We Have a While to Go (At least We Have Cover Art): Abandoned in Death

 

Quick Reading Check-In on In Death Series...

I’m between courses now and decided to spend the week catching up on one of my top favorite fictional cops, Eve Dallas.  Undressing this series requires no undressing.  I’ve been talking about this series for years and, until book fifty-one, Shadows in Death, thought I was about to take a break from reading the books.  But why?  Shadows came out back in September, and since then I’ve tried four times to get through page number three in the book.  Something seemed off to the point where I could never find myself able.  Very seldom does an In Death book not hook from page one till the end.  Weird stumble, indeed.  I took it as a sign that I may just need to take a break from the series.

Until I waltz into my library’s used bookstore and saw a copy of Robb’s recently release, Faithless in Death, sitting on a display for $5.  There was absolutely no way I was going to pass that up.  It was a clearer sign.  And I took it and ran with it.

As I write this, I’m ninety pages away from the end of Faithless in Death.  I'm super happy I took on both books this past week.  I’m still crazy about this series, after all.  Yes, thirteen years and over fifty books and short stories later.

Once I wrap Faithless in Death, I’m going to put this bookshelf together to house all my In Death books (which, naturally, I own them all).  I’ve been moving books around on my shelves as new books come in, and some of the real estate surrounding my In Death books ate a chunk of that space.  So, some adjustments were necessary.

What can I say?  I’m loyal to the series.  The books need their own bookshelf.  It's that many books.  And it's that serious.

Faithless in Death's Cover

"In the new Eve Dallas police thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb, what looks like a lover's quarrel turned fatal has larger―and more terrifying―motives behind it."

Release February 2, 2021 

J. D. Robb's "Shadows in Death" Cover Reveal!

1st Eve Dallas/In Death Book of 2020 ~ Golden in Death NEW RELEASE

Did Y'all See the 25th Anniversary Cover of J. D. Robb's Naked in Death?

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY, BOO!

Another J. D. Robb Golden in Death Pre-Order UPDATE

Did you guys get this email from St. Martin's Press regarding a pre-order bonus consisting of a necklace?  Oh yeah, in celebration of Golden in Death, book #50 in J. D. Robb's In Death series!  If not, let me share the images (thanks to St. Martin's Press for the download ease of them) as well as the link where you can grab one for yourself.  This is really neat, though.

According to the email, it's:

"In anticipation of Golden in Death , J.D. Robb's 50th In Death book, St. Martin's Press partnered up with Swarovski® to create a necklace that's as iconic as the series' kick-ass detective, Lieutenant Eve Dallas. This special, limited-edition necklace features Swarovski® crystals and was inspired by Roarke's beautiful gift to Eve, The Giant's Tear, and her NYPD badge, as pictured below."

You can pre-order the set of Golden in Death along with the necklace, exclusively HERE ON BOOKPALS' WEBSITE.

Golden in Death releases February 4th, 2020!

A Peep Into J. D. Robb's In Death #51

I totally credit the website fantasticfiction.com for this (gurllll, I'm over there checking regularly).  I'll provide the link HERE.  Yet, in other words, apparently this is the 51st In Death entry coming in September of 2020.  Shadows in Death.

And you guys.  We still have the 50th entry, Golden in Death, releasing in February of 2020.  But I just learned the Barnes & Noble edition has bonus content.  The overview on the site state it as:

"This Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition celebrates the 50th novel in J.D. Robb's In Death series with bonus content, including a personal essay from JD Robb's longtime editor and a quick look at every case in the series so far."

I'M GOING FOR THIS ONEEEEEEE AS MY PRE-ORDER!

Bless you, J. D. Robb.  Just... bless you.

Oh, yeah.  Remember to peep my selfie in the fan collage behind the dust-jacket of Golden in Death. :)

A Bit of Cool J. D. Robb News I HAVE to Share...

Soooooo I got this email Friday from St. Martin's Press Marketing.  What did it say?  Well, it confirmed that my photo/selfie was selected for the mosaic image that'll be featured inside the dust jacket flap of J. D. Robb's 50th In Death release, Golden in Death.  I had to kind of stand there for a minute (as I was rushing to an appointment with a Snicker bar in mouth) to let this bit of excitement soak in.  My picture–as a dedicated fan of Robb's Eve Dallas In Death series–will be inside of Golden in Death's dust jacket with a slew of other fans.  And it'll be only a few weeks before my birthday when the book is released.  I could have passed out at the news, but went chattering about it to a lady in the waiting room.  Between excited chews of my Snicker's bar, of course.

Wait.  So they picked mine?  For real?

Seriously, despite losing someone incredibly special (mainly another mother) to me this year, cool things keep happening in 2019.  Back-to-back, dude.  With more on the horizon, so stay tuned.

So, wow.  This is something so neat that it'll take me a minute to soak in.  Eleven years reading this series and a photo of me will be plastered somewhere inside of the 50th (an incredible number for a book series as is) book's dust jacket.  Like... for forever!  That's wilddddddd!

