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Title: Divided in Death by J. D. Robb, Nora Roberts ISBN: 0-399-15154-0 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 26 January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.14 (44 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: "Portrait" and "Purity" tough Eve Dallas acts to follow
Comment: We've read the entire 18-book "Robb" series and generally enjoy all the stories immensely. As usually happens with long-running characters, we've come to feel intimate with both the leading couple, NYPD Homicide Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke, as well as a fine supporting cast of cops Peabody, Feeney, and McNab (among others); quirky friend Mavis; and annoying "houseman"/valet Summerset. The writing and plot crafting skills of Nora Roberts (posing herein as JD Robb) created absolute powerhouses in her recent novels "Portrait" and "Purity in Death", leaving us emotionally stimulated and intellectually entertained. But our hope for more at that level was not to be fulfilled in "Divided".
The plot centers around an artist who is caught cheating by his wife, Reva, a security specialist who works at one of Roarke's firms. Reva is found at the scene of her husband and his lover's murder, but it seems immediately to be a frame; and a subsequent murder or two confirms that suspicion. The cop team pretty much takes residence at the Roarke mansion, fearing that security is so sensitive an issue on this case that working out of Police HQ is ill advised. The investigation soon embroils the Homeland Security agency, which is an interesting ploy that allows Robb to comment from the setting of the book at future year 2059 on the "history" and practices of that government entity. A wrinkle about Eve's own troubled past with an abusive father surfaces during the investigation that causes a huge riff between herself and Roarke -- and the resolution of that strain on their relationship is a strong sub-plot to the mystery. In the end, the unscrambling of several dead computers as well as Eve's typical perceptive scrutiny of the clues, leads to identifying and capturing the real bad guys.
What left us a little cold about the story was the dominance of the sub-plot. While the exacting nature of the relationship between our two principals is a more than recurring theme in the whole series (Robb admits its part of her reason for writing it), it seemed just a little too overdone and a little too predictable in its resolution -- and thus seemed to drag down the action of the middle book. Additionally, the seclusion of the team at the house left us little or no variety of character interactions and scene settings, and got a little boring ere it was all over. Overall, while we never fail to enjoy each new entry in the "In Death" set, and blessedly do not find the characters getting stale, this particular novel just didn't seem as well composed as many of the others. So Robb fans won't want to miss it, but casual readers might rather enjoy some of the better entries mentioned above.
Rating: 5
Summary: I love this series...
Comment: I was really looking forward to reading this one on my trip back from Lotusphere, as it was released the last week of January. But she crossed me up by not going directly to paperback, and I can't pay $21 for a book I'll read in two days. So, after a relatively short wait at the library, I was able to enjoy my favorite author.. Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb in Divided In Death. And it was well worth the wait.
In this latest offering, Eve Dallas is asked by Rourke to handle a possible murder case that appears to have been committed by his head of security, Eva Ewing. Rourke has a real fondness for the lady and her mother, and wants Dallas to make sure it's not a setup. The murder was of Ewing's husband and her best friend when she learns of the affair they were having. The lovers are killed in bed and everything points to Ewing as the killer. But for Dallas, it's just a bit "too" clean, and she quickly clears Ewing of the murder. But if not her, who? The plot revolves around spies for a Homeland Security group, a rouge hacker underground, Rourke's security company, and the brother of the husband. Plenty of twists and turns in this plot.
And for character development, Rourke hacks the computer files of the Homeland Security group and finds out some previously unknown information involving Eve's childhood traumas. He wants to kill those responsible, but Dallas knows she can't be a cop and stand aside if she knows what Rourke wants to do. They have to determine what's most important to each of them as they work through this crisis.
As usual, great story and wonderful characters. I'm really glad that Roberts can crank these out so quickly, as I am forever waiting for the next one in the series to come out each time I finish the current one.
Rating: 5
Summary: My favorite so far
Comment: Yes, Divided in Death is different from the other books in the series. You have your typical Eve driven investigation of murder with someone she or Roarke knows and need to prove innocent. You've got your people who misunderstand Eve's ways which hurts her but she remains silent. McNab, Peabody, Mavis, Feeney and Trueheart are all there, which makes for a nice continuity.
This time we've got spies and government intrigue at the heart of the murder case. But Divided is more personal than the other books. Eve and Roarke have always had heated arguments but have been solid with their marriage because of their love for each other. This time, they each struggle with something inherent to their make up and it's not so easily moved past.
A great part of the book, contrasted with the others, Eve and Roarke cannot find their way to each other, they are estranged by their different reactions to some information that comes to light about Eve's past. It's this struggle which makes the heart of the book so compelling because you want them to make it, they are the other half of the other but at the same time, some things can't just be moved past.
I won't give spoilers but I found this intensely personal approach a nice refreshing change from the other books and I thought Robb wrote it well and threaded it into the mystery in such a way that you don't get bored with one or the other.
There were a few scenes in the book where I must admit I did get a bit weepy. Eve, without Roarke's strength, without his love and support is very empty and sad and it reminds you of who she was in Naked In Death and how far she's come.
A very worthy read for those who've followed the series and the growth of the characters and the marriage between these two unlikely lovers.
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Title: Remember When (ROBERTS, NORA) by Nora Roberts, J. D. Robb ISBN: 0399151060 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 15 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Imitation in Death by J. D. Robb, Nora Roberts ISBN: 0425191583 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: 26 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Key of Valor (Roberts, Nora. Key Trilogy, 3.) by Nora Roberts ISBN: 0515136530 Publisher: Jove Pubns Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts ISBN: 0515136379 Publisher: Jove Pubns Pub. Date: 25 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Key of Light by Nora Roberts ISBN: 051513628X Publisher: Jove Pubns Pub. Date: 28 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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