Salvation in Death (In Death #27)

by J.D. Robb

book data

941 ratings, 4.07 average rating, 139 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		35%
4		40%
3		21%
2		2%
1		0%

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published

November 4th 2008 by Putnam Adult

binding

Hardcover, 353 pages

characters

Eve Dallas, Roarke

setting

The United States

isbn

0399155228 (isbn13: 9780399155222)

description

In the year 2060, sophisticated investigative tools can help catch a killer. But there are some questions even the most advanced technologies cannot a...more

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11/04/08

Julie (jjmachshev) rated it:

bookshelves: 2008-reads

Read in November, 2008

Holy moly. I'm not sure how J.D. Robb continues to write such consistently fabulous stories about Eve and Roarke, but she's done it again with "Salvation in Death".

This time the victim is a Priest! And he was killed via the sacrament during a funeral mass. Into this holy mess (HAHA) steps Eve the cop. Musing her way through a mass (!) of subjects while trying not to step on too many toes ("I never genuflect in public.") Eve soon discovers the dead priest was n...more

Like this review? yes (7 people liked it)

3 comments

01/07/09

LJ rated it:

bookshelves: female_author, fictional_city, future, mystery, new_york_city, police_procedural

Read in December, 2008

SALVATION IN DEATH (Pol. Proc-Eve Dallas-New York City- Future/2060) - VG
Robb, J. D. (aka Nora Roberts) – 28th in series
Putnam, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780399155222

First Sentence: At the mass of the dead, the priest placed the wafer of unleavened bread and the cheap red wine on the linen corporal draping the alter.

Performing communion can be deadly. At least it was to the priest officiating at a funeral service. One sip of from the chalice and he ...more SALVATION IN DEATH (Pol. Proc-Eve Dallas-New York City- Future/2060) - VG
Robb, J. D. (aka Nora Roberts) – 28th in series
Putnam, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780399155222

First Sentence: At the mass of the dead, the priest placed the wafer of unleavened bread and the cheap red wine on the linen corporal draping the alter.

Performing communion can be deadly. At least it was to the priest officiating at a funeral service. One sip of from the chalice and he is dead.

One other small problem; as Eve investigates, she discovers he’s not really a priest either. Instead he is someone who appeared five years prior claiming to be, and having had facial surgery, a priest who now can’t be found. Eve has to determine whether the missing priest or the impersonator was the target and who is the killer.

Robb/Roberts has not lost her touch all these books later. She still knows how to grab the reader from the very beginning and keep you going until the very end. She creates great characters and sharp, crisp, often funny dialogue that you can hear in your head and sometimes even want to read out loud.

Eve is one of my favorite female characters. She is tough, smart, somewhat socially awkward and, I’m happy to say, starting to recover from the abuse of her childhood. There are some rather graphic intimate scenes, which can be skimmed over, but also show the less tough, more vulnerable side of Eve. Her husband, Roark, Is involved in this story, but less actively than in the past.

Sense of time and place is very well done. The story is set just far enough in the future to allow for imaginative technology in electronic devices and transportation. Still, it doesn’t ignore that some things continue on in time such as a woman baking bread from scratch as her grandmother once did.

The story is very well plotted. Dealing with the Catholic Church and religion could be uncomfortable or preachy, but Robb doesn’t go down either of those paths. Instead it is used to demonstrate the questions of good and faith sometimes conflicting with the law, but also the desire for some to do what is right.

Lest you mistake a book written by Robb/Roberts as being light, be assured it is not. White there are moments of humor, the story is a solid police procedural with the objective always being to obtain justice for the dead.

For me, this is a great series. As long as Robb continues to write them, I’ll continue to read them.
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11/11/08

Beth rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

bookshelves: finished

Read in November, 2008

J.D. Robb, a.k.a Nora Roberts, does not write great literature.

But she writes a ripping good story.

The year is 2060, and a Catholic priest has been murdered as he performs a Mass of the Dead.

