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Cover of Dark in Death

Dark in Death

J. D. Robb

557 pages

A gritty, fast-paced procedural that balances the chilling hunt for a copycat killer with the warm, unshakeable sanctuary of a legendary romance.

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What it feels like

Reading this installment feels like stepping out of a freezing, neon-lit New York night into the warmth of a crackling fire. The narrative moves at a brisk, confident clip, pulling you into a chilling puzzle where fiction bleeds dangerously into reality. It balances the gritty, methodical tension of a high-stakes homicide investigation with the deeply comforting, banter-filled intimacy of a long-established partnership. The prose is sharp and dialogue-driven, capturing both the cynical edge of a seasoned detective and the fierce devotion she shares with her husband. It is a deeply satisfying experience for readers who love their dark, twisty thrillers softened by moments of domestic coziness, offering the thrill of the chase anchored by an unshakeable romance.

Mood
  • chilly
  • tense
  • cozy-yet-dark
Tone
  • wry
  • pragmatic
  • suspenseful
  • affectionate
Pace
brisk
Themes
blurred lines between fiction and reality · sanctuary of partnership · psychology of obsession · relentless pursuit of justice
The writing
Sharp, dialogue-heavy, and efficient, balancing gritty procedural details with warm, banter-filled intimacy.
The arc
Moves from the chilling shock of a seemingly random murder to the deeply satisfying, methodical restoration of order, anchored by unwavering romantic support.
Who it's for
Readers who crave the puzzle of a dark homicide investigation softened by the enduring, passionate romance of a legendary power couple.
Content notes
  • murder
  • graphic violence
  • strangulation
  • stalking

About the book

"It was a stab in the dark. On a chilly February night, during a screening of Psycho in midtown, someone sunk an ice pick into the back of Chanel Rylan's neck, then disappeared quietly into the crowds of drunks and tourists in Times Square. To Chanel's best friend, who had just slipped out of the theater for a moment to take a call, it felt as unreal as the ancient black-and-white movie up on the screen. But Chanel's blood ran red, and her death was anything but fictional. Then, as Eve Dallas puzzles over a homicide that seems carefully planned and yet oddly personal, she receives a tip from an unexpected source: an author of police thrillers who recognizes the crime--from the pages of her own book. Dallas doesn't think it's coincidence, since a recent strangulation of a sex worker resembles a scene from her writing as well. Cops look for patterns of behavior: similar weapons, similar MOs. But this killer seems to find inspiration in someone else's imagination, and if the theory holds, this may be only the second of a long-running series. The good news is that Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke have an excuse to curl up in front of the fireplace with their cat, Galahad, reading mystery stories for research. The bad news is that time is running out before the next victim plays an unwitting role in a murderer's deranged private drama -- and only Eve can put a stop to a creative impulse gone horribly, destructively wrong."--

Description from Open Library.

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