Leafing Through Pages - Imitation In Death (In Death # 17)
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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. A slow-paced plot involving serial killer while relationships strengthen for Eve and Roarke and their close friends who have become family. A chilling yet charming tale which makes you not want to put the book down.
Imitation in Death is the seventeenth 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 August of 2003. 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 husband and people. They complete their first year of their marriage in Reunion in Death (#14)
We are in September of 2059 now - a good 64 years ahead for when the series began in 1995. This plot begins a month after when Portrait in Death ends. In this episode Eve pursues a killer who is not your run-of-the-mill kind but a copycat of famous serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, The Boston Strangler, Ted Bundy, etc. And their eyes are set on Eve again making sure to immortalize her imitating in one of the serial killers modus operandi.
Roarke is still left a little imbalanced with the shock of earning about his birth mother and their family in the previous book, Portrait in Death. It's humbling to see that he is human after all and has to deal with human emotions.
In the very first book, Naked in Death, Robb introduces Urban Revolts that caused major change in the world and the prominence of technology soaring. However since Book #2, Glory in Death, she had been calling them Urban Wars instead. I wonder what prompted her to change the term Revolts to War.
Summerset goes on a three-week vacation much to Eve's happiness in the previous book, Portrait in Death. And he is back from his vacation towards the end of this book, much to Eve's dissatisfaction.
Roarke and Eve watch a movie of space battle on a planet in Zero Quadrant - a fight between survivors and factions over the basic necessity, water. This seems like a plot that I saw but couldn’t put a name to the movie. And there are moments in their relationship that brings tears of joy into the reader's eyes. Only Robb can spin such magic with her words.
“When I came in and you were sleeping, I thought: There’s my soldier, exhausted from her wars.”
He lifted her hand, kissed her fingers. “Now, I look, and I think: There’s my woman, soft and lovely.” Her lips curved as he undressed her. “Where do you get this stuff?”
“It just comes to me. I’ve only to look at you, and the world comes to me. You’re my life.”
There is a scene between Roarke and Eve, where he sees her for the first time in a cop uniform, towards the end of the plot. It reminded me of the scene between Richard Castle and Kate Beckett in one of the episodes in the American crime mystery comedy drama series Castle that aired between 2009 and 2016. It is similar scene were Castle gets smitten by Kate when he sees her for the first time in uniform. I wonder if the writers picked up that scene from this book considering this came a good 6 years before the TV Show Castle started.
We also see the relationship between Eve and Peabody strengthen, mature and morph into more than superior and aide in this plot. They have the comedy part of the plots down to pat with the sarcasm from Eve and equally seriously comical witted response by Peabody. They make the stories livelier as much as her scenes with Roarke make them steamy, exciting, romantic and a guide to a healthy relationship.
We get to hear about two more serial killers - Peter Brent and Marsonini - that are not in real life, but are part of the fictional world that Robb had spun for this series. This keeps the real world tied to the fictional world by making the reader think that Robb moved smoothly from the world as we know to the world as she spun.
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 have started reading them in 2023 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. A slow-paced plot involving serial killer while relationships strengthen for Eve and Roarke and their close friends who have become family. A chilling yet charming tale which makes you not want to put the book down.
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: Police Sensors and Porta-sensors; Seal It for hands and feet instead of gloves and shoe covers; laser weapons instead of guns and has ability to adjust it's power making it deadly yet less messier than a gun; Compuguard, a software to detect unregistered and illegal equipment; Force Fields and Security Shields; Sensor Bugs, to keep all food establishments in-check; Anti-mugging Spray; Detox Bowls and Radiant Heats used by ME's office; Space Traffic Control who control interplanetary traffic.
ii. Buildings and Landmarks / Travel: Multihabitation Buildings; Graves for loved ones is for rich; Flash Transport for interplanetary travel; minichopper by Roarke's company; EZ Tram and other airstreams, air transport service; medi-copters and ambu-jets; Air/Land Sports Streamer by Roarke industries; Traffic Hovercraft controlling air traffic; Land, Sea and Sky traffic; Rapid Cabs similar to yellow cabs;
iii. Electronics and gadgets: Body Driers / Drying Tubes; 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; Laser-faxes, holograms, holocards and holographs; send-receive units and tele-links; Gear to help fight gravity off-planet, like gravity boots; Rain Shields; SCAN-EYE, a security system for home buildings; Mood Screens; scan-cams; viewing discs like DVDs; palm-sized computer with holofunction; Identi-Pad for creating images for a forensic sketch artist; Privacy Screens on windows; Elevators went up and across; music on Sound Sticks;
iv. Money, Food, Sports and Health Related: Real food like coffee and meat is premium due to depletion of rain forests; twenty four hour facial cosmetics that wont smudge; Recycling is a must; Soda and Beer come in recyclable tubes; Rehydrated food is commonly used such as irradiated powdered eggs or soy burgers; Medicines such as Sober-Up 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; skins casts as opposed to plaster casts;
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 Wars changed the world; Gun Ban introduced in 2022-2023; Depletion of Rain Forests.
b. Marlene Cox, a survivor of a brutal attack by the serial killer, and her family seem to be the kind of characters that we could potentially see them in future books. Perhaps!
