Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: "Purity in Death" is a disappointment. I've been a fan of Robert's 'in Death' series for years. What I have really love about this series is that it's rich cast of supporting characters, and how the heroine, Lt. Eve Dallas seems to emotionally grow in each book. There was no growth this time, just a lot of recylcing of catch Dallas phrases. Actually I felt as if she wrote it on a template. There were the usual Dallas ... moments, Dallas can't accept the softer feelings, Dallas fly's off the handle when confronted by conflict, etc..., but very little real interaction between she and her friends / collegues. We are TOLD (and not shown) so often that Eve Dallas feels certain these ways, with the same stock expressions, that the book it reads more like a write by the numbers than a book put out by the ever prolific, but usually engaging. Nora Roberts. Also, since this case was so focused on people who prey on children I would have expected a bit more actualization in regards to her scarred childhood. I gave it 3 stars because the plot is engaging - and if anyone else but Nora Roberts had written it I would have given it 4, but this feels phoned in. The plot is interesting as usual but she fails to create a connection with between reader and charecter.
Rating: 
Summary: Tough Subject
Review: Once again we return to the lives of Lt. Eve Dallas and her sexy husband Roarke. And once again we are treated to a great story chalk full of suspense. J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) scores with this one, which deals with a group of terrorists sending an electronic virus to known pedophiles, drug dealers and other unsavory elements. Of course, Dallas lands the case and it becomes a race against time to catch the bad guys before they kill again. The novel also brings up an interesting point: do such morally corrupt people deserve to be killed by a group of vigilantes because they have committed such horrible crimes? It is a tough subject, one that is dealt with in Purity.
The story wouldn't be complete without a host of other interesting characters that Roarke and Eve have picked up along the way, including the infallible Peabody, the tenacious Nadine Furst and my favorite, the e-cop McNab, as well as a whirlwind appearance by Mavis.
Now, just as an aside, in the past few novels there has been lots of talk about babies. Could this possible be foreshadowing? I certainly hope so because I think it would be a lot of fun to see Eve and Roarke try to handle parenthood. But we'll have to wait at least 6 months to find out. Portrait in Death, the next in the series, isn't to be released until March 2003. If you haven't read the series, it's definitely worth it!
Rating:
Summary: It's so good, it's so good, it's so good, baby, it's so good
Review: This was the hardest book to put down. Upon getting it from the bookstore over the weekend, I read bits and pieces of it at every traffic stop on the way home; took it along on a fast 5-mile walk along the River des Peres; and almost took it in to the shower with me. From the first word to the last word, J. D. Robb weaves a story that is astonishingly good. It's a tale of a virus that can be transmitted from machine to man by means of sound and light. Provocative sci-fi fantasy only? The thing is in the realm of possibility, and that adds tremendously to the cachet of the plot. It is possible. For once, the villain of the plot is not immediately apparent until the end, and that's a departure from the previous ... in Death novels. The end of the novel is stunning! Eve makes the right media play and, who knows, she might wind up a captain in the near future. Many of the characters from some of the previous novels are there, and so Robb maintains a certain consistency of character use and through that manages to develop further the characters of Eve and Roarke. There's Jamie Lingstrom, lovely cocky young thing; Mavis takes a brief whirl through with exciting news that sparks an extremely comical reaction in Eve -- will Eve be next?! MacNab and Peabody are there, in part as victims of the latest criminal mind. The reactions of Eve and Roarke to the situation in which MacNab is thrown is revelatory of the continued weaving of the fabric of relationships that is so much a hallmark of this series.Again, with J. D. Robb, dialogue wins the day. Witty and character revealing in many places. Indeed, at times I found myself laughing out loud as I haven't since I last read the often-hilarious Geogette Heyer. Robb has that same laughter inducing Heyer quality, which is an excellent thing in a series so preoccupied with murder. To say more would be to sell out the plot, and I don't want to do that. Would that Cahner's Business Daily would employ a review who has a proper sense of the series. Purity in Death won't win J. D. Robb any new fans? Somebody needs their head examined. Bring on Portrait -- I hate to rush the years, but I can't wait for March to come! Great reading, folks. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary Purity
