Eve Dallas has a case that seems at the outset, a crime of opportunity when an older Italian man who just arrived in New York is found dead in a limo. Not much makes sense to her until Eve connects Giovanni Rossi to an underground league that fought in the Urban Wars. As Eve digs deeper into a man whose family has no clue as to why he was there except to perhaps to visit old friend, she finds an underlying intrigue related to the unit known back in the day as The Twelve.

Eve knows her frequent nemesis, Roarke’s butler and ersatz father, Summerset, worked as a medic during that dangerous time. When it is revealed that not only did Summerset know the victim, but was one of the participants himself, Eve decides to call in the remaining members of the group to help find the perpetrator who has an agenda to exact revenge, years in the planning. Just like the original Twelve Apostles, this cadre had their own traitor who was responsible for a great loss in the past and is out to get them all.

The story begins with a prologue set in the past. This book has a deep dive into Summerset’s personal history as more is revealed about his own hearfelt losses as well as how he came to be in Dublin, saving a young Roarke from the streets. Readers of this long running series have heard bits and pieces along the way but now, it comes fully into the light.

When all of Summerset's former colleagues are gathered under their mansion, Eve has the task of not being overwhelmed with too many people in her sanctuary and most galling of all, she must play nice with Summerset. Eve has quite the challenge to deal with all those former agents who want to be back in the field despite their ages. At book number 60 in this beloved series, fans will be pleased to know it is still running strong.

My Thoughts

Summerset has always been a strong supporting character and over the course of this series bits and pieces of his life have been revealed, mostly to do with he and Roarke.

This time Eve Dallas finds him smack dab in the middle of her current investigation.

The former team that Summerset himself was a member of back in his younger days are also integral to this story and prove to be interesting characters.

Not only is this particular story enlightening as to a killer’s motivations but it is also one of the better plots showing exactly how the team that Dallas depends on has her back.

A very enjoyable addition to the series with so many threads that intertwine with previously released storylines that it is very much not a stand-alone read but one that longtime fans will learn a lot more from about these fictional characters we cannot get enough of.

[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

This was another really wonderful read in this series! I love watching Eve investigate these crimes, and this latest instalment that dives into Summerset's past? Absolutely loved learning more! This was another thrilling mystery, and I had to keep reading!

We don't know much about the Urban Wars, they've been mentioned previously, but not a lot of detail. We didn't get much more in this book, since this book was about the people, not what brought them together. I really enjoyed getting to know the Twelve, we've already met 3 of the ones that are still alive, so that was great! I didn't remember the one guy's appearance, but he was in Missing in Death, #29.5.

It was honestly heartbreaking, to learn more about Summerset. We knew his wife had died, but this is the book where we found out why because what's going on now is connected to what happened then. And it's such a hard story, that she was a new mother and she sacrificed herself.

This is one of the books where they find out who the bad guy is pretty quickly, it's just a matter of catching him. All the little details that came together to figure out who this bad guy is, to catch him. It was so satisfying watching him getting caught and interrogated!

This was a terrific read and I can't wait for the next in the series!

Giovanni Rossi responds to an urgent summons received from an old compatriot from his time during the Urban War as part of a secret organization called The Twelve. But once he lands in New York and eases into the waiting car it leads to his death.

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas begins working the case she realizes that it has a connection to the Urban War and that Summerset may know something that may be helpful. But seeing his shock and grief proves to be very personal.

It becomes obvious that someone plans to take out the remaining members of The Twelve. Eve, Roarke and her team are just as determined to prevent that from happening.

This was one of the best "in death" books I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed the intricate story line, and the characters.
I found this a fast read, as I did not want to put it down. Thanks to the publisher for the arc copy of this !

Just when I think this series couldn't possibly get any better, it does! I adored seeing Sommerset as a larger part of this story and the backstory was poignant. Eve is growing as a person and watching her work is always a delight. It was a one-sitting read!

