This latest book in the In Death series is the most poignant and personal so far of all the books.
When Eve Dallas is called to a brutal murder scene, the sole survivor of the massacre is a scared and traumatised nine-year-old girl. It was her decision to have a midnight drink that saved her from being slain along with the rest of her family. Mindful of her own fallibility, Dallas takes the decision to stash her one and only witness at her fortress of a home instead of passing her along to the Child Protection Services. As Eve and her husband Roarke take this young child into their home, she sees in Nixie’s eyes her own traumatic childhood and is determined to help her. This is in stark contrast to her own childhood. As Eve investigates the brutal homicide, nothing seems to add up. Who would want to murder Nixie Swisher’s family? They were a model family with no known enemies. The way in which they were viciously murdered was done with military precision and with the sole intention of leaving no witnesses. As usual Eve draws on everything she can lay her hands on to solve the case, assisted by the dependable and stoic Peabody (who is being given more responsibility) and the nimble fingers of Feeney and McNab, plus of course Roarke. Even with IAB poking their nose in where they are not wanted, Eve is not deterred from fulfilling her promise to the young girl.
Survivor in Death continues this excellent futuristic series by bestselling
author J D Robb. The fact that it is the twentieth book in the series and still
going strong pays testament to not only the longevity of the characters but
also the way in which readers have embraced the series. Robb is superb in the
way in which she uses the background of each murder mystery to examine and deal
with the forever-changing relationship between Eve and her enigmatic husband.
In Survivor Robb takes on the challenging and oft-raised issue of children.
If this is the first time you are reading one of the books in the series, then
Eve comes across as being rather harsh and unsympathetic to Nixie’s plight.
However, it is her own coping mechanism and needs to be seen in that light.
As usual, the plot is tight sensibly constructed with painstaking sincerity
in both the circumstances and the characters. It also tugs at your heart-strings
as the reader sees how both Eve and Roarke cope with having a small child in
their home. Survivor is a rollercoaster of a read, emotionally heart-rendering
and compassionate from the impressive opening to the stunning action-packed
ending. This is a most welcome addition to the series.
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Ayo Onatade
From the J.D. Robb output of Nora Roberts which numbers twenty, Piatkus have
sixteen available in the UK. Except for one book (Remember When) all the titles
of Eve Dallas books have In Death preceded by a single word.