by
J. D. Robb
ISBN: 0-425-17630-4 Order from: Amazon.com
A good if superficial mystery, the book suffers from a rather flat villain, and slightly annoying romantic emphasis.
Reviewed by David on September 27, 2000
Genre: Mystery (Near Future, Romance, Police Procedural)
Synopsis: Set about 60 years in the future, not much has changed in this somewhat superficial portrayal of the New York City.
When the murder of a man in a high-class strip club throws suspicion on an undercover police investigation, Eve Dallas gets involved in a morass of doubts, threats and indignation surrounding the connections of a vicious crime boss with the law enforcement.
Full Review: While fast and suspenseful, this installment in the popular series suffered from two flaws. The major villain of the piece was vicious enough, but seemed to lack both proper motivation and intelligence to act as a truly tough antagonist. Dallas's perfectly romantic husband, Roarke, had intruded too much, both in melodramatic speech, and in boorishly macho actions.
In other respects, this pleasant mystery still satisfied, particularly in interplay with Dallas's police sidekicks, and in the final scene with the main suspect.
Overall: 5.5; Plot: 5; Characters: 5; Style: 5.5; World-building: 5; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 2000, Berkley Publishing Group (Berkley), September 2000, Mass market paperback
ISBN: 0-425-17630-4 Order from: Amazon.com