Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb (Eve Dallas #7.5)
Midnight in Death is a short story in the In Death/Eve Dallas futuristic romantic suspense series by one of my favorite authors, J.D. Robb.
I love reading the Eve Dallas books because they are delicious, hot, and absolutely addictive.
I thought I have read everything by J.D. Rob so far, but I’ve realized that Midnight in Death novella is one that I haven’t read yet. And with Christmas and New Year being almost upon us, what better time to catch up to it as well than now. My copy is part of the Silent Night collection of stories by renowned romance authors. I didn’t read the rest of the stories as I was only interested in the In Death book.
Midnight in Death was first published in 1998 and it’s one of the author’s first books in the series. Chronologically it picks up right where Holiday in Death (book #7) ends. Both books are around the times of the holidays, just before Christmas. However, Midnight in Death deals with a case that Eve Dallas had three years before, which was before she met Roarke and before the tales of the first book in the series, Naked in Death.
Even and Roarke are preparing for the Christmas holidays when Even is, as usually, called away on an urgent murder case. She already started unwrapping the many gifts Roarke gave her (she spent one hour unwrapping the gifts and she is not finished yet), so, in a way, she felt relieved that gifts had to wait for a bit longer.
But when she saw who the victim was, a popular and straight-shooter judge, she had a feeling that the unwrapping might have to wait a long time for her to get back home.
One thing I like about the Eve Dallas series is that the short stories are just as engaging as J.D. Robb’s full-length books. The author doesn’t pull fast ones on the reader. The stories are well-fleshed out and even though short, they do read like big books.
It took me about an hour last night to read it and it left me fully satisfied that another murder case was wholly concluded.
It was, in fact, quite a nice feeling to read an older J.D. Robb book; to go back to the beginnings of their romance and to experience once again the start of a wonderful series that I came to love. Several years have passed since those first books and I am glad to see that this is a series that doesn’t let go, that it still has all the steam and excitement it had back then.
I’ve just reviewed another book by a long-term author with a long series, Janet Evanovich, and mentioned how her books are becoming a bit flat and rather boring. Not so the Eve Dallas series. Sure it is formulaic, but then so are the Jack Reacher novels and we still love those too.
When I started to read Midnight in Death, I expected it to be somewhat lighter, more of a cozy, but I was so wrong. There was a real serial killer on the loose and the bodies he left behind were described quite in detail. Also, the danger was there for several of the main characters, including our favorite Dr. Mira, whom Eve cares for a lot. Then we have the strange Feeney, our beloved Peabody, and the crazy geek McNabb.
I did miss Summerset, although Eve did mention him a few times in passing when she was entering her home or leaving it. Mavis was missing from this story too, but then again, it a short 90-100-page story, so you couldn’t have everyone in it.
Now I know there are a few other short novellas in the Eve Dallas series that I haven’t yet read, so I’ll be picking up them shortly before the new In Death book is released.
Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #7.5
Published by Berkley
Published 1998
Genres: Crime Mystery, Sci-Fi Thriller
Source: Purchased
Also by this author: Festive In Death
