Customer Reviews

Ceremony in Death

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have read all of thse books in the series and find myself watching for the new ones light reading

Take a straight-laced, by the book cop and mix in witchcraft and the occult, and you have confusion, well, at least, disbelief. And it all starts so innocently with the seemingly natural death of a highly respected fellow officer.
Suddenly, illegals are found in his system during a routine autopsy that require investigation on a need to know basis, followed by said cop's granddaughter's note to Eve asking for an urgent and secret meet. Intrigued yet? Well, that's only the beginning ...
It feels like the author has done some serious research into both, Wicca and the Occult - essentially white and black magic, Witchcraft versus Satanism that a lot of people have difficulty differentiating between. The same goes for Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. She has quite a learning curve ahead and J D Robb did a wonderful job describing the same, too. Oh, and did I mention that the White Witch's mate's father was a serial killer?
As always, this adventure grips the reader from beginning to end, with an ending that is not at all as expected. J D Robb is something of an expert when it comes to creating suspense, mystery as well as weaving in red herrings ... as well as having our heroine going off in the wrong direction. And it all makes perfect sense.
The awkward social issue in this case? Not too much, actually. There is Mavis' Halloween Party predecessed by a visit to Trina which Eve dreads with a vengeance and usually with good reason as she tends to be submitted to treatments she never agreed to as well as little tattooes seem to suddenly be discovered somewhere on her body. In this storyline, Eve also has a falling out with her mentor Feeney and her aid Peabody ... nothing major, really. It is an interesting and entertaining sideline, nonetheless.
Having now read most of the books in this series, J D Robb still manages to surprise, come up with interesting issues and subject matters, and present new, insightful and intriguing cases.

The futuristic series by J.D Robb featuring Eve Dallas as the main character has been one of the series I have enjoyed most lately. Another series I love is the one written by Laurell K. Hamilton and presenting Anita Blake, vampire executioner and animator, as its heroine. The two have a few common traits, the clearest one being tough and sexy main female characters. Also, both series are now being published by the same house (Berkley Publishing Group). Nevertheless, I was extremely surprised when J.D. Robb introduced in this novel some of the elements I am used to finding in the Hamilton series, like shapeshifters and black magic. I enjoy the futuristic world in which Eve lives and hope that in the future Robb sticks with that world without trying to incorporate elements that are successful in another author's work.

As usual J.D. Robb jumps into the action right away, with the death of Frank Wojinski, a cop that served as Feeney's trainer when Eve's friend and mentor joined the force. The death was ruled as a heart attack, but there are some unanswered questions, especially since the cop was young: sixty-two years old! One of the granddaughters of the deceased, Alice, surreptitiously asks Eve for a meeting claiming that Eve's life is in danger. Alice tells Eve that she believes a black witch called Selina is involved in her granddad's death.

Selina was seen shortly before Frank's death selling drugs to him, so now Eve is asked to investigate Frank's death and to determine whether he was a dirty cop or was just working undercover by his own volition. To make matters worse, traces of the drug Zeus were found in the body and Eve is asked to leave Feeney out of the investigation and in the dark. When Alice is run over by a car and then the body of one of the members of Selina's sect is left outside Eve's and Roarke's house, the action develops too close to home and Eve must do everything in her power to solve the case before it affects her life.

The story is fast-paced as we are used to, and Robb is efficient in presenting the characteristics of the world in which the characters live in 2058 without boring the regular readers. Those who have not ventured in the series before will have enough information to understand what is going on and what the relationships between the different characters are. The storylines connected to the main characters' lives keep moving forward. The relationship between Eve and Roarke is of course central to the story, but in some cases the amorous scenes between these two become a little repetitive. Certain elements of Eve's childhood keep showing up, and all the supporting characters, Mavis, Peabody, etc, are present and contribute to the overall quality and depth of the story. I hope J.D. Robb returns to her path by moving away from magic and staying with the futuristic series that I enjoy so much.

This is the 5th novel in the "Death" series and its the best one yet. Jd Robb has really hit her stride with this novel- the characters are well fleshed out and the story line is fascinating. For those not familiar with the series, Jd Robb chronicles the life and cases of police Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke. The novels take place in the future around 2058.

In Ceremony in death, Eve is forced to investigate the death of a fellow officer. Her investigation leads her to satanic cults, Wiccan religious groups, and more murders. It seems that everyone Eve questions ends up getting killed and soon Eve herself is the target. Eve is disturbed by the ritualistic killings, especially given her own abused background. And she has no shortage of suspects.

The attraction of the series is the mix of suspense and romance- all meshed into a great murder mystery. Its nice to continually follow the same main characters. Their complex and evolving relationship are what keep me reaching for the next book. Too often, storys concentrate on the courtship, but the Death series proves that marriage/committment are just as complelling, romantic and sexy. Eve and Roarke have a great partnership and chemistry that has been evident since their first meeting in book 1, Naked in Death.

While Ceremony in Death is the 5th book, those who haven't read the earlier novels won't get confused as each book is essentially self contained. But loyal readers are rewarded as familiar characters are brought back--like Mavis, Peabody, Fenney and the butler. But prior knowledge of the series isn't required- in fact, I read book 1 Naked in Death and then this one..and have read some of the others out of order.

Happy Reading!

