Midnight in Death

The complexity of the characters and their chemistry make all the "Death In ..." draws the reader in-the storyline is always fascinating. Mystery combined passion, cruelty of murder and creativity in solving that kept me involved long past my bedtime.

This book was relatively average reading. I could anticipate what was going to happen. The ending was so quick that I had to go back and read it again for clarity. I do hope the villain is deceased and not miraculously brought back in a future book. However it was entertaining.

Book was very short and I paid too high a price for such a short book and all the additional charges. This book was only 90 pages and after I had paid for it, it cost me over $14.00. Then, when I got the book, it had a price of $2.99 on it. I have enjoyed all of the "In Death" series that I have read and I have read about 20 of them.

All of her books are fantastic and quick reads. I love the way they take one away from the norm. I just wish she would have made Dave suffer more by putting him in his cage and letting the family members of his victims have their way with him..

I didn't realize that this was a condensed version of this book. I always love to read JD Robb, but I was not happy with this book being condensed. If you r looking for a shortened "in death", then u will enjoy this. I would like for future purchases to know when they r condensed stories.

Excellent excellent excellent! Definitely going to read the rest in the series. Like the few chapters of other book in series in end. Makes you want to get next book like right now! And that is what I am going to do. Lots of action all the time

I love JD Robb and Nora Roberts. It is always intriguing to see how Eve Dallas solves the crimes and catches the evil doer. In this book she must save Dr Mira in a race against time. Can she do it? Read it to find out.

I love J.D. Robb's Detective Eve Dallas' novels; but this one was a bit disappointing. The ending left me wanting more, too predictable and not the type of suspenseful, dramatic and "gotcha" exciting ending.

High in suspense! I love all JD Robbs books. I really enjoy it when she tries to convince herself that she doesn't love her husband. I especially like it when she really shows the butler how much she dislikes him.

This is the first time I've read a mystery by this writer. Maybe I've just outgrown Nora Roberts, but I could'nt make it thru this one. Thank goodness the price was low. The book seems to have the necessary elements, but put together in a casual "phoned in" way.

I really love on. J. D. Robb books once I start reading them I can't put it down, I have read all her books , I have also read most of the Nora Roberts books , but I like the story lines better in th J. D. Robb books

J.D. Robb's style of writing draws you in and keeps your interest. Her books also have a wonderful mixture of drama, adventure, mystery along with humour and romance. With the setting in the future, it leads you to ponder what if...

The story line is good but the ending was very disappointing. Too much attention is given to the body of the victims, which is unnecessary and redundant. The story was concluded in the most bland and flat manner.

I ove J D Robb and I haver read all her books I love the interaction of Eve and Rouke also It is good to read about a female cop.
They way she can go through a crime scene and visualise it is great.

author attempted to write a story set in the future... without any realistic knowledge of technology... with a boring storyline & writing style..there's no real ending..seems like author got bored and just stopped writing

Midnight in Death happens hot on the heels of the previous book, Holiday in Death with a case that interrupts Eve and Roarke's Christmas and threatens to end her before the New Year's.

Midnight in Death is a novella and the story moves along swiftly, but the author didn't neglect background or development as it went. A torturing, insane serial killer has some of Eve's closest associates including herself on a vengeful hit list. She wants to get him badly since she put him away the first time and now he's threatening people she holds dear.

There is a ruthlessness to Eve's work because she delves deep and feels each case. I enjoy the balance of Roarke in her life to grab hold of her at times before she slips under and drowns. Peabody, Feeney, and McNab make their appearances as well as Dr. Mira. This one worked to whet my appetite for what comes next in the series.

This was a super quick read since it's a novella in between the full books. It obviously left me wanting more because I can never have enough of this series!

It was a very interesting twist that this time Dallas and her team knew who the killer was, knew him personally having studied him to get him behind bars the first time around, and now they just need to find a way to catch him. Eve soon realizes it's not that easy, and Palmer starts picking off her friends and former allies one by one until he gets to her as the grand finale.

It surely was a thrilling little story! We jumped right into the action and clearly not having to figure out who the suspect was seemed to be a way to really cut down on time. Regardless of length, it was still very interesting to read and I always love learning more about the characters and observing more of their interactions. Anyone who hasn't read the series can still probably read this since they really try not to put too much back story in there (I'm guessing since some readers tend to skip these "in-betweeners").

I am glad I went back and purchased this, I finally got to see how Roarke reacted to his Christmas present and what Eve got Peabody.  I always felt a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see Eve and Roarke’s first Christmas together.  Now I get to see it, along with the normal death that follows Eve.  

Midnight in Death has Eve pursuing an escaped serial killer who is on a personal mission to punish and kill all those who put him away, including Eve.  The story has all the characters we have grown to love and it was just the right amount of perfect.  I loved it.   

