Kat with a K

Review: Ceremony in Death

Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb
Genre: Mystery, futuristic
Pages: 329
Rating: 4.3

J.D. Robb is the name under which Nora Roberts writes futuristic mysteries about Eve Dallas, police detective. I will turn in my "literary snob" sash and admit that I love Roberts's books, under either name. She consistently creates compelling characters and settings and tells good stories. And those are the main things I ask for from most novels. Roberts delivers it, over and over (and at a rather astonishing pace), and it annoys me how many people assume her books are bad simply based on the fact that they sell lots of copies.

Anyway. (Stepping off soapbox.) This is the fifth installment of the Eve Dallas series, and like the others, it features an interesting mystery, nifty futuristic technology, personal growth for Eve, and developments in her relationship with her now-husband, the mysterious, sexy Roarke. I tend to read mysteries more for characters than for the actual mystery, and I am impressed by how Robb has kept the Eve/Roarke relationship interesting without imposing too many fake-seeming obstacles. I hope she keeps it up through the rest of the series. The actual mystery in this one involves a cult, and has some interesting things to say in that area. It was a dependably fun read; I'd recommend the series to mystery fans who don't mind a bit of sci fi and romance thrown in - start with Naked in Death.