I noticed when I started this series that many people had read it two or more times. I can’t imagine that with more than sixty books in the series, reading through them more than once is some feat. Heck, reading through them once is a feat! One of the more recent books came up for an advanced copy to review, and I didn’t think it was fair for me to try to review a series that far in. Let’s face it, if you think of picking up a series at book number sixty, you’re most likely going to be confused and/or miss out on pertinent character development earlier in the series.

Glory in Death is the second book in the series, written by Nora Roberts under the name J.D. Robb. It’s the year 2058, and Eve Dallas is a highly respected homicide detective in a futuristic New York City. Robb’s vision of the future is somewhat at odds with what the future likely holds. This book was published in 1995, so 2058 was more than sixty years away at the time. I don’t know that the idea of flying cars was realistic even at that point in time for sixty years away, but with thirty-three years to go now, it seems highly unlikely.

That said, there are some futuristic concepts that do seem to hit home. Genetic testing has enabled people with violent tendencies to be dealt with before they become a problem. Yet, murder and other violent crimes still exist. When Eve catches the case of a prosecuting attorney who was slain outside of a sex club, it seems like another high-profile case that will have her dealing with elements of society where crime seems to be an anathema. Eve’s superior in the police department was a close friend of the victim. Although he promises not to interfere, it’s not long before Eve is questioning him as well.

Of course, Roarke is also involved. He is a self-made billionaire whom Eve met in the first book and hooked up with. Complicating their relationship is that he seems to keep turning up as a possible suspect in the cases she’s investigating. Their relationship is giving the tabloids a field day to begin with, and it makes it harder for Eve to maintain the integrity of the investigation with the press hounding her. The murder itself is sensational, add in the fact that Roarke knew the victim, and his new girlfriend is investigating it, and Eve has a lot to worry about. When a second body turns up, obviously connected to the first murder, it’s a feeding frenzy.

In Naked in Death, Roarke was already proclaiming his love for Eve, even though they had only met at the beginning of the book. The two do seem suited to each other due to similar backgrounds. In that review, I stated I wished Robb had stuck with a slow burn rather than rushing into things between them. The same is true here. Eve is all but living with Roarke until they have a spat. Their issues have more to do with Eve running on fumes during the investigation than anything else. Roarke is willing to give her the space to do her job on her own, but wants to help at the same time. In Glory in Death, he is learning that Eve will ask him for help if she thinks she needs it. At the same time, looking at Eve from a different perspective, he’s the first one to tell her she’s burning the candle at both ends and forces her to take a rest for one night. That might not be what Eve wanted, but it surely was what she needed. It’s hard for her to let down her guard and allow him to help her as well. I like how she’s written as a strong female lead. You can have a billionaire boyfriend and still be an independent woman in 2058.

The mystery here wasn’t shocking when the killer and motive were revealed. It almost seems secondary to the romance. I’m not a fan of a straight romance book, so the addition of the murder mystery and police procedural works well for me. I can’t say that there was a real futuristic feel to the story. It almost felt like it could take place in New York City right now, with the exception of certain laws that have been enacted as more was learned of how humans function. This is why prostitution is legal and regulated, and there are also heavily-regulated sex clubs.

Susan Eriksen narrates the audiobook. She narrated Naked in Death as well. She’s got a husky voice that serves Eve quite well and manages a nice Irish lilt for Roarke that doesn’t sound forced. I enjoyed listening to her quite a bit. She doesn’t add to the story while at the same time conveying the characters’ emotions. Her voice sounded tired when Eve was running down. It made it easy to picture her in my mind.

I’ll definitely be continuing with the series. I just hope it moves away from Roarke always being a suspect. Both he and Eve are compelling characters with a lot of baggage that can be revealed as time goes on. Roarke’s servant, Summerset, also breaks things up a bit with his obvious disdain for Eve. It will be interesting to see where he lands as Eve and Roarke’s relationship progresses.

Previous book in the series:

Next book in the series: