Echoes in Death

Gripping

This is book 44 in the Death Series. This story opens dramatically with Dallas and Roarke on the way home from a party when a bloody, naked, incoherent woman wanders into the street in front of their car. They rush her to the hospital and upon checking out her home find her husband murder in the bedroom and the home has been robbed. He turns out to be Anthony Strazza, M.D. a brilliant surgeon. As Dallas and Peabody investigate, they discover he was an abusive husband and a not so nice guy. They discover similar home invasion cases. Dallas and crew are on the trail. Dallas is enjoying her newly remodeled home office. In this story, we have less of the usual interesting characters. It is mainly the detective team and Charlotte Mira, M.D. I sort of missed the other characters. I do enjoy the antics of the cat Galahad.

The book is well written and the pace is fast. I have not grown tired or bored with the series yet. Maybe it is because Robb’s characters are so real and interesting. Reading the book is like a visit with old friends. I am looking forward to the next edition.

The book was about fourteen hours long. Susan Ericksen does an excellent job narrating the series. Ericksen is an actress and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.

27 people found this helpful

Echoes of past books are starting to take over.

Would you try another book from J. D. Robb and/or Susan Ericksen?

No question. This is my favorite series of all time and I've listened to or read all of them many times. I love the characters, the narrator, and the plots. I wait for the next one as soon as I finish the last.

What could J. D. Robb have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Probably because I have listened to them so often, for the first time I started to get bored during this narration with the theme of Eve's past echoing through every case she has. So many phrases, descriptions, dream sequences were taken almost word for word from past books and I'm beginning to be able to predict Eve's words or thoughts. I wish every story wasn't a reflection in some way of Eve's childhood trauma, or didn't draw a paralell from her childhood. I'd love to read of a case which didn't conjure up nightmares for her because it has nothing to do with her past.

Which character – as performed by Susan Ericksen – was your favorite?

Peabody and the Peabody/McNabb pair are always my favorites. Sometimes Eve is just too good to be true and in this book I was irritated by her. She fell so far into her past that she became somewhat weak and very much out of character. I enjoy all the secondary players: Dr. Mira, the bullpen cops. I enjoy the character development as time goes on.

Did Echoes in Death inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to write this review: something I don't usually do. And I will certainly go back and listen to it again.

Any additional comments?

I don't know what it is about this series that grabs my interest. It is my "go to" place to go when I just want to relax into something outside of myself. In spite of the fact that this particular book seems a little repetitive I look forward to the next, and the next and the next.

37 people found this helpful

Loved it BUT Rourke is missed

I love this series ... all the characters. BUT Eve and Rourke are my favorite and I think everyone's. Rourke used to play such an interesting part in each of these books. Now he just seems to play in the background. He takes care of Eve when she comes home. He's even been stripped of his masculinity. I'm hoping that Nora has not lost her ability to write this character. Or has run out of ideas for Rourke and Eves chemistry outside of the home. It seems all he does is six for dinner arrange breakfasts is of course there is there intimacy but that gets old.

21 people found this helpful

a bit of a miss

missed usual cast I characters no mavis or Charles or Nadine. they were missed and story lacked depth

18 people found this helpful

Missing Something

I always look forward to each of these books but this one left me wanting more. I missed Eve and Rourke's secondary characters. We have not heard from Charles and Louise or Eve's snitch with Tourette Syndrome or the big black guy with all of the connections and what is going on with Mavis and Leonardo and the baby. All of these interactions make up the whole story and I expect them in every book. Even Rourke's majordomo had such a small role in this book. He is a vital part of their lives and I as an avid reader of all things Nora Roberts expect them. I loved the book where he was a star looking into his daughter. That was a good one. He should figure prominently in each of these books in my humble opinion. This story was good but lacked the interactions between the secondary characters as I have come to expect. As usual Susan did a wonderful job. She strained when she tried to get the doctor's very deep voice which is unusual in itself. I have never heard her strain for a voice. But no one is perfect so she is allowed to miss a few just as this book missed my favorite secondary characters. Bring them back so the story can be filled with the richness each of these stories usually provide.

5 people found this helpful

As always another good one

I love the in death series. I enjoyed the book. I wish she would do more than just 2 a year. I read/listen to lot of books but this is the only series I look forward to twice a year.

Most of the crew is present, but not everyone. I guess I am a creature of habit I want everyone present and accounted for. If you are an in death fan you will enjoy this one as well. There are a lot of similar things, but stuff we count on for a in death book like the action between Eve and Roarke. It is evolving and I adore it.

Susan does a good job as usual, but in the beginning, I thought she was off just bit. Not enough to take away from the story because she is just that good, but I felt the voices were a bit off in the first few chapters.

17 people found this helpful

Should be titled "Bored TO Death"

I am a JD Robb addict, and this boring installment will likely not change that, but I am so ready to have some big life moments happen for Eve, Roarke and the gang. These books have become increasingly more predictable and patterned. The sex scenes are the same, the pace the same, etc. I forwarded through much of the audiobook because I just could not stand the boredom. It is time for eve to get pregnant, adopt, have a health crisis, Peabody to get married, anything! We need to get back to the wonderful richness of the characters and their relationships. I like when it is focused on the characters we love and not just the murder, unless the murder can become a lot more mysterious and interesting. Overall a huge let down and I will return this for my credit.

22 people found this helpful

Moves slower, but still tops

Moves at a slower pace than some of the books in the series, but same quality plotting and characters. Worthy of the series and the credit for audio. Ericksen is the voice of the series.

9 people found this helpful

same ol same ol

Boring. Not much spice, not much fun. Gruesome crimes without the normal balance of other characters that have made the series so wonderful to read. Probably the least favorite, and I have them all in my library!

13 people found this helpful

Won't be disappointed

Enjoyed the book as I have read all previous In Death series books and have never been disappointed. The description of the crimes were overly brutal and graphic and that was something I could have done without.

2 people found this helpful