2. Sub Plots:
a. Law Enforcement: Commander Jack Whitney, Eve's commanding officer, and his wife Anna, daughter Linda, son Steven; Chief Harrison Tibble, Chief of NYPSD; Prosecuting Attorney, Jonathan Heartly; Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carla Rollins; Chief Tech Dickie Berenski aka Dickhead; Detective Crouch; Dr. Morris, Chief Medical Examiner; Detective Marion Burns; Lieutenant Medavoy from anti-crime; Detective Brinkleman with 4-1; Detective Darlymple; ; Detective David Baxter; Captain Desevres at one six-two; Detective Don Webster, IAB Officer; Detective Cartwright; Detective Zeno; FBI Special Agent Karen Stowe; Lieutenant Marks; FBI Assistant Director Sooner; Captain Hayes on 128 Precinct; Interplanetary Law Enforcement (ILE); Darcia Angelo, Chief of Olympus Police; Mayor Steven Peachtree; Sweepers - Lobar, Beaver, Tweeser (head sweeper); Officers - Carter, Carmichael, Miller, Frohickie, Troy Trueheart and his mother Pauline (he is being trained by Baxter), Clark, Rinsky, Briggs, Yancy Ident-artist; Morgue Staff - Chambers, Rochinsky, Herbert Fienstein, Feeno; Tomjohn Lewis from Maintenance; Media Liaison Lee Chang.
b. Close friends and family of Eve and her husband Roarke: Lawrence Charles Summerset, Roarke's valet and butler; Mavis Freestone, Eve's friend and her boyfriend Leonardo, the fashion designer, pregnant since Purity in Death (#15), four months now, due in February; Galahad, their cat; Detective Third Grade Delia Peabody, partner to Eve as of Imitation in Death (#17) (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 Gillian living in New Orleans has three kids (Lana, ???) and a husband, Callie and Bryce (???), son Anthony & his wife Deborah with a new born Matthew James Mira, husband Dennis; Nadine Furst, Channel 75's reporter; Detective Ian McNab, from EDD, in relationship with Peabody and sign a lease to live together in Imitation in Death (#17); Charles Monroe, an LC; Dr. Louise Anne Dimatto, doctor at the Canal Street Clinic and is dating Charles; Jamie Lingstrom from Ceremony in Death and Feeney's God child
c. Other characters frequently appear: Roarke's family - dead father Patrick Michael Roarke, dead mother Siobahn Margaret Mary Brody, step-mother Meg; Eve's family - dead father Rick and mother Stella (Not sure dead or alive); Siobhan's family - father Colin Brody and mother Patricia Carney Brody, brothers Edward "Ned" married to Mary Katherine with four childre and Fergus married to Meghan, twin sister Sinead and her husband Robbie with three children; Caro, Roarke's personal assistant; Ariel, Roarke's office person; Loreen, Roarke's receptionist; Larinda Mars, Channel 75's reporter for Social Information; Wilson Buckley aka 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 Olympus 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; Carmine, owner of Gametown; Ratso, a weasel; Rue McLean, manager at Purgatory, Roarke's establishment; Milo Horndecker; Dr. Stiles, works for Allegany; PA Spence taking care of Summerset in this plot; Moira O'Bannion, head crisis counsellor of Dochas; Dirk Hastings, an image artist / photographer; Brian Kelly, Roarke's childhood friend; Quinton Post, a reporter;
d. Off planet locations: Silas I; Silas Three; Taurus I - Alpha Colony; Taurus II; Taurus Three; Taurus 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, 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; Planet Disney;
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?
f. Someone is stealing candy bars from Eve's desk at Cop Central. Wonder who that is?
g. Miranda rights are revised in this series. We don’t get to see the actual revision though.
h. From Immortal in Death #3: A new sect - Members of the Pure Sect - devotional and similar to monks. Perhaps we will come across them in future?
i. From Ceremony in Death #5: 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?
j. From Conspiracy in Death #8: Hans Vandervahen, one of the accused, is never caught at the end of the book. Will he surface again?
k. From Judgement in Death #11: Max Edward Ricker, Roarke's archenemy, vows revenge against Roarke and Eve. Wonder if he would surface again in a future book.
l. From Betrayal in Death #12:
i. Dominick J. Naples and his son Dominick II escape at the end of the book. See in another book?
ii. FBI Special Agent Karen Stowe mentions that she owes Eve a favor on account Eve handing her collar to him. Will she be back?
m. From Seduction in Death #13: 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?
n. From Reunion in Death #14: 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.
o. From Portrait in Death #16:
i. Roarke's birth mother Siobahn Brody, is abused by his father Patrick; and murdered.
ii. It is also revealed that Patrick Roarke was killed by Summerset which Roarke was never aware of.
p. From Imitation in Death #17:
i. Eve muses about VR for pets and thinks Roarke might jump at that idea.
ii. Eve has visions from her past about her mother and learns that she was as cruel and if not more than her father too.
iii. Peabody passes her detective exam and becomes Detective Third Grade and Eve makes her her partner at the end of the plot.
q. 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!
3. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. Soberup was called as "Soberup" in the second book Glory in Death when it was introduced. Don’t remember when the hyphen got added in the books, but now it's "Sober-Up".
b. Mavis is mentioned as being married to Leonardo. But we havent seen that happen in any of the previous books. Interesting that Robb made such a serious character flaw.
c. Is Eve's father Rich or Rick. Up until now he was called Rick and in this book we see him called as Rich
d. On Pg. 581, Robb misses mentioning the St. Jude's medal, a silver medallion that Roarke gifts eve in Reunion in Death (#14), which Eve wears along with her Diamond Pendant Necklace (Giant's Tear) on the same chain.