"Midnight in Death" by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) (Published by Berkley 2005)

Lt. Eve Dallas must postpone her first Christmas with Roarke to hunt for an escaped serial killer.

In going back and finding the books in the "...in Death" series by JD Robb that I haven't read yet, I found this little treat. Little in that this book is under 100 pages long. If you haven't read the series yet, this may not be the first in the series but it might be a good introduction for someone to start with. It does have some references to previous books but it is a fast read, you won't want to put it down.

If you've been reading my reviews on the "...in Death" series of books you already know I really love the writing and the characters created by JD Robb. Robb is actually the alter-ego of Nora Roberts. These books all take place in New York around the year 2058 and provide some great cop/crime/thriller/sci-fi reading material.

In this book Lt. Eve Dallas is just hours off the previous case, see "Holiday in Death," and is called in on a homicide in which the mutilated body of a judge is found in the middle of the ice rink in Rockefeller Center. The reason she's called in is that she's among 5 other names on a note found pinned to the judge. It turns out she's the arresting officer and the one who cracked the case on David Palmer 3 years prior. Palmer has broken out of prison seeking revenge. Palmer claims his murder/tortures are for science and is a bit of a whack job.

Eve now has until midight New Years Eve to find Palmer and bring him down, or risk the life of her closest friend Dr. Mira. In perfect Eve Dallas form she tracks down Palmer and fights the good fight...but will she be in time? With her team of NYPSD detective and officers and a little inside help from her insanely rich and techno-savvy husband Roarke this thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the last page.

Great short read, and trust me you'll get hooked on the series.

I have said in prior reviews that the one thing that makes these books awesome is the characterization. The characters, while set in the future, are very real in all aspects and Robb/Roberts' writing is what makes them jump out of the page. My only complaint is that too much time is wasted in these books with descriptive sex scenes. I'm no prude but I really think we get that Dallas and Roarke are in love and don't need the detailed sex scenes to prove that. But in another aspect it's one other thing that could appeal to some. These books have everything, crime stories, great police work, great characters, humor, sci-fi and action, so I guess a little sex will get that one niche of reader that still isn't sure.