What is it about road trip killers that makes them so terrifying? Is it the randomness? Flicker in the Dark plays with that same fear of predators hiding in plain sight. The fact that anyone could be next just because they were at the wrong gas station at the wrong time?
I was driving home after a brutal twelve-hour shift - we'd had a multi-car pileup come in around 2 AM, and I was running on fumes and spite - when this audiobook really sank its hooks in. The opening scene with Eve Dallas examining that body in the alley, finding those carved initials? I actually said out loud, "Oh, this is going to be a rough one." My dashboard has heard worse, but still.
When the Medical Details Don't Make Me Scream
Look, I've been reading J.D. Robb's In Death series for years now. Eve Dallas is one of those characters who feels like an old friend at this point - flawed, driven, occasionally terrible at emotional regulation in ways that feel painfully real. This book is number 41 in the series (yes, forty-one, and yes, I've listened to most of them), and Robb still finds fresh angles on the whole "homicide cop in future New York" thing.
The killers here - Ella-Loo and Darryl - are genuinely unsettling. Not in a supernatural way, but in that "I've seen patients who remind me of this" way. The psychology Robb gives them feels accurate. The way violence becomes addictive for Ella-Loo, how it gets tangled up with desire and this warped idea of devotion? That twisted psychology reminded me of the damaged characters in Flicker in the Dark, where trauma and violence get all tangled up in someone's head. I've worked with trauma patients. I've seen what people are capable of doing to each other. Robb gets it.
Fair warning: this one is darker than some of the other In Death books. The violence is cold and brutal. If you're sensitive to that kind of thing, maybe skip this particular entry. Carlos asked why I was so quiet when I got home, and I blamed it on the shift, but honestly? Some of those crime scene descriptions stuck with me.
Susan Ericksen Is the Reason I'm Still Here
Susan Ericksen has been narrating this series forever, and there's a reason she's won multiple Audie Awards. She does Eve's voice with this perfect blend of exhaustion and determination - like someone who's seen too much but refuses to stop caring. And Roarke? That Irish accent? Spot on.
But what really gets me is how she handles the killers. Ella-Loo's voice has this unsettling sweetness to it, like honey with something rotting underneath. Darryl sounds exactly like the kind of guy who'd follow a woman into hell and think it was romantic. Ericksen makes them both sympathetic and horrifying, which is not easy.
The pacing is solid too. Twelve hours is a commitment, but I never felt like it dragged. A few slower sections in the middle - the procedural stuff, interviews, data gathering - but that's part of the genre. And honestly, after a night shift, sometimes I need that slower rhythm to decompress before I can sleep.
The One Thing That Bugged Me
Here's my honest complaint: Eve and Roarke don't get as much screen time together as I'd like. Their relationship is one of my favorite parts of this series - the banter, the way they challenge each other, the genuine partnership. This book focuses more on the investigation and the killers' journey across state lines. Which makes sense for the plot, but I missed those quieter domestic moments.
Not a dealbreaker. Just something I noticed. (And yes, I know I'm basically asking for more romance in my murder mystery. My mom would have opinions about that.)
Who's This For?
If you're already an In Death fan, you know what you're getting and you'll be satisfied. New to the series? Don't start here. Go back to Naked in Death and work your way up - the character development over forty-plus books is part of what makes this work. Skip this one if graphic violence bothers you; it's darker than most entries.
Night Shift Approved
For my fellow healthcare workers doing the night shift grind: this is perfect post-shift listening. Dark enough to match your mood after a rough night, well-paced enough to keep you awake on the drive home, and Susan Ericksen's voice is genuinely soothing even when she's describing crime scenes. That's a skill.
Would I listen again? Probably not this specific book - I've got forty other entries to revisit first. But am I glad I listened? Absolutely. Sometimes you need a story where the bad guys get caught and justice actually happens. Especially at 4 AM when you've just watched a family fall apart in your trauma bay.
Carlos asked if I wanted to talk about it. I said no. But I might make him listen to this one with me on our next road trip. Just to see his face during the Ella-Loo scenes.
