I'll cut to the chase - I grabbed this one expecting a decent futuristic crime thriller and walked away genuinely impressed. J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts wearing her crime-writing hat) delivers something I wasn't fully prepared for: a police procedural that actually respects the investigative process while set in 2058 New York.
The Case That Got Under My Skin
Two high-profile women dead. Both successful, both connected to powerful men, both killed with what appears to be a laser scalpel. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is working a case where the suspect list reads like a who's who of Manhattan's elite - and yeah, her own lover Roarke is on that list. That's the kind of conflict I can sink my teeth into.
What works here is the procedural honesty. Eve doesn't cut corners because she's sleeping with a potential suspect. She investigates him. She asks the hard questions. She does her job. After twenty-five years in uniform watching fictional cops take shortcuts that would get real investigators court-martialed, I appreciate when an author gets the dedication to duty right. Eve's caught between her personal life and professional obligations, and Robb doesn't let her off easy.
The futuristic elements are handled well too - not so far-fetched that it breaks immersion, but enough tech advancement to make the forensics interesting. Hover cars, advanced databases, but people are still people. Still jealous, still ambitious, still capable of murder over passion and power.
Susan Ericksen's Voice Work
Credit where it's due. Susan Ericksen's narration is the reason this audiobook works as well as it does. Her Roarke - that Irish accent - is spot on. Not overdone, not cartoonish, just consistent and believable. (Ranger perked up every time Roarke spoke, which tells you something.)
She differentiates the characters cleanly. Eve sounds like a cop who's seen too much. Roarke sounds like money and danger wrapped in charm. The supporting cast - Mavis, Feeney, the various suspects - each get their own voice without Ericksen turning it into a theatrical production. Professional, controlled, serves the story.
The pacing is solid at my usual 1.25x. Some narrators get muddy when you speed them up, but Ericksen's diction is clean enough to handle it. She brings that same precision to Ceremony in Death and Abandoned in Death - this woman knows how to carry a long series. Nine hours and forty-eight minutes went by faster than some four-hour briefings I've sat through.
Where It Lost Half a Point
I'll be honest - the romance elements aren't really my wheelhouse. There's some spicy content between Eve and Roarke that, while not graphic enough to make me skip, isn't why I'm here. The relationship dynamics are actually well-written, don't get me wrong. Eve's trust issues, her complicated past, the way she's learning to let someone in - it's character development that matters. But if you're here purely for the mystery, you'll be wading through some romantic subplot.
Also, this is book two of what I understand is a very long series. Some context from book one would help. I picked up enough to follow along, but there were moments where I felt like I'd walked into a conversation already in progress.
Who's This For?
If you want a competent police procedural with a sci-fi twist and don't mind romance woven through, this delivers. Skip it if you need pure mystery with zero relationship drama, or if starting mid-series bothers you.
Mission Complete
Worth your time? The mystery is solid - I didn't see the killer coming, and the reveal made sense when it landed. Eve Dallas is the kind of protagonist I can respect: flawed, dedicated, professional despite her personal complications.
Susan Ericksen's narration elevates good source material to great listening. Her character work is the kind of thing that makes audiobooks worth choosing over print.
Mission accomplished, Robb. Ranger approved this one - though he fell asleep during the romantic scenes. Smart dog.
