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Cover of Salvation in Death

Salvation in Death

J. D. Robb

646 pages

A sharp, futuristic procedural that balances gritty murder investigations with the warmth of an enduring, passionate partnership.

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What it feels like

Reading this installment feels like slipping into a well-worn, perfectly tailored leather jacket. It delivers the signature blend of hard-hitting police procedural and deep emotional resonance that fans of the series crave. The atmosphere is steeped in the gritty, neon-lit shadows of a near-future New York, contrasting sharply with the opulent, fiercely protective sanctuary the protagonist shares with her billionaire husband. The narrative moves at a brisk, confident clip, driven by razor-sharp dialogue and a complex web of hidden identities and old sins. It is a deeply satisfying experience that explores the tension between sacred spaces and profane acts, perfect for readers who love a tough, pragmatic heroine who fights relentlessly for the dead while slowly learning to embrace the living.

Mood
  • tense
  • shadowy
  • neon-lit
  • intimate
Tone
  • pragmatic
  • witty
  • gritty
  • suspenseful
Pace
brisk
Themes
justice and vengeance · hidden pasts · weight of trauma · enduring partnership · sacred vs profane
The writing
Sharp, dialogue-heavy, and efficient, blending hardboiled detective tropes with moments of intense emotional intimacy.
The arc
Moves from cynical detachment in the face of a bizarre crime to a fierce, protective drive for justice, anchored by deep romantic partnership.
Who it's for
Readers who crave a tough-as-nails heroine, intricate murder puzzles, and a rock-solid, passionate central romance.
Content notes
  • murder
  • poisoning
  • gang violence
  • references to past trauma

About the book

A Eve Dallas Investigation In Death

In the year 2060, sophisticated investigative tools can help catch a killer. But there are some questions even the most advanced technologies cannot answer. Ancient church rituals meet cutting- edge crime solving.

During a Catholic funeral mass Father Miguel Flores brings the chalice to his lips, seconds after partaking of wine, the priest is dead on the altar.

When New York Detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas confirms that the consecrated wine contained enough potassium cyanide to kill a rhino, she’s determined to solve the murder of the Father, despite her discomfort with her surroundings. It’s not the bodegas and pawnshops of East Harlem that bother her, though the neighborhood is a long way from the stone mansion she shares with her billionaire husband, Roarke. It’s all that holiness flying around at St. Christobal’s that makes her uneasy.

A search of the victim’s sparsely furnished room reveals little— except for a carefully hidden religious medal with a mysterious inscription, and a couple of underlined Bible passages. The autopsy reveals more: faint scars of knife wounds, a removed tattoo—and evidence of plastic surgery, suggesting that “Father Flores” may not have been the man his parishioners had thought. Now, as Eve pieces together clues hint identity theft, at gang connections and a deeply personal act of revenge, she believes she’s making progress on the case. Until a second murder—in front of an even larger crowd of worshippers—knocks the whole investigation sideways. And Eve is left to figure out who committed these unholy acts—and why.

Description from Open Library.

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