Review: Brotherhood in Death

Author: J.D. Robb
Series: In Death, #42
Released: February 4th 2016
Publisher: Piatkus
Length: 400 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy...

Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.

Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze. 

As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming. 

First of all, thank you, Nora Roberts, for being consistently amazing. Getting the latest J. D. Robb book is practically a holiday in my house. No more than six months pass between her books, and yet somehow they always seem like an eternity.

Honestly, what could be better than a series that keeps on being awesome, even after 42 installments? Not much, that’s what. I know these characters inside and out, but more importantly, Nora knows them too, which means they are always, unfailingly, true to themselves. It’s high praise indeed for a series that’s gone on for approximately 15000 pages. High praise from someone who gets bored easily that I never, ever got even close to being tired of Eve and Roarke. Quite the opposite, each new book leaves me craving more and going back to reread my favorites just to feel close to them a while longer.

In Brotherhood in Death, Eve helps our favorite Professor Mira, a kind, gentle, if a bit scattered husband of Dr. Charlotte Mira. Dennis isn’t in trouble himself, but his cousin, US senator Edward Mira, most definitely is. It’s up to Eve to untangle a web of brotherhoods, vicious crimes and revenge, all the while keeping those she loves safe.

These characters progress and evolve even now, and it’s wonderful to see Eve open up to others and find comfort with friends like the ever-faithful Peabody. The two have such a significant moment in this book, one of appreciation and true friendship. It made me melt a little, and tear up at the beauty of it. Eve finally feels secure enough to rely on people other than Roarke. It was a slow process, so very difficult at times, but now that we see the person she was always meant to be, all of it seems somehow more manageable.

The crimes in this book are more violent, more vicious than usual. Trust Nora to find ways to shake us to the core. I love that her murders are rarely black and white. She prefers the gray areas, and she especially enjoys making us sympathize with the killers.

This is not a review, per se. It’s more of a love letter to this amazing author who keeps proving, again and again, that she knows how to keep a series alive.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.