Rating: 
Summary: Witness In Death can stand on its own
Review: I really enjoyed Robb's most recent installment of the In Death series. It had a wonderful plot that was reminiscent of Dame Agatha's Hercule Poirot mysteries and involved much in the way of deduction in order to figure out who the murderer was. The character development was spectacular. It was interesting to witness Eve bringing that extra something to her marriage with Roarke rather than the other way around. I enjoyed the development in relationship between Peabody and McNab and the insight into Charles Monroe's character. I really appreciated the depth of Nadine's concern with this particular case as well. Robb has not failed to write a fantastic story here. But clearly this is quite a tribute to Dame Agatha Christie's work as well and I think that Robb was overly zealous in her attempt to adapt the other author's style into her work. I was slightly disappointed with the blatant revelation of the solution to a particular Chrstie mystery. Other than a slight problem with the extent to which Roarke and McNab partook in a newfound brotherhood as well as the Christie dilemma, I really enjoyed Witness because as a tribute it was well done. That aside, it could have stood extremely well on its own. I look forward to the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: Witness can stand on its own.
Review: I really enjoyed Witness In Death as a story. My enjoyment of this story is independent of the homage that is clearly paid to Dame Agatha Christie. I loved revisiting Roarke, Eve, Peabody, McNab, Nadine, and even Charles. I felt that Robb developed these characters and their respective relationships very well and I was not disappointed on that score. The reason for my four star rating is because of two things I found disturbing in this story. First of all, Robb's liberal use of Dame Agatha's work was interesting and intriguing. It incited me to check out more of Christie's work. However, I felt that the blatant revelation of the ending to Murder On The Orient Express to be a liberty taken that is unjustifiable. For readers who have not experienced Christie's mysteries before and attained an interest due to this book, Murder On The Orient Express, however interesting it seemed initially, dimmed considerably because Robb revealed the murderer of this particular story. This is not only disturbing to me because of my growing interest in Dame Agatha's work but also because it seems to be unfair to the author of Murder On The Orient Express whose hard work seems belittled by Robb's simplistic explanation of the truth behind its murder. In addition to this, I found it slightly irritating that Roarke forged the signature of a judge, however high-tech his equipment, and revealed his shadier side to McNab much less enfolded him in it. For Peabody who has slowly been coming to this conclusion, it seems a little more justified that she would use deductive reasoning to see more deeply into Roarke's character. I would have expected Roarke to have let McNab come to the same realization through his own deductive reasoning rather than putting him into the questionable position of having to make a choice in accepting this darker side of Roarke and his actions in relation to it. Overall, though my words seem to contradict my rating, I found Witness to be a good romantic suspense on its own and I was not disappointed by Robb's plot or her characters' development within the novel.
Rating: 
Summary: TERRIFIC!
Review: I've read them all, and this is the best yet! She just keeps getting better. I particularly liked the humor in this one, including the brief interplay between Eve and Summerset.
Rating:
Summary: Reliably entertaining, leaves you wanting more.
Review: If you're a newcomer to this series, welcome to Nick and Nora in the Third Millenium. JDR has slicked up the old Thin Man concept and brought it into the future, where the world is one of excess and hyperbole in all forms. Beef and coffee are delicacies, prostitution is legalized and rigidly controlled, new drugs - legitimate and otherwise - are readily available, but the seven deadly sins are unchanged. Cars travel in all spacial dimensions and planets are for sale, but cops still like donuts...Soft-boiled Eve Dallas and her handsome, mysterious, omnipresent husband Roarke, sleuth together in a plot that regulars to the series will recognize as more psychologically oriented than its predecessors. Eve and Roarke witness a real murder onstage during the opening night of a 20th century crime drama staged as a retro-performance - one of Roarke's weaknesses is for 20th century black and white / film noire, and of course, it's his playhouse...All the players are related to one another in some way through the victim, and Eve has to look closely at the nature of love and hate in personal relationships as she struggles to figure out whodunnit right under her nose. All of the books in this series develop subplots, the strongest of which is the evolving relationship between Eve and Roarke, two abused children who have grown up to excel at what they do, but who bear the scars of their youth in grim silence - until they find each other. This story brings us regulars along a little further in their lives. Eve finally starts to conquer her ambivalence about their bond, although she clearly has a way to go. Roarke remains somewhat maddeningly cool - it'd be interesting to see him lose control once in a awhile. Reading these novels is like coming home every six months to the next installment of an ongoing saga, although we still know less about Roarke, and it would be nice to see more through his eyes. Their relationship still has a thorny side that can leave the reader just a little annoyed at both of them, which is a tribute to the empathy with which the characters are drawn. There's lots of room for other characters to shine, although fans will note that Mavis and Nadine took something of a back seat this time, to make way for Peabody, McNabb, and the up and coming Trueheart. I was waiting for this one, and now that I've finished it, I have to wait another six months for more! If this is your first book in the series, don't despair - you've got nine others to savor, and if you pace yourself, maybe you can make them last until JUDGMENT IN DEATH comes out later this year. You'll probably understand the nuances of Eve's and Roarke's relationship faster if you read them in chronological order, but I started out in the middle and then bactracked, so it's not lethal if you end up reading this book first - and it might be more fun! One thing - I wonder who the candy thief will turn out to be?
Rating:
Summary: A new height for J. D. Robb and Eve Dallas.
