Leafing Through Pages – Judgment In Death (In Death # 11)

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 very personal case that seeps into their marital life, and yet Eve and Roarke give us a gripping story.

Judgment in Death is the eleventh 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 September of 2000. We continue to pursue Lieutenant Eve Dallas juggling her role as a Homicide Lieutenant and also being a wife to 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.

We are in February of 2059 now  – a good 64 years ahead for when the series began in 1995 – in April. Someone is targeting corrupt cops and killing them wielding their judgement. And Roarke is again in thick of it considering his establishments are the scenes of the crimes. Eve has to put all her resources and energy in shielding Roarke and at the same time save innocent people from being damned.

This plot caught my attention immediately because of the last name of the first murder victim – Detective Taj Kohli. A very Indian name and the last name being the same as my favorite Indian cricket player – Virat Kohli. 😛 To each his/her own, right? 😉

While Roarke and Eve are settling comfortably in their married life, Eve experiences some funny escapades with Mavis in this book. Summerset doesn’t have much to do in this book, but the little bit he was there he made an impact on both him and Eve that eased a little in their relationship.

There is some trouble in paradise we see causing Eve and Roarke to get into a tussle; and Roarke being a little mean. That only proves that he is human. And is prone to make mistakes. First time we see them having a big fight.

Robb introduces us to some concepts and technology that may have been unimaginable in 2000, 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.

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 very personal case that seeps into their marital life, and yet Eve and Roarke give us a gripping story.

Spoiler Alerts:

1. Plot Reveals:
   1. Max Edward Ricker, Roarke’s archenemy, vows revenge against Roarke and Eve. Wonder if he would surface again in a future book.
   2. Don Webster, IAB Detective, gets severely injured in this. Despite his surviving it, I wonder if he will be part of another book in future.
   3. Robb frequently mentions about one of the cocktails called Screamers. I wonder if she had or will post a recipe for the same.
   4. Futuristic technology and concepts for the time the book is set in (2058) which Robb imagined in 1995:
      1. 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; Detox Bowls and Radiant Heats for the ME and morgue people to use.
      2. 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; medi-copters and ambu-jets; Air/Land Sports Streamer by Roarke industries.
      3. 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; Holocards.
      4. Money, Food Sports 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; human organs synthetically manufactured; anticancer vaccines; surgical freeze-coat to stop the flow of blood; Arena Ball Game, a new kind of game.
      5. Global incidents that changed the course of the world to what Robb imagined – Population Adjustment Theory (Two Parents one Child); The Revisited Period (a new period for artists post whatever wars the world went thru); Genetic Engineering and in Vitro repairs; Urban Revolts that caused the major change; Gun Ban that was introduced in 2022-2023; Depletion of Rain Forests; The Urban Wars that changed the world.
2. Sub Plots:
   1. Law Enforcement: Commander Jack Whitney, Eve’s commanding officer, and his wife Anna, daughter Linda, son Steven; 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; Officer Troy Trueheart and his mother Pauline; Detective David Baxter; Captain Desevres at one six-two; Detective Don Webster, IAB Officer; Detective Cartwright; Chambers, morgue staff; Mayor Bianci; Detective Zeno; Tomjohn Lewis from Maintenance; Rochinsky, morgue assistant; Herbert Fienstein, morgue assistant; Officer Clark.
   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 – Zeke and another one – 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 he has sex with Peabody even though she is still seeing Charles Monroe.
   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; 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 who tips Eve; Carmine, owner of Gametown; Dr. Louise Anne Dimatto, doctor at the Canal Street Clinic, works for Eve; Ratso, a weasel for Eve; Eve’s dead father Rick; Jamie Lingstrom from Ceremony in Death and Feeney’s God child; Rue McLean, manager at Purgatory, Roarke’s establishment; Loreen, Roarke’s receptionist
   4. Off planet locations: Silas I; Silas Three; Tarus I; Tarus II; 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; Flora.
   5. Wilson McRae, an ex-detective with CPSD in Chicago is introduced in Conspiracy In Death. He has a wife who is very pregnant with their second child, and they have a 5-yr old son, Will. Will he come back in future books? Will Eve reinstate him in NYPSD?
   6. Someone is stealing candy bars from Eve’s desk at Cop Central. Wonder who that is?
   7. From Secrets in Death # 45:
      1. Detective Peabody & her partner & lover Detective Ian McNab head off to Mexico for a much needed vacation.
      2. Garnet has a daughter Miranda; shows interest in Morris.
      3. Nadine is looking for an admin; Eve has someone in her mind. A past character surfaces perhaps!
   8. From Immortal in Death #3:
      1. 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?
   9. From Ceremony in Death #5:
      1. 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?
   10. From Conspiracy in Death #8:
       1. Hans Vandervahen, one of the accused, is never caught at the end of the book. Will he surface again?
   11. From Loyalty in Death (#9):
       1. Pentagon has been annihilated by a terrorist group called Apollo at the end of the Urban Wars. We still see Twin Towers considering the bombing of that didn’t happen until 2001 in reality, so Robb’s future consisted of them. Wonder if they will NOT be mentioned once the series reached beyond 2001.
3. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
   1. In the very first book, Naked in Death, Robb mentions briefly of Urban Revolts that had caused a lot of change for the world we know how it was. This book mentions them as Urban Wars. Which one is correct? And when did the wording change?
   2. The police station that the murder victim, Detective Taj Kohli belongs is mentioned as One twenty-eight in the beginning of the book. Later on it changes to One two-eight. Then it changes back to One twenty-eight from Pg. 285. Then back to One two-eight on Pg. 293.
   3. On Pg. 281 Line 9 from bottom, there is an extra “to” in the line.
   4. Chief ME is called as Morse in this book as well, while he is Morris in all the rest of the books.