Leafing Through Pages - Reunion In Death (In Death # 14)
First posted on WordPress here.
For review of all books in the In Death series, go here.
Stars: 4 / 5
Recommendation: A futuristic urban fantasy mystery thriller throwing the readers into a world that they understand as well as can envision what it would be like; and at the same time keeping it grounded to the world they know so they get hooked. Another murder mystery solved successfully even though Eve has to face her personal demons while hunting a real killer.
Reunion in Death is the fourteenth book in the long running In Death Series by J. D. Robb, the alter ego of the famous American romance novelist Nora Roberts, first published in March of 2002. We continue to pursue Lieutenant Eve Dallas juggling her role as a Homicide Lieutenant and also being a wife to the Irish Billionaire Roarke.
The stories in the In Death Series are set in mid-21st century New York City, New York in United States, featuring NYPSD (New York Police and Security Department) Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke, an Irish billionaire, CEO of Roarke Industries, and one of the richest man in the world. First started in 1995, as of April 2024, 58 books have been written in this series. The first book begins in the year 2058 and showcases that technology completely dominates the world, yet Robb has her main characters still believe in human impulses, passion and emotions that are key to solving every single case she comes across or in her relationships with her people and husband.
We are in the early summer of 2059 now - a good 64 years ahead for when the series began in 1995. This plot begins a couple weeks after when Seduction in Death ends. This time around Eve comes face to face with a charming and beautiful criminal whom she had put her away in jail 10 years ago. Now Julie Dockport is back to her bad habits and is itching for a reunion with Eve Dallas.
The focus of danger is back on Roarke in this tale. However, it still irked me that Eve has to always prove something, like when she chases a suspect despite the numerous injuries she gets on the way; and above that denying to accept her injuries and any medical help. Why would she always need to prove that she is stronger than anyone? I wish Nora toned this down as we progress.
However, we finally get the full picture of her past and how much she suffered; and it makes more sense about some of her quirks, such as having the water very hot when showering; or her aversion for hospitals and needles. It also added a layer to her character and makes the reader understand why she fights for a victim so hard. It was also interesting to see how much her past has an impact on Roarke as well, how much he feels for the child that went through and how much he wants to protect the woman she became.
I also would not entertain people who try to take advantage knowingly or unknowingly, even in a harmless way, of people for their benefits. Just because you have the power, one should never force someone to do what they don’t want to do or speak even if it looks harmless. I was surprised that Nora had her protagonists entertaining and bearing these kind of people. Either they are completely selfless (which I am not sure they are) or they are succumbing to the power of the others or they are simply being nice as they are related to someone they consider closer.
On a happy note, Eve and Roarke celebrate their first year anniversary in this plot. Would have to see how many anniversaries they celebrate before they expand their family. Will they?
Robb continues to show us futuristic world in the various concepts and technology that may have been unimaginable in 1995, but are much more acceptable and some available now in 2024. And perhaps in a few years we might see more of her imagination in the series come to life. Check the Spoiler Alerts below for some of them that I identified and grouped them.
Incidentally most of the futuristic world and technology innovations that the book gives the reader, Robb had mentioned them to have begin since 2023. When this book was written in 1995, 2023 was 28 years ahead. However, I am reading in 2024 so for me some of the concepts seem very real or close to real for the way our world is heading now.
A futuristic urban fantasy mystery thriller throwing the readers into a world that they understand as well as can envision what it would be like; and at the same time keeping it grounded to the world they know so they get hooked. Another murder mystery solved successfully even though Eve has to face her personal demons while hunting a real killer.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. Futuristic technology and concepts for the time the book is set in (2058) which Robb imagined in 1995:
i. For Security and tools to aid cops / all cop related: Police Sensors and Porta-sensors; Land, Sea and Sky traffic is common; A Traffic Hovercraft to control air traffic; Seal It for hands and feet instead of gloves and shoe covers; instead of guns laser weapons are used that tag a person and has ability to adjust it's power making it deadly yet less messier than a gun (NS Laser is the weapon in this series); Compuguard, a software to detect unregistered and illegal equipment; Force Fields and Security Shields, to protect businesses and vehicles; Sensor Bugs, to keep all food establishments in-check; Anti-mugging Spray; Detox Bowls and Radiant Heats for the ME and morgue people to use; Space Traffic Control who control interplanetary traffic;
ii. Buildings and Landmarks / Travel: Multihabitation Buildings; Graves for loved ones is for rich only; Flash Transport, for inter-planetary travel; minichopper that Roarke's company is prototyping; EZ Tram and other airstreams, air transport service in NYC; medi-copters and ambu-jets; Air/Land Sports Streamer by Roarke industries.
