Review: Echoes in Death, J.D. Robb
Although Echoes in Death represents the forty-fourth novel featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas, J.D. Robb’s latest mostly shines and only has a few problems.
Coming up with 44 good novels , and publishing two a year for the past several years, is a feat, no matter how you slice it. J.D. Robb (romance writer Nora Roberts) has managed to pull it off with Echoes in Death.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas has once again caught an interesting case, and by caught, we mean she and her husband, Roarke, nearly hit a naked woman staggering around in the snow. Her husband’s dead, and that’s how Eve finds herself up against a man who portrays himself as the devil.
All in all, these books are some of the most consistent out there. Although the case and pathology turned out to be quite interesting, there were a few notes of predictability to the story overall. In short, we’ll give it 3.5/5 stars. Let’s break that down.
The Good
Echoes in Death basically reads like a really long episode of Criminal Minds, just set in the future and with a woman married to a billionaire as the main character. (Also, there’s no Spencer Reid.) Since I’m saying this directly under “The Good,” it’s mostly not a bad thing. (Look, Criminal Minds may have declined, but just pretend I’m talking about the good seasons of the show. No, I won’t specify, lest I offend the Criminal Minds fandom out there.) The psychology of the killer dominates Eve’s investigation, and even though things may not go terribly deep, it’s still refreshing. Any one of these books that features Charlotte Mira, even a little less than normal, works for me.
Additionally, the book feels quite balanced in its use of all the supporting characters. Delia Peabody, as Eve’s partner, always features the most, but even here she shares the limelight with some guest stars as well as the familiar ones like Ian McNab.
As always, the book can and does stand alone. Some minor points, like the remodeling of Eve and Roarke’s bedroom, do give a sense of continuity, and at one point Eve mentions it’s been about three years since she met Roarke. However, if this is your first Robb novel, don’t be turned away by the fact this is the forty-fourth book in the series. (Just don’t be surprised if you have to head back and read the other books.)
The Not-So-Good
Maybe it’s because I’ve read a not-insignificant portion of these books, but I didn’t find myself surprised by how the plot itself unfolded beneath the psychology discussion. These books are supposed to be full of suspense, but this one didn’t feel quite as suspenseful as others in the same series. However, surprising the reader didn’t seem to be one of Robb’s goals here.
Instead, the goal seems to have been to parallel the living victim, Daphne Strazza, with Eve, and it succeeds on most levels. However, it also seems like it gets repeated over and over that the two of them share some experiences. With just 384 pages according to Amazon’s listing, it might grate on a reader, especially if you end up reading the whole novel in just a few sittings.
The Recommendation
Although it may be just the latest entry in a long series, you can read Echoes in Death as either an old fan of the series or a newcomer to the world of Eve Dallas. For a fan, pick it up and settle in for a comfortable return. For a newcomer, be prepared to find Eve and Roarke fascinating.
Next: Review: Falling for the Highlander, Lynsay Sands
You can find Echoes in Death at your bookseller of choice.