Fifty-odd books later, I still love this series. Does it have issues? Yes. Do they truly hamper my enjoyment? No. After a seemingly softer Dallas in the preceding installment, this book reverts to a somewhat more 'normal' Eve - taking names and kicking a**. I loved getting a deeper look into Summerset's past and the tragedies and triumphs therein, though it makes the loss of his daughter even more heart wrenching. Overall a solid entry into the Eve Dallas line-up and props to Robb's continued highlighting of the power of women. The ending scenes with Dallas, Peabody, Reo, and Mira are great.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Another must read for Eve and Roarke’s fans. This one hits close to home as Eve and her fellow detectives must stop a member of the Urban wars vendetta against his former team. More of Sommerset’s past comes to light before Roarke came into it. Eve and her team work against an enemy that has superior skills with no conscious. With the help of Roarke, her team, and members of an elite team that helped win the long past war, the fight for justice continues.

J.D. Robb's futuristic In Death series is back with her 60th installment, Bonded in Death, and it's as good as all the books before it. In this installment, Eve investigates the death of Giovanni Rossi, found murdered in the back of a limo, clutching one of Eve's business cards and a cryptic note about seeking vengance on The Twelve. Who is this secret group that the dead Italian senior citizen belonged to? Thanks to the help of her homicide team, Roarke, and their butler Summerset, all becomes clear. Together, they work to stop the killer's vendetta.

This book takes us to the Urban Wars of the mid 2020's and a long held grudge. We come to learn about the work Summerset, and a group of allies, did in London at this time. While fans of the series already knew some of Summerset's back story, it was interesting to learn even further and to discover more about the Urban Wars. I've read the entire series and highly recommend it. The well crafted characters, including a long list of recurring ones, feel like family and I'm always eager to see how they're doing. 5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to J.D. Robb, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

Once again, this author has crafted a story that pulls me in from the very first page. The writing is sharp, fast-paced, and layered with so much emotional depth that it feels like the plot takes on a life of its own. What really stands out to me is how the tension keeps building, not just from the twists and turns of the story, but from the characters' personal struggles. It’s that perfect balance between heart-pounding suspense and deep, human connection that makes this book so hard to put down. It’s rare for a book to keep me guessing right up until the very end, and yet, with this one, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The writing style is always a standout, so effortless and immersive, yet full of sharp moments that cut straight to the heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

It never ceases to amaze me that even 60 books I to this series, J.D. Robb still has the ability to keep the reader hooked. Great storytelling and strong well-written characters keep this reader coming back for more.

Continuing my streak of being Nora’s #1 fan, this might be one of my favorite of the In Death series to date (and that’s saying something, given how many of them there are). I loved getting more of Summerset’s background, more of the Urban Wars, and I personally love a world where I already know the characters well, it’s like a comfort show.

Typical J.D. Robb book -- I really enjoy this series, but I am definitely ready for some progression with the characters personally. I also loved the introduction of the new characters in this one. If you're a fan of this series, you will enjoy this book!

Someone is dead and somehow they have called Dallas to find out why this person is dead. How do they connect with Dallas? And all of a sudden we may learn more about Somerset. This was great background to things we hadn’t learned before. Great book!

Followers of this series are going to be surprised and love this book! It is good and some things revealed might shock some readers. As always, I love revisiting these characters. Great job to the author; I didn't see it coming!

This is one of mt favorite series. I have now started again from the beginning for a second time having read them all once. While the plots and outcomes are similar they keep your attention. I really like how the characters developed through the series b

What a fantastic addition to the series! Bonded in Death, the sixtieth book in J. D. Robb’s well-written futuristic police procedural set in New York City, is one of the best in the series. This series features homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas, her husband, Roarke, and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, along with an assortment of regular secondary characters. This time we get more of Summerset’s background and history along with a fascinating murder. Summerset is the man who became a father to Roarke when he was a young boy on the Dublin streets.

Giovanni Rossi arrives in New York, but he was a part of a small, secret organization consisting of twelve individuals during the 2020’s. He arrives in response to an old colleague and dies soon after being picked up at the airport. Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the case frustrating. Rossi had just arrived from Rome. His widow doesn’t know why he left, and the police still don’t what killed him or why. When Summerset, learns of the crime, he’s shocked and reveals how he knows the victim.

