Leafing Through Pages - Survivor in Death (In Death # 20)
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For review of all books in the In Death series, go here.
Stars: 4.5 / 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. Filled with emotions from past and present, Robb spun a tale that focuses on surviving and fighting back, taking a stand, making the criminals pay. Always going to the root of the plot - being together no matter what for Eve and Roarke.
Survivor in Death is the twentieth 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 February of 2005. 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 October of 2059 Fall Season - a good 64 years ahead for when the series began in 1995 - and begins three weeks after the incidents in Visions in Death (#19). Eve faces a really baffling case - no DNA, no clues - except for a nine-yr old survivor. Or is she a witness? Eve with the state of the art technology and resources at hand, she is stumped with this particular case.
The title "Survivor" not only points to the lone survivor of a brutal killing, but all to several elements that Robb ties in. The way Roarke survived his brutal childhood at the hands of his father first and later with the love and support from Summerset that heals him and brings the best out of him making what he is today. The way Eve survived her brutal childhood at the hands of her parents, and came out of it like a phoenix becoming a symbol, a person standing for the victims, all the while exorcising her demons. And ofcourse the various landscapes and buildings that survived the Urban Wars and still stand strong at the face of the desolation and sticking it out to the world.
Surprisingly we see Roarke thinking about his past a lot and about his father, about how Summerset saved him and all that went on when he was a child. A bit more than usual and so unlike of him to do so. Usually we see Eve in such situations.
Peabody gets brutally attacked by the killer I Visions in Death (#19). She survives with a long road of healing ahead. However, just three weeks after that attack, she is seen back at work partnering with Eve in this book. Although she does have a slight limp still.
One thing always stumped me in this series. With so much of modern technology and world domination with it, I wonder why Robb doesn’t use traffic cams as a tool for police to find a getaway car or a suspect / killer walking away from a scene crossing a traffic stop. She rarely uses traffic cams although she has the detectives looking at lots of security cams and discs.
Cassandra and Doomsday Groups that we saw in past books crop up again in this. Also a few surprising characters visit along to make the read a little more interesting. Also to note that the phonetic alphabet doesn’t begin with Alpha, but with Abel.
It's always frustrating when the heroine or the key character in a plot does foolish things jeopardizing everybody around them. Its like they want to help but cause more problems; or they don’t want heed anyone's advice and act so selfishly but claiming they were thinking of doing right. I never cared for such characters and was surprised to see Robb put such a scenario to one of her characters.
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. Filled with emotions from past and present, Robb spun a tale that focuses on surviving and fighting back, taking a stand, making the criminals pay. Always going to the root of the plot - being together no matter what for Eve and Roarke.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 140, Line 6, seems to be missing opening and closing quotes, and also the continuation of the conversation is missing something before "…Eve rolled her.."
b. Robb continually 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.
2. Plot Reveals:
a. Eve and Roarke provide shelter in their house for Nixie Swisher, the 9-year only survivor of the murders of her entire family. They think Richard DeBlass and Elizabeth Barrister would be perfect for adopting Nixie. We met them in the very first book Naked in Death (#1) and had already adopted a tennager Kevin in Vengeance in Death (#6)
b. Sade Tully, receptionist at the law offices of Dave and Grant, comes from a family of cops with her mother in service still as City Beat Sergeant in Trenton.
c. ME Morris, had dated once a long time in serious consideration to live together and have kids with her.
d. Leah Rames, one of the witness to a crime, knows Peabody and her family.
e. Several political reasons hinder Eve's promotion as a Captain per Whitney in this book. However Eve is also not ready to ride a desk yet.
f. 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, holo-rooms, 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; A hollow standing scanner to scan a person's body internal and external like the one we see in airports but more advanced, being developed by Roarke Industries;
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, Stay-Up to stay awake; 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.
3. 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; Dr. Morris, Chief Medical Examiner; ME Duluc; ME Foster; AME Marlie Drew; Lieutenants and Captains - Don Webster IAB, Medavoy from anti-crime, Desevres at one six-two, Marks, Hayes on 128 Precinct; FBI Special Agent Karen Stowe; FBI Assistant Director Sooner; Interplanetary Law Enforcement (ILE); Darcia Angelo, Chief of Olympus Police; Mayor Steven Peachtree; Sweepers - Lobar, Beaver, Tweeser (head sweeper); Detectives - Crouch, Marion Burns, Brinkleman with 4-1, Darlymple, David Baxter, Cartwright, Zeno, Yancy Ident-artist, Briscoll, Ute, Jannson, Jules, Brinkman; Officers - Carter, Carmichael, Miller, Frohickie, Troy Trueheart and his mother Pauline (he is being trained by Baxter), Clark, Rinsky, Briggs, Lopkre, Beth Ricky, Nalley, Queeks, Grimes, Ivansky; 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), 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 & her husband Dennis 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; 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, manages Dochas 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 Richard Troy "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; Roarke's staff - Caro and her daughter Reva Ewing, Yoshi Tokimoto in love with Reva, LaSalle, Ariel, Loreen; 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 6-yr child, along with his cat Dopey get adopted by Richard DeBlass and Elizabeth Barrister - characters from Naked In Death (#1), he has a dog named Butch now; Carmine, owner of Gametown; Ratso, a weasel; Rue McLean, manager at Purgatory; Milo Horndecker; Dr. Stiles, works for Allegany; Physician's Assistant Spence; 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; Green Oe
e. Roarke's gifts to Eve can be seen here.
f. 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?
g. Someone is stealing candy bars from Eve's desk at Cop Central. Wonder who that is?
h. Will Summerset and Eve call truce to their animosity and get at least form a sort of bond enough to reduce their bickering?
i. Miranda rights are revised in this series. We don’t get to see the actual revision though.
j. 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?
k. 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?
l. From Conspiracy in Death #8: Hans Vandervahen, one of the accused, is never caught at the end of the book. Will he surface again?
m. 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. We do see him being mentioned in this book.
n. 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?
o. 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?
p. 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.
q. 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.
r. 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. 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!
s. From Remember When (#17.25):
i. Roarke promises to buy some of the diamonds for Eve from the last quarter that is finally found at the end of the book, almost 50 years later.
ii. Will the Gannons (Max, Laine, Samantha) show up in any of the future books?
t. From Divided in Death (#18):
i. Eve and Roarke's fathers knew each other when Eve was 8 and Roarke was perhaps 11 or 12 yrs old. Accurate age of either is not mentioned clearly.We did see in Portrait in Death (#16) that Roarke was a whole year younger than what he was led to believe.
ii. Will ever Roarke avenge what the Homeland Security Organization (HSO )ignored and let Eve suffer when she was a child?
u. From Visions in Death (#19):
i. Could Eve be psychic? Is that why she can see and feel what a killer does; thus making her one of the most successful lieutenant.
ii. Mavis and Leonardo ask Roarke and Eve to be their backup coaches during her birthing.
v. 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!