The story

Nine years, two weeks, and three days ago Lt. Eve Dallas was a detective working secondary on her first big case. Over twe weeks, The Groom tortured and murdered four women. He was nicknamed The Groom because of the ring he left with the victims. The case was never solved but now he's back and it is Eve's turn to run the investigation. Dallas takes her cases personally but this one becomes even more personal when she pieces together that all the women worked for her husband Roarke and she may be one of the killer's intended victims. A task force is swiftly organized with one goal - find the killer before the next woman dies.

Creation in Death is the 27th book in Robb's ...in Death series and I've read them all. I described these books to a friend as a guilty pleasure but I am unrepentent about enjoying them. If uninterrupted I can finish one in a couple of hours so they are not heavy reading.

About the series.

The books are set in New York city in the future, the first in 2058 and the latest in 2060. There are science fiction elements. For example: space flight, including, apparently, interstellar, is commercialized and and available for recreational travel; the police use weapons similar to the Star Trek phaser that can be set to stun or kill; communication devices, both mobile and home devices, are well developed; nearly sentient robots are used for personal servants and to supplement the human workforce in a variety of jobs; they have flying cars (about time, we were promised them years ago); and something like the Star Trek holodeck can be found in the homes of the wealthy. But the stories are not science fiction and the gee-whiz technology is, for the most part, just background.

Eve Dallas is married to Roarke, the most wealthy man in the universe. Eve doesn't care about the money and has to be taken in hand by Roarke and several friends to attend to clothing and personal grooming. Roarke has a shady past but he makes himself an honest man to help him win Eve. In addition to his vast wealth, Roarke is good looking, generous, a genius with security and computers, and doesn't look at others in terms of class. He is also brought into cases as a consultant.

In the first book, Eve and Roarke meet while she is working a case. Roarke is instantly smitten; it takes Eve a bit longer to warm up to him and she strongly resists having anything to do with his wealth. Eventually they marry.

So why do I like this book and why does the series appeal to me?

The mystery/crime genre is one of my favorite sources of pleasure reading and the ...in Death series falls into the police procedural sub-genre. The cases build logically and Robb doesn't pull solutions out of the air. They collect evidence and one discovery leads to another. One somewhat science fiction device does come into play frequently - massive computing power. They are able to perform deep data mining at a level we are just starting to work toward. And the computers can take that data and correlate it against an apparently unlimited number of parameters.

For me, though, the ...in Death series is character driven. While the crimes are generally interesting, I read the books for the characters. Picking up this latest was like meeting old friends. By the way, if you haven't read any of this series, don't start here because you will miss a lot. Seriously. First read the other 26 in order. Robb does a wonderful job of gradually fleshing out her characters over the course of the books. The relationship between Roarke and Eve is initially rocky at time, matures, and stabilizes. Bits of Eve's and Roarke's pasts are revealed gradually. Friends are introduced, integrated into their lives, and are also developed. In fact, Robb did something interesting in Creation in Death with two of her recurring characters, Mavis the former thief, now rock singer, and wife to a clothing designer and Trina, the hair and makeup expert. Their knowledge and skills are nicely worked into the story and play a part in identifying the killer.

I also like the dialog she provides the characters. She carries off the insulting banter among the cops very well and comes up with interesting turns of phrase and the slang of the isn't forced. Here is an exchange between Roark and two police officers working the investigation:

Yo, Blondie-boy," she called out and McNab glanced over his shoulder.

"You talking to me, D-Cup?"

"You're up. Liquid."

"Can do. You want?" he said to Roark. "Something to drink."

"Yes, thanks."

"Buzz or no buzz??

It took Roarke a moment to translate, and in that moment he felt very old. "Could use the buzz."

"On it." As McNab bounced out of the room, Calendar sent Roarke a quick and pretty smile.

"So, you're like absolutely packed, right? Doing the backstroke in the megawealth. What's that like?"

"Satisfying," he decided.

"Betcha." With a push of her feed, she sent her chair skidding over so she could see his screen. "Wow. Multidudinous data with simo searches and cross. You got secondary recog going, too?"

This, he could easily translate. "I do. cheking like names, anagrams, cross dates. Lay it down for a spread, do deep for ancestry, and other potential connects."

"Smart. McNab said you were frosty in there. Serious mining."

These books are a cross of several genres: some elements of the romance novel; bits of science fiction; and more of police procedural.The characters are likable and there are usually a few laughs. They can be explicit in sex and violence. for the most part I consider them a light, fun read.

If I was going to single out a weakness it would be that Roarke is too good to be true: incredibly wealthy and attractive; a genius with security and computers; and able to help the police solve cases using his hacking and data mining skills. I think his characterization comes out of Robb's (actually Nora Roberts) romance novelist side. Still, there is enough sex and violence to make the books interesting to guys.

This book is one of those rare things, a book I had to read for work that was worth every minute I invested in it. I can read crime fiction till the cows come home, but I never go near true crime, and I'd have steered clear of a book obviously about Myra Hindley (clue's on the cover, though she's never named); but I had to pick something to read from the World Book Day top ten, and they were all about death anyway, so I thought what the hell. Better than the book about the teenager dying of cancer, which made me cry on the train when I tried to read it.

The story centres on the policeman given the unenviable job of guarding Myra Hindley's body the night before her funeral, and the thought processes he goes through during the hours he spends there. He has plenty of time to think about his relationship with his wife, his struggles with being a dad to a downs syndrome daughter, and his own past. He is even visited by Hindley's ghost, and has conversations with her.

