Memory in Death

I received my autographed copy of Memory in Death yesterday and read it all in one night. I'm now listening to the audiobook: 4.5 out of 5.

Eve Dallas is one tough cop. She can deal with a holiday reveler in a red suit, who plunges thirty-seven stories and gives new meaning to the term "sidewalk Santa." She can take on purse snatchers, drug dealers, and worse. But when Trudy Lombard--a seemingly ordinary middle-aged lady--shows up at the station, it's all Eve can do to hold it together. Instantly, she is plunged back to the days when she was a vulnerable, traumatized young girl--and trapped in foster care with the twisted woman who now sits smiling in front of her.

Trudy claims she came all the way to New York just to see how Eve was doing. But Eve's fiercely protective husband, Roarke, suspects otherwise--and his suspicion proves correct when Trudy, rebuffed by Eve, shows up at his office, demanding money in exchange for keeping the ugly details of Eve's childhood a secret. Using every ounce of willpower he has to restrain himself, he shows her the door--and makes it clear that she'd be wise to get out of the city and never bother them again.

Eve and Roarke will be satisfied if Trudy Lombard just heads back to Texas. Somebody else, though, wants her dead--and just a few days later, she's found on the floor of her hotel room, a mess of faded bruises and fresh blood. A cop to the core, Eve is determined to solve the case, if only for the sake of Trudy's bereaved son. Unfortunately, Eve was not the only one who suffered at this woman's hands--and she and Roarke will follow a circuitous and dangerous path to find out who turned the victimizer into a victim.

There have been more than 20 installments of the In Death series, and I continue to find the characters compelling. Memory in Death is perhaps more character-based than many, since it offers a new glimpse into Eve's troubled past. Eve's time in Trudy's home may have been short, but it had an obvious effect on the nine-year-old Eve.

Trudy herself is quite a piece of work. Although Eve wasn't subject to severe beatings in Trudy's home, the "care" she provided was far from pleasant. Like Eve, I had trouble having much sympathy for Trudy when she became a victim, and I thought that was an interesting aspect of the book.

There are a number of memorable moments: preparing for the annual Christmas party, the gift exchange. The references to past cases are interesting, and they make the story even more rich. I also like the new aspects of Eve's nightmares. The fact that they are evolving makes them realistic and intriguing. The Christmas tree image, for instance, is a disturbing one. I'll leave it at that.

The scene where Trudy visits Roarke in his office is one of the most memorable of the series for me. It's exceptionally well written, and you can see and feel Roarke's anger about what this woman did to his wife. I can't help but love seeing the dangerous side of Roarke as he protects the woman he loves.

Speaking of this scene, it's beautifully done in the audiobook, read by Susan Ericksen. I'm only on tape 3 of 8, but I can tell this will be one of my favorites. Ericksen's portrayals shine even more than usual, and if you're a fan of the series, I encourage you to listen to it if you can, even if you have to check it out of the library.