Dark in Death

📘 About This Book

Lieutenant Eve Dallas returns in Dark in Death, by J.D. Robb, the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense, and takes on a case of death imitating art... It was a stab in the dark. On a chilly February night, during a screening of Psycho in midtown, someone sunk an ice pick into the back of Chanel Rylan’s neck, then disappeared quietly into the crowds of drunks and tourists in Times Square. To Chanel’s best friend, who had just slipped out of the theater for a moment to take a call, it felt as unreal as the ancient black-and-white movie up on the screen. But Chanel’s blood ran red, and her death was anything but fictional. Then, as Eve Dallas puzzles over a homicide that seems carefully planned and yet oddly personal, she receives a tip from an unexpected source: an author of police thrillers who recognizes the crime—from the pages of her own book. Dallas doesn’t think it’s coincidence, since a recent strangulation of a sex worker resembles a scene from her writing as well. Cops look for patterns of behavior: similar weapons, similar MOs. But this killer seems to find inspiration in someone else’s imagination, and if the theory holds, this may be only the second of a long-running series. The good news is that Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke have an excuse to curl up in front of the fireplace with their cat, Galahad, reading mystery stories for research. The bad news is that time is running out before the next victim plays an unwitting role in a murderer’s deranged private drama—and only Eve can put a stop to a creative impulse gone horribly, destructively wrong. From the author of Echoes in Death, this is the latest of the edgy, phenomenally popular police procedurals that Publishers Weekly calls “inventive, entertaining, and clever.”

📖 Summary

Dark in Death by J.D. Robb, published in 2018 and spanning 383 pages, plunges readers back into the gritty, futuristic world of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. As a master of suspense, the author weaves a complex tale where fiction violently bleeds into reality. The narrative opens on a chilly February night in midtown, amidst the bright lights and bustling crowds of Times Square. Inside a theater screening the classic thriller Psycho, a moviegoer named Chanel Rylan is brutally murdered. Someone plunges an ice pick into the back of her neck, slipping away quietly into the darkness before anyone can intervene. Chanel's best friend had only stepped out momentarily to take a call, leaving her alone in the theater. When she returns, the horror unfolding on the ancient black-and-white screen matches the very real, tragic bloodshed right beside her. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is immediately assigned to the case, stepping into a murder investigation that appears meticulously planned yet curiously personal. As Eve and her signature team delve into the victim's life and the bizarre circumstances of the crime scene, the investigation takes an unexpected twist. Eve receives a mysterious tip from an unlikely source, an author of police thrillers, who provides a fresh perspective on the killer's mindset and potential motives. This intriguing crossover between a writer of fiction and a real-world homicide investigator adds layers of psychological tension to the mystery. Throughout the 383 pages, Robb maintains a relentless pace, combining police procedural elements with suspenseful storytelling. Eve Dallas must navigate the glittering yet dangerous streets of New York, deciphering clues that blur the line between cinematic artifice and cold-blooded reality. The book explores themes of obsession, the imitation of art by life, and the persistent pursuit of justice in a world where shadows hide the most chilling secrets. Fans of the long-running series will find familiar dynamics, sharp dialogue, and intricate plotting, while new readers are treated to a standalone mystery that highlights the enduring appeal of Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

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