bert/Roy "Slug Bug" routine was hilarious and reminded me of my 2 kids when they were young. These two characters, and they were characters in every sense of the word, made me laugh out loud so much that now my wife is going to read the book.

If you want a book to glue you down until the last page, this one will do it. "The List" has me looking at other Konrath novels to download.

What a ride!, April 20, 2010
I have had this book on my Kindle for quite awhile, and for some reason it got lost in the shuffle. Why, oh why didn't I read it sooner? This book is seriously an action-packed, tightly written, edge-of-your-seat kind of novel. The dialogue is clever, and had me laughing out loud. I loved this book so much, I am definately going to check out all of the other books by the author. If you are on the fence, I say read it! You will not be sorry.

Great, quick read, February 15, 2010
An entertaining read. I bought it for my Kindle after reading Origin, which was great.
The book has a very interesting concept and great action. If you like action books, this is for you.
I didn't find the book funny like some other reviewers. The jokes are kind of corny, but the action and concept behind the book is great.
I would recommend it, especially for the price.

Oh My, What Fun!, January 21, 2010
Ever go to a restaurant where the food isn't so much to your liking but the service is GREAT? Then do you find you go back to that restaurant because of the GREAT service despite not caring so much for the food? The List is more than clever, it's inventive, interesting and funny, with good characters (the GREAT service). I could do without the gore (the food). Being a visual person I found I could close my mind's eye and read quickly past the gory stuff to get to the rest of the plot (kind of like having to pick out the serrano chilies from an Indian dish). It is as one quick reviewing sentence said, much like Clive Cussler's books only faster.

I read Konrath's comments at the end of the Kindle edition of the book and agree with him that paring down the book to it's current form was a good idea. I would like him to write the next one hinted at in the end. I want to read more about Tom and Roy, Joan and Bert. I think they'd make a fun continuing character ensemble.

Konrath has a great sense of humor. Enjoying that book as I did I've begun reading Whiskey Sour, the first in the Jack Daniel's series. Again, I'm back to picking out the chilies, holding my breath, holding my stomach, and having to get up and move around every so often to shake off the fun nerve-racking nature of the story. I go back because Konrath is skilled at leaving me with the best question a suspense book can give, 'What's going to happen next?' In his case it's also, 'What will make me laugh out loud next' too.

Keep up the good work Mr. Konrath! ... Read more