Missing in Death
4 Stars

Eve and Peabody are called in when a tourist goes missing on the Staten Island Ferry and their investigation reveals that the blood in the restroom is not a DNA match. Where is the woman? Whose blood is in the bathroom, and how is this connected to Eve's past?

While this is a relatively short story, it certainly packs a wallop. The locked room type mystery is intriguing up until the explanation, which is a bit too deus ex machina for my tastes (A memory wiping device).

There is also some compelling character development as Eve ultimately comes to understand and accept that justice is not necessarily black and white.

One minor issue that actually concerns the series as a whole is the lack of detail concerning the circumstances surrounding the Urban Wars. There is a dire need for more information on this significant historical even in the In Death world.

Overall, another solid entry and I am enjoying my ongoing series buddy read with the J. D. Robb group. ( )

In Death 29.5

The latest case for New York Police and Security Department homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas is quite a puzzle. A Staten Island Ferry rest room covered in blood, tourist Carolee Grogan missing. But if she’s not on board the ferry and she didn’t jump into the water, then what happened to the woman?

And if it’s not Carolee’s blood splattered in the restroom, then whose is it? And where is the body?

This novella is available in several formats, including the single title and paired with the “Ritual in Death” novella. It is included in the anthology “The Lost.” “Missing in Death” follows “Kindred in Death” and precedes “Fantasy in Death.”

As with the other novellas in the “In Death” canon, there is only one main plot in the telling of this intriguing tale. But the evolving relationships and the camaraderie remain at the heart of the tale. The strong sense of place anchors the narrative and, as with many of the novella tales, the plot could easily become a full-length book. But the action moves swiftly, grabbing readers from the beginning, and the unfolding story offers readers some interesting spy tools, espionage, a Summerset moment, and unexpected surprise or two.

Highly recommended. ( )

Blood is found in a women's bathroom and a mother is missing, bring Eve aboard a ferry to investigate. Leading to murder of an assassin, the murky world of spies and assassins. Rourke helps the investigation which takes a turn that ends up connecting them and causing Eve to make a tough choice. Nice short read in this series.
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I just read the JD Robb story. ( )