Purity in Death

Rating:
Summary: Purity in Death by J.D.Robb
Review: One of her best in the series! Eve is a little more relaxed, fewer flashbacks and Roarke is more fun! Also it is an easier read for me when they are not being personally physically attacked and swinging from tall buildings and chandeliers

Rating:
Summary: THIS SERIES IS ALWAYS A GOOD READ
Review: I was hooked after the first book in this series. I didn't give this one my usual 5 stars because I have to admit that some aspects of the story-telling are getting a little repetitive. Certainly one can't love this series and not love the characters. They are always a strength of this writer and she is continues to be true to them. While we get to enjoy their growth and the changes that make them come alive and believable to us as readers, I have to admit that I'm getting a little tired of Eve's overly familar idiosyncracies. When I start to skip over paragraphs because I've read the same thing in all the previous books, it might be time for the writer to figure out how to freshen up this series a bit. While I do realize that each book must also be written for people who have never read any of the others, I think the criticism of Ms. Roberts proliferation abilities might be starting to ring true. The Janet Evanovich series with Stephanie Plum come out once a year, and I think they just keep getting better. ARE YOU LISTENING NORA? You're talent is too great, and your readers too loyal, to settle for less than your best.

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Summary: Everyone should spend some time "In Death"
Review: When I saw that "Purtiy in Death" was out, I wasn't sure if I was going to buy it, due the fact I haven't really enjoyed Ms. Robb's last few books. Well, I got and I so HAPPY that I did. Purity in Death is great! Lt. Eve Dallas and Roarke are back and they are in top form and on the hunt of a group who want Absolute Purity. In true Robb fashion, secondary characters such as Peabody,McNab,Feeney,Trueheart,and Baxter all are present and help to enrich the storyline.
If the you have the time, spend some of it "In Death"

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Summary: fantastic futuristic romantic thriller
Review: The summer of 2059 in New York is brutal and tempers are flaring over trifling things. The New York Police and Security Department are kept busy leading to Lieutenant Eve Dallas reaching the end of her rope. When Louis Cogburn, a low level drug dealer who sells to children, suddenly goes berserk killing someone and injuring another person before he dies Eve catches the case.

At the scene of the blood bath she notices that on Louis's computer is the message "ABSOLUTE PURITY ACHIEVED". She orders the computer brought to headquarters where an officer specializing in computers examines it. Eight hours later the officer goes berserk, killing a peer and injuring another before he's killed. Eve immediately realizes that a virus on the computer is being passed on to humans, causing them to die. The Purity Seekers, an organization dedicated to destroying those who hurt the innocents takes credit for Louis's death. When a pediophile is found dead with the same message on it as Louis received, Eve realizes she has to smoke out the terrorists fast before they mete out their own brand of vigilante justice.

This is the fifteenth in the Death series and it is as fresh and innovative as the first book in this ongoing saga. The characters are growing and evolving with readers liking even the secondary cast almost as much as they adore the hero and heroine. In PURITY IN DEATH, the heroine's husband provides technical advice to Eve, but this time she figures out who the terrorists are and brings them to justice. J.D. Robb has written another fantastic futuristic romantic thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A disappointed fan
Review: I have read all the 'in death' books and often count the days until the next one comes out but I was very disappointed in 'Purity in Death'. The playful 'here they go again' tone to the rampant sexuality of the books was completely overshadowed by the unnecessary introduction of practices that shouldn't be hinted at, much less described in detail and the vivid descriptions of crime scenes (which usually drive home the grisly nature of police work) were painted with such minute and gory detail as to be completely distracting from the story line and, frankly, nauseating! Reality may have it's place (even in fiction) but if I wanted to be scared and sickened by what I read, I'd read the daily newspaper.
Because overall the series is so entertaining, I will no doubt read the next offering but if you're picking up J.D. Robb for the first time, I don't recommend you start with this one.
In fact ... unless you're an addict don't read this one at all.

Rating:
Summary: A good read, though not the best in the series
Review: A word to those who have not read any other books in this series: this is a series best read in order. Character development is as important as plot, and if you don't know where the characters are coming from, some of their reactions in this book will not make sense to you. That said, let's assume that you go back, order all of them from the beginning, catch up on your reading, and are now ready for this one:

Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her trusty sidekick Peabody are the main protagonists in this series, set around 2059 and subsequent years. This book, the latest in the series (September 2002) brings us back to a familiar theme: computers can spread more than just information, and our growing reliance on computers can have serious downsides. The editorial reviews provide the outline of the plot, so I won't repeat all of it here. Instead, I'll mention some specific themes that you may want to watch for. For example, one aspect of the computer "virus" that spreads to humans (believe me, this is not a spoiler; it's obvious after the first few pages) is that it appears to cause humans to want to cocoon - withdraw into their apartments and communicate less with other people than ever before. Is this a natural extension of some of the tendancies toward withdrawal that we see in computer users today? Is there really such a tendency normally? Another theme is Peabody's boyfriend who works in the EDD (Electronics Detection...) - the actions in this volume force Peabody to clarify her feelings for him.

There is less interaction between Eve and Roarke in this one, it felt to me, and more between Eve and her fellow cops, than in previous volumes. Of course there are still a few doses of steamy sex between the two, which don't add a thing to the plot but do seem to attract a few more readers. We do get more of Summerfield the butler, who winds up caring for the injured - somewhat differently than a hospital might do it.

