This 43rd Eve Dallas futuristic mystery/romance has Eve working the case of a long distance serial killer. The first three victims were picked off at a skating rink. Eve and her team try to find some connection between the three or find out which might have attracted a serial killer. A second shooting in Times Square has five victims. And, again, Eve and her team try to find connections.

Roarke helps by developing a software program that enables them to track the shots back to their origin. It is soon plain that the killer must be someone with extensive practice as a sniper. Soon Eve, Roarke, and the team know who the sniper was but now have to track them down before the next shooting happen.

Meanwhile, Eve is stressing over attending a birthday party for Mavis's one-year-old daughter Bella. She is also choosing the design for her new home office since she has outgrown the one Roarke first provided for her which was a copy of the office in the apartment she lived in before she met Roarke.

I really like the strong relationships in this series. Eve has moved from being a loner to a woman who is deeply loved and who deeply loves and who can expand and deepen her friendships. Despite feeling sometimes that she now has too many friends, Eve has a much richer life than before she met and married Roarke.

This book also explores the conflict between nature and nurture as Eve sees some of herself in the killer that she is tracking. She sees someone she could have been had she made different choices in her life. This also explores the variety of mentors in her life and in Roarke's and the way they helped shape the people Eve and Roarke have become.

This is a series that never gets old for me. I move each new book to the top of my reading stack and look forward greatly to the next. ( )

This is more an unravelling of why dunnit rather than who dunnit. A deadly accurate assassin gets three on their first shooting and the numbers keep going up. As Eve (who needs to learn to delegate and get some sleep on a regular basis) It appears that the person doing the killing has an accomplice and that things are about to get more interesting for everyone.
Eve is full of rage in this one, particularly when a deal appears on the table.
And then we have a birthday party for a one-year-old. That shows Eve the humanity missing in the killings. And links her to her friends again. And that's mostly why I read these stories to visit again with Eve and her friends. ( )

Good book, just like all her In Death books.

Apprentice in Death
4 Stars

To be honest, with the recent publication of book #50 in Robb's In Death series, it is safe to say that the writing has become rather formulaic and the originality of the earlier installments has been lost. Nevertheless, the books remain highly entertaining police procedurals with appealing characters, who are now almost like family.

While Apprentice in Death follows the same basic pattern and contains some repetitive tropes from previous books, the sniper storyline is compelling and keeps the pages turning, especially toward the end with the final confrontation between Eve and the main antagonist.

Robb has a way of making her characters come alive on the page and it is impossible not to feel for the victims and their families. In this particular story, the crimes are so senseless and unnecessary, which only reinforces the killers' complete lack of empathy.

In sum, In Death remains an eminently readable series despite its shortcomings, and Apprenctice is definitely one of the more engaging storylines.



( )

This book was okay. Not the best in this series. I just feel like so much is missing. We did get a mention of so many of the characters we've come to know and love. But I feel like the past couple books they've been largely absent. I think Eve's interactions with her friends has been lacking lately.

The case was interesting enough. This was one of the worst criminals to date. A completely soulless psychopath. It was disturbing. I was glad when this one was over because it was so disturbing.

However. I am addicted to Eve and Roarke and will keep reading as long as they have books. ( )