Review: What we often overlook when we review a Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb novel is the author's extraordinary wit and sense of humor. Her comedic timing and spacing of these oratory gems are impeccable and enjoyable. The repartee between Eve Dallas and her aide, Officer Peabody, often makes you laugh out loud. And then there is that dry humor between Eve and Roark that seems so much a natural part of their relationship that, from the very opening lines of any of her "In Death" novels, you're held in a state of suspended animation waiting until the very first scene between the couple unfolds. That is, of course, until Ms. Robb takes Eve and Roark on one of their erotic journeys. Nothing to laugh about there; just enjoy the ride. (You may want to read or reread her "Midnight Bayou" novel for some excellent examples of her comedic talents.) I'm sure that we can all pick out special scenes and situations in Ms. Robb's novels that are memorable, but in "Purity" the most hilarious (in my view) involved Mavis' announcement to Eve that she's pregnant. Poor Eve (and it's hard to think of Eve as being poor in any sense) has no clue what to do with her emotions even as she tried with difficulty to tell Roark and Dr. Mira about Mavis. We will all likely be in stitches when the stork finally visits Eve and Roark. Though I thoroughly enjoy Robb/Roberts as a seriously "mag" literary talent, that "In Death" episode when Eve finally becomes pregnate will fly off every global best seller list. Let's hope that it comes soon.
Rating: 
Summary: "Absolute purity achieved"
Review: It is the summer of the year 2059 in New York and people are antsy due to the extreme heat, but for Louis K. Cogburn things get a little out of control when he uses a baseball bat to kill a neighbor and beat the girlfriend of the deceased. The life of the girl is saved only because a police officer was nearby and intervened, killing the aggressor. The officer is none other than Eve Dallas' protégé Trueheart, who instead of calling dispatch after the fact, calls the Lieutenant while he is still confused by the events. Now things get tricky, and Dallas has to step lightly to make sure that it does not look like cover up and that the termination is determined to be justifiable.
Louie was a small-timer who sold illegals to kids in order to start them in the vice, but he had no history of prior violent acts. Also, there is a strange message on the screen of Louie's computer: Absolute Purity Achieved. Things get complicated when Halloway, a detective working on EDD (Electronic Detectives Division) goes berserk while examining the computer found at the scene. In his rampage he stuns McNabb and takes Captain Feeney as a hostage. It is clear, that the computer has something in it that drives people crazy and then kills them, so Eve has to find the Purity Seekers, a group of terrorist that is using technology to kill scum.
J. D. Robb chooses a controversial issue for this novel, since the killers are going after people who deserve it; the innocents who have been harmed in the process are considered collateral damage by the group of avengers. The general public is quickly divided, and there are differences of opinion, even between spouses, in particular between Eve and her husband Roarke. As usual, the author creates a good balance between the topic at hand and the personal situations of the characters. In this case we find Peabody and McNabb having to deal with the aftermath of the injury he received, creating some highly emotional situations.
Those that have been following the series - and as I did in some of my other reviews I am going to recommend that you read it in order - will find a character from the past reintroduced here. Jamie is a kid that Eve met when she was going after a satanic sect. After the kid lost his grandfather and his sister both Roarke and Eve took the role of his protectors. He is extremely skilled in electronics, and comes as a great help in the current situation. Robb has a natural ability for reintroducing characters in this fashion and get the reader to establish a rapport with them. That is one of the many reasons why this series is still going strong.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best Eve Dallas novel, but still a decent read.
Review: A frightened phone call from Officer Trueheart has homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas running to a crime scene with even more urgency than usual. The keen rookie to homicide has killed a man, but he's not sure exactly how. One Louie Cogburn had been beating the heck out of one of his neighbours when the call came through, and doing a fine job of it too. One dead and another on the way to being in the same state until Officer Trueheart stepped in. Was excessive force used to bring down the raging man? Eve doesn't think so. Interviewing one of the witnesses tells her that the stun delivered from the weapon of her officer wouldn't have been enough to kill, but maybe it was enough to trigger something else.
