Saturday, July 31, 2010

In Death Challenge Post: July 2010

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time. See the sign up post HERE.

This is the round up post for the seventh month of the In Death Reading Challenge.

Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily.

If you're just keeping a running list of the books as you read them, grab the link to your list post and enter in the Mr. Linky so we can recognize your success this month.

If you're reading or rereading without documenting it on your blog, let me know in the comments which book(s) you read in this month. This will also help me keep track of who's eligible for the challenge giveaway in August.

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BOOK REVIEW

Judgment In Death by J.D. Robb
In Death series, Book 12

Judgment In Death begins with Lieutenant Eve Dallas moments after arriving at the scene of a violent murder in a high class strip club called Purgatory. A bartender of the club, the victim had remained alone at the club after hours to close up and meet someone he knew when he was bludgeoned to death and left behind the bar in a pool of blood and broken glass. To complicate things, the club is owned by none other than her husband Roarke and the victim is a cop. A good cop who worked hard at his job, had a clean record and was liked by everyone. As Eve proceeds with her investigation, more cops are found dead--all from the same precinct. The further she investigates, the sticker the situation becomes as fellow cops are under question and the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) appears to be involved in some way as well. Not to mention a mysterious connection to an elusive criminal and ex-business associate of Roarke's from 10 years past, Max Ricker. Roarke and Ricker parted on extremely unfriendly terms years ago and now both Eve and Roarke's lives are in danger. Sounds like just another day in NYPSD for Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but this case really ramps up the tension for our fearless cop and quite frankly, had me on the edge of my seat as well.

Judgment in Death is fast paced, action packed and emotionally packed as well. Eve's professional and personal lives are intricately meshed together in this story. The murder investigation becomes personal by its inherent nature simply because it directly involves her own people, and when Ricker's involvement starts to come to light, it becomes even more personal due to his ties with Roarke. On the personal level, this case creates a lot of tension between Eve and Roarke. They fight--and make up-- throughout the book, usually over control issues. They're both such strong individuals with strong instincts to protect each other. Which creates a crazy conflict because both of them are risk takers and neither of them are willing to let the other take risks. Their love sees them through, they communicate, they compromise and they come out better for it all every time.

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DISCUSSION TOPIC:

I know it's not very nice to find enjoyment out of watching someone face their worst fears, but I have to say, I get a kick out of Eve's extreme fear of heights. Or rather, I get a kick out of Roarke pushing the limits of Eve's fear of heights! In Judgement in Death, Eve needs a really fast ride somewhere and Roarke takes her in one of his hybrid two-seated flying car things. She tries to be brave, but it's still so funny when she's not. I get such a kick out of scenes like this one and as the series progresses, I'm finding more and more of these minor character traits that pop up throughout the stories that really add depth and personality to the characters. I think it does wonders to keep the characters very real.

What other character traits have you picked up on throughout the series that you think adds to a character's personality?




10 comments:

  1. Eve's fear of flying is also a fun character trait. *g* Yet she continuously confronts that fear when Roarke needs her. (Another book.) And a few other character traits that I am definitely not mentioning because they will be spoilers.

    I hope you're having a wonderful day!

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  2. I like to read about Eve facing difficult things, for example that fear of heights you mentioned. Eve is always (well, most of the time) such a tough cookie that I sometimes want to see her vulnerable side just to be sure she is human ;)

    This month I read one ID story, Purity in Death. I was supposed to read more, but getting that book order was more than difficult. It took ages to arrive… really more than it should have. But, we had lovely time at the summer cottage. The other reason for not reading that much during the holiday was my sister's family who stayed at the cottage adjacent to us. Those twins of her's (a bit over two years old) really kept me running after them - both getting into trouble all the time, being quick and active children :)

    There were also some negative aspects to our holiday. My husband's leg got infected the very first day we arrived at the cottage (an insect bit his sole, he scratched it very hard, something dirty got there… and it got swollen, hot…). He was on medication for ten days - couldn't go to sauna, couldn't swim… And at first he had to keep the leg upwards in a cool place - a very difficult thing here in Finland when we here having the heat wave of a lifetime (btw, a new record was set to 99F, it has never been that hot in Finland before). So all those traditional summer cottage treats (sauna, lake etc) were forbidden to him... luckily the medication didn't last forever!

