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In Death #27.5
Ritual In Death
An exclusive J.D. Robb short story.
Dragged to a glamorous, high-society ball with billionaire husband Roarke, homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas is almost relieved when a naked, knife-wielding, blood-drenched man crashes in - a man who thinks he has killed someone.
Tracing bloody footprints, Eve finds a hotel room filled with signs of a ritual murder, but the man remembers nothing. Determined to help, Roarke consults an ex-lover who practices witchcraft. But Eve knows there is nothing supernatural about a deadly lust for power . . .
Set between Salvation in Death and Promises in Death.
Dragged to a glamorous, high-society ball with billionaire husband Roarke, homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas is almost relieved when a naked, knife-wielding, blood-drenched man crashes in - a man who thinks he has killed someone.
Tracing bloody footprints, Eve finds a hotel room filled with signs of a ritual murder, but the man remembers nothing. Determined to help, Roarke consults an ex-lover who practices witchcraft. But Eve knows there is nothing supernatural about a deadly lust for power . . .
Set between Salvation in Death and Promises in Death.
88 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2008
78 people are currently reading
6,147 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Robb
173Μύbooks34.7kΜύfollowersJ.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Forgotten in Death (St. Martin's Press, September 2021) is the 53rd entry in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
June 6, 2022
This was one of the more graphic Eve Dallas books/novellas. Detective Eve Dallas is at a fancy party with her husband Roarke when a naked man bursts into the party covered in blood. Heβs been drugged and has no memory of his actions. And someone has been brutally assaulted and killed. This one had a really good (though grisly) murder to solve with lots of moving pieces. Love all the characters and the snappy dialogue.
September 4, 2018
On my first read through of this series I skipped all the novellas so this is the first time I have read .
It could so easily have been made into a full length book. The story was excellent, the murder was grim and most of our favourite characters made an entrance even if only a very brief one. Roarke and Eve were at odds with each other for a while but worked it out in a sensible way. Peabody made me laugh out loud. All the normal things just compacted into a shorter book.
The best part was when Eve got really angry and went after the murderers. The arrest scene at the end is wonderful. All good. Now on to the next full length book.
It could so easily have been made into a full length book. The story was excellent, the murder was grim and most of our favourite characters made an entrance even if only a very brief one. Roarke and Eve were at odds with each other for a while but worked it out in a sensible way. Peabody made me laugh out loud. All the normal things just compacted into a shorter book.
The best part was when Eve got really angry and went after the murderers. The arrest scene at the end is wonderful. All good. Now on to the next full length book.
August 11, 2020
For a novella it sure packed a punch! Such a brutal one too! The paranormal touch was really good especially since it brought back an old character. Iβm glad eve kept an open mind about the case it made everything move along faster. Love seeing her mind unravel the circumstances that brought this murder. Roarke, that man is pure perfection sigh! β€οΈ
October 12, 2017
This one's very good for a novella. I wanted more. The storyline is very interesting. A ritual killing of a young woman as a sacrifice. The ever logical Eve is up against a group who worships Satan.
"People want to worship the devil, be my guest. Hell, they can have horns surgically implanted on their forehead. But then they've just got to slice somebody up for their human sacrifice and drag me into it".
I want more of this storyline :)
"People want to worship the devil, be my guest. Hell, they can have horns surgically implanted on their forehead. But then they've just got to slice somebody up for their human sacrifice and drag me into it".
I want more of this storyline :)
January 24, 2025
Part of the anthology Time of Death. Novella about the murder of a young woman as part of a satanic ritual. Eve stands for the victim - Always. When a party she and Roarke are attending is interrupted by a nude man covered in blood holding a knife, Eve knows her night was going to be a long one. Eve and Roarke track down where the man came from and were confronted by what appears to be the site of a satanic ritual with the dead body of a woman at the center. Since this murder has taken place in his hotel there is no way Eve can keep Roarke out of the investigation and his assistance helps to break the case wide open.
September 4, 2018
Rereading Sept. 2018 for group buddy read.
October 6, 2023
Eve ve onun pΔ±rΔ±ltΔ±lΔ± yaΕama karΕΔ± negatif duygularΔ± beni benden alΔ±yor π Γzellikle de bir cinayet iΕlendiΔinde topuklu ayakkabΔ±lar ve aΕΔ±rΔ± pahalΔ± bir elbise ile karakola gidip dillere dΓΌΕmek korkulu rΓΌyasΔ± resmen. Ya bir takip olayΔ± yaΕansa, nasΔ±l koΕar o ayakkabΔ±larla π
MuhteΕem ΓΆtesi kocasΔ± Roarke ile katΔ±ldΔ±ΔΔ± bir davette her tarafΔ± kanlar iΓ§inde, elinde bΔ±Γ§akla bir adam ortaya Γ§Δ±ktΔ±ΔΔ±nda tam da bunlarΔ± dΓΌΕΓΌnΓΌyordu Eve...KΔ±sacΔ±k bir kurguydu ama yine de keyifle okudum. Biraz mistik ve biraz da ayinsel olaylarΔ±n yer aldΔ±ΔΔ± unsurlar vardΔ±.
