A serial killer from the past comes back to New York to engage Eve and make her his final victim in the 25th In Death novel.

The killer tortures his victims and tries to see how long each can last before they die. This time he is targeting employees of Roarke's vast holdings in NYC. But his end goal is Eve who worked with Feeney as her partner when the killer last visited New York.

This was mainly a police procedural with Roarke involved from the very beginning to the ending which lets him see what Eve does during an investigation. It also involved a large task force all trying to find the latest victim before she dies and track down the killer's past.

This was an excellent story. ( )

Creation in Death
3.5 Stars

A serial killer named The Groom returns after 9 years to terrorize the women of New York. As part of the original team that failed to capture him, Eve Dallas is determined to stop him before he kills his next victim. Little does she know that The Groom has his sights set on her.

This is difficult to say, but I may be burned out on serial killers *shock*

The particular homicidal maniac in this installment is rather uninspired with his obvious mommy issues and narcissistic sense of superiority. Although readers are given a number of details about the victims and their suffering, the actual descriptions of their torment seem almost mechanical, and it is difficult to care much about them. It is only with the final victim that her POV is presented, and one begins to empathize more deeply.

The police procedural aspects are run-of-the mill with Eve and her team chasing down leads on little to no sleep.

There is also very little in the way of character development and it is more of a rehash of older conflicts like Roarke's resentment over Eve's willingness to act as bait, and Feeney's injured pride over being left out of the loop. As always, everything is resolved satisfactorily and everyone is there for the final confrontation.

To conclude, although Creation in Death is an enjoyable read overall, there is nothing truly inspiring about the plot or the characters. Not one of Robb's better attempts.
( )

A serial killer from the past comes back to New York to engage Eve and make her his final victim in the 25th In Death novel.

The killer tortures his victims and tries to see how long each can last before they die. This time he is targeting employees of Roarke's vast holdings in NYC. But his end goal is Eve who worked with Feeney as her partner when the killer last visited New York.

This was mainly a police procedural with Roarke involved from the very beginning to the ending which lets him see what Eve does during an investigation. It also involved a large task force all trying to find the latest victim before she dies and track down the killer's past.

This was an excellent story. ( )

It is March of 2060 as Creation in Death begins, and for NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, it is movie night at the crib. In their case, a mansion in New York City, a video on a big screen, and real popcorn massively drenched with butter and salt. The movie is a mindless action one which gives her more time to contemplate how good life is these days and how she has plans for Roarke and his body once the movie is over.

She should know better.

Long before the movie is over, Commander Whitney calls and orders her to report to a scene. He gives no explanation and she does not ask because of her training and the fact that for him to do this means it is important. For fun, and to watch his wife in action, Roarke goes with her.

That is just as well as Roarke knowns the naked dead woman who is arranged as if she is a piece of art. The death tableau is arranged in a certain way and with a certain style. A style last seen over nine years ago when Eve Dallas was part of a task force on the hunt. After a series of gruesome torture murders, the killer went dormant. They hoped he was dead.

He was not.

Now he is back as this is no copycat. His apparently first victim of what will probably be another wave of killings is 28-year-old Sarifina York. Last time he took, tortured, and ultimately killed four women in fifteen days. Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows that already his next victim has been taken and is going through hell. That victim’s only hope, as well as the next ones to follow her, is for Eve Dallas and her team to find and stop this psycho.

What follows is a complicated read. While some of the head hopping and other flaws are still present in these books, it is also clear that they are far fewer than the early books in the series. What is also increasing clear is that by repeatedly having Roarke directly or indirectly knowing the victim, it creates an easy excuse to be involved in the case. Granted, Roarke owns virtually everything, but seeing him involved so much in several books in a row, the author’s crutch becomes noticeable.

My reading copy came in digital format by way of the OverDrive/Libby app and the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023 ( )

This one was about the same the second time around. Not the best, but still good. I think the fact that I was able to listen to this as if I'd never read it before kind of shows how forgettable it was. It just doesn't stand out much. But, it was enjoyable while reading/listening to it. ( )