Leafing Through Pages – Glory In Death (In Death # 2)

For review of all books in the In Death series, go here.

Stars: 4 / 5

Recommendation: A futuristic urban fantasy mystery thriller throwing the readers into a world that they understand as well as can envision what it would be like; and at the same time keeping it grounded to the world they know so they get hooked. Along the way we get see some murders and mysteries solved.

Glory in Death is the second book in the long running In Death Series by J. D. Robb, the alter ego of the famous American romance novelist Nora Roberts, first published in December of 1995. We continue to pursue Lieutenant Eve Dallas along her homicide cases and also romance with the Irish Billionaire Roarke.

The stories in the In Death Series are set in mid-21st century New York City, New York in United States, featuring NYPSD (New York Police and Security Department) Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke, an Irish billionaire, CEO of Roarke Industries, and one of the richest man in the world. First started in 1995, as of 2023, 57 books have been written in this series. The first book begins in the year 2058 and showcases that technology completely dominates the world, yet Robb has her main characters still believe in human impulses, passion and emotions that are key to solving every single case she comes across or in her relationships with her people and husband.

Continuing with my pursuit to read the In Death series, here is my take on the second book. We are still in 2058 – a good 63 years ahead for when the series began in 1995 – but we are in the rainy summer season. This time Lieutenant Eve Dallas has to find a connection between two totally different murders – one of the high profile Prosecuting Attorney Cicely Towers; and another – an up and coming actress Yvonne Metcalf. In the midst she again has her lover Roarke in crosshairs as a suspect.

We see glimpses of Eve’s past that definitely must have become meat for future books. She is a very strong personality that needs another strong man to counter her. As much as she is straight and narrow, a bit of veering off the path like Roarke does is a good healthy thing for her. I liked that Robb made them complimentary and yet with opposing factors.

Roarke evolves considerably in this book. He is frustrated at the love he has for Eve and the way he struggles from the fear that she would leave; and also irritated at his own weakness. He is trying to find balance with Eve while she constantly trips him. Perhaps that is the charm that he gets attracted to. Yet we still need to see the storm behind the calm façade Roarke poses. There definitely is a lot of depth in his past and more meat to his story than what Robb described in here.

Robb introduces us to some concepts and technology that may have been unimaginable in 1995, but are much more acceptable and available now in 2023. And perhaps in a few years we might see more of her imagination in the series come to life. Check the Spoiler Alerts below for some of them that I identified and grouped them. I really want to have an AutoChef, and oh a Body Dryer; and don’t forget the flying cars. 😛

I had two people in my mind who could be the culprits and by the time I came to half of the book, I kind of zeroed in on who would be the actual murderer. I am pleased to say that my hunch paid off. Robb and I were on same page on this. 😛

Incidentally most of the futuristic world and technology innovations that the book gives the reader, Robb had mentioned them to have begin since 2023. When this book was written in 1995, 2023 was 28 years ahead. However, I am reading in 2023 so for me some of the concepts seem very real or close to real for the way our world is heading now.

A futuristic urban fantasy mystery thriller throwing the readers into a world that they understand as well as can envision what it would be like; and at the same time keeping it grounded to the world they know so they get hooked. Along the way we get see some murders and mysteries solved.

Spoiler Alerts:

Plot Reveals:

1. Roarke is trying to take over a reforestry company, Treegro
2. Robb talks about Urban Wars that had occurred before world changed into something futuristic world in her stories. However we are yet to hear about these Urban Wars more.
3. Roarke proposes to Eve to marry him at the end of the book and she accepts.
4. Futuristic technology and concepts for the time the book is set in (2058) which Robb imagined in 1995: Police Sensors and Porta-sensors; Multihabitation Buildings; Body Driers to dry your body after a shower; Automatic and voice controlled electronics, appliances and lights; AutoChef, like a vending machine that makes fresh food on order; Land, Sea and Sky traffic is common; A Traffic Hovercraft to control air traffic; Droids / Drones / all Robots of all kinds – working for humans in all walks of life, and even pets; Real food like coffee and meat is premium and only for rich people due to depletion of rain forests; Virtual Reality headphones; twenty four hour facial cosmetics that wont smudge; Sealing Liquid for hands and feet instead of gloves and shoe covers; Recycling is a must; Graves for loved ones is for rich only; Moving Maps, People Glides and Glide-Carts ease a shoppers life; instead of guns laser weapons are used that tag a person and has ability to adjust it’s power making it deadly yet less messier than a gun (NS Laser is the weapon in this series); PPCs – Portable Palm Computers; Soda come in recyclable tubes rather than cans; Electronics such as laser-faxes, hologram send-receive units and tele-links; Compuguard, a software to detect unregistered and illegal equipment; Force Fields and Security Shields, to protect businesses and vehicles; Sensor Bugs, to keep all food establishments in-check; Flash Transport, for inter-planetary travel; Rehydrated food is commonly used; Medicines such as SoberUp for being sober after a drunk night.

Sub Plots:

1. Law Enforcement and extended departments: Captain Ryan Feeney, Eve’s ex-partner and head of Electronics Detectives Division (EDD); Commander Jack Whitney, Eve’s commanding officer, and his wife Anna, daughter Linda, son Steven; Dr. Mira, police psychiatrist; Nadine Furst, Channel 75’s reporter; Uniform Briggs; Officer Peabody, aide to Eve; Chief Harrison Tibble; Beaver, a sweeper.
2. Other characters frequently appear: Caro, Roarke’s personal assistant; Larinda Mars, Channel 75’s reporter for Social Information.
3. Close friends and family of Eve and Roarke: Mavis Freestone, Eve’s friend; Galahad, a cat Eve adopts from a crime scene; Summerset, Roarke’s valet and butler.
4. Off planet locations: Silas Three; Tarus Five; Refini; Arts Colony on Mars; Penal Station Omega; FreeStar One
5. From Secrets in Death # 45:
   • Detective Peabody & her partner & lover Detective Ian McNab head off to Mexico for a much needed vacation.
   • Garnet has a daughter Miranda; shows interest in Morris.
   • Nadine is looking for an admin; Eve has someone in her mind. A past character surfaces perhaps!
6. From Naked in Dead # 1:
   • Roarke works on a space station for pleasure called Olympus Resort – off planet.

 Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:

1. On Pg. 10, the conversation between Whitney and Eve seems to be skewed. Some of them I feel were coming from Whitney but were mentioned as Eve and other way round for a few other.
2. On Pg. 21, Line 15, it should be “…trying to get answers…”
3. On Pg. 76, it is shown that David had wihtdrawn a total of I million 632 dollars from his account. However on Pg. 85 David mentions it was 800 thousand dollars only.
4. The blurb at the back of the book mentions that the second murder happens outside Eve’s own apartment building. But the second murder happens elsewhere in the book.