Conspiracy in Death (urspr publ 2001; utgåvan 1999)

Lt. Eve Dallas and her assistant Delia Peabody, are called to a crime scene by Officers Ellen Bowers and Troy Trueheart where a sidewalk sleeper named Snooks is found dead. Snooks was killed when his heart was removed by what appears to be a very skilled surgeon. When Dallas digs a bit further, she discovers that this crime is connected to another committed in New York City where an aged licensed companion died as the result of her liver being removed. After even more digging, Dallas discovers a case in Chicago and one in Europe that were all similar.

Unfortunately for Eve, trouble is also coming from within the police force. Officer Ellen Bowers is obsessed with Eve. She keeps a journal about all the terrible things that she believes Eve has done. One night Bowers is attacked and killed. The blame is quickly placed on Eve, who is stripped of her badge and goes into a deep depression. Only Roarke can bring her back, and help her figure out why four people are dead, and what motivated these murders.

I really enjoyed Conspiracy in Death because it showed Eve at her most vulnerable. Her tough exterior is softened with situations out of her control and she must accept help from Roarke and those close to her. Conspiracy in Death is a great addition to this popular futuristic mystery series. ( )

Lieutenant Eve Dallas, and one of her officers Peobody have a new case. When they find a homeless person murdered with his heart removed, she finds that it is not just another random murder. The heart was removed with excellent precision, so Eve knows that this is not a run of the mill streeet killing. As Eve begins her investigation, she realizes that there were other killings in other cities with the same type of method, organs being removed with excellent detail. All of the victims were down and out.

While on the case, Eve has a run in with another cop. When that very cop turns up dead, Eve finds very career is threatened. Not only does Eve have to find the serial killer, she must get to the bottom of what happened to the cop, all while striving to get her good name and reputation restored.

I found this next book in the In Death series to be a bit more potent than the others that preceded this one. It was very tense throughout, even with Eve's sensitive and touching interchanges with gorgeous husband Roarke. No matter how their love was affirmed, Eve's past and present created problems that seemed impossible to overcome. The entire process that Eve experienced in this book hit me harder than any so far.

I was on the edge of my seat with this one. The futuristic aspect of this book went a bit further than others in this series, so that was a real bonus. I am ecstatic to get to the next book in the series, Loyalty in Death. There are 50 books in the series to-date.

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Called to investigate the death of a sidewalk sleeper, Lieutenant Eve Dallas discovers that someone surgically removed the victim’s heart. It’s not long before she finds similar cases in other cities: indigent citizens with organs removed. But while the killer plays a desperate game of cat-and-mouse with her, Eve suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in the murder of a colleague. Now she must fight, not only for the victims for whom she’s vowed to stand, but also for her own career.

In this, the eighth outing for Eve and company, Doctor Louise Dimatto and police officer Troy Trueheart play pivotal roles. Along with these two, all the expected folks . . . Roarke, Lawrence Summerset, Commander Jack Whitney, Captain Ryan Feeney, Detectives Delia Peabody, David Baxter, and Ian McNab, Lieutenant Donald Webster, Medical Examiner Li Morris, Doctor Charlotte Mira, Nadine Furst, Mavis Freestone and Leonardo . . . appear as well. As with previous In Death books, the stand-alone story is perfect for readers new to the series, but reading the earlier books provides the opportunity to see how the characters grow and change as the series progresses.

The compelling, well-defined characters and a strong sense of place give the In Death stories a solid foundation; as with all the stories in the series, the plot twists and turns as Eve works the case. Here, too, readers have a unique opportunity to see Eve in a different light in a difficult situation that brings a new dimension to many of the characters. Fans of the series will find it nearly impossible to set this one aside before turning the final page.

Highly recommended. ( )

Eve's on the trail of a murder who steals body parts from the indigent, while fending off a personal grudge from a beat cop. She also uncovers additional memories of her father's abuse. Gripping and sometimes emotional read.
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I know I've been rating all the books in this series pretty high, but so far, for me at least, they've deserved it.

And this one was one of the best.

My heart broke for Eve in this story. So very much of who she is as a person is wrapped up in being a cop, and when that's taken away, it all but breaks her. Seeing her so fragile and brought so low was a difficult thing, but it made it all the more satisfying when she made it through the sadness and moved onto anger and resolve to solve her case no matter what.

And right there with her you had Roarke. Steadfast, supportive, yet still ready to give her the kick in the ass she needed to get her out of her funk and stir that motivation to fight back.

I also loved seeing the way Eve's friends rallied behind her while all this was going on as well.

So far this series shows no signs of slowing down for me. Hopefully that continues to be the case. ( )