Bonded in Death
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15
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The #1 New York Times bestselling author spins an epic tale of loyalty, treachery, murder, and the long shadow of war... His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. And died within minutes... Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. She’s got an elderly victim who’d just arrived from Rome; a widow who knows nothing about why he’d left; an as-yet unidentifiable weapon; and zero results on facial recognition. But when she finds a connection to the Urban Wars of the 2020s, she thinks Summerset—fiercely loyal, if somewhat grouchy, major-domo and the man who’d rescued her husband from the Dublin streets—may know something from his stint as a medic in Europe back then. When Summerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear—because, as he eventually reveals, he himself was one of The Twelve. It’s not a part of his past he likes to revisit. But now he must—not only to assist Eve’s investigation, but because a cryptic message from the killer has boasted that others of The Twelve have also died. Summerset is one of those who remain—and the murderous mission is yet to be fully accomplished...
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
I was pretty excited to once again receive an email for an early copy of this. It's wild to me this is book SIXTY of this series!! It is probably my favorite out of the recent ones. The pacing was good and it was hard to put down. It was interesting to actually get to learn about the Urbans and have them be more than just reference.
3.5 stars. Bonded in Death's prologue is a flashback to a meeting of The Twelve, a disparate group of underground spies operating during the fabled Urban Wars that predated the In Death series by four decades. The character introductions felt like the beginning of a classic Nora Roberts paranormal Good vs. Evil trilogy (e.g., The Circle, Sign of Seven, The Guardians). So I was not surprised when Roarke's perpetually disapproving butler Summerset turns out to have a connection to the murder victim, who was once The Twelve's cyber expert. But while the killer's motives are indeed related to the Urban Wars, the remaining members of The Twelve are curiously sidelined during the investigation. Of course this is an Eve Dallas case, but it felt like a crime to minimize these aging but still intriguing warriors in favor of another one of Jenkinsons' ugly ties and more Peabody/McNabb house porn. I hope we will see them again, perhaps in a spinoff prequel series (doubtful).
But overall, In Death #60 is another solid entry. My reading tastes have changed a lot in 30 years, but this series has held my interest through thick and thin. There's nobody like Nora, and I stand in awe of her achievements.
Featured Series
60 primary books71 released booksIn Death is a 70-book series with 59 primary works first released in 1995 with contributions by J. D. Robb, Nora Roberts, and J.D. Robb.
