Barbara’s Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: In Death #50
Publication Date: 2/4/20
Number of Pages: 400

What a wonderful milestone – fifty books – and we’re just getting started – I hope. I loved the story, but I had expected a bit more of a blockbuster. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great story and a wonderful addition to the series – it just didn’t hit me as a milestone story. I had thought we’d surely see Mavis, Crack, Nadine and more of the ongoing recurring cast – maybe even some nostalgia where they recount things that happened in earlier books, etc. Somehow, this case seemed a bit slower and less intense than most of the cases.

It is a bright and beautiful almost spring morning in 2061 when the much-beloved pediatrician, Kent Abner, receives an unexpected package in the mail. He has just gotten his husband off to work and intends to head out for a jog since it is his day off, but he has a couple of minutes to open the package. His body was discovered hours later when his husband, Martin Rufty, returns home from work.

When the medics arrive, they discover that the agent that killed Dr. Abner is a newly developed, nerve agent. The agent can be used to target one specific person. It acts quickly and dissipates almost as quickly. It would be worth billions if sold to terrorists, assassins, or even governments.

As the investigation continues, Eve discovers what a truly wonderful and remarkable man the victim was. Everybody loves him – and the one or two who didn’t, was because he had called them out on some bad act they’d committed. Why would anyone target such a wonderful man, doctor, husband, father, friend – and with such an awful weapon? Leads are thin to non-existent when there is another murder – same toxin – another well-loved, wonderful person.

There has to be a connection – but what could it be? Eve and Peabody rush from clue to clue, suspect to suspect, location to location to track down what connects the two victims. When they figure out the connection, how in the world does that fit and what could have possibly triggered the murders?

Definitely a recommended read. As always, the book is excellently written, well-plotted and the characters are exceptional. If you haven’t read any of the books, you should definitely consider reading at least the first couple so that you see Eve and Roarke’s love story. I love Eve – she takes some things so literally and is constantly questioning those old sayings – like – Fit as a Fiddle. Some of her reasoning and the conversations around them are priceless. Then, there is the romantic, handsome, gazillionaire Roarke who is absolutely, totally and completely besotted with Eve. Their love story is one for the ages – and the investigations they are involved in are epic. You can’t help but love the characters and the stories.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.