Treachery in Death

Treachery in Death 
by J. D. Robb
In Death series, book thirty two

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime—an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective—good thing she learned from the master.

But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound—she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked—guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down—knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

I hadn't read a book from this series in SO long... and I LOVE them. I really need to catch up. This is a phenomenal series if you've never read them.  Start with book one, Naked in Death, and go from there.  Though each book is its own murder case, there is an overarching story about Eve Dallas and the characters in her life that continues from book to book.  They are wonderful characters and seeing them grow and change over time is AMAZING.  Trust me. Seriously one of the best series of books...EVER. 

Specifically in this book I loved how Robb makes Peabody and Dallas grow once again in terms of their careers.  In the face of hunting down corrupt cops, Dallas has to confirm that she has made the correct choices about who she is going to be as a homicide detective, and this allows Peabody to reaffirm the choices she's made both for herself and in who she views as mentors/heroes.  There are some fabulous moments where the characters connect in really great emotional ways and when the bad guys get their comeuppance, boy you can't help but cheer! 

Another fabulous book in the series.  I can't wait to read the next one. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library 

If You Like: The Giver

If You Like… is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love.

 

This week's recommendations are all things that you might like if you enjoyed Lois Lowry's The Giver. Check it out here!

Salt

Salt
by Maurice Gee
The Salt Trilogy, book one

When his father Tarl is captured and enslaved to work in Deep Salt, Hari vows to rescue him. This is a forbidding task: no one returns from Deep Salt. But Hari was born and raised in Blood Burrow. He's tough and smart—and he has a secret gift: he can communicate with animals.

The beautiful Pearl, born into the privileged world of the ruling class known as Company, has learned forbidden things from her mysteriously gifted maid Tealeaf. Now her father has promised her in marriage to the powerful and ambitious Ottmar. But Pearl will never submit to a subordinate life, so she and Tealeaf must flee.

When their paths cross, Hari and Pearl realize that together they must discover the secrets of Deep Salt. Their long journey through the badlands becomes far more than a quest to save Tarl—their world is on the brink of unspeakable terror. (description from Amazon.com)

I wanted so much to like this book.  When I had read the description, I had thought it was a stellar premise.  When I finally got a chance to read it, though, I just could not connect.  The first few chapters were great.  The idea that the characters could talk to one another and animals with their minds was fascinating. The idea of the corrupt government and Pearl's escape from a loveless marriage sounded intriguing...

Somewhere close to halfway through the book, though, I lost all interest.  The characters were good, but I didn't find enough explanation in the world building.  I had no idea where the Company came from or why they were taking over.  I didn't understand what the radioactive "salt" really was... I just kept coming up with more and more, "Huh?" moments and I was frustrated enough that I almost put the book down several times. 

I really wish that this book had given more extensive historical context to its dystopian setting. As Gee is from New Zealand, I have a feeling that native readers in that part of the world would draw a deeper context, but for me, it was just vague in a lot of ways.  I didn't really feel, either, as if there was enough resolution in this book, and I know it's the first in a trilogy, but I don't want to have to say, oh that must be addressed in book two...

Overall, I was sadly disappointed.
*2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge title*