Origin in Death

I consider myself to be a fan of J.D. Robb's In Death series. I've enjoyed all of the books to varying degrees. Today I finished listening to Origin in Death, and I think it's one of the stronger books in the series. It's certainly the strongest book in the past few years: 5 out of 5.

NYPSD lieutenant Eve Dallas discovers a nearly spotless record when she investigates the past of Dr. Wilfred Icove. Then, she finds data disks at his home that are not only password-protected, but encoded. Once deciphered, they hint at medical experiments that may have led more than one person to want him dead.

The In Death books are futuristic, but Origin in Death feels more futuristic than many installments of the series. I was fascinated by the multilayered mystery. Every time I thought I had figured things out, the situation twists. I liked the fact that this story is very different from the one in the other books.

While I enjoy the In Death mysteries, I read the series primarily for the interaction of the characters. If that's the case for you, you'll love this book. There are several terrific moments with the characters. One in particular, where Eve mimics an Irish accent, is particularly funny when listening to it. This story is full of amusing and memorable moments. In fact, I like the book so much, I am listening to it again.

Here's a story that might amuse you. I received the audiobook first (in fact, I'm still waiting for the hardcover), so I've been listening to the book to and from work and in the evenings. Yesterday, I had to drive downtown for work, and I pulled up to a parking garage. The audiobook was playing fairly loud, but since Roarke wasn't in this particular scene (and therefore, he wouldn't be getting it on with Eve right then), I figured I would be fine leaving the audio on. So, the guy asked for $5, and as I dug in my wallet, with the window rolled down, Mavis said, "Check out these t*ts!" Then I was digging in my wallet and fumbling to lower the volume. Oy!