Innocent in Death

J.D. Robb
aka Nora Roberts

2/25/2007

Eve Dallas and her partner, Delia Peabody, are called to the scene of the death of a teacher in a well-to-do private school. Someone poisoned the young teacher's hot chocolate between the time he left home in the morning and his lunch, when he drank the fatal drink.

It may be 2060, but people are still people. They still kill each other. But there doesn't seem to be any reason to kill this teacher. He was popular with his students. He knew some secrets about other teachers, but didn't spread them. Perhaps it was those secrets. Dallas and Peabody have to keep looking, finding those secrets. This happened in a middle-school. Two young girls found the body. People start pulling their children when they start suspecting there may be more trouble at the school.

Outside of the murder Dallas is having a different, personal problem. One of her husband Roarke's past girl friends has returned to his life. She had meant more to him than the others. Dallas thinks the woman wants to return to the primary position in Roarke's esteem and affections. Roarke insists there's nothing, but she looks at the lunch the two had, the meeting in the street, and other indicators. Dallas finds herself fighting jealousy and more.

This is the 22nd full In Death novel, along with a few short stories. I enjoyed this, following along with the mystery. The clues are there, and I did pick them up and figure out the murderer shortly before Dallas begins to suspect in the book. The sideline personal story was well done, too. Hopefully the reader knows what is happening fairly quickly - I did. It's a fun scene when it all comes to a head with "the other woman" at the end of the book. Even Somerset is on Dallas' side, something that rarely happens.

I have complaint. This is all surface. Roberts is producing many novels a year under her own name, plus about 2 a year under the J.D. Robb name. There is no depth, no studying psyches as in the earlier novels. I would rather have less novels per year and more depth and story line. I met someone last year who works as a seller in the book trade. She predicted that Roberts will burn out within a couple years. Is that what is happening? This book is good enough - I'd like to see great again.

You can find more about this book at .

Notice: Sexual situations

Naked in Death
Glory in Death
Immortal in Death
Rapture in Death
Ceremony in Death
Vengeance in Death
Holiday in Death
"Midnight in Death" Silent Night
Conspiracy in Death
Loyalty in Death
Witness in Death
Judgment in Death
Betrayal in Death
Seduction in Death
"Interlude in Death" Out of This World
Reunion in Death
Purity in Death
Portrait in Death
Imitation in Death
Remember When (written w/ Nora Roberts)
Divided in Death
Visions in Death
Survivor in Death
Origin in Death
Memory in Death
Born in Death
Innocent in Death
"Haunted in Death" in Bump in the Night
Creation in Death
Strangers in Death