Review: Ahhh, Eve Dallas. By Witness, the tenth(?) book in the series, I've come to regard her, along with the "walking orgasm," Roarke, and all of the other characters, as a dear friend. I'm intensely glad that, unlike many writers who started out well but then slid downhill in their writing (Laurell K. Hamilton comes to mind), Robb has been making an effort to not only maintain the quality of the first books, but to rise higher. And with Witness, as with Conspiracy and Loyalty before it, she succeeds, fully breaking away from the psycho-serial-killer plot that was becoming so formulaic and predictable. As always, there is emotional turmoil, witty banter, and enough sweet scenes to keep me satisfied without overpowering the mystery. My favorite lines may be: [referring to Roarke] "He'd jump in front of a maxibus for you." "They don't go very fast," and, later: "Would you jump in front of a maxibus for me?" "Absolutely. They don't go very fast." "That's what I said." Perhaps the most satisfying element of Witness is that Eve finally seems to realize how much Roarke gives in their relationship and how little she gives back. Naturally her attempt to do her part for romance is both wonderfully humorous and touching. It's nice to see Eve realizing what a good thing she's got. I look forward to seeing this upward trend continued in Judgement.
Rating:
Summary: Ditto what they said!
Review: Yes, I will agree that this is absolutely the BEST "in Death" Book written so far. No I absolutely cannot wait to read the next and will probably start prowling the Amazon pre-orders in July just so I can do something. I think it is amazing that Nora Roberts can keep her characters so together after 11 installments without seriously damaging them. I mean some authors have trouble keeping things straight between two, while Eve and Roarke keep getting more and more complex. I would definitely start with Naked in Death and go forward including the novella in Silent Night (an anthology). The only thing that confused me is relatively minor. In all my years of being around theatres, both on a regional and professional basis was that I never heard it referred to as "The Scottish Play", but always "The Scottish King". I mean it is an English play, written by the bard himself. But bring the curse down on my poor head by naming it? Not I!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: The In Death series keeps improving (if it is possible to improve on remarkable predecessors), as JD Robb adds new layers to the recurring relationships in the series. An excellent suspense story and a very enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I have never read anything as good as this series; it is absolutely brilliant and 'Witness' is one of the best so far. Here, we see the return of all of the main characters in the series, plus the development of some of the newer ones: Charles Monroe, Trueheart, Nadine, Mavis, Peabody, Mcnab, Feeney... the list is ever-increasing! Because of the way this series develops, I really think that the books need to be read in sequence in order to do them justice, or you may end up confused. You will certainly miss the subtler nuances and undercurrents which run throughout the books and which are developed throughout the series. I was lucky in that I read the books exactly in order, but I can certainly see how a new reader starting from the wrong book will not enjoy the collective series as much, and this would be a real shame. As ever, the best thing about the book is the development of the relationship between Eve and Roarke. However, this book is a cut above the rest because we see Eve taking the initative on the romance front for a change. Before, something was always lacking because Roarke seemed to do all the running. Here, we see Eve making a real effort, with hilarious and touching results. The various characters' insights into Eve and Roarke's relationship was also an inspired way to compound to the reader just how special and romantic their relationship is. However, I do think that Roarke the 'walking orgasm' needs a good jolt of jealously as a taste of his own medicine. We saw some brief jealously in 'Immortal' but surely it can't be fair to Eve to have to keep tripping over drooling women to get to her admittedly fabulous husband. Every scene is fast-paced, witty and packed with lovely details which can be re-read again and again. Ms Roberts is amazingly talented and can make you laugh aloud in one scene and fill you with compassion in the next. I can't wait until 'Judgment' is out in October. As far as I'm concerned, these books can't be written fast enough. I get withdrawal symptoms at the end of each new one, so please keep them coming Ms Roberts! There is so much which still has to be developed, like Eve's memories of her mother. I'm also sure that the Olympus resort will not be able to open without some sort of drama, since Roarke has alot of his own capital invested, and it has been a constant feature from the beginning. Will Roarke actually make a loss for once? Surely not! There is one last thing. When will we hear anything about Kevin, the little boy from 'Vengeance' who Roarke arranged to be adopted by Richard and Elizabeth Deblass? How has he settled in? I can't believe that Roarke doesn't keep in touch, and it would be nice to know.
Rating:
Summary: Witness in Death
Review: Excellent. Once again Robb/Roberts delivers a perfect blend of detective thriller and romance. I've yet to be disappointed. My only lament is that she teases us with the beginning of the next book in the series, knowing it has yet to reach the bookshelves.
Rating: 
Summary: But...
Review: WITNESS IN DEATH is great fun. The interaction between the characters makes this book worthwhile. It's also great how Robb keeps delving deeper into both Eve and Roarke. Eve worked through some more demons this time around, and there was a tantalizing bit that we're not through exploring Roarke's. As another reader also noted, there were a few editing mistakes. I caught the eye color change as well. It's also annoying that Eve is continually addressed as "sir" by her subordinates. Maybe this is a change in police protocol that Robb has incorporated into her futuristic world, but wouldn't it have been a good idea to let the reader *know* it was a futuristic change, rather than a simple error? If this had been the extent of my problems with WITNESS IN DEATH, I'd have given this novel five stars without a qualm. It was exciting and fast-paced, and although I guessed whodunit rather early on, I didn't guess *how* whodunit did it, or why. My major problem with this book is the idea that Robb presents that murder is somehow justified. Even if the first victim was a dirty, rotten scumbag, and the second victim a greedy blackmailer, murder is never justifiable and I resent Robb's attempt to make it so. And then for Eve to suggest to the murderer how that person should go about making sure that a light sentence was received! No matter the reasoning, it goes against everything that Eve has stood for throughout the IN DEATH series. WITNESS IN DEATH is a fine, exciting novel, BUT it only receives three stars. Had any other author written this novel, Eve Dallas's character would likely have been totally destroyed, and I'd have had to rate this with only one star. Thanks to J. D. Robb's talent, I have high hopes that this was but a momentary lapse in an otherwise great heroine.
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