★★★★
Eve is a detective who can close the cases. She's been married to Roake for 3 years. This is case number 57 if we go by how long she's been with Roake which is roughly 4 years and change. She is clearing a tough homicide every month. Impressive. Numbers aside, how did we get to book 57 in this series and it is still going strong for me? Of all the authors I read, Ms. Robb/Roberts is the top author where I have read almost all of her books. This one I really enjoyed. It starts out so beautifully with a family reunion. And with all vacations and reunions, they come to an end and work beckons. For Eve, killers do not take a day off.
I particularly enjoyed this one because we see more than just Eve's job. We see even more of her friends and how far they have all come. The relationships built over time have become solid and so wonderfully entwined. It is a pleasure to see and gives a reader feel good moments. I loved hearing about Peabody's water sculpture. Learning about their home remodeling and decorating brings such joy to this story. It is the connections that count. Specifically in a positive way. This book is all about personal connections, is it not?
Even the killer in this case is all about personal connections. I like this contrast between how Eve has created a circle of friends and family against the killer's circle of friends and family. The jarring difference gives me sorrow for a misguided person. This does not mean I condone their crime.
The crime itself is beautifully orchestrated with meaning. I liked the parallels. Watching Eve pick apart the evidence and figure out the pattern is so stimulating. It gets my mind revving and I want to see if I'm connecting the dots the way Eve does in her investigation. Ms. Robb does a wonderful job of creating a systematic approach to detective work. What makes this murder/suspense story so good is the added touches of character development and emotional ties. I love how multifaceted each of the characters are and how they work together. Even when they have pet peeves that drive each other crazy, they still are able to work together to solve the case. If only more teams could work like how Eve runs her team.
This futuristic murder mystery is recommended to all readers who enjoy detective tales.