I don't remember much of what I learned during my English degree, but I do remember being told that detective novels give comfort to people, because they take evil and embody it in one person; then they catch that person, lock them up, and the reader feels safer. Evil has been explained, contained. None of this happens on a conscious level, but it makes perfect sense to me, and gives me an answer when I'm asked on occasion, how can you read books about murder for relaxation? I bring this up, because this book does the opposite. The author bravely takes on a figure that so many of us, for generations, have associated with the nature of evil, not wanting to think that there's anything remotely human about her, or that she might have anything in common with us. Rupert Thomson does not for a moment lessen the horror of what Hindley did, or dodge any difficult questions, so I don't believe anyone should be offended by his treatment of the subject. He will make you think, but as any good writer should, does not impose his views on you.

FBI Special Agents Chris Delone and Marc Cullen are on the trail of a diabolical serial killer, known only as “Cutthroat”. With the identity of the bad guy revealed very early on, this is more an action packed, heart stopping detective drama than mystery novel.

The depth of this killer’s depravity is chilling, utilizing modern technology, as well as, chemical substances to incapacitate his victims Cutthroat continues to ratchet up the stakes. The inevitable showdown with detective’s takes a stunning turn, when Cutthroat discovers that the woman he considered his ultimate prey has found sanctuary in the arms of agent Chris Delone. Enraged and on the edge of absolute insanity, the killer simply adjusts his plans to include both Holly and the agent.

Parker writes with distinct voice and stylized action that is exciting and entertaining. A definite no holds barred, gutsy detective novel that takes the reader deep into the psyche of a social deviant that preys on the innocent. Although I would like to see a bit more character development, as individuals, to give the reader the opportunity to become emotionally invested in all aspects of the story, “Look Into The Eyes of Evil” is a good read that sets a solid stage for future installments.

I look forward to reading the entire  Badge of Honor series.

Happy Reading! RJ xx

Purchase a copy of this book.

Sunny Randall, former Boston cop turned private detective, has always been my least favorite of Robert B. Parker's series characters. It's not that she's a woman, it's that I've never found Parker's major female characters remotely convincing *as* women. Interesting, yes. Fun to read about, yes. Believable? Not even close. Parker writing a novel series *as* a woman (Sunny's adventures are told in the first person) is not a pretty sight.

Spenser, as fans of his adventures have long since realized, has no significant flaws. Jesse Stone has a couple: he's a recovering alcoholic, and he can't let go of his serially unfaithful ex-wife, Jen (why is anybody's guess . . . the woman is a walking, talking train wreck). Sunny has enough flaws for any two lead characters--maybe even three. Her mother is a full-blown alcoholic, her sister is a nitwit on the verge of marrying a pretentious jerk, her closest female friend is a basket case who makes Jesse Stone's ex look well-adjusted, and she can't let go of her divorced-and-remarried former husband, Richie. The most stable relationships in Sunny's life are (in no particular order) her gay best friend Spike, her dog Rosie, and her ex-husband's Uncle Felix . . . an amiable old guy even if he *is* a mob boss. One of the recurring problems with the "Sunny Randall" series is that her personal life keeps threatening to overwhelm her professional life, and the psychology keeps threatening to swamp the detection. Both happen here, with a vengeance.

The plot, on paper at least, is promising. Twenty years ago, a serial killer was terrorizing Boston, shooting his victims in public places and leaving a handful of small coins on their corpses. Sunny's father, a Boston cop, was the head of the task force that searched for him without result. Now, after a two-decade hiatus, the killings have begun again and Sunny's now-retired dad has been called on to consult. He asks her to help, and she (adoring him and eager for his approval) agrees.

In practice, it's all less interesting than it sounds. Solving the actual crimes takes roughly half the book, and feels like its stretched at that. Sunny does very little actual detecting, but she doesn't *need* to do much. The prime suspect practically marches into the story labelled SERIAL KILLER. What detection there is in the story is parcelled out in small doses tucked between long bouts of psychological analysis. Sunny analyzes her relationship with Richie. Sunny analyzes her relationship with Julie. Sunny analyzes her relationship with the suspect. Sunny analyzes her relationship with her father (but seems curiously oblivious to the rest of her family even when she's in the same room with them). Periodically, she discusses all this with her shrink, one Dr. Silverman, and (because the good doctor speaks to her patients like she was being charged by the word) this mostly involves Sunny talking some more. Worst of all, in the last chapter, we get to hear the killer Explain It All (just in case we haven't been paying attention). Feh.

There are, of course, some bright spots amid the torrent of talk and the dearth of detection:

The repertory company of cops that Parker had developed over the years turns out in force for this one, and are used to good advantage. It's especially nice to see Captain Quirk have more than a walk-on role. Richie is as blank as usual, but his relationship with Sunny takes an interesting turn and is actually engrossing for once. There are also a couple of nicely done scenes of escalating tension leading to violence, one relevant to the story and one not. They show that Parker hasn't lost his touch, but they leave you wishing he'd do it a bit more often. They also (weirdly) account for much of the story's humor (something else that I found myself wishing for more of).

Parker is nothing if not a capable craftsman, and on a line-by-line level the book reads well. It'll divert you for the day or two it'll take you to read it, and especially if you get it out of the library you'll still respect yourself in the morning. Parker has done better in this series, however, and *far* better in other series.