Calculated in Death is the 36th In Death novel featuring detective Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke. The series is set in the future, around the year 2060, and things are subtly different than they are now, lending all the books a constant freshness despite the sheer number of novels J.D. Robb has written in this series. In this book, detective Eve Dallas is called in on a case involving a dead accountant who is found at the bottom of the stairs. To all appearances, this is just a mugging gone wrong and investigation into the woman's private life reveals that she was well-loved and had no personal issues.
However, Eve's Spidey sense is telling her that everything is not what it seems. For one, the victim was stunned and her neck was broken. If this really were a mugging, just one of the two would have been enough; there was no need to do both. Plus, the victim was wearing an expensive pair of shoes which would be worth a lot to any mugger. Eve concludes that the cause of death must have something to do with the victim's work as an accountant.
This is where Eve's husband Roarke comes in. Being a billionaire, he knows a lot about crimes involving finance, especially since he was a thief before he turned legit. So Eve and Roarke go about their usual routines: eating together, having sex, working out, attending parties etc. In the course of all this, something comes loose and they figure out who the murderer is, but not before the body count rises and Eve and her partner Peabody are placed in jeopardy.
Although Eve and Roarke married early in the series, J.D. Robb manages to keep their interactions fresh and engaging. The duo are perfect foils for each other. Eve gives Roarke the chance to explore the darker side of human nature by involving him in her investigations whereas he helps to bring her out of her shell and become more comfortable around people and privilege.
Download Calculated in Death and join this likable duo as they unravel a murderer's best laid plans.
J. D. Robb or Nora Roberts was born Eleanor Marie Roberts in 1950. She didn't start writing until she was married and had two children. At first, she wrote category romances but once she became established in this genre, it was easier for her to move away and the result was books like the In Death series, which have an element of romance but also include other interesting tropes like mystery and futurism. Nora Roberts divorced her first husband after being with him for fifteen years and remarried a couple of years later. She is very prolific and passed the hundred novel mark in 1996. Since 1999, all her novels have been bestsellers. Roberts is an extremely dedicated writer who writes for eight hours a day everyday.
"Another really good installment in the Eve Dallas series. It opens with a murder that could have been brushed off as a mugging, but not for Eve and her great team. Nice to catch up with everyone and I can't wait until Trueheart sits for the detective exam. That should be fun! Can't wait for the next book."
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Susan (4 out of 5 stars)