Leafing Through Pages – Ceremony In Death (In Death # 5)

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

Stars: 3 / 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. This has been a quick read with an intense read and the In Death series keeps the readers entertaining and gripped.

Ceremony In Death is the fifth 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 May of 1997. We continue to pursue Lieutenant Eve Dallas juggling her role as a Homicide Lieutenant and also being a wife to the Irish Billionaire Roarke. Here is my take on the fifth book.

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.

We are still in 2058 – a good 63 years ahead for when the series began in 1995 – but we are in the fall season now. The book begins a month after where we left off the fourth book Rapture In Death. This time Eve Dallas is put in the midst of black and white magic when she believes only actual facts and her cop instincts. With only her husband Roarke to help her she needs to unmask killer(s) who deal in black magic and take advantage of the vulnerable.

Eve is now in a paranormal world although it doesn’t deter her. However, she does come across a little over confident in this. Even if she doesn’t believe in the witches and stuff, I would think that she is smart enough to at least consider the ramifications. It bothered me that about her. On the flip side, it is no surprise that Roarke believes or at least considers them so much that he puts the blessed chain around Eve’s neck against her wishes.

Also Eve is a bit over confident too even though her aide contradicts her methods or that she didn’t agree for the suspect that Eve thinks is the killer. She doesn’t listen to her aide and in fact goes really rough on her and intimidating her. I don’t know if I liked that side of Eve at all cause I believed she is the one who listens to all sides before jumping into her conclusions. It was contradictory in this plot.

Robb continues to show us futuristic world in the various concepts and technology that may have been unimaginable in 1995, but are much more acceptable and some 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.

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.

The plot touches the paranormal genre. I am not surprised that Robb introduced this because as Nora Roberts she has written several books that fall under that genre. I was however confused at who the killer would be. I had an inkling but then Robb veers us off our suspicions forcing us to look at others. I should have stuck to my original suspicion. :p

It is also interesting to note that she frequently arrests the wrong person to whom the evidence points before she gets hold of the actual killer. I wonder where her gut instincts are in such cases.

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. This has been a quick read with an intense read and the In Death series keeps the readers entertaining and gripped.

Spoiler Alerts:

Plot Reveals:

  1. Jamie Lingstrom shows signs of being an electronic genius, will he resurface in future plots?
  2. Robb has a sweeper called Lobar whom she introduced a couple books ago. Now she has another character by the same name Lobar in this book. And neither are the same characters. Just curious that she reused the name.
  3. Isis mentions that she had met Roarke in another life and another time; and that he had saved her life. Roarke kind of gets a vague memory but that doesn’t complete to fruition to see if he remembers too. May be in another book Robb considers this as a focal point?
  4. Dr. Mira’s daughter is a Wiccan and lives in New Orleans.
  5. Futuristic technology and concepts for the time the book is set in (2058) which Robb imagined in 1995:
    • For Security and tools to aid cops / all cop related: Police Sensors and Porta-sensors; Land, Sea and Sky traffic is common; A Traffic Hovercraft to control air traffic; Seal It for hands and feet instead of gloves and shoe covers; 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); 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.
    • Buildings and Landmarks / Travel: Multihabitation Buildings; Graves for loved ones is for rich only; Flash Transport, for inter-planetary travel; minichopper that Roarke’s company is prototyping.
    • Electronics and gadgets: 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; Droids / Drones / all Robots of all kinds – working for humans in all walks of life, and even pets; Virtual Reality headphones; Moving Maps, People Glides and Glide-Carts ease a shoppers life; PPCs – Portable Palm Computers; Electronics such as laser-faxes, hologram send-receive units and tele-links; Gear to help fight gravity off-planet, like gravity boots; Elevators go vertical and side-ways; Rain Shields to protect from rain.
    • Food and Health Related: Real food like coffee and meat is premium and only for rich people due to depletion of rain forests; twenty four hour facial cosmetics that wont smudge such as lip dyes; Recycling is a must; Soda and Beer come in recyclable tubes rather than cans; Rehydrated food is commonly used such as irradiated powdered eggs or soy burgers; Medicines such as SoberUp for being sober after a drunk night, Alert All to keep one alert and bright.

Sub Plots:

  1. Law Enforcement and extended departments: Captain Ryan Feeney, Eve’s ex-partner and head of Electronics Detectives Division (EDD) and his wife Sheila; Commander Jack Whitney, Eve’s commanding officer, and his wife Anna, daughter Linda, son Steven; Dr. Mira, behavioral psychiatrist who works with police; Nadine Furst, Channel 75’s reporter; Uniform Briggs; Chief Harrison Tibble; Beaver, a sweeper; Prosecuting Attorney, Jonathan Heartly; Chief Tech Dickie Berenski aka Dickhead; Lobar, a sweeper; Detective Crouch; Dr. Morris, Medical Examiner; Detective Marion Burns; Officer Carter.
  2. Close friends and family of Eve (works for Homicide Division of Cop Central in NYC) and her husband Roarke (Irish Billionaire who practically owns most of NYC and many investments on and off planet): Mavis Freestone, Eve’s friend and her boyfriend Leonardo, the fashion designer; Galahad, a cat Eve adopts from a crime scene; Summerset, Roarke’s valet and butler; Officer Delia Peabody, aide to Eve (has two brothers and a sister).
  3. Other characters frequently appear: Caro, Roarke’s personal assistant; Larinda Mars, Channel 75’s reporter for Social Information; Crack, a street dealer and runs the Down and Dirty Club in the East End; Biff, a fabric expert; Trina, hair stylist; Dr. Engrave, leader in horticulture; Dr. Ambrose, at Midtown Rehabilitation Center for Substance Addicts; Dr. Ward, on the Olympic Resort; Spirit Quest owners – Isis Paige and Charles “Chas” Forte; Cassandra, a palmist.
  4. Off planet locations: Silas Three; Tarus Five; Refini; Arts Colony on Mars; Penal Station Omega; FreeStar One; Star 50; Stellar Five; Starlight Station; Eden Colony; Vegas II; Terra Colony; Olympus Resort (Roarke is creating this pleasure place since the first book in the series); Regis III; NASA Two; Space Station Delta; Travis II.
  5. 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.
  6. 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!
  7. From Glory in Death #2:
    • Roarke is trying to take over a reforestry company, Treegr.
  8. From Immortal in Death #3:
    • A new sect is mentioned – Members of the Pure Sect – who are devotional and similar to monks. Perhaps we will come across them in future?

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

  1. On Pg. 50, Line 8, it should be “MTs” with a small S.
  2. On Pg. 253, Line 4 should be “…The guy’s in his….”