O deΔil de adamΔ±n her hareketi olay ama... bir sahnede koruma amaΓ§lΔ± bir nesne verilir Roarke'a. Peki o esnada Eve'iye aΕΔ±rΔ± sinirli ve kΔ±zgΔ±n olan Roarke ne yapar? Koruma tΔ±lsΔ±mΔ±nΔ± Γ§aktΔ±rmadan karΔ±sΔ±nΔ±n cebine atar π Bana bunlarla gelin lΓΌtfen ya... partnerine dΓΌnyanΔ±n en aΕaΔΔ±lΔ±k insanΔ± gibi davranan karakterler yerine en ufak hareketi bile kalp Δ±sΔ±tan, insanΔ±n gΓΆnlΓΌnΓΌ hoΕ eden karakterleri sevin π
Veeee iyi ki doΔdun Roarke π Daha doΔrusu hoΕgeldin dΓΌnyamΔ±zaβ€οΈ
π06.10.2023π
MuhteΕem ΓΆtesi kocasΔ± Roarke ile katΔ±ldΔ±ΔΔ± bir davette her tarafΔ± kanlar iΓ§inde, elinde bΔ±Γ§akla bir adam ortaya Γ§Δ±ktΔ±ΔΔ±nda tam da bunlarΔ± dΓΌΕΓΌnΓΌyordu Eve...KΔ±sacΔ±k bir kurguydu ama yine de keyifle okudum. Biraz mistik ve biraz da ayinsel olaylarΔ±n yer aldΔ±ΔΔ± unsurlar vardΔ±.
O deΔil de adamΔ±n her hareketi olay ama... bir sahnede koruma amaΓ§lΔ± bir nesne verilir Roarke'a. Peki o esnada Eve'iye aΕΔ±rΔ± sinirli ve kΔ±zgΔ±n olan Roarke ne yapar? Koruma tΔ±lsΔ±mΔ±nΔ± Γ§aktΔ±rmadan karΔ±sΔ±nΔ±n cebine atar π Bana bunlarla gelin lΓΌtfen ya... partnerine dΓΌnyanΔ±n en aΕaΔΔ±lΔ±k insanΔ± gibi davranan karakterler yerine en ufak hareketi bile kalp Δ±sΔ±tan, insanΔ±n gΓΆnlΓΌnΓΌ hoΕ eden karakterleri sevin π
Veeee iyi ki doΔdun Roarke π Daha doΔrusu hoΕgeldin dΓΌnyamΔ±zaβ€οΈ
π06.10.2023π
June 15, 2024
Tightly written short short. Everything I love about the series, condensed. Listened over two mornings during my morning walk.
I was thrilled when this week audible had a great sale -- I haven't read or listened to most of the J.D. Robb novellas because I can't justify using a credit for something short. But they were all on sale for $2 and it was well worth stocking up! LOL.
I was thrilled when this week audible had a great sale -- I haven't read or listened to most of the J.D. Robb novellas because I can't justify using a credit for something short. But they were all on sale for $2 and it was well worth stocking up! LOL.
November 26, 2024
"Sometimes you need to remember the world is full of lovely days."
May 23, 2016
2nd read 19-23 May 2016
1st read September 26 to 30 2013
1st read September 26 to 30 2013
November 16, 2015
Everything I love about this series packed into a short, quick novella.
March 31, 2019
3 Comfy Stars
This short novella proves that even when Eve is at an event for/with Roarke, she is unlikely to find herself having the whole night off as a Homicide Detective. This time what disrupts Eveβs night off is a disoriented man, naked and covered in blood, who staggers into the party Eve wishes to escape.
Eveβs search of the hotel quickly leads to the discovery of a murdered women in a hotel room, a woman who appears to have been a sacrifice in some sort of Satanic ritual/sacrifice.
I liked this little novella, although I do think the supernatural aspect of the story could have been depicted better β� this is in particular reference to Eve and her scepticism.
This short novella proves that even when Eve is at an event for/with Roarke, she is unlikely to find herself having the whole night off as a Homicide Detective. This time what disrupts Eveβs night off is a disoriented man, naked and covered in blood, who staggers into the party Eve wishes to escape.
Eveβs search of the hotel quickly leads to the discovery of a murdered women in a hotel room, a woman who appears to have been a sacrifice in some sort of Satanic ritual/sacrifice.
