At the end of the previous book, "Glory in Death", Roarke proposed to Lieutenant Eve Dallas after they were both involved in a life-threatening situation with a dangerous killer. Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, shocks us right from the start of this book, when we find that Eve accepted the marriage proposal! For those of you that have read the previous novels, this must come as much of a surprise as it was for me. Eve has always had trouble accepting the fact that she was in love, so it was almost unthinkable that she would be willing to share her life with the billionaire Roarke. However, this sets the tone for the things to come in this book, where we will find out several interesting facts from Eve and Roarke's past. These tidbits of information help us make sense of the attitudes we witnessed from several of the main characters in the past.
This time, the crimes Eve has to investigate are very close to home. Eve's best friend, Mavis, has convinced her to consult with designer Leonardo about her wedding dress. Mavis is in a relationship with the designer, and facing a very jealous ex-girlfriend, Pandora, who is literally fighting to get Leonardo back. One night, Mavis calls Eve in a frantic state from Leonardo's study and asks for help. She had found Pandora, the supermodel with which she had a big fight hours ago, lifeless on the study floor. Eve sets out to find out the culprit and clear her friend. In the meantime, one of Eve's informants turns up dead too, and the investigation leads to a new and deadly drug.
Robb has created a wonderful setting for her mysteries, New York in the year 2058, and has perfected the mix with some great characters, making this one hell of series. In this particular case, besides the "usual suspects", we are introduced to the character of detective Peabody, Eve's new partner after Feeney's promotion as captain of another division.
Even though I think there is a clear advantage of reading this series in order, and grasp the complexities and personal history of each character, the books stand well on their own. Moreover, J.D. Robb does a great job in describing the futuristic world efficiently through examples intertwined in the narration of the events, without making it boring for those of us who are already aware of what the "rules" are. Whether you try this book on its own or you start from the beginning of the series with "Naked in Death", I can guarantee that you will enjoy reading about Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her friends.