And you just won't believe what happens next!

Lieutenant Eve Dallas, NYC homicide detective, is a tireless champion for the victims of crime.

Once again, Eve finds out "who done it," while struggling with her own demons.

Eve is sm...more

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01/31/09

Garciaa rated it:

(review of isbn 1597227889)

bookshelves: books-for-grown-ups, mystery

Read in January, 2009

I adore this series the way I adore peanut butter cups-- they might not be nutritious, but boy are they yummy! While there are some two-dimensional "extras", the main characters are well-defined. I found the examination of religion and moral ambiguity in this book to bring a greater depth to this volume than some of the other Eve Dallas novels. If I could, I would give it 4 1/2 stars, and I would recommend it to any of my friends mature enough to deal with a degree of non-gratuitous...more

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11/29/08

Merry rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

I’ve been in a major reading funk for the last month and a half. Never finishing a book that i have picked up for one reason or another, all I know is that nothing was fitting my mood. So last week I went to Barnes to find a computer book for the SO for him to study for his next certification and they didn’t have the book I was looking for, but I knew I would find Salvation in Death so I made a quick stop on the best sellers list and picked it up. I was not disappointed.

JD Robb ...more I’ve been in a major reading funk for the last month and a half. Never finishing a book that i have picked up for one reason or another, all I know is that nothing was fitting my mood. So last week I went to Barnes to find a computer book for the SO for him to study for his next certification and they didn’t have the book I was looking for, but I knew I would find Salvation in Death so I made a quick stop on the best sellers list and picked it up. I was not disappointed.

JD Robb has the knack for being able to make her settings control how she writes a story. It has been an interesting reading year for me because I haven’t read nearly as many books as I have in past years, but I have realized that I am more aware of the books that i am reading and I appreciate them a great deal more and I find more to appreciate about the authors who write them. Both books that Robb has written for the in Death series this year haven’t been the grabbed by the seat of my pants mysteries that embroil me and have me agonizing as I turn the pages, but they do have me taking my time and enjoying all the subtleties of each of these installments.

Dallas is investigating the deaths of 2 religious figures, one a Catholic priest murdered during the ritual of turning wine into Christ’s blood during a funeral and 1 Evangelist who seemed to have lost his way. As readers we have taken many journeys into the past of our favorite characters, but never before have we been asked to look beyond what we are given and see the characters on a deeper level. That is Robb’s other gift, she writes her characters with such beauty and integrity. The relationship between Eve and Roarke is one of complete and unabided love. They see each other as they are and love each other unconditionally and no matter what lines they have crossed together or separate they always meet up in the middle. There is a tenderness mixed with the fierceness in both these characters, but there is also a humor and hope that Robb has created and allowed us as readers to partake in those little moments if only for a few hours as we turn the page.

In Salvation in Death we get a glimpse of how Eve deals with the world in the shadows. Not only in the black and white where the bad guys are always bad and the victims are truly only victims. She shows such integrity and honor that with each visit to the future, I grow to respect her as a character, but to also respect Robb as an author because Eve and all the rest of her family don’t stay stagnant, but continue to grow and change which allows us as readers to not be bored after 27 installments in this amazing series.(less)

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06/21/09

Nicole rated it:

(review of isbn 042522693X)

J.D. Robb's latest paperback release Salvation in Death was a bit of a disappointment for me. I thought the storyline was rushed and not as well-rounded as past efforts in the series.

*************
Holy communion spells death for Fr. Miguel Flores, a popular Catholic priest in New York City's Spanish Harlem, after he swallows wine laced with cyanide during a funeral in bestseller Robb's unusually introspective 27th crime thriller to feature Lt. Eve Dallas (after Strangers in Deat...more J.D. Robb's latest paperback release Salvation in Death was a bit of a disappointment for me. I thought the storyline was rushed and not as well-rounded as past efforts in the series.

*************
Holy communion spells death for Fr. Miguel Flores, a popular Catholic priest in New York City's Spanish Harlem, after he swallows wine laced with cyanide during a funeral in bestseller Robb's unusually introspective 27th crime thriller to feature Lt. Eve Dallas (after Strangers in Death). The ensuing homicide investigation suggests that Flores could actually be Lino Martinez, a former member of a disbanded gang, the Soldados, suspected of two bombings before he disappeared. The death by cyanide of another religious figure, Jimmy Jay Jenkins, founder of the Church of Eternal Light, complicates matters. Are the two murders connected? Sussing out the answer to that question involves some serious digging. Dallas's husband, Roarke, and fun sidekick, Det. Delia Peabody, lend support. Robb offers a multilayered solution to several crimes that serves as yet another reminder that wolves sometimes hide in sheep's (or priest's) clothing, but justice, like faith, has no expiration date.
*************

Robb often picks elements to further Roarke and Eve's character development, in this case their POV of religion or faith, as well as how gray the line of responsibility. A large portion of the book was focused on these elements at the sacrifice of the development of Eve's friendships...we only get quick glimpses of Mavis, Mira, and Nadine and nothing of Louise & Charles (I was expecting more storyline on their wedding shower that was only briefly mentioned). Sometimes the dialogue and intimacy scenes between Roarke and Eve frustrate me because the writing style is very choppy and abrupt. I wish Robb could spend a bit more time making these more realistic. Roarke's voice sometimes seems Irish and sometimes not...would like more consistency.

The story proceeds over a handful of days, although this is usually normal. The concept of a con artist and gang member masquerading as a priest and being murdered during communion in front of his congregation was interesting to me but the killer was not difficult to figure out, not very interesting and the side story of Jimmy Jenkins seemed like filler.

Next in the series, Promises in Death, sounds more promising and was released in hardcover February 24, 2009. Mass market paperback to be released July 28, 2009.

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03/04/09

Tracy rated it:

(review of isbn 1423337573)

bookshelves: mystery

Read in March, 2009

A bit different flavor on this one - still very entertaining.

Interesting concept and investigation of the reasons behind the murder of first a priest and then a tv-preacher. The non-religious Dallas has an 'interesting' time trying to wade through religious traditions and trying separate the victims and witnesses from their jobs.

Not quite as much navel gazing and not nearly the inventive violence that has been in some of the other books in this series. Not as many place...more

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07/27/08

Eyre rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

bookshelves: mystery-suspense, read-in-2008-approx

Read in November, 2008

Another great book! I've loved all 27 entries in this series; Eve is one of my favorite female characters. Of course, Roarke is on my list of characters I'd marry. ;)

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

6 comments

01/26/09

Catherine rated it:

bookshelves: mystery

Read in January, 2009

I can't seem to stop reading this series, and it's driving me nuts! The series really started well with nice character development in an inventive futuristic world, but the characters of late have just fallen into this formulaic routine...they need to grow more. Unfortunately, this book, in particular, lacked the interaction with many of the minor characters...definitely a step in the wrong direction...less character evolution. I'm starting to think that the author of "more than 150 novels"...more

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12/06/08

Jodi rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

Read in December, 2008

I really enjoyed this book. It's a solid mystery touched by the love between Eve and Rourke. This touches on the personal but doesn't dwell there. Eve has begun to understand about love and appreciate it rather than fight against it. When a priest is murdered during a funeral it becomes all too obvious that as wonderful a priest as he was, he was much, much more. The story delves into faith and redemption. Robb doesn't fall into old patterns in this book. It isn't about managing the press or han...more

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12/31/08

Angie rated it:

(review of isbn 1597227889)

Read in December, 2008

I've been reading JD Robb's (Norah Roberts) In Death series since the beginning. I've loved every one and this one is no exception.