This is the second book of the IN DEATH series I've read. GLORY IN DEATH was the first I'd read. Yes, GLORY is #2 in the series and CEREMONY is #5 -- I'm skipping because these are the volumes I was able to lay hands on.

Despite the gaps in my reading, each book reads very well. There's no confusion or disorientation because of the missing episodes.

As I said in my review of GLORY IN DEATH -- this is structured to become a television series using the long story-arc of the developing Relationship as the envelope and presenting a whole new mystery episode in each 1 hour drama.

If the futurology were worked into the mystery and relationship, IN DEATH would be as good as Babylon 5.

Up to CEREMONY IN DEATH, the futurology is almost entirely missing. Though this series appears to be set in the future, the story, the romance, the mystery and the solutions could just as easily happen today. There's no reason internal to the story for it to be set in the future.

For this 5th book in the series, this seems to me (a professional sf/f writer) to be a flaw, whereas for the 2nd book of the series the lack was a good teaser.

In CEREMONY IN DEATH, Robb/Roberts has taken the subject of ceremonial magic (another subject I know write about) and has treated it well and fairly, bringing out the massive and very important difference between Satanism and the Wiccan Religion.

Still, both Satanism and the Wiccan Religion are treated with the same short shrift given to the futurology. After you finish reading CEREMONY IN DEATH you have not learned anything useful about either Satanism or Witchcraft except that they're very different.

But here's the very fascinating thing about these novels -- even though I began reading them for my favorite things (futurology, galactic civilization, a touch of the occult), and it turned out these elements are barely there, I'm still looking forward to reading another one.

I think it's because I keep hoping we'll meet some real aliens -- a non-human detective that Eve Dallas would have a hard time making friends with, or an interstellar business situation Roarke would have to sprain his brain to understand and fight to get Eve to accept. But of course, that's what I write, not what J. D. Robb writes.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg
ambrovzeor@aol.com

Eve does not believe in magic, but it seems that everyone around her does. Unfortunately, many of those that believe are ending up dead. While investigating the death of a fellow officer and his grand-daughter, Eve meets a "white" witch (Wiccan) and "black" witch (Satanist). As the bodies begin to pile up, Eve and Peabody must delve into the world of witch craft to stop the killing and bring the murderer to justice.
I gave this book three stars, because I just could not get into it. All the previous books I have read in a day or two, but it took me almost two weeks to finish this one. CEREMONY is much darker than the previous books. The suspense element is there, but it is not hard to figure out who the killer is. I like to be surprised by who the killer is, and I was not in this book.
Another thing that is starting to bother me, are the common threads throughout this series. Eve is ALWAYS cranky and banging on things. Roarke is somehow always pulled into the investigation. Eve's car and computer are always acting up on her. Maybe this is picky, but it is getting very repetitive.
I would recommend reading CEREMONY IN DEATH if you are a fan of the series, and plan to continue on with the next books. It is not as great as the rest, but all in all, not too bad. We get to learn alot more about Feeny (Eve's mentor and trainer that works as an e-detective). The relationship between Eve and Feeny is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. CEREMONY is worth the read, just for that.

Jenny Bogue
...

I just finished this book a couple days ago. It was great as all the In Death series are. It got me though. I have figured out "the who done it" in previous books but this one stumped me. I loved it.

I have read all of J.D. Robb's books from the first until the last which was Seduction in Death, I really must say that if you love books that are fast-paced and has a storyline that builds the personality of its characters life; from the first story until the last story, then you would want to read the Death Series by J.D. Robb. I was really fascinated by Eve Dallas and Roakes' characters. I hope that J.D. Robb continues to build on the life of Eve and Roake and host of other fascinating characters whose life intertwine with Eve and Roake. Please keep up the good work.

Your Devoted Death Series Fan

J.D. Robb continues to impress me with her "In Death" series. "Ceremony in Death" continues the tradition of excellence, providing an exciting, unsettling, and entertaining read.
We receive new insight into the main characters, Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD and her charming billionaire husband Roarke, with each book in the series. These two are a wonderful couple, and their dynamics become more complex and fascinating in this novel. When Eve and Roarke are together the sparks fly, and they have some highly erotic, yet never distasteful scenes.
In this instalment of the series, Eve is investigating a case that involves satanic cults and lots of deep, dark secrets. The sinister atmosphere of this novel is expertly woven, causing Eve's encounters with evil to send chills up the reader's spine.
Although we know who the bad guys are pretty much from the beginning. We do not have the mystery properly solved until the very end, and there are many thrilling and suspenseful scenes to keep the reader turning pages. I truly enjoyed this book, and with its romance and suspense, its intrigue and futuristic police procedure, there is something in it for everyone!
I am in awe of J.D. Robb's incredible skill at writing continually superior books and I will continue to buy and recommend them as long as she keeps writing them!

This is a fantastic series with a great blend of suspense, romance and just a sprinkle of sci-fi. "Ceremony in Death" is a disappointment, however, when compared with the other books in the series. It's really heavy on the cult and lacking the page-turning who-done-it suspense so characteristic in Robb's other novels. You do learn more about Peobody, however, and the humorous banter between her an Eve (as well as Eve and Roarke) make it worth the read.

If you are disappointed with this book don't give up on the series. The next book, "Vengeance in Death", is the best one yet!