Judgment in Death

FROM OUR EDITORS

Our Review
Judge This a Winner!
J. D. Robb, a pseudonymous cover for the bestselling queen of romance, Nora Roberts, shows no signs of slowing down. With the release of Judgment in Death, the 12th book in her futuristic sci-fi cop series, Robb has managed to score yet another winning tale of passionate suspense. Set in New York City in the year 2059, Robb's star attraction, Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas, proves once again that it's possible to be tough, smart, and sexy.

This time out, Eve's case involves the brutal bludgeoning death of a bartender in a trendy, upscale strip club that just happens to be owned by Eve's husband, Roarke. When it's discovered that the bartender is actually a cop, things get even more tense as Eve and her cadre of associates try to determine if the victim was on the take, and if so, who else might be involved. A key piece of evidence, 30 pieces of silver credit chips left beside the body, suggests someone thought the dead cop was a Judas. Eve dives into the investigation and, in her typically brusque style, is quick to make new enemies. Chief among them are the ambitious woman captain of the dead policeman's precinct, a detective with a New York-sized chip on his shoulder, and a ruthless and powerful millionaire named Ricker, a chief competitor of Roarke's who holds a long-standing grudge.

Eve discovers the dead cop was involved in a recent investigation of Ricker, though the millionaire managed to wiggle out of most of the charges. She suspects Ricker did so by adding the dead cop -- and several others from that precinct -- to his payroll. When another cop turns up dead, this murder even more brutal than its predecessor, all the evidence points to a fellow cop as the killer.

Once again Robb manages to find the perfect balance of strength and softness in the plucky, no-nonsense Eve. The relationship between Eve and Roarke, while hardly without its bumps, shows that a long-term marriage can be every bit as passionate as a new love. Watching as Eve and Roarke struggle to mend a huge breach in their marriage provides a quick lesson on compromise and the building blocks for a healthy relationship -- which may explain at least part of Robb's great success. Where else can you find science fiction, passionate romance, relationship counseling, and high suspense all in one book?

--Beth Amos

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The latest romantic suspense novel featuring New York City police lieutenant Eve Dallas.

When a cop killer cuts loose in a club called Purgatory, Eve Dallas descends into an underground criminal hell...

In an uptown strip joint, a cop is found bludgeoned to death. The weapon's a baseball bat. The motive's a mystery. It's a case of serious overkill that pushes Eve Dallas straight into overdrive. Her investigation uncovers a private club that's more than a hot spot. Purgatory's a last chance for atonement where everyone is judged. Where your ultimate fate depends on your most intimate sins. And where one cop's hidden secrets are about to plunge innocent souls into vice-ridden damnation...

FROM THE CRITICS

Jill M. Smith - Romantic Times

This is one of the best romantic suspense series ever written.

Publishers Weekly

Written under the pen name J.D. Robb, this futuristic mystery--set in New York City, year 2059--showcases veteran writer Nora Roberts's skills at their best. It's as tough, smart, sassy and successful as its heroine, police lieutenant Eve Dallas. The story opens in the upscale nightclub Purgatory, where Dallas discovers the brutally slain body of a fellow officer; another cop is murdered soon thereafter. Both men, it appears, were on the take, and both were connected to elusive criminal Max Ricker. Dallas's investigation, which exposes crime and police corruption, puts both her reputation and life in danger. To make matters worse, Purgatory is owned by her own millionaire husband, Roarke--a business associate of Ricker's before turning legitimate--and the overlap of professional and personal lives adds extra fireworks to an already tempestuous marriage. Robb's plotting is precise and fast paced, creating a satisfying mystery full of lively, credible twists. Secondary characters--a troubled female police captain, an Internal Affairs cop with a leftover crush on Dallas--are as well-drawn as Dallas herself, a tough but endearing 21st-century woman. Sexy, surprising and often funny power struggles between Dallas and Roarke are the tasty icing on this extremely well-made fictional "cake," which is just the right confection for lazy late-summer reading. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal

The latest in Robb's (a.k.a. Nora Roberts) Eve Dallas series, this fast-paced mystery takes our tough-minded, insightful homicide lieutenant into the hellish world of "illegals" and crime as she investigates the vicious murder of a cop in a sleazy New York nightclub appropriately named Purgatory and owned, not surprisingly, by Eve's tycoon husband, who owns just about everything around. But things take a twisted and unexpectedly personal turn as Eve starts digging and more bodies show up, and soon she finds herself in the killer's sights as well. A law-flouting criminal kingpin with a personal vendetta who deals in illegals, a crazed cop on a murderous mission, and a pair of perfectly matched protagonists propel this fast-paced, gritty, often violent story, which provides what few romantic suspense novels can--an exquisite blend of electric sensuality, hard-core suspense, and soulwarming romance that continually brings fans back for more. Robb (Witness in Death) is a member of the RWA Hall of Fame and lives in Keedysville, MD. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

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