Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb


If you have visited here from time to time you probably already know I’m a huge fan of author J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas series.

When I was first introduced to the series by a friend who gifted me one of her books, I wasn’t super excited to read it (I’m sorry to say). Sometime later I had the opportunity to listen to the same book on audio. I thought why not my friend had assured me I’d like the story; this was an easy way to find out.

Needless to say, I did like it. In fact, I feel in love with the series and have since tried to listen to every past installment and keep up with each new book as it comes out. I explained the background on this subject to say while you love a book, author or series, you can sometimes fall behind on reading/listening to the latest release. I’ve done that with my beloved Eve Dallas series. I’ve said all this to let you know I don’t think it’s ever too late to share a review of a good book even if the release date was more than six months ago.

Today I’d like to share my thoughts on last September’s release of VENDETTA IN DEATH, the 49th installment in the Eve Dallas series. The 50th installment, GOLDEN IN DEATH, was released in February of this year and SHADOWS IN DEATH (51st installment) is slated to be released in September of this year. I’m looking forward to listening to both of these releases when possible.

First, a brief synopsis of VENDETTA IN DEATH:

She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.
The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company's human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims - but they don't know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.
Now, Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy's secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It's a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy's widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice's criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can't stop this vigilante, there's no telling how much blood may be spilled....

Now my thoughts ……

This is a story of someone betrayed who battle back in the wrong way with a vengeance and then some. While you may guess who the villain is before it’s revealed, you’ll still enjoy the journey to bring them to justice.

Narrator Susan Ericksen does a wonderful job brining this story to life. Her inflection and pace enhance each character giving them their own unique voice. She adds depth to this tantalizing story by conveying the emotions of the moment.

Once again author J.D. Robb weaves a story mixed with futuristic elements and present-day problems. A take on the #MeToo movement that has swept the country is the bases for this plot.

The main characters continue to evolve and develop with each installment. While there didn’t seem to be as much personal interaction, the police procedure moved quickly and shows Eve’s struggles with standing for the victims who were appalling violators themselves.

As a long-time fan of this series, this story seemed to go quicker than most maybe because it’s not quite the roller coaster ride of energy and take your breath away action. While the adrenaline rush is not as high, it is still a good read/listen and I’m looking forward to the next installment.

Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb, In Death Book #49, Narrated by Susan Ericksen, Macmillan Audio, @2019, ISBN: 978-1250541498, Unabridged, Run Time: 12 Hours and 42 Minutes

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. When do you think a series needs to stop?

2 comments:

  1. It is a fun series - which I am well behind in. So many books, so little time.
    A series needs to stop when/if it is 'tired' and merely rehashing. It doesn't sound as if this series is there yet.

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  2. As soon as I saw the title of this one, Mason, I was thinking of how much you like this series. It's one of those long-running series, too, that lets the characters develop over time. Glad to see it here!

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