There's something deeply comforting about sinking into a J.D. Robb book — you know exactly what you're getting: a solid mystery, a little banter, a little blood, and a whole lot of Eve Dallas doing what she does best: solving murders. "Dark in Death" is no exception. It's another reliable entry in the In Death series. You'll want to pick this one up immediately if you're a fan. No deep analysis needed — just pure, familiar entertainment.

A woman was murdered with an ice pick during a Psycho screening in Times Square. As Eve and Roarke dig in, it turns out the murder isn't just a one-off — it mirrors a scene from a popular police thriller. Add in a second eerily similar crime, and it's clear someone's letting fiction bleed into reality... literally.

The pacing here isn't quite as sharp as some other entries in the series. There are moments when it feels just a little slower than the fast-paced momentum fans might expect. Still, if you love Eve, Roarke, and the never-ending adventures, "Dark in Death" won't let you down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Chanel Rylan was enjoying an afternoon at the movies watching the classic Psycho when she is murdered. The killer was in and out without anyone noticing. Eve is on the case and is surprised when an author comes forward saying the young woman was killed just like a character in one of her books. Eve doesn't know if she agrees until she finds a previous murder where the victim was killed like a character in one of the authors other books. She knows she must find the murderer before someone else ends up dead like another character. Follow along and see where the investigation takes Eve, will she be able to put all the clues together and find her killer or will they get away with murder.

Interesting story idea, I loved the case. Just didn't feel as fast paced and tension-y as I expected.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

This book was a lot of fun because of the plot. I enjoyed the idea of the villain recreating fictional murders and improving on them, avoiding the mistakes that resulted in the storybook villains getting caught. I also liked that the goal was for the villain to triumph. This particular villain was their own special kind of "whack" (as Peabody would say) and possessed a versality that presented quite a challenge for Lieutenant Dallas and her colleagues.

In this installment of J.D. Robb’s In Death series, Eve Dallas investigates killings that mirror the murder scenes from a popular mystery series.

The killer has a grudge against the author of the series and feels like her own talent as an author isn’t appreciated. She is unremarkable but wants to be seen and respected.

I’ve read many of the series but realized that I hadn’t read this one yet. As always, JD Robb knocks it out of the park. The mystery is compelling, and the side characters aren’t just one-dimensional window dressing; they add to the story and the scenes. For me, it’s a perfect mix of the genres I read most: mystery, romance, and sci-fi. The futuristic world that J.D. Robb(Nora Roberts) has created is always so riveting to read.

J.D. Robb delivers yet another gripping installment in her long-running In Death series with Dark in Death, a clever, twisting murder mystery that blends futuristic crime-solving with chilling psychological thrills. The story kicks off with a seemingly random murder in a movie theater. But nothing is ever quite that simple when it comes to Lieutenant Eve Dallas. As she and her ever-loyal partner, Detective Peabody, dig deeper, they uncover a chilling pattern: the killer is reenacting murder scenes from a popular mystery series—fiction turned fatal. The villain isn’t just a murderer but a reader—one who’s twisted fantasy and fiction into a deadly blueprint. Robb, as always, excels at mixing grit with warmth.

During the movie screening someone kills Chanel. Her friend has a hard time believing it because it looks like what’s happening on the movie screen. Eve tries to figure out what has happened, gets a tip from a book author and then tries to find a pattern. Hunting for clues takes the entire team. A wonderful story!

Continuing the series, J.D. Robb creates another adventure for Eve! This one does not disappoint! Follow her as she finds the killer and be prepared to be creeped out!

Eve and Roarke continue with their devoted marital relationship,
Eve is a cop with a difficult past including abuse and Roarke the ultimate super rich businessman.
Together they click as they slowly meld their lives and often work together to solve murders.
A murder in a movie theater while watching a classic murder scene is not just coincidental.
Eve tries to untangle all the knots between actors and authors.
The enticing part of the book is the fact that Roarke’s majordomo is on vacation and they have the castle to themselves.
The games ensue as Eve leads Roarke on a chase through their home to share fun intimacy.
Always the connection between the two is compelling and a page turner.
Eve is able to find the murderer and solve the case.
Good ending is inevitable with the two of them.

I liked this, but it wasn’t my favorite. Eve, Roarke, Peabody, Mavis, and Co. are still awesome and compelling. And I do think the antagonist was developed pretty well. But some of the language was pretty dated, which is more understandable for a book written in 1995, but not 2017. I also don’t love books that make mentally ill people the villain (not really a spoiler; it’s talked about throughout in the book).

This was a more middle of the road entry.

You really need Eve's detective skills and experience to solve this one and take down the perpetrator. She does it with such ease. I loved the book so much I found it hard to take my mind away from it. The crimes are believable but disturbing. I enjoyed the police procedural and I can't wait for more.

Loved this book! I really liked the parallel storyline of the current murders aligning with a suspense authors murders in her books. As always, Eve works her magic, and incredible detective skills to bring down the perpetrator. Love Roarke and Peabody too!!

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dark in Death feels like there could be some autobiographical content in it. Dallas is after a killer who is acting out the murders that occur in a crime novel series.

The wannabe writer/killer submits a manuscript to the female write of crime fiction--Blaine DeLano. Per her agent and lawyer's instructions Blaine always rejects manuscripts unread to protect herself from litigation. Coincidentally, the next novel in her series that is printed, mirrors the killer's manuscript. This causes the killer to snap and begin acting out the murder scenes from DeLano's books as a way to get back at her.

Dallas with the help of Peabody, Roarke, McNab, Feeney and the crew work tirelessly to track the killer down. As always, an enjoyable read.

After a woman is murdered in a theater while the classic film Psycho's iconic shower scene plays, Eve and her team learn that the murder follows the plot of a popular novel. They see that an earlier death followed the story in another novel in the series, and race against time to make sure the murderer (in an unusual twist, a talented seamstress) doesn't get to re-create the deaths in the next books. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

I LOVE a copycat killer. Like I don’t know why but it just gets me.
Jd robb(Nora Roberts) is really hit or miss with me but this one worked. The characters are charming as ever (Roarke) and you get exactly what you want when you pick up an in death novel. Murder, mayhem, sarcasm, and of course, Peabody clomping around in her pink cowboy boots.

While Eve starts the book out with her usual police procedural investigation of a murder, this one was very calm and focused more on the relationship of Eve and Roarke and the humor with Peabody. Even Gallahad had decent page time in this one. Book 46, these characters are like home and I love every single minute of it. My only question is does Nora/JD have the answers to unsolved mysteries in her will? Who is the candy thief??

I love this series and J.D. Robb so much. I of course love the world she's built, adore every single character in it, and the stories are so well crafted. I also love how utterly bingeable the books are. It's so easy to just read through one or even two because they're not just easy reads but also because each one leaves you wanting to reach for the next. I particularly enjoyed this one. because of the fun flare for the dramatic. The life imitating art idea is such a fun one and it was really cool to see how it played out in this book. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out! I'm dying to get my hands on it!

Loved the book based case but there was a lot of mention of women’s bodies in an unhealthy way. A hyper fixation on skinny and anything over 110 being super awful and unhealthy. It happened like three times and it was icky. It pulled me from the story. But the case outside of that was magic and this could have been five stars for me without all the toxic weight talk.

I downloaded this not realizing it was an older book. I have already read it and loved it. I love all the Eve and Roarke books. They are all a 5 for me.

I down-loaded this JD Robb the second i saw it available, only to realize I already own it already gave it 5 well-deserves stars!