Leafing Through Pages - Witness In Death (In Death # 10)
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. All the world's a stage and we get a less gripping and more romantic tale of solving a crime while dealing with human emotions.
Witness in Death is the tenth 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 January of 2000. 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 2023, 57 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 February of 2059 now - a good 64 years ahead for when the series began in 1995 - during March. All the world's a stage. And just like that we are drawn in to theater and actors in this episode, where someone is killing them. And since they all are part of the play being opened in the New Globe Theater owned by Roarke. Now she has to wade thru these actors while she solves the crimes.
Every single time I read the books in the series, it keeps me amazing that Eve doesn’t want to go to a clinic or hospital for any injuries she suffers during her work. And Roarke is the only one who can convince her to at least let him attend to. Surprisingly she doesn’t object for Peabody to look at her in this book.
As expected we frequently keep seeing characters from past books surface. This time around we hear about Jamie Lingstrom, whom we met in Ceremony In Death is working for Roarke, utilizing his electronic skills for good.
For a change Roarke puts his foot in his mouth when it comes to Eve. It was charming to see how he untangles himself and makes up to her. And Eve continues to be uncomfortable at how much money that Roarke keeps sending her away, even though she doesn’t acknowledge any of his wealth except his immense love for her.
This plot has more romance and emotions than mystery. There is also the wicked mind of a human being who destroys everyone he touches and doesn’t bother of the consequences. But in the end we don’t get the fire and blazes that usually come with these books in a climax. Instead has a very dramatic ending without, for a change, anyone getting hurt.
One thing I noticed that as the series is progressing, the books are becoming larger and larger. There is more meat to the supporting characters added as well as a result. The part with Officer Trueheart really tore my heart again…gut wrenching and feeling teary.
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 2023. 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 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. All the world's a stage and we get a less gripping and more romantic tale of solving a crime while dealing with human emotions.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. The play that the opening scene shows is titled Witness and is a remake of the 1957 American legal mystery thriller, Witness for Prosecution, which was again an adaptation to screen of the novel of the same name by Dame Agatha Christie's play that was released in 1953.
b. Someone is stealing candy bars from Eve's desk at Cop Central. Wonder who that is?
c. Officer Trueheart whom we met in Conspiracy In Death, is transferred to Homicide division. Gets injured on this case while working with Eve.
d. Although Peabody is sleeping with McNab, she is still just friends with Charles Monroe. They don’t have a sexual relationship.
e. 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.
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.
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, hologram 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.
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.
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, morgue staff; Mayor Bianci; Detective Zeno; Tomjohn Lewis from Maintenance; Rochinsky, morgue assistant; Herbert Fienstein, morgue assistant; Officer Clark.
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); 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; Nadine Furst, Channel 75's reporter; Detective Ian McNab, from EDD aiding Eve, and he has sex with Peabody even though she is still seeing Charles Monroe.
c. Other characters frequently appear: Caro, Roarke's personal assistant; Larinda Mars, Channel 75's reporter for Social Information; Crack, a street dealer and runs the Down and Dirty Club; 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; Ratso, a weasel for Eve; Eve's dead father Rick; Jamie Lingstrom from Ceremony in Death and Feeney's God child.
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 (Roarke is creating this pleasure place since the first book in the series); 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. Robb talks about Urban Wars that had occurred before world changed into something futuristic world in her stories. However we are yet to hear about these Urban Wars more.
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? Will Eve reinstate him in NYPSD?
g. From Secrets in Death # 45:
i. Detective Peabody & her partner & lover Detective Ian McNab head off to Mexico for a much needed vacation.
ii. Garnet has a daughter Miranda; shows interest in Morris.
iii. Nadine is looking for an admin; Eve has someone in her mind. A past character surfaces perhaps!
h. 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?
i. 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?
j. 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?
k. From Loyalty in Death (#9):
i. Pentagon has been annihilated by a terrorist group called Apollo at the end of the Urban Wars. We still see Twin Towers considering the bombing of that didn’t happen until 2001 in reality, so Robb's future consisted of them. Wonder if they will NOT be mentioned once the series reached beyond 2001.
3. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. Chief Medical Officer Morris is referred to as Morse in this book.
b. Eve mentions that she doesn’t know why her mother left her. But in one of the previous books we see that she has a nightmare that involved her mother and could gauge a reason why she left Eve with her abusive father.