Series: In Death, Book 43
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Futuristic/Mystery/Suspense
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
J.D. Robb Reading Order
Nature versus nurture…
The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park’s ice-skating rink. The victims: a talented young skater, a doctor, and a teacher. As random as random can be.
Eve Dallas has seen a lot of killers during her time with the NYPSD but never one like this. A review of the security videos reveals that the victims were killed with a tactical laser rifle fired by a sniper, who could have been miles away when the trigger was pulled. And though the list of locations where the shooter could have set up seems endless, the number of people with that particular skill set is finite: police, military, professional killer.
Eve’s husband, Roarke, has unlimited resources—and genius—at his disposal. And when his computer program leads Eve to the location of the sniper, she learns a shocking fact: There were two—one older, one younger. Someone is being trained by an expert in the science of killing, and they have an agenda. Central Park was just a warm-up. And as another sniper attack shakes the city to its core, Eve realizes that though we’re all shaped by the people around us, there are those who are just born evil…
It’s a race against time as Eve and her team track down a long-distance serial killer in Apprentice in Death. With no ties between the victims, no clues as to when or where the master-apprentice duo will strike next, and a vast number of potential targets in a city like New York, the tension is on high and Eve, Roarke, and company are running themselves ragged to take down the killer.
The In Death series can be generally divided between character-centric stories and case-centric ones. Apprentice in Death is the latter, but even though my preference is for books with character growth, I ended up loving this case. It was fascinating to watch the pieces of the puzzle come together, and the more layers that were revealed about the stone-cold killer’s character the more my interested was piqued. The sheer number of potential victims weighs on Eve and her team heavily, and it also added a tenseness to the tale that kept me turning the pages of the book late into the night. It’s a twisted tale, though not in the usual sense; the apprentice is somewhat reminiscent of an earlier In Death killer (and I can’t reveal which character or the book they’re from without spoiling this story). Equally appealing is watching how Eve’s mind works as she makes the connections that will lead her to master and apprentice. While a number of faces old and new (Roarke in particular) are invaluable to solving this case, it’s Eve and the unique way she thinks that is the most fascinating to me.
The In Death books can largely be read as standalones, and Apprentice in Death is no exception. That being said, if this is your first foray into the series the mystery will still be appealing, but the small, personal moments in the book might not hold the appeal they do to readers more invested in the characters. And fans of the series, fear not: there are enough personal moments in this book to satisfy and perhaps even tug on your heartstrings a bit. The further into the series we get, the fewer opportunities for big personal drama there are, and that’s ok. The bonds of love and friendship still shine and added to my investment in the tale. All in all, I loved Apprentice in Death and I cannot wait to see what J.D. Robb has in store for Eve and Roarke!
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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