Can a computer virus be spread from unit to user? An officer working on the unit pulled from the crime scene escalates from being irritated at the job into an out of control, psychotic rage. Firing off his weapon at work Officer Halloway shoots down a fellow officer and takes hostage the captain of the electronics division, Eve's old mentor Feeney. Eve manages to talk the hostage free of that situation, but the sick and enraged Officer Halloway doesn't make it.
The usual gang all have their turn in "Purity in Death", the 15th novel in the best selling "in Death" series by author Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb. There isn't too much you have to unravel mystery wise but there's enough going on in the personal avenues of the secondary characters to keep the interest up. This novel suffers again from too much Roarke, as Eve's gorgeous and glamorous husband is seconded (yet again) into the service of the New York police. Police procedures 2059 style are on show once again, with all the technological wonders of the imagined age stylishly presented. Newbies might be a bit lost on this one as Robb does not bother this far into this series with the detailed explanations, but first contact with the fast and furious Eve Dallas should prove a welcome one. Read, enjoy, and then mostly forget.
Rating: 
Summary: Same Book, Different Title
Review: I have all but 2 books of this series (but not necessarily in chronological order), and at this point, I'm coming to the realization that after awhile, an author has said all there is to be said with a certain character/scenario.
How many times can Eve Dallas be personally targeted? How many victims remind her of her own troubled past? How many times can Roarke save the day? How many times can they have passionant sex that's a metaphor for how much she cares for him but is unable to express in words? After awhile, it seems like everything in Eve Dallas' life is a drama of Soap Opera proportions!
Like most hard-boiled type detectives, the action and adventure is non-stop and you never get the feeling that Eve gets to rest. After awhile, I find myself exhausted FOR the heroine and eventually I lose sympathy and interest. After all, who can identify with someone who is always strong enough to deal with anything that's pitched to her?
When the plot is intriguing, I don't mind the constant drama so much. I've enjoyed many of the other books, particularly Portrait in Death and Rapture in Death. But by this point, the clichés are getting really old, and I wonder if it isn't time for Ms. Robb to start a new series?
Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: PURITY IN DEATH WAS FANTASTIC!!! What else can I say? I couldn't wait to finish the book. Not knowing who or what is killing people (criminal and civilian) is what made this particular J.D.Robb unstoppable.
In Purity, Eve and her team are up against an unknown assailant who attacks his/her victims through an unknown computer virus. Gripping till the very last page, with alot of surprises thrown in.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Bad
Review: This is the 15th novel in the Nora Roberts (writing as J. D. Robb) suspense/mystery/crime thriller series about a NYC Homicide Lieutenant, Eve Dallas. Supporting our leading lady is a cast of characters we have come to enjoy, including her billionaire husband, Roarke; her aide, (Ms.) Peabody; a young policeman named Trueheart (honest!); and electronic/computer cop specialists McNab and Feeney. A contemporary premise, that a PC virus could cause a human brain virus, starts things off in a hurry with Trueheart killing a civilian who seemingly has gore berserk and murdered one of his neighbors while raving and ranting about how his head hurts. Eve Dallas takes this call, and soon other deaths in like fashion occur, including one in which a fellow cop is killed from working on an infected PC. Autopsies reveal significant brain swelling from unknown causes. A screen message "Absolute Purity has Been Achieved" leads to the supposition that a vigilante group is behind the killings, as at first their targets are dope dealers and pedophiles, etc. The story follows police efforts to identify and catch the criminals -- but along the way we get doses of differing philosophy about the group and its cause; emotional scenes surrounding the death of the policeman and McNab's disability; glimpses into the politics of modern police departments, and as much suspense as we can handle til the real culprits surface after several mis-directions near the end. As always, the scene is set ahead in time 50 years, so that video cellphones, personal air vehicles and a few other sci-fi touches enliven the stories without dominating the basic police procedurals. Still, Robb's writing seems at the top her form in this story; we wept several times during various sad and gripping scenes surrounding the deaths and funerals involved with the innocent. We feel this one of the most exceptional stories we have read in several months and have decided to put in on our ten-best in our lifetime list. That says an awful lot for someone who reads a couple of thousand books each decade. Get it; read it; weep, smile, and enjoy immensely !!
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