THANKSSSSSSS!

Keep encouraged and keep glowing, people.  You know you're doing pretty good when good things keep coming at you.  

Stay blessed and receive whatever good comes your way!

NEW RELEASE ~ J D Robb's Vendetta in Death ~ Eve Dallas Came to Town Again

Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb (Amazon affiliate link)

"She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless. 

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims―but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price. 

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…"

More 2019 Cover Reveals My Body is Ready For

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 is for Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb

"She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless. 

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims―but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price. 

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…"

October 1, 2019 is for The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen (Stand-Alone) 

"Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie's Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she's been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house--until she starts to hear strange noises. 

Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks--and feels--all too real. Meanwhile, there's been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don't add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter's mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there's a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden. 

Soon all of Ava's waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie's ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again."

June 4, 2019 is for A Plain Vanilla Murder (China Bayles #27) by Susan Wittig Albert

"China and Ruby Wilcox are presenting their annual ''Not Just Plain Vanilla Workshop,'' always a huge hit with customers at Thyme & Seasons Herb Shop. But someone involved with the workshop is driven by a deadly motive, and China soon finds herself teaming up with the very pregnant Pecan Springs police chief Sheila Dawson to solve a vanilla-flavored murder.  

Sheila, happy to get out from behind the chief's desk, is investigating the death of a botany professor, a prominent researcher specializing in vanilla orchids. China is trying to help a longtime friend: the dead professor's ex-wife and a prime suspect in his murder.  

However, there's no shortage of other suspects: a betrayed lover, a disgruntled graduate student, jealous colleagues, and a gang of orchid smugglers. But the lethal roots of this mystery reach back into the dark tropical jungles of Mexico, where the vanilla vine was first cultivated. At stake: a lucrative plant patent, an orchid that is extinct in the wild, and the life of an innocent little girl.  

A Plain Vanilla Murder is a flavorful blend of mystery and herb lore, present sins and past secrets, and characters who are as real as your next-door neighbors—stirred together in an absorbing novel that only Susan Wittig Albert could create."

Connections in Death - J. D. Robb & Eve Dallas TIME!

"Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Dust jacket/Flaps

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Inside flap.  A New York map marked with all the 1st murders from each book

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…"

A puzzle.  Can you solve where the next book's murder will take place?

Some In Death J. D. Robb Eve Dallas STUFF

I must’ve put my name, email address, and home address down somewhere recently. I got this neat-o supreme-o In Death/Eve Dallas/J. D. Robb t-shirt in the mail the other day. Along with the cute Connections in Death Pop Out Christmas Tree ornaments. I kept trying to wrack my brain on any recent activities I’ve participated in about my fave, J. D. Robb. Anyway, super surprised and super gleeful. And, most of all, I’m ready for Connections in Death. Though I rather live in the present and not press the future, February 5th seems too far away for its release. UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Waiting is a BITCH! Equally stressful now that I know the following book is titled Vendetta in Death. And we won't see that one until September 2019!

By the way. The books featured in the image DID NOT COME WITH THE SHIRT. LOL. Wanted to make that clear. I ordered the hardbacks from Turn the Page Bookstore earlier this year. I placed them here for decorative... or... festive... purposes...?

So thanks to the publishers St. Martin's Press. J. D. Robb. And my girl, Eve Dallas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support. 

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene. 

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON TODAY (AFFILIATE LINK)

Gathering Some J. D. Robb "In Death" Hardbacks

My information on Immortal in Death was wrong.  I called him Leonard.  His name is Leonardo.  I knew that in the video, but for some odd reason second guess myself.  I suppose this too shall pass.

Turn the Page Bookstore where you can get your copies (not affiliate): https://bit.ly/2BGwvu6

Books Mentioned...

1.  Glory in Death by J. D. Robb (Amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2uStCb8

#1 New York Times bestselling author  J. D. Robb presents the thrilling second novel in her In Death series. When technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there’s only one place to hide a crime of passion—in the heart… 

The first victim was found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second was murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas had no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provided Eve with a long list of suspects—including her own lover, Roarke. As a woman, Eve was compelled to trust the man who shared her bed. But as a cop, it was her job to follow every lead...to investigate every scandalous rumor...to explore every secret passion, no matter how dark. Or how dangerous.

2.  Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb (Amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2H9FoAy

In the third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas uncovers a world where technology can create beauty and youth, but passion and greed can destroy them...

She was one of the most sought after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted—even another woman’s man. And now she was dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas put her life on the line to take the case when suspicion fell on her best friend, the other woman in the fatal love triangle. Beneath the façade of glamour, Eve found that the world of high fashion thrived on an all-consuming obsession for youth and fame. One that led from the runway to the dark underworld of New York City where drugs could be found to fulfill any desire—for a price…

***************************O T H E R ~ L I N K  S***************************

* B L O G G I N G      BOOKS | DRAWING | LIFE:  http://www.comictowel.com

* Z A Z Z L E    S T O R E:  http://bit.ly/2Axxhh5

* S O C I E T Y 6    S T O R E:  http://bit.ly/2qgCBkv

My Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TowelTroi

My Gaming Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLM8CjrKZGkIRmfsI57pIVg

Thanks again, everyone!  Remember to stay inspired.  Be creative.  Share your voice with the world.  Or something to that extent.  