iii. Electronics and gadgets: Body Driers to dry your body after a shower; Automatic and voice controlled electronics, appliances and lights; AutoChef, like a vending machine that makes fresh food on order; Droids / Drones / all Robots of all kinds - working for humans in all walks of life, and even pets; Virtual Reality headphones; Moving Maps, People Glides and Glide-Carts ease a shoppers life; PPCs - Portable Palm Computers; Electronics such as laser-faxes, holograms, holocards and holographs; send-receive units and tele-links; Gear to help fight gravity off-planet, like gravity boots; Elevators go vertical and side-ways; Rain Shields to protect from rain; SCAN-EYE, a security system for home buildings; Mood Screens to get people into a certain mood; scan-cams; viewing discs like DVDs;
iv. Money, Food Sports and Health Related: Real food like coffee and meat is premium and only for rich people due to depletion of rain forests; twenty four hour facial cosmetics that wont smudge such as lip dyes; Recycling is a must; Soda and Beer come in recyclable tubes rather than cans; Rehydrated food is commonly used such as irradiated powdered eggs or soy burgers; Medicines such as SoberUp for being sober after a drunk night, Alert All to keep one alert and bright; Suturing Wand that would mend ripped flesh without any trace left; Cash is called credits and they are not paper money; human organs synthetically manufactured; anticancer vaccines; surgical freeze-coat to stop the flow of blood; Arena Ball Game, a new kind of game;
v. Global incidents that changed the course of the world to what Robb imagined - Population Adjustment Theory (Two Parents one Child); The Revisited Period (a new period for artists post whatever wars the world went thru); Genetic Engineering and in Vitro repairs; Urban Revolts that caused the major change; Gun Ban that was introduced in 2022-2023; Depletion of Rain Forests; The Urban Wars that changed the world.
2. Sub Plots:
a. Law Enforcement: Commander Jack Whitney, Eve's commanding officer, and his wife Anna, daughter Linda, son Steven; Uniform Briggs; Chief Harrison Tibble, Chief of NYPSD; Beaver, a sweeper; Prosecuting Attorney, Jonathan Heartly; Chief Tech Dickie Berenski aka Dickhead; Lobar, a sweeper; Detective Crouch; Dr. Morris, Medical Examiner; Detective Marion Burns; Officer Carter; Tweeser, head sweeper; Lieutenant Medavoy from anti-crime; Officer Carmichael; Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carla Rollins; Detective Brinkleman with 4-1; Officer Miller; Detective Darlymple; Officer Troy Trueheart and his mother Pauline; Detective David Baxter; Captain Desevres at one six-two; Detective Don Webster, IAB Officer; Detective Cartwright; Chambers, one of the morgue staff; Mayor Bianci; Detective Zeno; Tomjohn Lewis from Maintenance; Rochinsky, morgue assistant; Herbert Fienstein, morgue assistant; Officer Clark; FBI Special Agent Karen Stowe; Lieutenant Marks; FBI Assistant Director Sooner; Officer Rinsky; Captain Hayes on 128 Precinct; Interplanetary Law Enforcement (ILE); Darcia Angelo, Chief of Olympus Police;
b. Close friends and family of Eve (works for Homicide Division of Cop Central in NYC) and her husband Roarke (Irish Billionaire who practically owns most of NYC and many investments on and off planet and he can sing!): Mavis Freestone, Eve's friend and her boyfriend Leonardo, the fashion designer; Galahad, their cat; Lawrence Charles Summerset, Roarke's valet and butler; Officer Delia Peabody, aide to Eve (has two brothers - Zeke and another one - and a sister; mother Phoebe and father Sam); Captain Ryan Feeney, Eve's ex-partner and head of Electronics Detectives Division (EDD) and his wife Sheila; Dr. Charlotte Mira, behavioral psychiatrist, has a Wiccan daughter living in New Orleans, has a son Anthony & his wife Deborah who have a new born Matthew James Mira, her husband Dennis; Nadine Furst, Channel 75's reporter; Detective Ian McNab, from EDD aiding Eve, he and Peabody finally become a couple;
