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Abandoned in Death (In Death, #54)
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message 1: by Jonetta (last edited Feb 22, 2022 08:24AM) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
Homicide detective Eve Dallas must untangle a twisted family history while a hostage’s life hangs in the balance—in the new In Death novel by #1 New York Times bestselling J. D. Robb.

The woman’s body was found on a bench in a New York City playground. She was clean, her hair neatly arranged, her makeup carefully applied. But other things were very wrong—like the tattoo and piercings, clearly new. The clothes, decades out of date. The fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon around her neck. And the note: Bad Mommy, written in crayon as if by a child.

It seems clear the killer’s childhood was traumatic—a situation Eve is all too familiar with herself. Yet the clues point to a perpetrator who’d be around sixty, and there are no records of old crimes with a similar MO. What was the trigger that apparently reopened such an old wound and sent someone over the edge? When Eve learns that other young women have recently vanished, the case grows even more urgent—and to solve it she’ll need to find her way into a hidden place of dim light and concrete, into the distant past, and into the depths of a shattered mind.

Excerpt: https://fallintothestory.com/wp-conte...

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/foJdt2G8oDw

June 2061

Settings
New York City, New York

22 Chapters

Character List
(view spoiler)

Spoiler Info
(view spoiler)


Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams (goodreadscomcookiew1801) | 1573 comments Can’t wait


Kristi | 230 comments I am looking forward to this book release.


Sharon Kallenberger Marzola | 3059 comments I'm looking forward to it also. I need a little Eve, Roarke, and crew right now.


message 5: by Meg (new) - added it

Meg (makeli2) | 347 comments Sounds like another compelling one!


Phrynne | 366 comments Our February treat. 🤗


Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
I’m first in line at the library for the eBook.


Denise ~The Procrastinating Book Diva~ (procrastinating_bookdiva) | 15 comments So excited…this is the ONLY series that I buy the audiobook the day it’s released!!


Ilaine Newby (ilainen) | 90 comments I’m so excited!!!


Phrynne | 366 comments This is one of very few series where I always buy a paper copy to keep on my shelves!


ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments Reading the plot synopsis, why am I getting the feeling that Nora is remaking King's Ransom by Ed McBain?


Sharon Kallenberger Marzola | 3059 comments Denise ~The Procrastinating Book Diva~ wrote: "So excited…this is the ONLY series that I buy the audiobook the day it’s released!!"

Me too


Loverofbooks - Jae' ♒️♍️♑️ (loverofbooks-jae) | 224 comments Audible book pre-ordered!!!


Brenda | 217 comments I just finished this one and loved it! Here's my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 15: by Phrynne (last edited Feb 05, 2022 11:56PM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Phrynne | 366 comments No chance of reading your review yet Brenda. I will wait until I have read the book. This is one author I will not spoil!
Glad you loved it though!


Brenda | 217 comments I understand and agree with you. You'll enjoy it soon 😊


Michelle | 2650 comments Has there always been trailer on YouTube etc for the In death books? When did that start?


Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
From time to time but not for every book.


Michelle | 2650 comments Thanx Jonetta.


Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
Starting this now!


ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments I'm not going to spoil anything but I already have a codename for the antagonist: Grendel from Beowulf


Sharon Kallenberger Marzola | 3059 comments I will start tonight. I always read and listen the first time through the books. I love to highlight my e copy.


Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams (goodreadscomcookiew1801) | 1573 comments I do not like this so far. It’s the first Tim I have not like her work. I guess there is a first time for everything


Michelle | 2650 comments This was underwhelming. More a filler.


message 25: by Luffy Sempai (new)

Luffy Sempai (luffy79) | 441 comments I liked Forgotten in Death. Will read this one soon, and quite with some expectations.


message 26: by Susan (new)

Susan (cruelshoes) | 573 comments Barbara I totally agree with you . This was not up to speed with the other books. Almost felt like the need to just get a book out there was why this was written. Just something was off.


message 27: by ElectricOutcast (last edited Feb 15, 2022 09:21AM) (new) - rated it 2 stars

ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments Susan wrote: "Barbara I totally agree with you . This was not up to speed with the other books. Almost felt like the need to just get a book out there was why this was written. Just something was off."

Good it ain't just me, because normally I would get the audiobook with the Kindle edition, but using some stuff on my computer I've been able to read it by myself without help from an audiobook. Basically this is the first installment where I'll probably skip getting an audiobook for this.

