Rating: 
Summary: Eve Dallas just gets better and better
Review: The usual futuristic murder, mayhem, electronic intrigue, and psychological angst familiar to fans of Lieutenant Eve Dallas, the brainchild of Nora Roberts, a.k.a. J.D. Robb, take a back seat, again as usual, to Roberts' ever-evolving characters. Like the tough, courageous, makeup-scorning New York-loving culturally deprived but brilliantly wise Eve, the reader has difficulty selecting a favorite from Roberts' list of "suspects": the stalwart, always-hungry Officer Delia Peabody, Eve's sidekick, fretting over the detectives' exam; Peabody's main squeeze, the ultimate computer geek Detective Ian McNab, whose relationship with Peabody Eve has at last (reluctantly) accepted; Charles Monroe, the smooth-talking but heart-of-gold LC (that's high-class legal prostitute) dating Eve's doctor friend after a tense love triangle with Peabody and McNab; Mavis Freestone, Eve's pregnant but untamed friend; Dr. Charlotte Mira, the razor-sharp-within-velvet-gloves New York police (NYPSD) psychologist who horrifies Eve by inviting her to a family barbecue; Eve's mother and father, who would make Susan Smith's blood run cold, glimpsed in Eve's nightmares; and Roarke, Eve's wealthy, romantic, utterly sexy (his attempt at a private barbecue is adorably botched) husband who, like her, emerged from a rough childhood as a productive if not always law-abiding citizen.
Motherhood and family, including the extended family Eve has put together (her relationships with Peabody, Roarke and Mira in particular become richer), form the heart of this thriller, combined with the sharp police work, moral compass and hot loving sex readers have come to expect.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Ult and Icy Stuff.
Review: There is some excellent plot and character in this latest Robb book. First off, if you've never read any of the J.D. Robb series, you're missing out, and shouldn't start here, but with 'Naked in Death' the first in the series.
Eve Dallas is a tough detective in an even tougher future New York. In 'Imitation in Death,' the latest serial killer is imitating the serial killers of history, and has left notes for Dallas - all but taunting her inability to make it stop. While Dallas does her usual hard-ass investigation, the list of suspects quickly fills itself - with important and influential individuals. She certainly can't afford to mess this one up.
With help from her sexy-to-the-"ult" husband Roarke (no other name) and her relationship-jittery aide Delia Peabody, Eve tries to hunt down the baddie with her usual zest and sarcasm. Her bafflement with all things feminine and family continues, and the sub-plot of Eve's slowly uncovering amnesia/repression about her family gets a little further in this book - with some startling results.
Even better, the secondary characters we all know and love - Peabody especially, taking her Detective's test - all get a bit of book-time in 'Imitation in Death.' They grow, change, and interact with the sassy style you're used to from Robb, and with awesome results.
You'll find it ult. Icy, even. But definitely murder.
'Nathan
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: This book is very disappointing. It appears Robb did not take the time to develop the storyline with interaction from the previous Death series characters. Eve and Roark are one-dimensional without a lot of interaction from Summerset, Mavis etc.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, Wow, Wow!
Review: This may be the best Eve Dallas story to date. I don't think I've ever laughed so much or been so stumped with one of her books. Eve finally deals with the memories of her mother, Peabody takes the dectective exam, Roarke takes on the challenge of a backyard grill, and oh yeah, they're looking for a killer who imitates famous serial killers. This series started off well, but the continued addition and development of repeat characters has created a made it a must have for my limited and overloaded bookshelves. This is one I know that I'll be reading soon.
Rating:
Summary: Another page-turner in an entertaining series
Review: This series never disappoints, as long as you're looking for escapist detective fiction. The storyline gallops along, and as usual, the identity of the villain is not obvious. With the exception of Summerset, who is on vacation for most of the story, the main characters are all present and consistently entertaining and interesting. Peabody is getting ready for her detective's exam and Eve is beginning to have dreams about her mother. Of course there is also the usual mix of humor, murder and mystery. A killer is emulating famous serial killers, and Eve finds that her suspects all have something to hide. Note that although J.D. Robb is the nom de plume of a successful romance writer, this is no Barbara Cartland.
Rating:
Summary: Long awaited---and worth it!
Review: This was my favorite book of the entire "In Death" series. I am not sure what a reader who is not familiar with the characters and on-going plot would think but for all of us hard core Eve Dallas fans this book was excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Strong police procedural highlights 17th Eve Dallas !
