Book Review - Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb
Category Book Review J. D. Robb Fantasy in Death
So my favorite "romance writer" is at it again... Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb in Fantasy in Death. I make no bones about loving the In Death series, as it's *not* romance, but a sci-fi'ish crime series with characters that almost feel like family after so many installments. And while the last couple of books seemed to be lacking a bit of the magic I've come to expect, Fantasy is back on the normal track.
This time, Lt. Eve Dallas catches a case that seems to have no explanation. The head of a gaming company, Bart Minnock, is found in his holo-room, his head forcibly separated from his body. It's obvious that he was playing the company's latest game under development, but all the electronic evidence points to him being in the room by himself. And holo-technology is not such that physical wounds can be inflicted. His three other friends who run the company are distraught over his death, but Dallas figures that one (or more) of them *have* to somehow be responsible for the death. She just doesn't have a clue as to how they could have pulled it off given the evidence. She's forced into relying heavily on her EDD team and Roarke to dig past all the blocks and tech, but even they don't see how Minnock could have been killed without another physical person being present. However, when another holo-room death occurs under the same circumstances, Dallas has to take some major risks to flush out the killer, whoever they may be.
Roberts also takes Dallas into a subplot involving friendship and what that means in terms of being there for someone. Given that Dallas isn't comfortable with almost any forms of personal intimacy due to her childhood trauma, these issues loom large in her life. With the way the story unfolds, you see that Dallas is making progress in that area, though. In addition, these insights help her to focus on why four friends might not be as "friendly" as they appear. Overall, Roberts takes Fantasy in Death back to the type of plot and storytelling that makes it my favorite series. The crime is the focus, the technology adds plenty of color to satisfy my geekiness, and it's just a great overall read.
And as always, I can hardly wait until the next installment...
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Library
Payment: Borrowed
So my favorite "romance writer" is at it again... Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb in Fantasy in Death. I make no bones about loving the In Death series, as it's *not* romance, but a sci-fi'ish crime series with characters that almost feel like family after so many installments. And while the last couple of books seemed to be lacking a bit of the magic I've come to expect, Fantasy is back on the normal track.
This time, Lt. Eve Dallas catches a case that seems to have no explanation. The head of a gaming company, Bart Minnock, is found in his holo-room, his head forcibly separated from his body. It's obvious that he was playing the company's latest game under development, but all the electronic evidence points to him being in the room by himself. And holo-technology is not such that physical wounds can be inflicted. His three other friends who run the company are distraught over his death, but Dallas figures that one (or more) of them *have* to somehow be responsible for the death. She just doesn't have a clue as to how they could have pulled it off given the evidence. She's forced into relying heavily on her EDD team and Roarke to dig past all the blocks and tech, but even they don't see how Minnock could have been killed without another physical person being present. However, when another holo-room death occurs under the same circumstances, Dallas has to take some major risks to flush out the killer, whoever they may be.
Roberts also takes Dallas into a subplot involving friendship and what that means in terms of being there for someone. Given that Dallas isn't comfortable with almost any forms of personal intimacy due to her childhood trauma, these issues loom large in her life. With the way the story unfolds, you see that Dallas is making progress in that area, though. In addition, these insights help her to focus on why four friends might not be as "friendly" as they appear. Overall, Roberts takes Fantasy in Death back to the type of plot and storytelling that makes it my favorite series. The crime is the focus, the technology adds plenty of color to satisfy my geekiness, and it's just a great overall read.
And as always, I can hardly wait until the next installment...
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Library
Payment: Borrowed
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Posted by Joel M. Phelan At 19:14:52 On 08/04/2010 | - Website - |
Posted by Duffbert At 19:23:53 On 08/04/2010 | - Website - |