Product Description

Summer is drawing to a violent close when a killer makes his debut with the mutilation of a prostitute. His calling card: a personal note to Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35150 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-26
• Released on: 2004-10-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780425191583
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas encounters one of her most difficult cases in this latest offering from J. D. Robb, alter ego of bestselling author Nora Roberts. With the very first victim, Eve realizes that the killer stalking the streets of New York City isn't a run-of-the-mill serial murderer. The copycat executions are imitating the methods and victim choices of an ominous list of notorious serial killers, beginning with Jack the Ripper. And when the killer leaves a distinctive note at the crime scene, it's clear that he's targeting Eve personally--a fact that worries Roarke, Eve's shrewd husband.

Assisted by her aide, Peabody, Eve compiles a list of suspects that includes several high-profile possibilities. Their very prominence, however, complicates the investigation, for they have the power and influence to make the search difficult. All of the suspects are reluctant to cooperate but one of them is playing with Eve like a cat with a mouse by tempting her with crime scene notes and challenging her to find him. Can Eve stop him before he slaughters again? Or will his next victim be Eve herself?

Author Robb, a.k.a. Roberts, doesn't miss a beat in this police procedural thriller. The futuristic setting is rich with imaginative details; the cast of supporting characters offers an intriguing variety, while Eve and Roarke's relationship is layered with emotional intimacy and spiced with sex. Whether you're a faithful follower or new to the series, you won't be disappointed in the edge-of-the-seat suspense in Imitation In Death. Don't miss this one. --Lois Faye Dyer

From Publishers Weekly
The latest entry in Robb's series of feisty futuristic mysteries (after Portrait in Death) delivers. This time, Lt. Eve Dallas shows up to investigate the grisly killing of a New York City prostitute only to find a note from the killer on the body. Signed "Jack," the note taunts Eve by name and affirms what she has already guessed-that the murder was specifically planned to imitate Jack the Ripper. Purchasers of the costly foreign stationery that the killer used-a crime writer, a top diplomat and a famous musician-become Eve's suspects. As she investigates them, a second killing occurs, this time in the manner of the Boston Strangler. Aided by her faithful second-in-command, Peabody (who's nervously awaiting her detective's exam), and supported by her handsome husband Roarke, Eve scours both the country and the past for clues. The solution to the puzzle is far less intriguing than the copycat-killer premise, and readers might wonder why detection in the year 2059 is so low-tech-where, for example, are DNA and forensic testing? As always, however, Robb's delightfully snappy dialogue, playful sexuality and whirlwind pacing will keep readers captivated.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
'Police lieutenant Eve Dallas encounters one of her most difficult cases in Imitation in Death. With the very first victim, Eve realises that the killer stalking the streets of New York City isn't a run-of-the-mill serial murderer. The copycat executions are imitating the methods and victim choices of an ominous list of notorious serial killers, beginning with Jack the Ripper. And when the killer leaves a distinctive note at the crime scene, it's clear that he's targeting Eve personally--a fact that worries Roarke, Eve's shrewd husband. Assisted by her aide, Peabody, Eve compiles a list of suspects that includes several high-profile possibilities. Their very prominence, however, complicates the investigation, for they have the power and influence to make the search difficult. All of the suspects are reluctant to cooperate but one of them is playing with Eve like a cat with a mouse by tempting her with crime scene notes and challenging her to find him. Can Eve stop him before he slaughters again? Or will his next victim be Eve herself? Author JD Robb, aka Nora Roberts, doesn't miss a beat in this police procedural thriller. The futuristic setting is rich with imaginative details; the cast of supporting characters offers an intriguing variety, while Eve and Roarke's relationship is layered with emotional intimacy and spiced with sex. Whether you're a faithful follower or new to the series, you won't be disappointed in the edge-of-the-seat suspense in Imitation in Death.' - Lois Faye Dyer, AMAZON.COM

Customer Reviews

One of the better "In Death" books
I rushed down to the store to get this yesterday, and unlike the last one [Portrait], which left me feeling a bit hurried and miffed, this one had a lot of the best things about this series. Eve Dallas has some very good moments in this book - the mystery makes sense (the murderer is actually one of the main suspects this time), still managing to keep the reader guessing. It plays out well, and the murders manage to impress upon the reader the appropriate sense of disgust intended.

