Shadows in Death by J.D. Robb

SYNOPSIS

As it often did since he'd married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch in Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

When a night out at the theatre is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realises that this case is far from business as usual.

​Eve has two complex cases on her hands - the shocking murder of this wealthy young mother and tracking down the shadow before he can strike again, this time much closer to home.

Eve is well used to being the hunter, but how will she cope when the tables are turned? As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke's hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow making his next move . . . 

Synopsis from Goodreads

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PERSONAL REVIEW

Ah, another In Death instalment. Honestly, I'm totally ok with this series going on forever - Robb does a great job finding new avenues of Eve and Roarke's life to share with us and I love it. I've been somewhat disappointed with some of the most recent additions to the series, but I found myself really enjoying Shadows In Death​!

Love Learning About Roarke's Past 
​Obviously as one of the main characters of the series, we've had glimpses into Roarke's past, but as Eve is the protagonist, what we learn about Roarke is usually in relation to a case. I love when Robb gives us the chance to learn more about Roarke's childhood, something we haven't really had the chance to do since Witness in Death. While Lorcan's appearance is fairly random (we've never heard of him before and he basically just stumbles across Roarke), it does provide the catalyst for Robb to delve into Roarke again. It does make me wonder if Roarke will ever find out that Sommerset is the one who killed his father - it's been a secret for over a dozen books now and I'd love to see that storyline play out. 

Roarke and Eve are Very Married 
By this I mean the tension and drama of the first 20 books is gone. I LOVE that they've settled into a strong, solid relationship where they know and trust each other so well, but I also think that there hasn't really been anything to shake them up in a while. They are a solid couple. Period. Which (for this series) translate to being a bit boring, especially since so much of the first half of the series revolves around them figuring out how to be together. It's hard for me to explain, because while I'm so happy they are happy, the stories as a whole are just a smidge more boring because of it. I still think the addition of a child of some sort might be the only thing to change the settled life they've created. 

The Mystery Is Average
Honestly, there was really no mystery to this story. We know who the killer is within a few chapters and the remainder of the book is essentially a manhunt. With some much of the tension riding on Roarke's past, it brings to mind past books like Divided in Death when Eve's history is further uncovered. I would have loved to have some real mystery or tension in this book. We really don't get any until the final chase in the last few chapters, but even that is so smooth that there's no real build. The whole "mystery" is just a shrug off. 

Overall, this is a good addition to the In Death series, but I personally still miss the intensity of the older books. However, I'd recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the rest of the series and wants to continue! If you're new to the In Death series, please start with Naked in Death​. You won't regret it!

​FINAL RATING: 4/5

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