Betrayal in Death (Mass Market Paperback)

In this case, Lieutenant Eve Dallas has to face crime again. She finds herself as the primary in the gruesome murder of a maid that happened in one of the hotels of her husband, Roarke, just as Eve was attending a charity party there with him. Thanks to the security cameras, Eve discovers that the murderer is nobody else than Sylvester Yost, a gun for hire for the elite, that has been in the FBI's most searched list for more than 20 years. However, one thing is to know who he is, and another one is to find him. Only a very confident assassin does not mind showing his face.

As if that were not enough, soon afterwards another murder is committed by Yost, and in this case the victim is a young friend of Roarke. All seems to point out to the fact that someone ordered Yost to mess with Roarke, and ultimately who knows, maybe kill him. But why? And is Eve in danger too?.

Of course, there is much more than that in this book. An old friend of Roarke, Mick Connelly, reappears, and Eve cannot help but think he might be linked to the murders, despite Roarke's trust in Mick. Also, there is trouble in paradise for Peabody and McNabb, and more than some squabbles between Eve and some FBI's officers that are also trying to catch Yost.

On the whole, the points mentioned above help to make this a very engaging book, for those who like a good thriller with lots of action. I would like to point out, however, that the murders in this book are specially grim, so take that into account when deciding whether to buy this book. That having been said, I recommend "Betrayal in death" to you.

Belen Alcat

When the book starts we find ourselves in the spring of 2059, in a world that looks pretty much like ours in several aspects but that also shows both pros and cons when compared to our society. There is still crime and drug abuse as we see nowadays. But there are considerable advances in medicine that make Eve's world better. And also significant difficulties in getting some products, like real coffee, that make it worse. But one thing that remains the same is that criminals never rest, and Eve is faced with a killer that strangled a maid in one of Roarke's hotels after raping her. On the same night in which the murder takes place, Roarke and Eve were in the hotel hosting a party for an actress who has decided to sell the possessions she accumulated throughout her career and start the Magda Lane Foundation of the Performing Arts.

The killer did not care about being caught on the security cameras and is quickly identified as Sylvester Yost, an expensive gun for hire. When another of Roarke's employees is found dead, victim of the same man, it is clear that this is personal. Concurrently, the billionaire receives the surprising visit of an old friend from Ireland, Mick, who Roarke believed to be dead. Right from the start Eve suspects Mick is involved with the killings, but Roarke believes that even though he is a thief and a liar, Mick is not a murderer. It is very interesting to see who was right!

As Robb has done in the previous novels, she provides us with further information on Eve's and Roarke's past, especially on the latter, since Mick is there to refresh the man's memory. There are also development in the relationship between Eve's aide, Peabody, and her "boyfriend", McNabb. Peabody has become one of my favorite characters in this series due to her sense of humor and candor. These elements together with the usual fast-paced action and high suspense level make this book another very good read.

Now in this book - which, as usual, was well-plotted, funny, exciting and oh-so-sad- there was even more of this. We had two very interesting new characters introduced for the first time; Agents Jacoby and Stowe.

Jacoby is a completely unbalanced, smolderingly neurotic idiot, with the potential to cause serious trouble for Eve. And yet he does little but cause a blip in her investigation. Stowe is a strong, intelligent female FBI agent, with huge potential, who also does little but pass through the story on her way to the next. These characters are so beautifully drawn and realised, and yet so under utilized, that it makes me believe they are going to crop up again later in a more important role.

Also, in an unprecedented twist, two of the bad-guys - again, only superficially involved, although they were really nasty - escape without any punishment whatsoever. They have a serious grudge against Rourke - and now Eve. It stretches the bounds of possiblity that they will disappear, never to be seen again.

And finally, there is the way that babies seem to keep finding their way into the books. There is a completely unnecessary scene in which Mira shows off her new grandson to a reluctant Eve. In 'Judgement', if you remember, Eve handles one, again reluctanly. In 'Witness' the whole book centres on motherhood, and in 'Loyalty', Eve contemplates her own mother for the first time. Although the author stringently denies a baby is on the way, I do think that she is skillfully insinuating the subject into Eve's - and therefore our - consciousness.

Because, lets face it, there isn't much more to do with this couple. We've seen them meet and fall in love, move in together, get married. We've watched as Eve gradually begins to trust in Rourke's love, and Rourke trusts his past to her, how she learns to let him take care of her, and how to do the same for him. There are no more layers of intimacy to add to their relationship now, and the only other way to develop it is to toss in unneccesary, uncharacteristic, marital troubles: ala 'Judgement'.

And finally, there is the Peabody/McNab thing. The tension over Charles has been steadily building for some time and explodes here, with tradgically funny results.

So, I think that all the players have been racked up and set out for a cracker of a book in September - 'Seduction in Death'.

And I, for one, cannot wait.