Witness in Death, by J. D. Robb

Witness in Death, by J. D. Robb

In the interest of full disclosure, be warned that I am very fond of this novel, not only due to the writing, plot and characterization, but because it’s the first …in Death novel to openly borrow from an Agatha Christie story (“Witness for the Prosecution”, the play).

Also, given that Calculated in Death, the 36th¹ full length novel in the series (there are also 8 short stories and one novella published so far) is coming out later this month, this review is more due to nostalgia than any urgent need for more reviews for any one title in the series².

Witness in Death is the tenth novel in the series. The world and technology (such as it is)³ of Robb’s future are pretty much established at this point, as are the main relationship dynamics. Roarke and Eve have been married just over half a year, Peabody has been Eve’s aide for just under a year and is at this point dating both McNabb and Charles. This is also one of the three novels in which Chief Medical Examiner Morris is called Morse in the original paperback editions (over a dozen years later, this still bugs me, as Morris is a favorite character of mine).

The (rather terrible) back cover blurb:

Parting of the ways

A few weeks ago, Maya Banks posted about what happens when authors’ and readers’ points of view diverge—also known as, when readers break up with authors.

This is by no means a novel topic. Readers have complained about authors changing the rules of the worlds they build *coughJRWardcough* or how every successive book is the same story and the same characters as the previous dozen *coughChristine Feehancough* or feeling betrayed when the author kills a main character, well into the series *coughKarinSlaughtercough*

Promises in Death, by J. D. Robb

Promises in Death, by J.D. Robb

With twenty nine full length novels and five novellas, J.D. Robb’s “… In Death” series is a testament to the author’s successful blend of characterization and suspense. Obviously, not every title hits the same high note, but as has been said before, “Nora Roberts in a bad day is better than many other authors at their best.”

For those new to the series, it follows the adventures of Lt Eve Dallas, of the New York Police and Security Department, and it is set in New York in 2060. The futuristic aspects of the story are partly extrapolations grounded in current technology, and partly a bit of fantasy-with space colonies, virtual reality and interstellar travel being common place.

Salvation in Death, by J. D. Robb

Salvation in Death, by J.D. Robb

Can I say how happy I am that we get at least one, and often two, new In Death books every year? Happy, I tell you. Who needs sleep?

Salvation in Death is the twenty eighth novel-length installment in the In Death series. Yup, you read right, 28 novels, and—lemme count—five novellas in multi-author anthologies. Some readers may wonder how on earth can a writer keep both the quality of writing and the freshness of the characters after this many books, and I’m here to tell you that, while I don’t know how she does it, Ms Roberts definitely delivers, each and every time. That is not to say, mind, that I enjoy every one of the In Death books or novellas equally, since more often than not I find stuff to quibble about (but then, I do that with pretty much everything I read), but that they are consistent in quality of writing, plotting, and characterization, and every single one is worth reading and re-reading.

Here is the dust jacket blurb for the hardcover edition: