Leverage in Death
Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb 2018
This novel has an employee with a bomb strapped to his chest blow up the owners of two companies planning a merger. Detective Eve Dallas discovers the bomber’s wife and child were hostages and the man had to choose between his family and fellow employees. He chose his family.
For any writer of a mystery or thriller Robb has a sequence of events that other writers can follow. The opening scene is dramatic and people die. No one knows the motive or real killer yet. She begins with the crime or murder and then moves to those closest to the bomber to find out clues and motive. The killers made a mistake leaving the wife and child alive, and Eve’s first clue is that the bomber is military from something he said to the wife.
The detective interviews several people, searches homes, updates her commander, and has her team gather evidence and information. It is Roarke, her mega-rich husband, who helps with motive. The two companies’ stocks will drop, but with the announcement of the merger going through, the stocks will go back up. Most people know to buy low and sell high so they can relate to this concept. The killers want to make a fast buck. That they are willing to sacrifice so many lives to make quick money, makes them evil. The bad guy must be dark and evil in order to make him dangerous and urgent for the detective to find him.
Dallas interviews more victims, and crime stories often have several rounds of interviewing witnesses. This leads to a man who knows things and soon ends up dead. But this character provides information because he knew the killers. One suspect can lead to others.
Another family is targeted and another father explodes his bomb at an art gallery in another way to raise quick money. Crimes can be repeated with the stakes raised for each one until the killers/criminals are caught. The final confrontation must be between the detective and the criminal. Eve also interrogates the criminals into a confession after they are arrested.
In between solving the crime, Dallas and Roarke have a fight, make up, and watch the Oscars to give the reader something else to think about besides murder. It also shows growth in their relationship. With a detective, it’s good to add some softness with a personal life. Robb has balanced the romance with the crime investigating throughout her series.
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