During a funeral mass, Father Miguel Flores drops dead after drinking from a chalice. Homicide Detective Lt. Eve Dallas learns the consecrated wine was poisoned with potassium chloride and begins a search for someone who would kill a priest. Autopsy of the victim leads to more questions when it seems Father Flores isn’t who he’s pretended to be. N...more

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01/13/09

Debbie rated it:

(review of isbn 1597227889)

Read in January, 2009

Another very good mystery from Robb/Roberts. I love this series, but I have to say this one didn't grab me as many of the others have. I still really get a kick out of the portrayal of Eve -- the tough but tender cop, and who can't but love Roarke, a sexy guy with billions to boot! Peabody and McNab are also wonderful characters -- funny and realistic. Although the mysteries are always interesting, I find they take a back seat to the wonderful characterizations and back stories of Eve and Roar...more

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05/13/09

Erin rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

Read in May, 2009

This series has long been a guilty pleasure for me, but I think it's losing its charm. The idea that Nora Roberts, a wildly successful and incredibly prolific romance novelist, would write a futuristic police procedural was so intriguing I had to pick up a copy, especially after I read in an interview that she's a Buffy fan. Her ideas about the future were often interesting and the banter between Eve Dallas and her sidekick Delia Peabody could be very entertaining, but this time out it all see...more

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11/16/08

Avarill rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

Read in November, 2008

"Salvation", a bit like "Strangers" before it, moves JD Robb's In Death series into a more traditional detective story mold. Of course it wouldn't be an Eve Dallas story if things didn't get gritty and occasionally disturbing with a heaping dollop of creative profanity. But what we have here is an emphasis on the mystery itself and peeling back the layers until truth is found and justice achieved. Of course I really read these stories for the characters, and Eve, Rourke, P...more

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11/06/08

Cherise rated it:

bookshelves: romantic-suspense

Read in November, 2008

In the year 2060 during the Catholic funeral mass of a popular figure in Spanish Harlem, a beloved priest raises his cup of wine, drinks, and falls dead. Homicide Lieutenant, Eve Dallas, and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, are brought in from the New York Police and Security Department to investigate the death. Who would kill a priest during mass? And more importantly, why? With every step of the investigation, more questions than answers arise, as all isn’t as it appears on the surf...more

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01/02/09

Ann rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

Read in January, 2009

This is the 29th book in J. D. Robb's (Nora Roberts' nom de plume) In Death series. I have read each and every one, the last ten as they came out. The past few have not been as compelling as earlier ones. Maybe i just got used to her formula and found them easier to figure out. Anyway, this one was a "page turner" for me, and I greatly enjoyed reading how Eve solved the case (priest poisoned at altar), what she did to bring the perp to justice, and how she tied everything up.

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12/25/08

Kerry rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

bookshelves: audio-listened, in-audible-library, in-death, sci-fi--futuristic

Read in February, 2009

Ok, so I jumped from book 11 to 27 because I'm impatient :) haha! It just happened to be on my iPod (good sale on the audio) and needed something good to listen to since the other 4 I had on there just weren't catching my attention during a stressful and distracting week. Listening to this one also turned out to be quite the mental agility test :)! I was reading Judgment in Death (book 11) and listening to this one at the same time. One looking for cop killer, one looking for priest killer, so I...more

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01/01/09

Ivy rated it:

Read in January, 2009

I have been reading this series almost since it started. I have enjoyed most of them. This one though a good story, did not seem to have the same rhythum to it...there seemed to be something missing. The scenes with Eve and Roarke where hot to say the least but there didn't seem to be as much inter action between Eve and the other members of the NYPSD like she usually has. There wasn't the group effort in this one like in past books.

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02/02/09

Amanda rated it:

(review of isbn 0749908904)

Read in February, 2009

Having read all of J.D. Robb's books, and yes that is a little shaming, I have to say that this is one of the best of hers that I have read in awhile. I liked the plot involving the church and liked that, for once, it was not a huge case that needed everyone involved. It was not over the top but just a nice solid mystery. Eve and Roarke still make me laugh and I liked the balance of their personal life with the mystery. Hope the next one is just as good!

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