    Back to Purity in Death. It was a nice read... I'd say it was 4 stars. I liked the whole idea of that computer virus thing, but I would have liked to see something more there… There was this certain scene I wanted Robb to take a bit further, just to see what would happen, how people would react but… it wasn't meant to be. So, a nice read, not bad, but not excellent either.

    I have the next three ID novels waiting for me, but now I'm really in the mood for some historical and contemporary romance (I concluded the Merridew Sisters series by Anne Gracie, I really recommend those books). Hopefully I'll read at least one ID story this month. Enjoy your next book, Betrayal in Death!

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  3. *sobbing* I didn't get a read in this month. I started one and then set it aside. Not sure why; it's not that I wasn't enjoying it.

    But to answer your question with a possible spoiler if you haven't read far enough, I love the panic that comes over both Eve & Roarke whenever a baby is mentioned. The sheer fear when Mavis is talking about her baby is hilarious.

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  4. Hmm, I have not read this one. It's one of the few In Death books that I just couldn't get into.

    LOL, I love the scene where Roarke and Eve take the plunge in Loyalty in Death after disarming a bomb :P

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  5. Mavis isn't one of my favorite character but I have noticed that while she can act flighty and a complete airhead at times, she can also give some interesting character insights. But, she was a con artist so character study would have been important to her job. :)

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  6. Brandy...
    OOooo! You've got my curiosity piqued with that little clue about Eve confronting her fear when Roarke needs her!!

    Maija...
    I just want to start out by telling you that I love when you leave "newsy" comments on my blog! :))

    I completely agree with you about wanting to see Eve's vulnerabilities just to be sure she's human. I mean, we know she cares because of the way she stands so absolutely for the murder victims, but we also need to see her care about the living... and see her weak about something!

    I'm sorry you had such difficulties getting your book order, but I'm even more sorry to hear about your husband's infection. Thank goodness he sought medical attention and the antibiotics were effective. Infections are scary stuff!

    As for not spending as much time reading on holiday as you expected... I can see how twin two year olds could foil those plans! LOL! That's such a fun age. :)

    That heat wave is crazy! I can't believe it's been as high as 99F in Finland!!!

    I'll have to revisit your comments about Purity In Death when I get to it and we can discuss it.

    I just came across an Anne Gracie novel in my shelves that was passed to me by a book friend, but I think it's historical romance. I'm not familiar with her work.

    Happy reading! :)

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  7. Lori ...
    You're forgiven. I mean, how could I not... you stormed through the first half of the series in the couple of months, even before the challenge officially started!!!

    Oooo! Another fun hint!!! I love Eve's fear of babies and children, too. She's so funny when she gets panicky. ***SPOILER*** Remember in the beginning of Judgment in Death when she's handed a baby and she doesn't know what to do with it, so she puts it in the laundry basket? LOL!

    nath...
    Interesting that you couldn't get into this one. I don't know if I could just skip one like that. I'd force myself to finish it. LOL.

    I love that scene, too! I think it's funny that Roarke likes to push Eve's fear of heights just for fun. Such a husband thing to do. ;)

    Leslie...
    I have the same opinion as you on Mavis. She is there for Eve, whether Eve likes it or not, which is important. And Mavis is more in tune to people's emotional sides, which is also helpful for Eve to witness and learn from.

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  8. I haven't picked up an In Death book in a while...not sure where Fantasy In Death is on my library hold list. I should check...

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  9. Christine,

    those Gracie books I read were historical romance novels (I think most of her books are historical). Those Merridew sisters each have a book beginning with The Perfect "something" in title. I encourage you to try her!

    Btw, which ID book has been your favorite so far? This Judgment you read has been one of my favorites :)

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  10. orannia : You're nearly caught up in the series, you may as well grab Fantasy In Death and finish it off. ;)

    Maija : Okay, I'll keep my eyes out for that Anne Gracie series. Maybe my library has it. The one I have is ... oh shoot. I looked it up and forgot! I think "Captive" something.

    As far as my favorite In Death story so far. That's a tough question. Which is scary since I'm not even 1/3 way through the backlist yet! But Judgment In Death might just be it for me, too. I really loved the blend of the crime fiction and personal components in this one. I think Naked In Death will always be special, too because it's the first one.

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