c. Other characters frequently appear: Caro, Roarke's personal assistant; Ariel, another of Roarke's office person; Larinda Mars, Channel 75's reporter for Social Information; Crack, a street dealer and runs the Down and Dirty Club in the East End; Biff, a fabric expert; Trina, hair stylist; Dr. Engrave, leader in horticulture; Dr. Ambrose, at Midtown Rehabilitation Center for Substance Addicts; Dr. Ward, on the Olympic Resort; Spirit Quest owners - Isis Paige and Charles "Chas" Forte; Cassandra, a palmist; Kevin, an abused child, along with his cat Dopey get adopted by Richard DeBlass and Elizabeth Barrister - characters from the very first book Naked In Death; Charles Monroe, an LC; Carmine, owner of Gametown; Dr. Louise Anne Dimatto, doctor at the Canal Street Clinic and is dating Charles; Ratso, a weasel; Eve's dead father Rick; Jamie Lingstrom from Ceremony in Death and Feeney's God child; Rue McLean, manager at Purgatory, Roarke's establishment; Loreen, Roarke's receptionist; Milo Horndecker; Dr. Stiles, works for Allegany on new medicines; Roarke's father Patrick;
d. Off planet locations: Silas I; Silas Three; Tarus I; Tarus II; Tarus Three; Tarus Five; Refini; Arts Colony on Mars; Penal Station Omega; FreeStar One; Star 50; Stellar Five; Starlight Station; Eden Colony; Vegas II; Terra Colony; Olympus Resort, owned by Roarke and completed in Interlude in Death; Regis III; Regis Six; NASA Two; Space Station Delta; Travis II; Attica Two; Station Utopia; Rembrandt Station; Alfa Six; Planet Disney; Optima II; Nexus Station; Rexal facility for Mental Defectives; Flora;
e. Wilson McRae, an ex-detective with CPSD in Chicago is introduced in Conspiracy In Death. He has a wife who is very pregnant with their second child, and they have a 5-yr old son, Will. Will he come back in future books? Will Eve reinstate him in NYPSD?
f. Someone is stealing candy bars from Eve's desk at Cop Central. Wonder who that is?
g. Eve has constant problems with her police issued vehicle and she doesn’t play nice with Maintenance to get her vehicle repaired. I wonder why she doesn’t want to be nice with them or take advice from Roarke and have him help her.
h. From Secrets in Death # 45:
i. Garnet has a daughter Miranda; shows interest in Morris.
ii. Nadine is looking for an admin; Eve has someone in her mind. A past character surfaces perhaps!
i. From Immortal in Death #3:
i. A new sect is mentioned - Members of the Pure Sect - who are devotional and similar to monks. Perhaps we will come across them in future?
j. From Ceremony in Death #5:
i. Isis mentions that she had met Roarke in another life and another time; and that he had saved her life. Roarke kind of gets a vague memory but that doesn’t complete to fruition to see if he remembers too. May be in another book Robb considers this as a focal point?
k. From Conspiracy in Death #8:
i. Hans Vandervahen, one of the accused, is never caught at the end of the book. Will he surface again?
l. From Judgement in Death #11:
i. Max Edward Ricker, Roarke's archenemy, vows revenge against Roarke and Eve. Wonder if he would surface again in a future book.
ii. Don Webster, IAB Detective, gets severely injured in this. Despite his surviving it, I wonder if he will be part of another book in future.
m. From Betrayal in Death #12:
i. Dominick J. Naples and his son Dominick II escape at the end of the book. Perhaps they will come back in a future book.
ii. FBI Special Agent Karen Stowe mentions that she owes Eve a favor on account Eve handing her collar to him. Wonder if Stowe comes back?
n. From Seduction in Death #13:
i. Detective Matthew Renfrew from one-twenty-eight precinct has issues with Eve and he thinks she is an IAB mole. This is stemming from the time when Eve unravels the conspiracy and fraud at one-twenty-eight and unearthing corrupt cops in the 11th book Judgement in Death. Will he become a problem for Eve in future?
o. From Reunion in Death #14:
i. As fun joke, Roarke names their fictional kids as Carlos Junior, Robbie, Anna and Alice. If ever they have kids, does Robb have them naming any one of these? I wonder.