I liked this little novella, although I do think the supernatural aspect of the story could have been depicted better β� this is in particular reference to Eve and her scepticism.
August 22, 2018
AsΔ±l kitaplarΔ±n arasΔ±ndaki bu hikayeler ayrΔ± bir gΓΌzel. Nora Roberts'Δ±n Γ§oΔu ΓΌΓ§lemesi paranormal Εeyler iΓ§erir; hayaletler, kΓΆtΓΌ ruhlar, geΓ§miΕten gelen gΓΆrΓΌntΓΌler felan. O yΓΌzden bence gelecekte yazdΔ±ΔΔ± bu mΓΌkemmel seride de bu huyunu tam olarak kenara bΔ±rakmak istemiyor. Bir ΓΆncekinde vampir gibi davranan biri vardΔ±, ΓΆnceki ciddi iyi bir hayalet hikayesiydi. Bu ise satanist bir ayin iΓ§eriyor - ki gerΓ§ekten Γ§ok iyi. Eve her ne kadar inanmasa da yine de hepsini 90 sayfada çâzΓΌyor ama okumasΔ± cidden Γ§ok eΔlenceli, elinizden dΓΌΕmΓΌyor.
February 27, 2019
Nice to see Isis again. Gruesome murder this time, too. Love it :)
I like how quickly I can get through the novellas, but I also enjoy the more fleshed out stories in the full length novels. I wish the author would give us something in between. I know she's capable. I'm just having difficulty plowing through 400 page novels at the moment.
I like how quickly I can get through the novellas, but I also enjoy the more fleshed out stories in the full length novels. I wish the author would give us something in between. I know she's capable. I'm just having difficulty plowing through 400 page novels at the moment.
May 31, 2024
A Dark & Bloody Ritual
4.24 Stars
June 2024 DE BR Specials Cont.
/topic/show/...
This may have been short BUT it was very intense.
It flowed smoothly and quickly.
It was Dark & Bloody and a bit creepy.
There was just enough 'Romance' between Roarke & Eve to keep that aspect in the story.
Once Eve started interviewing a certain person you started getting the clues as to who was involved.
I really enjoyed this one.
4.24 Stars
June 2024 DE BR Specials Cont.
/topic/show/...
This may have been short BUT it was very intense.
It flowed smoothly and quickly.
It was Dark & Bloody and a bit creepy.
There was just enough 'Romance' between Roarke & Eve to keep that aspect in the story.
Once Eve started interviewing a certain person you started getting the clues as to who was involved.
I really enjoyed this one.
December 26, 2019
3.5 stars-- the mystery & character dynamics in this one were good, but I just don't think "woo woo" or supernatural elements work well in this series' universe. The "sensitive" concept I think is OK, but whenever it crosses to full on paranormal, it just loses me a little
February 19, 2017
When Lieutenant Eve Dallas was suddenly confronted by a naked man who staggered through the doorway of the posh hotel room where the New York elite were partying, covered in blood and clutching a blood-stained knife, the least of her problems were the shoes she was wearing. They will killing her, but it seemed someone else had died, and Eve swung into cop mode immediately.
With Roarke by her side, and hotel security staff as back-up while her team made their way to the hotel, Eve discovered violence at its most sadistic. It seemed to be a murder with Satanic overtones, with dark horror overshadowing everything in its path.
A novella which was a quick, fun read, with Eve at her devastating bestβ�.when sheβs angry, she gets results!
With Roarke by her side, and hotel security staff as back-up while her team made their way to the hotel, Eve discovered violence at its most sadistic. It seemed to be a murder with Satanic overtones, with dark horror overshadowing everything in its path.
A novella which was a quick, fun read, with Eve at her devastating bestβ�.when sheβs angry, she gets results!
September 5, 2021
Eve Dallas in attending a swanky uptown party with her husband, Roarke, when a naked man runs in. He is wielding a knife and covered in blood. Eve quickly disarms the man and takes him into custody. She and Roarke search for the source of the blood while waiting for back-up. They discover the body of a young woman in one of the apartment suites. The pentagram and candles make her believe that this was a ritual sacrifice. Eve doesn't believe in devil worship and vows to get to the bottom of this murder.
Another excellent novella in the Eve Dallas series. Even a short story in this series is better than some books in other series. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
Another excellent novella in the Eve Dallas series. Even a short story in this series is better than some books in other series. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
June 13, 2012
4.5 stars
The best novella in the series to date. Eve is at her best when she's pissed off, and here the ritualistic killing of a young woman has her spitting fire. You know who ever did this is in for it when even Dr. Mira is so angry she's willing to bend a few rules! There were enough possibilities here for a full length novel, nonetheless, this quick read still packed a mighty punch.