For the crossover readers from science fiction, things to watch for: far more virtual reality than we have now; better voice activation of computers; occasional space travel; urban vehicles that aren't cars; the activities of the Electronic Detection Division. Other volumes in the series do have more about space travel than this one, which only mentions it in passing.

For the crossover readers from romance: less sex in this volume than in many of the previous ones, but the increased realization of the seriousness of Peabody's relationship with McNab is satisfying.

Overall, the plot's pretty easy to guess in this one, although there are a few twists right at the end - don't think you've got it all before then! But the interaction between the characters is more important than the plot. If you haven't read any of the others, then you may find yourself disappointed in this book, because the plot is skimpy; however, if you have read the others, then you absolutely must read this one! In between? Read a couple of them but not all? I *DO* recommend reading the whole series! You won't regret it!

Rating:
Summary: A good filler
Review: While this installment of Eve and Roarke's story was entertaining and enjoyable, it wasn't as good as the other "In Death" books because there was little emotional exploration and Robb kept a little too closely to the formula on this one. A vigilant group has decided to execute criminals that slip through the system, starting with crimes against children such as drug dealing and molestation. The murder weapon is a "virus" that is trasmitted from a computer into the criminals brain, causing the brain to change. One of the more intersting aspects of this story is how Dallas and Roarke disagree over the morality of vigilante acitivity. While there is no surprise on who take each side, it is intersting how the characters interact on this issue.

Nadine was used very effectively in this book; however, some of the other regulars put in an appearance just to put in an appearance. It would have been better to leave a few out when they really didn't have anything to contribute to the story. I will say that I am impressed that it took 15 books before Robb had a less than stellar book-- how many authors can we say that about!

Rating:
Summary: Pure Excitement!
Review: I have bought and read all of J. D. Robb. Purity in Death is an exciting read! I read it in one afternoon and evening. Reading all of the books in order brings knowledge of the growth of Eve and Roarke and their 'family' with many twists and turns. The investigation in excellent. The banter is still amusing. The pregnancy was a surprise in this one and we will see where that goes. The subject was a difficult one but Nora is amazing. Her research is incredible and her way with words is the best!

Rating:
Summary: Great - But 1 Big Mistake!
Review: I am a big fan of Nora Roberts and the 'In Death' series. I find the characters well thought-out and intriguing... it is a joy to come across those vital 'nuggets' of information that give the series such heart and depth. Those tidbits of personal information (Peabody's childhood, Summerset's past, etc.) keep the series interesting...but please Ms. Roberts, keep the details consistent! In a past book (I don't remember which), Mira had shaken Eve out of her shell by admitting she herself had been a victim of sexual abuse as a young teenager by her stepfather. In this book - Mira muses about her semi-retired parents happily enjoying their lives. Am looking forward to more books (and 'Purity' is the best in a long while) - but hope the characters remain true to past books!

Rating:
Summary: This series is still rocking along quite well, thank you.
Review: A mild mannered low-level drug dealer goes berserk and kills his neighbor. Everyone who knew him thought of him as a quiet man who, although he peddled drugs to kids, wasn't the type to harm anyone. A member of a wealthy and powerful family slits his own throat. He had everything to live for: he was handsome, rich and a pedophile that routinely got away with his crimes because the system couldn't touch him. A porn king goes on a rampage and butchers his live in Lolita and then himself. His last entries in his diary show a man well satisfied with his life. The only thing Eve Dallas finds that these men have in common in a cryptic message on their computer screens. With the help of her friends and colleagues in the NYPSD Eve Dallas must hunt down a killer that uses a computer virus that infects the users, not just the computer.

This is the fourteenth installment of Nora Roberts' "....In Death " series and it is still entertaining, if for no other reason to catch up on the characters to see where they've progressed from since the lat book. I liked this book particularly because it seems to be more purely police procedural. There are still the futuristic elements and the romance elements that are a mainstay of all the books, but this one somehow seems to be a little less formulaic than the others.

For one, we don't ever get an idea who might the murderer(s) be until well into the second half of the book. Where many of the previous books, especially the last two, seemed to be as much about the personality of the criminals perpetrating the crime as they are about Eve, this one seems more about the crime itself and the police work involved.

Also, Roberts added a nice little layer about the gray areas of police work. Previously, Eve's victims had all been pretty much blameless, if not spotless people. In this book the victims, by and large, are people who prey on young kids. Who cares if these people get offed? Society would be so much better without them. But those of us who know Eve know that she simply doesn't think that way. She stands for the dead, regardless of who they were. For those of us who are "Homicide: Life on the Street" fans, the discussions about this very subject bring back fond memories of Frank and Tim's discussions of this very subject. And the character of Eve Dallas is very close in ideal to the character of Frank Pembleton.

And finally, I think I love the idea of Eve's team working from Eve's palatial home as much as they do. Circumstances force them to work on this latest crime around the clock at her house and we see our favorite regulars, Peabody, McNabb and Feeney as well as some other familiar faces, consuming her great food and using Roarke's state of the art computer facilities.

Once again, Nora Roberts scores. This is a welcome installment in a series that should be getting tired but just seems to be getting better.