Lt Eve Dallas is used to murder in New York, but when she gets a call to the scene of a triple homicide in Central Park, she discovers a crime unlike anything she’s seen before. A clinical hit, it could only be committed by a professional-military and/or police trained. So she calls in some favors. Sorting through all the evidence, Eve is shocked to discover there isn’t one killer, but two. A mentor and a trainee. And Central Park is only the beginning.
Eve Dallas is back and facing one of her greatest challenges to date in the forty-third installment in J.D. Robb’s long-running futuristic mystery/thriller In Death series. Apprentice in Death opens the door to more action, mystery, and excitement as Eve and the NYSPD find themselves racing against time to stop a pair of deadly snipers whose still unknown agenda spells death for New York and its citizens.
Even forty three books in, Robb continues to combine solid writing, intriguing subplots, and dynamic characterization to keep her world evolving but familiar and comforting. Strong police procedurals keeps readers firmly engaged while subtle bits humor and lighter moments helps to offset some of the darker moments of the storyline.
It’s pretty clever! Robb flashes between the police and the killers, allowing us to view Mackie and Willow as they set up for their next hit while Eve uses all her wits and talents to piece together the clues and evidence to form a picture that shocks even this hardened cop.
Robb begins to cross the two storylines and merge them together towards a climactic finale. Eve and her team must work fast in order to try and predict where they will strike next. As per Robb’s style, a majority of the book focuses on the investigation of the case with well laid immersions of Eve’s personal life into the storyline.
Apprentice in Death is another intriguing addition to this series, giving readers an emotionally complex mystery to solve while enjoying the timeless couple whose love affair continues to capture our attention even forty three books later. Per usual, I love revisiting Robb’s version of the future and look forward to the next installment-Echoes In Death-set to release February 7, 2017.