Review: We continue to be astounded at the publishing pace of Nora Roberts. Despite her "regular" books under her own name, these fun NYPD homicide Lt. Eve Dallas stories, written as "JD Robb", keep coming at the rate of one or two a year. "Imitation...", the 17th entry in the "... In Death" series, is not the emotional blockbuster of the just prior two ("Purity..." and "Portrait..."), but nonetheless entertains throughout this tough-minded police procedural. When a licensed companion (that's a "hooker" in year 2059 parlance) is found brutally murdered in the style of Jack the Ripper, followed in quick succession by the killing of a popular female apartment dweller, slain Boston Strangler style, it doesn't take the two notes recovered from the bodies, on unusual stationary, to clue any of us that a vicious copycat serial killer is on the loose. When it turns out the notes are addressed to Dallas personally, it's also clear that she herself is probably on the intended hit list, providing immense worry to her billionaire but loving husband Roarke. His role in this novel, as in many of the prior tales, is one of Eve's crime-solving sidekick, along with faithful aide Officer Delia Peabody. Fortunately, the notepaper provides a small roster of immediate suspects, but Robb cleverly keeps us guessing, 'til like ten pages before the end, which of the half dozen users of the stationary might be the real sicko. While a sub-plot of sorts involves Peabody's trials and tribulations getting ready for her detective's exam, the storyline is very much ala Ellery Queen in terms of clues, follow-up, and solid police work. Eve's intuition serves her well, but her assembling and processing of the clues is flawless as she gradually zeroes in, then sucks in, the bad guy. Eve's hardships as an abused young girl, and her husband's often "shady" background provide the usual backdrop to much of the motivation of the principals. Their marital relationship is always a subject of both display and discussion. Meanwhile, Peabody's moving in with McNab, another regular, provides a foil in "examining" the nature of adults living together. We're still big fans of the whole set, and at the point when many similar ongoing character series novels have long gone stale, find continued enjoyment in Dallas' pursuits. We think you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Strong police procedural highlights 17th Eve Dallas !
Review: We continue to be astounded at the publishing pace of Nora Roberts. Despite her "regular" books under her own name, these fun NYPD homicide Lt. Eve Dallas stories, written as "JD Robb", keep coming at the rate of one or two a year. "Imitation...", the 17th entry in the "... In Death" series, is not the emotional blockbuster of the just prior two ("Purity..." and "Portrait..."), but nonetheless entertains throughout this tough-minded police procedural. When a licensed companion (that's a "hooker" in year 2059 parlance) is found brutally murdered in the style of Jack the Ripper, followed in quick succession by the killing of a popular female apartment dweller, slain Boston Strangler style, it doesn't take the two notes recovered from the bodies, on unusual stationary, to clue any of us that a vicious copycat serial killer is on the loose. When it turns out the notes are addressed to Dallas personally, it's also clear that she herself is probably on the intended hit list, providing immense worry to her billionaire but loving husband Roarke. His role in this novel, as in many of the prior tales, is one of Eve's crime-solving sidekick, along with faithful aide Officer Delia Peabody. Fortunately, the notepaper provides a small roster of immediate suspects, but Robb cleverly keeps us guessing, 'til like ten pages before the end, which of the half dozen users of the stationary might be the real sicko. While a sub-plot of sorts involves Peabody's trials and tribulations getting ready for her detective's exam, the storyline is very much ala Ellery Queen in terms of clues, follow-up, and solid police work. Eve's intuition serves her well, but her assembling and processing of the clues is flawless as she gradually zeroes in, then sucks in, the bad guy. Eve's hardships as an abused young girl, and her husband's often "shady" background provide the usual backdrop to much of the motivation of the principals. Their marital relationship is always a subject of both display and discussion. Meanwhile, Peabody's moving in with McNab, another regular, provides a foil in "examining" the nature of adults living together. We're still big fans of the whole set, and at the point when many similar ongoing character series novels have long gone stale, find continued enjoyment in Dallas' pursuits. We think you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Another J.D. Robb Triumph!
Review: What a terrific novel! Imitation in Death is another great outing by J.D. Robb. The mystery is terrific, even at the denoument, I had no idea who the murderer was. It also features a lot of terrific scenes with Eve and Roarke, including a hilarious outing with the barbeque. Don't miss this story, although if you're new to the series, I really recommend reading the books in order.
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