Engrossing mystery with a snarky, kickass female detective.
J.D. Robb
February 4, 2020
St. Martin’s Press
Blurb: In the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates a murder with a mysterious motive—and a terrifying weapon.
Pediatrician Kent Abner received the package on a beautiful April morning. Inside was a cheap trinket, a golden egg that could be opened into two halves. When he pried it apart, highly toxic airborne fumes entered his body—and killed him.
After Eve Dallas calls the hazmat team—and undergoes testing to reassure both her and her husband that she hasn’t been exposed—it’s time to look into Dr. Abner’s past and relationships. Not every victim Eve encounters is an angel, but it seems that Abner came pretty close—though he did ruffle some feathers over the years by taking stands for the weak and defenseless. While the lab tries to identify the deadly toxin, Eve hunts for the sender. But when someone else dies in the same grisly manner, it becomes clear that she’s dealing with either a madman—or someone who has a hidden and elusive connection to both victims.
Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback (preorder) | Amazon Hardcover
Since I first started this blog, I have frequently done one thing that I would never have done previously. I have picked up a book in a series without ever having read the preceding books. Typically, it’s been problematic because a lot of authors depend on you following their series and they throw many, many characters at you that have been in the previous novels and you’re supposed to like this. Or, they spend pages catching you up on all of the shenanigans that have happened in the previous installments, which is a boring no-no if you have read the other books.
And then you have an author like J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts.
Golden in Death is number 50 in her Eve Dallas mysteries, of which I have read exactly…zero…up until this point. This is important because it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the previous books. Well, on one level, it was probably important because I would have been involved in her very sexy romance with Roarke and understood a lot more of the world-building in this futuristic mystery. But when it comes down to it, a good mystery is a good mystery regardless of whether it’s part of a series, futuristic, inhabiting the past, or what have you.
At 400 pages, Golden in Death is probably on the long side for police procedurals, but again, that didn’t matter. I was fully engrossed. I loved the characters of Eve, Roarke, Eve’s partner Peabody, and the other background characters. Where Eve is pragmatic and gritty, Peabody is girly and fun.
The mystery had me guessing until it didn’t, mostly because it becomes a matter of just how is Eve going to pin this person down and make charges stick, which is different, and I liked it.
The futuristic world is well done. I loved the slang and the writing because it’s not the writing I’m used to from Nora Roberts. It’s funny and a bit grittier.
When I figure out just how to read in my sleep, I will go back and start from the beginning of these novels. Number 50 has me convinced I am missing out on something good.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating:
5 out of 5 butterflies