Leafing Through Pages – Midnight In Death (In Death # 7.5)

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. A novella, still as exciting and gripping as a full novel.

Midnight in Death is the first novella 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 November of 1998. This is part of the book Silent Night consisting of four novellas by established authors. I most likely will read the other three too. 😛

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 last two weeks of December. Murder was her business, but even Lieutenant Eve Dallas looked for a much needed break to be with her husband Roarke for the rest of the holiday season. However, the evil serial killer David Palmer has other plans, and he is dropping bodies like flies. Eve has to hunt him down, again, and put him back in a cage from where he can never escape.

The plot begins the day after when the previous book Holiday in Death ends. It is amazing how Eve doesn’t think anything about Roarke’s vast and immense wealth. In fact she tries to avoid thinking about it and gets frustrated when Roarke keeps giving her expensive gifts. Interesting to note that she doesn’t want any part of his wealth even if he gives them as gifts. I wonder if any normal person would feel so. I am sure they lord over others of their unexpected wealth.

And neither does Roarke lord over her. He simply gives her gifts as he pleases that show his love but not his arrogance of wealth. I think they are equally matched and that is why they have so much love towards each other.

Even though it was a short novella of less that 150 pages, 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.

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. A novella, still as exciting and gripping as a full novel.

Spoiler Alerts:

Plot Reveals:

1. Something similar to Witness Protection, there is an Act in the future called Victim and Survivor’s Protection Act.
2. 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; Anti-mugging Spray.
   • 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; EZ Tram and other airstreams, air transport service in NYC.
   • 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; SCAN-EYE, a security system for home buildings; Mood Screens to get people into a certain mood.
   • Money, 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; Suturing Wand that would mend ripped flesh without any trace left; Cash is called credits and they are not paper money.

Sub Plots:

1. Law Enforcement: Commander Jack Whitney, Eve’s commanding officer, and his wife Anna, daughter Linda, son Steven; Dr. Mira, behavioral psychiatrist who works with police, has a Wiccan daughter living in New Orleans; Uniform Briggs; Chief Harrison Tibble, Chief of NYPSD; 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; Tweeser, head sweeper; Lieutenant Medavoy from anti-crime; Officer Carmichael; Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carla Rollins; Detective Brinkleman with 4-1; Officer Miller; Detective Darlymple.
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 and he can sing!): Mavis Freestone, Eve’s friend and her boyfriend Leonardo, the fashion designer; Galahad, their cat; Lawrence Charles Summerset, Roarke’s valet and butler; Officer Delia Peabody, aide to Eve (has two brothers and a sister); Captain Ryan Feeney, Eve’s ex-partner and head of Electronics Detectives Division (EDD) and his wife Sheila; Dr. Charlotte Mira, behavioral psychiatrist, has a Wiccan daughter living in New Orleans; Nadine Furst, Channel 75’s reporter; Detective Ian McNab, from EDD aiding Eve, and want to date Peabody.
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; 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; Kevin, an abused child, along with his cat Dopey get adopted by Richard DeBlass and Elizabeth Barrister – characters from the very first book Naked In Death; Charles Monroe, an LC.
4. Off planet locations: Silas I; Silas Three; Tarus 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; Regis Six; NASA Two; Space Station Delta; Travis II; Attica Two; Station Utopia; Rembrandt Station; Alfa Six; Planet Disney; Optima II; Nexus Station; Rexal facility for Mental Defectives.
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 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?
8. From Ceremony in Death #5:
   • Jamie Lingstrom is the godchild of Feeney and being an electronic genius. Will he surface in future books?
   • 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?

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

1. The first line on Pg. 268, didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t figure out if it was written in error or if it made sense to the author.
2. On Pg. 275, Line 4, it should be “…its upward arc and…”