VENDETTA IN DEATH

3.5 stars out of 5

If I had to describe this book - the latest in the popular series featuring NYPD Lt. Eve Dallas, of which I've read almost all - in just one word, it would be this: Bland.

On the plus side, readers do see glimpses of Eve's uber-wealthy and hunky Irish husband Roarke's love for his wife (he's on my Top 10 list of favorite book heroes, I hasten to add), but the couple's sizzling (and fairly graphic) bedroom antics that heated up the pages of past books are virtually nonexistent. I suppose I could say that the three murders that take place herein are grisly enough in the sex department to make up for it - think hours of torture and perimortem dis"member"ment - but honestly, it just ain't a good substitute.

Besides that, there's not a lot of suspense as Eve and her cohorts, including the thankfully still-effervescent Peabody, try to track down what appears to be a serial killer. Instead, we learn the identity about halfway through. I was hoping that was just a diversion - and there'd be a gobsmacking twist at the end (I even came up with one I thought would be perfect) - but no. Even the futuristic (and fun) elements, like cars that can "go vertical" and Auto Chefs programmed to instantly spit out whatever food or beverage the stomach desires are sort of glossed over (which, I suspect, could be confusing to new-to-the-series readers who might not realize this series is set some 40 years from now) . So basically, what we're left with is a fairly standard police procedural. Since the plot is solid, well-written and very readable, that's not necessarily a bad thing; but I suspect long-time fans will find the lack of pizzazz a bit disappointing. 

All that aside, the first murder is of a rich guy who's a known rapist, and the mutilated body is discovered minus an apparently ill-used body part. Attached to the body is a poem cryptically signed "Lady Justice." It's enough to disturb the most emotionally detached of cops; and when a second body turns up with an almost identical MO, Eve knows this killer is on a crusade and isn't planning to stop anytime soon. As team members follow up on clues, connections are made to various suspects, one of whom moves to the top of the list rather quickly. After that, the trick is to identify the next victim and get to him before the killer does.

All in all, it's not bad - but neither is it one I'd recommend to those interested in starting this series. The Eve and Roarke of past books are infinitely more intriguing and likable, and my hope is they'll get their joie de vivre back in the next installment.

Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb (St. Martin's Press, September 2019; 354 pp.