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX T R O I XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

B O O K S | D R A W I N G | L I F E

New J. D. Robb, Dark in Death, Release

CHOP IT UP | Apprentice in Death by J. D. Robb (Video)

The Brotherhood of J. D. Robb

(Disclaimer: This post may be meant for readers of the series.)

All right!  Let’s get into this one.  J. D. Robb’s In Death #42, Brotherhood in Death.  The book where we finally get into Dennis Mira's story–including more “cuddle” talk about him.  Which, to be frank, is annoying sometimes.  We get it.  Dennis Mira is a dreamy, gentle-hearted and harmless man of a certain age who wouldn’t hurt a fly.  Now with that said.  I do like how–after all these years–Robb gave us a book unwrapping pieces of his character's past.

But before I get into all that, let’s set the book up.

Like any J. D. Robb book, the premise is pretty simple.  In Brotherhood’s case, Dennis and his cousin, Edward, were meeting a real estate agent.  It's time to address and settle an agreement on their late grandfather’s West Village brownstone.  Having grew up in the home, Dennis wants to keep it.  Yet Edward is ready to sell–with his former position as a powerful senator apart of the negotiations.  This leaves Dennis preparing a defense.  

Edward is calculating and tactful, and it’s those characteristics that left him dead in the brownstone.  It may seem random, but the truth is Edward's past came back to snuff him out.  Unfortunate for Dennis, he discovers the body upon entering the brownstone.  And is swiftly hit over the head by Edward's killer, only to awake with the body of his cousin missing.  Lucky for him, in his back pocket resides New York homicide Lieutenant, Eve Dallas. 

Sweeping the brownstone leaves little forensic clues for Dallas and her team.  Yet, that’s where her billionaire husband Roarke comes in handy.  Though through an illegal search, Dallas uncovers some interesting details around Edward’s life.  Particularly around his years at Yale University.  A time where he formed a pact–a Brotherhood–with a string of other recently missing or murdered powerful men around New York.  Of course, this leaves Eve Dallas and her team to draw the connections.

Someone–or many–are knocking these men out one by one.  And leaving Dallas to clean up the mess.  Yet, what she discovers asks who are the true victims in this case?  Corrupt men like Edward Mira?  Or the vengeful souls plucking him and his Brotherhood down, spurred by vigilance?  Or is it justice?

And that’s how Brotherhood in Death is set up.  Now turn away if you haven’t read the book because I’m about to spoil the hell out of it.  It’s a blog post, not the New York Times review.  So those who’ve read or don’t care, let’s talk about Brotherhood in Death.  I only made this choice because writing my thoughts out were just too damn vague.  So I had to lay it all out to make sense.  It’s sort of like trying to ignore the elephant in the room.

!...SPOILER WARNING...!

A Lovely–AND Early–Surprise

Should I feel guilty for buying a copy of J. D. Robb's latest In Death book, Brotherhood in Death, early?  Hell, no.  I doubt my early contribution will stop her from stomping the New York Times Bestseller list.  So here I am, with Tuesday's (2/2/2016) release of Brotherhood in Death already in my hands.  Thanks to which employee works at my local Kroger's.  Cheers.  And keep up the "good" and "persistent" work.

Summary of Brotherhood in Death via Amazon:

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.

 A great treat to end January and START February...

Down the Robb Holes

Now, yes yes.  Down the Rabbit Hole is an anthology featuring authors other than J. D. Robb.  There’s R. C. Ryan, Mary Kay McComas, Elaine Fox, and Mary Blayney.  True.  Being the hyper sonic-speaking Robb fan I am–I’m pushing this post toward the featured In Death short, Wonderment in Death.

Like many In Death shorts in previous anthologies, it works with a theme (just as the other featured shorts).  The theme of Wonderment in Death plays with–if you haven’t guessed–Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland.

This time around Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her tribe are solving the murder/suicide of a psychiatric patient.  The patient left her doctor’s office with a swing towards her brother’s penthouse.  Having killed him, she turned around and leaped out of the building.  It appears the case is open/closed, with a sprinkle of M.O. details revolving around the relationship the patient and her brother had with their parents.  However, it’s the hallucinogenic drugs found in her system that sends a red flag to Eve and her team.  And they’ll follow that clue as it leads them to a “mad hatter’s” gas chamber.

Thrilling, face-pace, and entertainingly silly (but always charming) at times.  But as always Eve and her tribe are present in this fun, short case.  One that I walked away from cracking up.  Robb always has a little extra fun in her shorts.  This one is no different.

J.D. Robb's Devoted in Death Final Thoughts (Video)