Saturday, December 9, 2017

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Review: Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb

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Title: Apprentice in Death
Series: In Death
Author: J.D. Robb
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Berkley
ASOM: B019DHP654

The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park’s ice-skating rink. The victims: a talented young skater, a doctor, and a teacher. As random as random can be.

Eve Dallas has seen a lot of killers during her time with the NYPSD but never one like this. A review of the security videos reveals that the victims were killed with a tactical laser rifle fired by a sniper, who could have been miles away when the trigger was pulled. And though the list of locations where the shooter could have set up seems endless, the number of people with that particular skill set is finite: police, military, professional killer.

Eve’s husband, Roarke, has unlimited resources—and genius—at his disposal. And when his computer program leads Eve to the location of the sniper, she learns a shocking fact: There were two—one older, one younger. Someone is being trained by an expert in the science of killing, and they have an agenda. Central Park was just a warm-up. And as another sniper attack shakes the city to its core, Eve realizes that though we’re all shaped by the people around us, there are those who are just born evil...

My rating:

First, there were three at the skating rink in Central Park, then four with an additional one wounded in Times Square...New York City is obviously plagued by a LDSK, a long distance serial killer, a highly-skilled sniper, picking his targets at random.

Yet Lieutenant Eve Dallas doubts the killings are random, she feels there's a connection between one at each site, with others chosen as cover. She knows she doesn't have much time to figure out the sniper's agenda or their identity, because with the escalating numbers of dead, it looks like the LDSK has developed a taste for murder.


After all this time, Ms Robb still has what it takes to sweep me off my feet, so to speak, and leave me speechless and thrilled with this series.
This book is definitely one of my favorites with every single plot element, every single character and character trait, perfectly mixing and working together to create an amazing, intense, gripping story.

The pacing and tempo were spot-on, the narrative flowed seamlessly from one scene to the next...The murder plotline and the villain were sickening (there is no other word for it); some people truly are born psycho- and sociopaths. The reasoning, the final bragging brought a shiver down my spine, and made me wish Eve and Co would actually (once, just once) decide to teach someone a lesson with that imaginary rubber hose.
That final scene in Interrogation was truly chilling and creepy with the narration bringing vivid pictures of the scene. Kudos.

Then there were the characters, beloved, flawed, sometimes incomprehensible, yet so absolutely perfect together and suited to the series. Eve, Roarke, Peabody, Feeney, McNab, Dr. Mira, Summerset and others, have become a little like family members to me, and I always love to see what's going on with them, but I felt like they were really written to bring their A-game for this story. Not one single misstep (even the little fight between Eve and Roarke in the middle of chaos was good, because that's how they roll), just great characters living great relationships...With the icing on the cake of a little girl's birthday party to wash away the gruesome.

Yes, the story was ugly, but so's life. That's why there have to be moments of beauty in it. To balance the scales.

Loved it.

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