Imitation in Death

Assisted by her aide, Peabody, Eve compiles a list of suspects that includes several high-profile possibilities. Their very prominence, however, complicates the investigation, for they have the power and influence to make the search difficult. All of the suspects are reluctant to cooperate but one of them is playing with Eve like a cat with a mouse by tempting her with crime scene notes and challenging her to find him. Can Eve stop him before he slaughters again? Or will his next victim be Eve herself?

Author JD Robb, aka Nora Roberts, doesn't miss a beat in this police procedural thriller. The futuristic setting is rich with imaginative details; the cast of supporting characters offers an intriguing variety, while Eve and Roarke's relationship is layered with emotional intimacy and spiced with sex. Whether you're a faithful follower or new to the series, you won't be disappointed in the edge-of-the-seat suspense in Imitation in Death. --Lois Faye Dyer, Amazon.com

When a second victim is found, together with another note for Eve, the killer shows his versatility by changing his modus operandi. Now he is not imitating Jack the Riper anymore, but the Boston Strangler. Dallas is now facing a clever criminal, and her list of suspects include powerful men that can destroy her career if she misses a step. Of course, those who have been reading this series know that this will not intimidate Eve, and as expected she moves forward full force with her case.

In the personal arena, Eve is dealing with Peabody, her aide, who is preparing the detective's exam and with the nervous wreck she currently is due to the situation. Peabody is also looking for a place to move in together with her love, the computer whiz McNabb. On the home front, Eve pretends to be in paradise due to Summerset being away, but it is clear that she misses Roarke's butler and best friend. And her husband, Roarke, is going through a confusing time after having discovered the truth about his mother's death.

Once again Robb does a very good job in merging together the mystery with the development of the personal stories of the main characters. After a book like "Portrait in Death" which had highly emotional moments it is hard to keep up the intensity, and this shows a little bit in the current novel. Nevertheless, the result is better than good and there is no reason to pass this one up.


Excellent read!   June 28, 2004
 4 out of 6 found this review helpful

I love the "in death" series and this book does not disappoint! I couldn't put it down.


Intriguing reading!   May 11, 2004
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Eve Dallas, a police lieutenant, faces the most challenging case of her career, when she has to track down a serial killer that duplicates the brutal killing styles of notorious serial killers. A prostitute (LC is the term used in the book) is killed in the style of Jack the Ripper and the next victim meets their fate a la Boston Strangler style. With each murder, a personal note is left for Eve as the killer singles her out. Roarke, Eve's husband, is not the least bit amused with this last fact.

Robb, a.k.a. Nora Roberts, offers a splendid blend of mystery, thriller action, internal friction amongst the principle characters and poignant intimacy spiced with a dash of sex to make this a very interesting read. I recommend this book.


Imitation In Death - Imitation in Murder Scenarios   August 30, 2003
 19 out of 21 found this review helpful

After 17 full length novels (and 2 short stories) about futuristic cop, Lt Eve Dallas of NYPSD, set in the middle of the 21st Century, only a couple of years have passed since the first book and New York seems to be rather a dangerous place to live - there seems to be a LOT of homicides. Book 18 follows a few weeks after Portrait In Death and yet another serial killer is on the loose - this time imitating the crimes of famous historical serial killers; Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy to name a few... With a murderer changing his modus operandi each time he kills makes catching the killer more difficult, but this book is really all police procedure (with a splash of series subplots)and in the end, Eve gets her man, with the help from mega rich hubby (with security cracking skills and plenty of money and resources -what more can you have to solve a case?), her ever stalwart detective in training, Peabody and the rest of her team. This should be an enjoyable read for diehard fans (but its not one of the best novels in the series), but definitely not one for new readers.


A fans review   August 26, 2003
 27 out of 29 found this review helpful

I really enjoyed this instalment of the In Death series.
I was kept guessing right to the end about which suspect was the one imitating mass murderers from the past.
In this book we continue to see Eve's growing relationship with the other characters and also how she herself is developing through these contacts.
I especially liked the glimpse into how she sees Dr. Mira and how Dr. Mira thinks of Eve. We aslo see how this has impacted on Dr. Mira's daughter.
As usual the working relationship between Eve and Peabody injects humour into the story, as does her reaction to the relatiohship between Peabody and McNab.
I was shocked along with Peabody when, for a few miutes, we thought that she would no longer be working for Eve but we were both quickly reasured.
I did miss the interaction between Eve and Sommerset as he was still on holiday till nearly the end of the book but her joy at his being away and her reaction to his return did make me laugh.
I am looking forward to seeing how Eve compes with Mavis and the new baby when it arrives as her reactions so far always raise a chuckle.