The best novella in the series to date. Eve is at her best when she's pissed off, and here the ritualistic killing of a young woman has her spitting fire. You know who ever did this is in for it when even Dr. Mira is so angry she's willing to bend a few rules! There were enough possibilities here for a full length novel, nonetheless, this quick read still packed a mighty punch.
July 21, 2017
I don't like Isis from Book 5 and all her "connection" to Roarke from past lives. I enjoy Eve's skepticism because I am of a like mind. The "paranormal" elements are interesting but this novella was rushed and odd for me. Not my favorite but I absolutely love the full-length novels so no complaints here.
October 3, 2017
4-4.5 stars - Romantic Suspense/Futuristic/Mystery/Crime/Romantic Thriller Novella
December 4, 2022
Awesome tiny mystery.
I very much enjoyed the esoteric theme and the quick rush Eve and Co. had to go through in order to resolve it.
I very much enjoyed the esoteric theme and the quick rush Eve and Co. had to go through in order to resolve it.
December 27, 2022
sometimes these storylines are downright too spooky, nasty, and brutal
3,5 stars
3,5 stars
March 23, 2023
Ritual In Death is a novella available either as an individual ebook, or, as a bind up in print or ebook, that also includes the novella MissingΜύin Death. I read it as part of the bind up but I'm reviewing both stories separately as I'm reading the whole In Death series in order and read these stories weeks apart.
Eve never particularly enjoys the high-society parties she has to attend as Roarke's wife but this one gets much more interesting when a naked man bursts in, covered in blood and raving about a dead woman he might have killed. It isn't hard for Eve and Roarke to follow the bloody footprints back to Suite 606 where they discover a woman brutally murdered in what appears to have been a satanic ritual. It's obvious that there was more than one attacker but is the man from the party one of the killers or another innocent victim?
I think what I love most about the In Death novellas is that they always contain a hint of the supernatural, Eve is always totally out of her depth when we move beyond cold hard logic into slightly weird territories and it's always fun to see her slightly off balance. Roarke is much more willing to accept things he can't see and Peabody is definitely a believer. This particular crime was pretty horrific so I really enjoyed seeing Eve take down the people involved.
1st read - September 2019
2nd read - November 2021
3rd read - February 2023
Eve never particularly enjoys the high-society parties she has to attend as Roarke's wife but this one gets much more interesting when a naked man bursts in, covered in blood and raving about a dead woman he might have killed. It isn't hard for Eve and Roarke to follow the bloody footprints back to Suite 606 where they discover a woman brutally murdered in what appears to have been a satanic ritual. It's obvious that there was more than one attacker but is the man from the party one of the killers or another innocent victim?
I think what I love most about the In Death novellas is that they always contain a hint of the supernatural, Eve is always totally out of her depth when we move beyond cold hard logic into slightly weird territories and it's always fun to see her slightly off balance. Roarke is much more willing to accept things he can't see and Peabody is definitely a believer. This particular crime was pretty horrific so I really enjoyed seeing Eve take down the people involved.
1st read - September 2019
2nd read - November 2021
3rd read - February 2023
December 30, 2021
This was a quick novella. We get to see Isis again from earlier in the series, which I loved. This case had the makings to be a full book. I'm kinda sad that it wasn't but maybe that would be because it would be too close to the one from earlier in the series. This one deals with witchcraft and cultish things. Either way, it was a great read as usual!
November 21, 2020
This should have been a book, I wanted more. I had forgotten how much I love Eve and Roarke and their friends. I wish Mavis and Leonardo had been in this; they were only mentioned. I'll have to read more of these soon.
December 6, 2022
Roarke was such a dick in this one that I wondered if the satanists had whammied him or something.
Read as part of the "Time of Death" anthology of shorts
Read as part of the "Time of Death" anthology of shorts
May 2, 2020
Currently Reading
March 18, 2019
5 stars
June 7, 2020
A quick yet very creepy case involving a ritualistic murder and a bunch of psychos in a cult.
comes next.
Previous book reviews:
β� Salvation in Death (In Death #27) ~ β β β β (12/10/2014)
β� Strangers in Death (In Death #26) ~ β β β β (28/09/2014)
β� Creation in Death (In Death #25) ~ β β β β β� (15/09/2014)
β� Eternity in Death (In Death #24.5) ~ β β β β (11/09/2014)
β� Innocent in Death (In Death #24) ~ β β β β β� (09/09/2014)
comes next.
Previous book reviews:
β� Salvation in Death (In Death #27) ~ β β β β (12/10/2014)
β� Strangers in Death (In Death #26) ~ β β β β (28/09/2014)
β� Creation in Death (In Death #25) ~ β β β β β� (15/09/2014)
β� Eternity in Death (In Death #24.5) ~ β β β β (11/09/2014)
β� Innocent in Death (In Death #24) ~ β β β β β� (09/09/2014)
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