Tag Archives: Crime Drama

2 Treasure Boxes, Mobipocket, Goodreads, Crime novel

Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 13
Publisher: The Penguin Publishing Group (Electronic Edition: August 2001), EBook: 593 KB, Language: English, ISBN:0-7865-0117-0

Why would a vicious and expensive hired killer, want to murder a simple chamber maid? Eve and her team are going to find out. Meanwhile, Eve must support her sexy husband Roake while he is handling a big charity auction for a celebrity. Add into the mix, Mick Connelly, a friend from Roake’s childhood and you have an interesting story. This is a good futuristic suspense novel featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas.  She is a tough, smart, likeable homicide detective. In each book she solves a crime and finds the killer. The book also encompasses her entire life including her personal relationships.

Betrayal in Death is the thirteenth book in the In Death series by J.D. Robb, to date she has written 40 books in the series, with 2 more expected to be released later in 2011. I have read most of these books and found them all to be enjoyable and well written. This book falls into both the crime drama and romance categories as the book focuses on the case Eve is currently working on as well as Eve and Roake’s relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2059 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative that focuses primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but at times the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. The books are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

The story introduces the murderer and then slowly unravels what is driving him. I thought the description of the FBI agents actions and agenda was interesting. I like how all the pieces of the tale fell together, with the convergence of the murders with the robbery.  We learn a bit more about Roake’s past and motivations with the introduction of his boyhood friend. The story built up to an exciting, although not totally satisfying ending. I found it impossible to guess who was behind the murders until it was revealed.  I always enjoy reading the personal dynamics between Peabody and McNab as well as Eve and Roake.

This is a standalone book but I am sure that if you read it you would be quickly reading the other books in the series, but the books should be read in order. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about strong female lead characters and enjoys a suspensful crime drama. The story is well written and enjoyable. I also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about a bit of romance since there is a fair bit of this as well as some hot sex scenes between Eve and Roake.

My Favourite quote from the book: “ Yeah, I can see how your mother’s to blame for all this.”

Questions to ponder:

Did anyone else find the ending unsatisfying?

Who is your favourite character in the In-Death series?

To Purchase: “Betrayal in Death” in from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Goodreads, Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes, Suspence, Mobipocket

Witness in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series

Book Review:  2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 11
Publisher: The Penguin Publishing Group (Electronic Edition: October 2003), EBook: 551 KB, Language: English,  ISBN-0-9865-7134-3

This is a good futuristic suspense novel featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas. She is a tough, smart, likeable homicide detective. In each book she solves a crime and finds the killer. The book also encompasses her entire life including her personal relationships. While Eve is at the play called Witness for the Prosecution, put on by one of Roake’s companies, the main character is literally killed on stage during the scene when he should be stabbed with a retractable knife.  But in this case the knife did not retract; now it is up to Eve to discover who caused this gruesome death.

Witness in Death is the eleventh book in the In Death series by J.D. Robb, to date she has written 40 books in the series. I have read most of these books and found them all to be enjoyable and well written. This book falls into both the suspense and romance categories as the book focuses on the case Eve is currently working on as well as Eve and Roake’s relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2059 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative that focuses primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, a dedicated and talented homicide detective, and the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. The books are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

The Banter between Eve and Roake is fun to read. I also like Eve’s self-talk. Eve is tough, smart and focused yet she also is tender-hearted, especially in how she deals with women who have been abused. Her past affects her and is brought into the front of her mind whenever her current case triggers it. In this book, the discovered incest between the victim and his daughter is a sure trigger and Eve’s reaction is heart-wrenching. It is really sweet when she turns to Roake and he knows just how to help and comfort her. The story builds well and it has a few twists along the way. It is interesting to read the final conclusion and find out who really killed the bastard.

This is a standalone book but I am sure that if you read it you would be quickly reading the other books in the series. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about strong female lead characters and enjoys a suspense story. The story is well written and enjoyable. I also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about a bit of romance since there is a fair bit of this as well as some hot sex scenes between Eve and Roake.

To Purchase: “Witness in Death” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Public Library, Goodreads, Crime novel, Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

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Book Review: 2 Treasure  Boxes
First book with Tommy and Tuppence
First published January 1922 by The Bodley Head, hardcover 320 p,
Publisher: Digireads.com (January 1, 2007), Paperback: 148 pages, Language: English, ISBN-10: 1420929194, ISBN-13: 978-1420929195


This book introduces two intriguing and delightful characters known as Tommy and Tuppance.  The book takes place just after the end of the first war and was written in 1922.  Tommy and Tuppance are two young adults who have no money and decide to put an ad in the paper looking for unusual work “no unreasonable offer refused.”  The young couple become “the young adventures” willing to go anywhere and do anything.  Following this, they get involved in a complicated and dangerous scheme.

The Secret Adversary is the first of four novels written with Tommy and Tuppance as the protagonists. They also appear in “N or M?” a 1940’s espionage novel, “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” and “Postern of Fate,” which was the last book Agatha Christie ever wrote.  Each book takes place later in life for these characters and by the final book they are in their seventies. This book is considered a crime fiction. The books are told in a third person narrative that focuses primarily on Tommy and Tuppance but also includes some of the other characters. Agatha Christie wrote 80 detective novels and around four billion copies of her books have been sold.  She was born in 1890 and lived until 1976.  She has written murder mysteries, thrillers, crime fiction, detective and romance novels.

This is a story about two young adults who get involved in a mystery involving the elusive Mr. Brown.  There are several murders and several people are kidnapped.  There is also a threat to the great state of England.  It is up to the young adventures to solve the problem.  Along the way they meet several characters, both good and bad. The language used is very different from today because the story takes place and was written just after the first world war, but I found this charming and pleasureable.  It gave a more authentic feel to the storyt, I felt like I was really there.   I enjoyed reading both Tommy and Tuppance’s adventures, their characters where original and their actions were intriguing.  Both Tommy and Tuppance ran into trouble several times and I was never really sure where the story was going, so this made it a good read. The book follows a good solid story line and it keeps us wondering right up to the end of the book.

This is a standalone book, although Agatha Chrisie wrote additional stories with Tommy and Tuppance, they each take place later and later in the adventurer’s lives.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading detective or crime novels as it is a good story.

To Purchase: “The Secret Adversary” from Amazon, click here or on picture above