Now that I've been able to read through this book, here's the problem I have with it, the flashback scenes and scenes with the kidnapping should not have been put in. They were uneven, they slowed things down and the first flashback scene spoiled way too damn much. Those problems pretty much hindered my ability to even get into the scenes where Eve and Roarke were doing their thing with the rest of the protagonists.

It's pretty much lead me to this verdict that this is possibly the worst In Death installment since Conspiracy in Death. I am dead serious.


Karen ♐ (kmk1214) | 789 comments Yikes! Just got my copy from the library and saw Scribd has the audio. I'm going to give this one a whirl. I loved the previous book so much.


message 29: by Dawn (new) - rated it 5 stars

Dawn | 3250 comments I am confused by the negative comments. I loved this book. In fact it was the first one in a long time where I didn’t figure out the bad guy until the last. I hope those of you who haven’t read/listened to it yet will give it a go with an open mind.


Brenda | 217 comments I agree with you Dawn, I loved it too :)


ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments I am sorry that my comments made some people uncomfortable and offended, but those two elements of this book were what prevented me from really enjoying it.

Also understand that not everyone can be pleased with everything, and I was not pleased with this book.


Sharon Kallenberger Marzola | 3059 comments I loved it too Dawn. I just go with the flow and recognize that there will always be people who don't feel the same.

I listened to the audio again last night. The story held my attention from start to finish. I loved the Eve and Roarke moments as I expected. I didn't guess the murderer. He surprised me.

I always get a kick out of Eve when she worries about her friends. It was a good read for me.

Electric Seth, We don't use foul language normally.


ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments Well out of courtesy, I took out that word from my post


Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams (goodreadscomcookiew1801) | 1573 comments Finished it last night like the ending, I knew who was the killer by the second chapter. Cannot wait for open discussion with all the spoilers can be revealed.


message 35: by Luffy Sempai (new)

Luffy Sempai (luffy79) | 441 comments Barbara "Cookie" wrote: "Finished it last night like the ending, I knew who was the killer by the second chapter. Cannot wait for open discussion with all the spoilers can be revealed."

By the second chapter you say? This might be taken by some as a spoiler in itself.


Sharon Kallenberger Marzola | 3059 comments Barbara "Cookie" wrote: "Finished it last night like the ending, I knew who was the killer by the second chapter. Cannot wait for open discussion with all the spoilers can be revealed."

Well you are good Cookie. I didn't get any hint in the second chapter or any chapter until Eve told me.


message 37: by Mdy (last edited Feb 15, 2022 05:57PM) (new) - added it

Mdy | 224 comments I listened to the book, but had a dickens of a time 'getting into' it.
I don't think it will be one of my favorites, but I will give it another listen to see how it goes. I really enjoyed the last few books - loved 'Forgotten in Death' from the start. I just couldn't seem to get into the story in "Abandoned".

I don't think this one was written as a 'filler'. I think "JDR" was trying out a different approach - hope she's not getting bored with the characters.


message 38: by Michelle (last edited Feb 16, 2022 07:36AM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

Michelle | 2650 comments This different didn't work for me. But okay maybe JDR was just testing the water on how it would be received...?

I'm just glad we got to hang with Eve and Roarke. Got to see the progress of the house. Great so see how much Jamie has grown. I suppose sometimes I like that it's about the ordinary if that makes sense. Everything is always the case to the exclusion of everything else. This was low key, rest of the squad, life goes on kinda vibe for me.


SB*needs low angst books* I listened to it. It was different and it wasn't bad per say but different. I mean she has had times where she has had the pov of others but the in the past thing was new. I honestly liked a lot of it due to the catching up with everyone as always. I thought it was interesting that it was someone so many knew. It wasn't one I would put on my favs list though.

I wasn't a big fan of Forgotten except for certain parts. That one felt disjointed for me cause I wasn't a fan of the two separate cases and it felt a little underwhelming but did like the last parts of it more.

This one was more catch up on characters and a little expansion due to who did it. I did figure it out soon so it was more how was it going to play out.

My favorite of the last few was Faithless.


ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments SB*needs low angst books* wrote: "My favorite of the last few was Faithless."

I co-sign that opinion, that book is what Conspiracy in Death should've been in the first place. A religious cult getting into a conspiracy of kidnapping, brainwashing, child marriages, abuse, money laundering. All caused by one of their members committing cold-blooded murder on an artist for having an affair with her lesbian lover.

