Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb

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Vengeance in Death – a suspense novel created by the brilliant mind of J.D. Robb surrounded with futuristic thriller splashed in a steamy romance between our two most beloved fiction characters – Eve and Roarke. As the title implies, the story is about revenge of a man they call Avenging Angel. He is a techno-savvy madman with the mind of a genius and the heart of a killer. He quietly stalks his prey. Then he haunts the police with cryptic riddles about the crimes he is about to commit – always solved moments too late to save the victims’ lives. Lieutenant Eve Dallas found the first victim butchered in his own home. The second lost his life in a vacant luxury apartment. The two men had little in common. Both suffered unspeakable torture before their deaths. And both had ties to an ugly secret of ten years past – a secret shared by none other than Eve’s husband, Roarke.



What makes this novel rise above the previous novels in the series is the new formula J.D. Robb injected into the story. It used to be the villain being introduced at the early part of the story imposing as a good character. This time the villain’s identity though mentioned in trivial parts throughout the story was never revealed at all as it remained a puzzle until toward the end chapters. Because of this carefully planned puzzle I was engrossed, determined to solve exactly how the story ends. I have learn the compassionate side of Eve – a cop who does not bend the law finds herself breaking the law for the love of her marriage – her love for Roarke. As much as I wanted to believe that the novel itself is a suspense story in its entirety I have to admit that Robb’s formula of love between Eve and Roarke is superior in the plot making it more appealing, irresistible, a page turner – a master piece.


A master piece = (Suspense (religion + revenge)) + (Romance ((Eve + Roarke)/love))


In this novel I have become more acquainted to Roarke’s past back in Ireland, an important part in the series I never had the opportunity to explore in the previous novels. Not to be too specific but I wanted to mention the emphasis on the famous phrase of “An eye for an eye” revenge might have been an old trick but somehow Robb managed to provide fresh and believable story as if it had never been told. It was the murder style that piques my curiosity having religion as an instrument for killing and in a young mind a dangerous mind molded into taking revenge. In Robb’s own way I am able to arrive to an ending with satisfaction and a sigh of relief – finally justice has been served –a life for a life.

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I had been following Christine’s In Death Challenge this past few weeks and to tell you the truth it had been a great journey exploring the series from the very beginning both a pleasure and a learning experience for me. I have learned that J.D. Robb also known as Norah Roberts is not only superior in delivering a story full of love, suspenseful murders, steamy romance, promising futuristic police investigations but also an author with the power of word(s) breathing through the reader’s mind. It is Robb’s superior choice of words that makes the impossible believable allowing the readers to live the world of fiction – even temporarily.


Vengeance in Death is by far the best novel in the series and a favorite of mine. Thank you J.D. Robb.