Murder for Christmas.....

Book Info: Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb. Originally published by Berkley in 1998.

     The time has come...... This 7th book begins to have a repetitive feel. Just like the previous 6 books, Eve catches a nasty case and overworks herself, Roarke bullies her into sleep and taking care of her self, and various friends and colleagues put in their appearances.

     Along those lines, even the case itself has flashbacks to previous books. Here we see a man that dresses as Santa to gain entrance to homes, where he than rapes and murders his victims. Loose the santa and the crimes scenes have an eerie connection to Robb's first book in the series.

     With that in mind, Robb is able to keep the reader guessing. In this novel we see all our favorite secondary characters: Feeney, Whitney, Mira, Summerset, Mavis and Leonardo, McNabb and Peabody. Charles Monroe, the charming LC from Glory in Death who gets away with calling Eve Lieutenant Sugar, makes a reappearance. We get to see that even LC's have a heart and want someone to love them.

     Other interesting tidbits: Peabody and McNabb keep going round, though McNabb is outed by Roarke. It is now know to all (except Peabody) that McNabb has the hots for her. Peabody gets her first undercover assignment. And it is noted that Peabody's position as Eve's aide has boosted her standing in the department, as well as giving her the nickname Dallas' Pet.  Since it is Christmas in the novel, Eve is learning how to handle all of these new friends that have appeared on her horizon. Not only does she have to figure out how to eke out time for a personal life, but she also has to figure out how to Christmas shop for each of them. True to format, we see that the strongest of women can't handle it all alone. Just like Roarke needed Eve when his world took a nasty curve in Vengeance in Death, the rape of these women takes Eve to a place where the memories are horrible. Roarke, is too observant to miss this and much to Roarke not to try and help Eve through it.

All in all... I enjoyed this one and will probably continue on this path for a while. I hope to have one of the non-fiction books read to put up here soon but school keeps getting in the way.

Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.

Book Info: Vengeance In Death by J.D. Robb. Originally published by Berkley in 1997.

The past links to the present and readers are finally given a glimpse into the reality of Roarke's past. We already know about the horrific death of Summerset's daughter Marlena, but here we learn about Roarke's revenge. We see Roarke and Eve head off to Dublin and even meet some of the friends from Roarke's early adventures.

This case hits closer to home than any other since Mavis. The murderer is setting up Summerset as a fall guy and Eve must prove his innocence. The rivalry between the two come to a head, yet Eve still works to prove his innocence. As usual, Eve comes close to to dying, this time she is almost blown up.

The big things:

Readers get to meet IAN MCNABB

and

Peabody's new nickname is born: She-body.

Ian is the EDD detective that steps in while Feeney is away on vacation with his family. (Eve has sent Feeney and his family to their house in Mexico.) Ian is a skinny, slave to fashion. He is also the golden boy of the EDD division. though he is young, he's almost almost as good as Feeney and he idolizes Roarke's equipment. He and Peabody do not get along, but Ian definitely appreciates the way Pea-body fills out her uniform.

Yet Another Eve Dallas Story....

Book Info: Ceremony In Death by J.D. Robb. Originally published by Berkley in 1997.

Another sleepless night, another J.D. Robb novel.

The death of a cop and his granddaughter opens this novels and places Eve yet again in the hot seat. Clearing the other cops and navigating the emotion minefields are tricky for Eve. Especially when those you fight with one who knows all of your soft spots. i.e. Feeney This time we get to see Roarke explain things to Feeney instead of the reverse from the first book.

The moving scene where Eve breaks down after Feeney takes his shot is pretty powerful. For women who feel they must be strong at all times, we all wish for a Roarke to help us when we can't hold it together any more.

We also get to meet Jaimie for the first time. This computer wiz who impresses us with not only his mental abilities but also with his ability to handle the horrors with which he is faced. We also see that Roarke is still in touch with the Barristers from book one as well. Robb continues to connect the various books in the series allowing us to begin to really see the world that has been created.

Calla's Finale

Book Info: BloodRose by Andrea Cremer. Published by Philomel 2012

If you have read the preceding books in this trilogy, you know that this book is about a war that has been brewing for centuries. Everything that is being done is working towards a great battle between the Keepers and the Searchers. This battle will decide the fate

of the world. Therefore it should come as no shock that Bloodrose is that great battle. The stage has been set, the war has begun.

