Immortal in Death is the third book in J.D. Robb’s In Death series. J.D. Robb is one of the pseudonyms Nora Roberts has used, as she is quite the prolific writer. The series is set in what was once fifty-plus years in the future, but is a lot closer now in 2025. It follows New York City police detective Eve Dallas on her investigations. In the first book, she made the acquaintance of Roark, a billionaire playboy who was completely taken by Eve.

Immortal in Death finds Eve planning her wedding to Roark. It’s both a dream and a nightmare for her. She’s been struggling to admit she loves Roark, while he has declared his love since the beginning. They have similar backgrounds and no family to speak of, which is one of the connections they share. Eve, though, has struggled her whole life and is still coming to grips with having so much at her disposal. Roark built up his fortune from the streets and has no intention of ever going back there. His life is coordinated by his servant, Summerset, who seems to have a very low opinion of Eve.

Eve’s best friend, Mavis Freestone, is doing the heavy lifting with planning the wedding. She brings Eve to meet her new boyfriend, fashion designer Leonardo. During the session designing the wedding dress, Leonardo’s ex, a famous model, arrives and causes a scene. When that model is later found brutally murdered, it seems that Mavis is the likely culprit.

Eve knows her friend would never do that, but she must be an investigator first and a friend second. The more she investigates the model’s background, the more she learns about the need in those circles to thwart the aging process to stay relevant. While Mavis throws herself into wedding plans, Eve uncovers an underworld of designer drugs and alleged fountains of youth that some would kill to protect.

I’m enjoying how the characters are advancing in this series. Eve thought of herself as the lone-wolf type with no real friends in the first book, although she was friendly with a few people. Roark has slowly cracked through her defenses, and in Immortal in Death, she can finally admit to having some people in her life that she can call “friends.” Readers knew there was trauma in her past, but exactly what it is finally comes out and is heartbreaking. Still, it’s pointed out that this has formed her and influenced her desire for justice.

The mystery is there, but it’s really just a catalyst for the many revelations in Eve’s life. She’s not quite sure why she’s getting married, or even if she really wants to deep down. Roark has professed her love for her, but her insecurity leads to doubts. I could relate to Eve. When you see yourself as basically unlovable, it’s hard to reconcile that with someone actually loving you. There’s a lot of character development for Eve here.

There’s also a lot of fun leading up to the wedding. Eve is the reluctant bride in many ways. When the entire entourage descends on Roark’s mansion for privacy, I can’t imagine how it really felt to the generally solitary billionaire. There even seems to be a detente of sorts between Eve and Summerset. I also found myself rooting for Mavis to find some happiness as well. We know she didn’t commit murder, but is her new love using her to protect himself? That was my thought early on. The author does a terrific job creating various possibilities that could have an impact on the ongoing characters.

The audiobook is read by Susan Eriksen, who has read the other books in this series so far. She does a good job giving the different characters their own voice. I enjoy listening to her. The Irish brogue she’s given Roark isn’t perfect, and that’s about my only complaint. It’s a small one, really. In general, she does an excellent job and enunciates the narration quite well, making it easy to listen to.

There are over sixty books in this series, and I am wondering how Robb will keep it fresh going forward. Having Eve and Roark married by the third book in the series might take away from some of what is propelling the series and making it interesting. Immortal in Death stops just before the actual wedding, which is fine. The imagination, in this case, will likely be better than anything she could describe. The resolution to the mystery makes sense and also shows a future where some things haven’t really changed all that much.

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