Ritual in Death
4 Stars

Robb manages to fit in a great deal of plot and characterization into this short novella. The crime is truly diabolical and one cannot help but feel for the innocent victims both those who were killed and those who survived.

The inclusion of Isis from book #5 (Ceremony in Death) was intriguing although the paranormal elements are very minor.

In sum, a fast paced and enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next full length novel. ( )

Good. One of the better novellas. ( )

While Eve and Roarke are attending a cocktail party at his Crystal Palace Hotel, a bloodied naked man walks in holding a knife. Eve subdues him and places him in restraints. He is confused and appears drugged. Eve knows there is a body in the hotel she and Roarke set off to find it.

Following the blood trail down the hallway, they reach the bloodied door of suite 606. Inside is the scene of the crime. A pentagram drawn on the floor seems to reveal a satanist gathering. A young woman lies dead with her throat slashed.

Powerful images Robb evokes. ( )

New York Police and Security Department homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas is not having a wonderful evening. She sparkled, bejeweled, and wearing killer shoes to a party . . . one of those marriage obligations. Suddenly, a naked, knife-wielding man stumbles into the fancy party in Maxia Carlyle’s tri-level hotel suite. The disoriented man is uncertain but thinks he killed someone.

Joined by her husband, Eve searches the hotel. Bloody footprints lead Eve and Roarke to Suite 606 where they find the body of brutally-murdered Ava Marsterson. It’s obvious to Eve that there was more than one attacker in the horrific ritualistic murder that seems to Eve to be Satanic in nature. Who . . . or what . . . is behind the gruesome massacre? Will the culprits claim more lives before Eve tracks them down and puts an end to their macabre crimes?

This novella is available in several formats, including the single title and paired with the “Missing in Death” novella. It is included in two anthologies: “Time of Death” and “Suite 606.” It follows “Salvation in Death” and precedes “Promises in Death.”

As with the other novellas in this series, all the elements readers have come to love . . . and expect . . . in an “In Death” story are in place here. The action swiftly moves the story along; with Eve’s strong alliances and the expected repartee and humor firmly in place, readers will find the paranormal aspects interesting as Peabody’s a firm believer and Roarke is accepting, while Eve is predictably skeptical.

The diabolical crime here is particularly cringe-worthy; the cult, disturbing and sure to make readers flinch. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting, intense vehicle for Eve and company. The chilling plot pulls the readers in from the beginning and keeps those pages turning.

Highly recommended. ( )

3.5 stars ( )