One would think with the fate of the world in their hands, the three main characters would put their romantic troubles on hold. At least that seems to be Calla's wish. Unfortunately, that isn't possible for these teenagers. With both Ren and Shay in the house, the tension runs high. Each must take their place in this war. Each plays an important role. Each still wants Calla. Calla does make her choice, but refuses to deal with it until after the battle.

As with every battle, there is a downside. Death is a mandatory consequence of battle and, I am glad to say that, Andrea Cremer is not afraid to include it in her book.  When we are fighting with arrows and swords, and animals, we should loose a few characters, even some that we love.

As for the twist at the end, (which I won't reveal here) it caught me off guard. I had thought that the situation would require attention but had never conceived of the consequences that would be chosen. While I might not have been happy with the results, the fact that I was able to understand the reasoning and accept the choice, shows how good of an author Andrea Cremer really is.

All in all, I enjoyed these. They were filled with moments of beauty, pain, and triumph. These will stay on my shelves and I will probably pick up the next couple of books written by this author.

Ansel's Torment

Book Info: Treachery: A Nightshade Novella by Andrea Cremer.
     Published by Philomel 2011

This very short novella opens with Calla's mating ceremony from Ansel's point of view. What follows is the fallout from Calla's choice to run with Shay at the end of Nightshade. From that moment on Ansel's world falls apart. We see how he is broken by the wolves and Ren. We see why he chooses to betray the searchers. Our hearts break for Ansel, as we see the suffering and confusion of his reality during this time.

Calla's Discovery....

Book Info: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer. Published by Philomel in 2011.

The second book in Cremer's trilogy starts off slowly. This time we are seeing the other side of the war. Nightshade was about the wolves and their life; the routines and realities, the secrets and lies. Wolfsbane allows us a look at the reality of the Searcher's lives. The truth of the Keeper's treachery continues to be revealed but most of the book focuses on the good guys. Calla and Shay seem to have started the final battle of a war that has been ongoing for centuries. Keepers vs Searchers. As young adults thrown into a very adult world, Shay and Calla must decide who to trust.

Calla's main concern is for her family and her pack at home in Vail. While she understands the importance of the war, her alpha nature requires her to look after her pack. In her efforts to save them readers finally see the true evil of the keepers. The consequences of Calla's choices are horrific. Death and torture seem to be the standard. It is shocking to see who sides with Calla and Shay and who buckles under the pressure. Ansel shows up about halfway through the novel and readers mourn for this poor broken boy. Yet his arrival sets in motion things that no one expects.

We continue to see the failure of the Keepers patriarchal society. As one who was raised in a patriarchal society, I can see how evil could easily infiltrate such a society when women have less value then men. But I also realize that this outcome isn't a requirement. It is interesting to contrast my up bring with what I see in the novel.

Though this is a fairly dark novel of betrayal and war, there are quite a few moments of light. Connor continues to amuse, and the struggle of the love triangle provides a romantic air to certain scenes. All in all, I really enjoyed book 2!

More than a few....starting with more Robb

The only timeI have to read for myself is after I go to bed...... Unfortuantely (or not so unfortunately) I have not been able to sleep for the past couple of days. This gives me lots of time to read. So the next 4 posts are books that have been read in the last 2 days.

Continuing with my desire to read a book that I didn't need to finish is one go, I started (and finished) the next In Death Novel:

Book Info: Rapture In Death by J.D. Robb; first published by Berkely in 1996.

Eve and Rourke are yet again thrown into the grizzly world of death. This time it is while the coupling is honeymooning off planet. By the end of the book the cost is 4 lives, including the murderers. Sorry... that is a bit of a spoiler but I don't tell you who the killer is. Especially since this one has you guessing all over the place.

There are fun moments: Mavis' singing career takes off, plenty of witty banter between Roarke and Eve, and Peabody gets to go into interview again which allows for  more witty banter. Conversely there are not so fun moments:  Dr. Mira gets her feelings hurt, Eve and Peabody almost get blown up, and Roarke worries. We also catch a glimpse of a new side of Roarke... or should I say an old side that has been carefully hidden. His upbringing comes to the front in a way I didn't expect... or had forgotten about.