Whereas with Conspiracy, it would've been a better book had Whitney and Tibble left Eve alone and not take her badge. AND NO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD ABOUT PROCEDURES!


Phrynne | 366 comments I liked it very much and I had absolutely no clue who the murderer actually was until Eve herself found out. I guess I don't really analyse the In Death books much, I just sit back and enjoy them!


SB*needs low angst books* I think something I find I am enjoying is when we are getting a little more time with others in her bullpen. I like how this one dealt more with Dickhead in what happened. I would still love something with Baxter as he is a fav of mine too.

I know the ones Concealed and Leverage were ones I have had the most issues with as Eve getting on her high horse about stuff pissed me off. I think Echoes disturbed me the most for some reason as I haven't revisited that one since I first read.

I think for me I love the series but some are just ones that I love more than others for different reasons. Some it's the case and some it's the character catch I enjoy.


message 43: by ElectricOutcast (last edited Feb 21, 2022 04:42PM) (new) - rated it 2 stars

ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments SB*needs low angst books* wrote: "I know the ones Concealed and Leverage were ones I have had the most issues with as Eve getting on her high horse about stuff pissed me off."

Thing is, I know Concealed and Celebrity and Leverage were pretty polarizing, and I do agree about Leverage, because that argument was completely unnecessary and I still don't know to this day what set Eve off to have that argument.

But what makes me give Concealed and Celebrity a pass is that they were both quiet books and call me weird, but I actually like the quiet books more than I do the high-tension ones.


SB*needs low angst books* ElectricOutcast wrote: "SB*needs low angst books* wrote: "I know the ones Concealed and Leverage were ones I have had the most issues with as Eve getting on her high horse about stuff pissed me off."

Thing is, I know Con..."


I really enjoyed Celebrity for the same reason you do. It was fun and chill and interesting. The park scene with Nadine and the whole army of squirrels and the air force pigeons seriously cracks me up!

And yes the Leverage argument pissed me off cause it reminds me way too much of her at the beginning and it's like why are you tripping about something so simple. But the reason I think it lost me as nothing about the case drew me in as interesting like that.

The thing that irritated me about Concealed was kinda of the same reason. She got so super high and mighty with Mavis about her past. It was irritating as she doesn't know if she herself could have fell into something similar without being found. So it felt very irritating of her behavior with this guy as I get it and at the same time he could have done way worse and Mavis overcame.

I did like some that were more quiet books like Celebrity which is a fav. Dark in Death, Secrets, Calculated, and Strangers were some I felt more on the quiet side that I liked. I honestly think one that was a pretty boring was Memory. It's up there with the Concealed for me. And then some are more on the disturbing side for me like Echoes and Holiday are hard for me to go back to often.


Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
This is now officially a spoiler zone! Feel free to discuss the book openly.


Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
These comments are proof positive that this series has something for everyone’s individual tastes. Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to each book eliciting a variety of opinions and this one is no different.

The “Before” and “Now” scenes are definitely something new and, initially, I didn’t know what to make of them. As the story progressed, I came to look forward to them. It helped me with context as the case progressed.

The story as a whole dragged for me in the beginning but I find that to be true for most of the stories because of my impatience. As they started breaking through some of the clues, I got more engaged.

I always love Interview and this one was most satisfying. Good to see Mira in the room.

Loved that M.K. bonded with Jenkinson! Wonder if that will go anywhere in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but it’s not one of my favorites.


message 47: by Lynn (new) - rated it 4 stars

Lynn (ftbooklover) | 132 comments Jonetta wrote: "These comments are proof positive that this series has something for everyone’s individual tastes. Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to each book eliciting a variety of opinions and this one i..."

Jonetta, I agree with you that it was enjoyable but not a favorite. I thought the mystery was good and didn't mind the "before and now" part of the story. I just wanted more of a story line somewhere in the book that felt personal to Eve. I know we were supposed to get that from all the talk of Mavis's new house and baby, but it just seemed too disconnected from Eve's life and the mystery to make it feel relevant. We did get a little look into Eve's past again, but it didn't seem like it was anything new that added to Eve's story.


Jonetta (ejaygirl) | 15051 comments Mod
Lynn, I can’t quite put my finger on what it was exactly but it was something like what you describe.


ElectricOutcast (electicoutcast) | 637 comments If there is one thing that did impress me, is the fact that they went back to Eve's first pizza place


SB*needs low angst books* ElectricOutcast wrote: "If there is one thing that did impress me, is the fact that they went back to Eve's first pizza place"

That was a really sweet moment!


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