#BookReview- Connections in Death by J. D. Robb #Mystery

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER (February 2019)

Lieutenant Eve Dallas fights to save the innocent—and serve justice to the guilty—on the streets of New York in Connections in Death, the gritty and gripping new In Death novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb.

Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads—and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering—whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison—and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…

Biography

J.D. ROBB is the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. She is the author of over 200 novels, including the futuristic suspense In Death series. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

My Review

Vengeance is murder in J.D. Robb’s police procedural, Connections in Death.

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When the brother of child psychologist Rochelle Pickering dies of a seeming overdose, it becomes immediately apparent the poorly enacted suicide is in fact murder.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas can’t figure out why the killers would stage such a sloppy setup and then steal traceable items from the home. Her investigation places her and Roarke in the middle of a gang where the only law is loyalty to the gang.

When the murders begin to pile up, Dallas is in a race against an unknown enemy bent on creating a war between the gangs and endangering innocent civilians.

This is a sad story of a young man who had done all the right things to turn his life around and yet still paid the ultimate price for his past. It begs the question, why bother?

The author answers this by showing us the joy and pride his family had for him and the strength of will it took for him to turn his back on the lifestyle- not an easy decision.

I guessed where the story was headed fairly quickly, but it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book. Roarke, Eve, and the rest of the NYPD are relatable characters who get hurt, make mistakes, and love ferociously. Fifty books in and this series just grows stronger and stronger!

I give Connections in Death 5+ lovely kisses- Excellent!