Time spent with Dallas, Roarke, Peabody, and their colleagues and friends is always entertaining. Eve is smart, tenacious, determined, focused, brave, and believes in what she does. However, her way doesn’t usually include the social niceties. It’s compelling to see how Eve’s mind works as she gets a better picture of the killer. As always, the interactions between Dallas and Roarke as well as with their friends and her homicide team are enjoyable and bring different facets of her personality to light. While this book didn’t include a lot of interactions with their friends, it included several people important to Summerset.

Murder, suspense, and drama immediately pull readers into the storyline. The author continues to use prose to elicit a strong emotional response from readers. While this one included some flashback scenes, Robb made the transitions smooth and the content riveting. While the killer is known early in the book, the story is about the investigation and search for him or her as well as the relationships people have formed.

Skilled in using humor to bring out character personalities as well as to offset some of the more serious aspects of the story, I didn’t want to put the book down. Strong characters, excellent pacing, and delightful relationships are a constant in this series. Woven through the novel are threads of friendship, standing for victims, found family, betrayal, greed, love, connections, bonds, hate, jealousy, justice, trust, anger, and much more.
Robb is an excellent storyteller who combines clever plots, intense scenes, lots of solid police investigation, and engaging characters with depth. The narrative has the right balance of mystery, police investigation, romance, and creative twists.

Overall, this novel was an emotional and twisty tale with great characterization that kept me engaged throughout the story. If you enjoy intriguing near-future police procedurals with a strong female lead, then I recommend this series. I can’t wait to read the next book.

St. Martin’s Press and J.D. Robb provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 04, 2025.

Bonded in Death is book 60 in the In Death series. I have not read every book in the series but I have read a few and this one did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Bonded in Death is releasing February 4 2025. Thank you so much to Netgalley and J.D. Robb for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I don't want to sound like a broken record but it is well known that I am a HUGE fan of Ms. Roberts/Robb - and I especially love this series. Seriously - this is the 60th book in the series and I've read every one - so that should be a hint. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to read and review the latest ARC and I was so excited that I dropped everything else and jumped right in.

Recently, in the last couple of reviews I mentioned that it has felt like we were bringing back some of the greatness that we fell in love with in the very beginning of the series. That is not to say that the series as a whole is not fantastic, but after so many books and so many plot lines....well, it would be only natural to see some possible downward progression. Anyway, about 5 or so books ago, the minute I finished the book I thought, "Oh my gosh! This was GREAT!"

I felt the way I remembered feeling in the beginning - only it was better because now we had a completely established world and amazingly developed (and loved) characters. This continued to be the case for the next several books. This book however, while not being awful, seemed to fall into the other category. Without going into spoilers, let's just say that we get a departure from the norm in terms of the case that Eve is in the middle of. There are POV's from two different time periods - one of them being almost 40 years prior - during the Urban Wars.

The only thing that I will say about this is that first of all - the entire case - it was just too easy. The Unsub (who was supposed to be brilliant, cunning, smart...you get the hint, right?) Well, he really wasn't. There were several instances that just felt "off" to me and only succeeded in pulling me out of the story. I did enjoy that this case seemed to bring EVERYONE that we have come to know and love, together in one form or another and I always love it when that happens. But, in that same vein....why? Not everybody really needed to be involved so that in itself was unusual.

Sommerset's past comes up in this book. Quite a bit of it, and that is interesting because I thought I already knew a lot about his past. I didn’t.
That is a definite positive. BUT....when all is said and done, the entire case, the bad guy, his motivations, his planning.....it didn't really make sense. It was like trying to fit a puzzle piece into a hole where three sides fit, but that last side just wasn't right. And it was just TOO EASY. I know I mentioned that already, but....come on. This was a case of a truly dumb criminal and that just felt insulting.

So, why the 4 stars? Well, duh! Because I LOVE this series. I am thrilled every single time that I get to jump back into this world and get to visit with all of the characters that we have come to know, and watch grow. It takes talent to be able to build a world so brilliantly and so completely that stepping back in feels like pulling on a warm sweater and cuddling in front of a warm fire. THAT is the feeling I get every time I get to visit with Dallas, Roarke, Peabody and the gang and that brilliance deserves at least 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on February 4, 2025.

Wow, this book is amazing. Lots of tension, fast-moving, yet there’s also emotions. The plot, story is interesting, & the characters are great. #BondedinDeath #NetGalley