The main characters mostly have some good points in this book, although I was a bit weirded out by Roberts' description of Morris (he is suddenly described with the adjective 'exotic' on two consecutive pages). Peabody is taking the detective exam, McNab is being lovey-dovey with the aforementioned, and Roarke is getting through the loss discovered in Portrait. There's a lack of Feeney in this book, as well as Nadine, but it plays out better for it, especially since Portrait had characters experiencing Significant Moments of Life every five pages. Not that this book isn't lacking in the odd character moment here and there, but it works anyway. For Lt. Dallas herself, there is a big flashback - and a fascinating one, for it's about the person that her brandy-colored eyes are from - and no, it's not her dad.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the Eve-Roarke dynamic, and in this book, they're awfully cute in this book, and such fun to read. I don't mean gushy cute, thank goodness, but they're a highly amusing couple. A favorite moment of mine is Eve watching, with some baffled horror, as Roarke cooks, and I don't mean with an Auto-Chef. More than ever, I think this couple has really settled into a comfortable dynamic, the way that only they can do it.

One of the reasons it's such fun to read this is because of how the characters have grown throughout the books. I feel that Roberts' other books often lost realism in the characters, with the books themselves too often ending with a tidily engaged couple and pregnant female. However, the In Death series gives her the chance to naturally grow these characters, and it's really evident in this book. Compare Imitation to Naked or Glory, and it's actually a little scary to see how these characters - especially Eve and Roarke - have changed, but they've done so together, and it's sweetly romantic.

Last word: this isn't a book for new readers. It would be completely confusing, very bizarre, and without the enjoyment of seeing how these beloved characters continue to change. There is an unusually high amount of references to other J.D. Robbs here(there was even a reference to Interlude in Death), and although it's nice for the devoted reader, it can be nothing but bizarre to a newbie. In the end, this was a very entertaining book - I think one of the best in this series - and though there were no previews, I look very forward to buying Remember When in a few weeks and Divided in Death in the new year. :>

A slight misstep in an otherwise great series.
I buy the J.D. Robb books like most people go to movies they really want to see-on the first day they're available. Then, I read it cover to cover-no matter how late, no matter what time I have to get up in the morning-I have to match wits with Eve Dallas, Roarke, and the crew to see if I can guess who the killer is. The one thing I LOVE about this series (and Nora Roberts in general) is that I'm always guessing until the last clue is in place. Not so with this particular installment of the 'In Death' series.
I don't want to spoil it for those who read this book, but there's a VERY VERY big clue that reveals the killer's identity right off the bat, and it's so obvious you almost miss it. When I realized it, I was so upset, because that's the fun for me. This is the first book I've acutally been able to put down and leave for awhile-the first that didn't fully engage me to the point that everything else is a distraction. All of the qualities that makes these books so much fun are there-Roarke and Eve's love for one another, McNabb and Peabody getting more committed, Summerset (he's back!!!); and let's not forget the witty reparte' the characters have. The book got off to a very slow start for me, and I didn't enjoy this book as much as the rest. It's saying something that it took book 17 for me to get disheartened, so lets hope that "Remember When" and the next "In Death" novel makes up for this slight misstep in an otherwise great series.

Solid story, but not the best installment of the series
I greatly enjoyed "Imitation in Death." The mystery was solid, as was the background on Lt. Eve Dallas' police work and the growth of her character.

The main drawback of this installment of the series is the lack of interaction with the secondary characters. Even Roarke seemed a little cookie cutter this go-round. However, having said that, I believe there is a legitimate reason for it that goes deeper than lack of inspiration.

Essentially, the character of Eve was feeling cut off from her loved ones in this story. She was dealing with inner demons quite a bit -- not as dramatically as in some previous books, but nonetheless she was definitely withdrawn to some degree while she dealt with new information about her past. Also, several of the secondary characters, such as Peabody, were dealing with life changes and were not their "usual selves."

I think that the story functioned as a mirror of Eve's own innerlooking attitude, life changes of several characters, and finally and perhaps most importantly as a bridge to the next phase of the series. I won't say what that phase is -- you will know as soon as you finish the book -- because I don't want to spoil the story.

But believe me, while the story itself may not satisfy the reader as much as Roberts' earlier installments, I think that it serves its purpose perfectly and sets up a lot of new things that will keep the series as a whole fresh for years to come.