The story was first presented in the "Silent Night" anthology and immediately follows the full-size novel "Holiday in Death". We begin with Eve Dallas being called to investigate a body in Times Square of a judge found very early Christmas morning. The body was dumped after the judge had been brutally tortured and slowly hung to death. A note is left with the body but is not really needed as Eve recognizes the work of Dave Palmer who she helped capture and put away 3 years ago. Dave Palmer is a psycho and has left a list of those he intends to kill with Eve at the bottom of the list. It also includes the assistant prosecuting attorney, his defense lawyer and the police's own, Dr. Mira, friend of Eve's. Roarke offers his help and Eve accepts to give her aide, Peabody, more time to recover from an attack (see "Holiday in Death"). As Eve and Roarke and Captain Feeney and others including eventually Peabody follow up clues, interview Palmer's parents and so on, Dave Palmer is anything but idle as he starts going methodically through his list to capture, torture and kill the people he holds responsible for his incarceration. Eve's race against the clock is exciting.

Yes this is a very SHORT story but I found it to be very detailed and well written in spite of the limitations. A good link between regular In Death novels and enjoyable as a stand alone.

I feel like I could probably copy my reviews from other In Death books, and no one would no the difference. Why? Because as I reread these for a second time, more critically, I notice that she essentially uses a formula from book to book and changes the details.

Her characters are interesting, the mysteries are interesting....but she is pretty clearly following a set formula. At this point in the series she really needs to shake it up a bit. We always have Roarke and Eve working together, they always end up confronting the killer together, the same characters almost always appear. It's also almost always serial killers - can she not keep her villains interesting if we aren't wondering when they will strike again?

She did leave some of the characters out this time, I am assuming due to the brevity of the story, which I actually liked. If she rotated characters in they wouldn't start to seem so cliched from book to book. Her characters use the same lines, same behaviors, same everything each book - particularly her secondary characters. We can see some evolution in the primary characters, but many of the secondary characters and their themes are beaten to death. Eve and Summerset squabbling, Feeney and his "hang dog face" and nuts, etc. Mix it up some Nora! And the nightmares and her past issues - do we need them in every story? Many of the readers of this series read multiple books, I don't think she needs to include it in every single novel - those of us who read multiples get really sick of reading it over and over. (I assume I am not alone in this).

The sap is even thicker in this one; probably because she is trying to cram it all into a hundred pages or so. It did get better further in, but she was really cramming it home in the first half of the book.

She also made some silly mistakes on the details, like Eve pulling searching for financial records to try to track his purchases when she could have simply traced the transactions back from the perpetrator's car purchase. Let's not make it more complicated than it needs to be just to create artificial suspense.

All that being said, she did mix it up a little in this one, at least. We know the identity of the perpetrator from the beginning, he and Eve have history. It makes for an interesting story and something as least a tiny bit off of her usual track. I almost wished this one was longer and focused more on the killer, as I felt their was a paucity of details about him. As with most of her novels in this series, it was an enjoyable enough read, but not a masterful creation by any stretch.

I have not read much by this author - this is the first "book" I have read by her under this name and I was disappointed by its length and lack of suspenseful detail. I also was disappointed by the fact that it was futuristic and many of the conventions/inventions of the future were not explained, though this was probably due to my lack of experience with this particular series. I felt the book was too short on detail and suspenseful buildup, and also I thought I was getting a full-length novel when I purchased the ebook. The writing was all right, but there were many parts that would have had to be rewritten had this been done by a beginning writer guided by the hand of a conventional editor (lots of head-hopping!). While I didn't care for this book, I will read some others by this author to see if I have a different opinion.
The premise sounded promising, with the grisley murder of a judge right at the start and a list of potential victims being hunted down. I only wish the story didn't seem so rushed, without exciting buildup, and I guess I'm just not a fan of futuristic stories.

I honestly understand completely why this book has gotten more poor reviews than the other J.D. Robb "in death" novels. However, I was in a situation where I had a few hours to kill and knew that I enjoyed other full-length novels of this series previously so I went with it. It worked out perfectly for me! I was able to finish the entire thing in just a couple of sittings and I didn't feel cheated or anything; the story wasn't lacking any of the detail of her usual work, it was just shorter. Therefore, I ended up loving it.

This 90-page novella (similar to the later "Interlude in Death") was published as a thin paperback to tide diehard Eve Dallas fans over the holidays at the close of 1998. In ten slim chapters, you don't get much back-story or character development, but the usual cast (Roarke, Peabody, et al) are all on deck to catch a murder discovered on Christmas morn, with the hope of a solution prior to the dawn of the new year. The plot gets going in a hurry as pinned to the dead body of Judge Wainger is a list of principals, including Dr. Mira and Lt. Dallas, responsible for sending murderer David Palmer to prison in an earlier story. Eve soon discovers Palmer's escaped prison and sets out to warn and protect others on the list of six intended victims, Eve herself the "coup de grace"." The hunt and chase are sustained until the very last page, giving us a typical hard-to-put-down outing by J.D. Robb - short, but sweet !

I absolutely love the 'In Death' series! I've read this one three times. The depths of the relationship between Dallas and Rourke continues to grow with new discoveries and acceptances of each other. An old nemesis, whose main goal in life is to torture Dallas to her limit, hopes that limit will be long and pleasurable. Each book stands on its own; however, I recommend starting with book 1. The characters are rich in personality, well developed and grow in each book. Plots are eventful and vibrant. Enjoy!

If you are new to the series, or are reading the series in order, the best time to read this book is immediately after Holiday in Death. The other reviews under this book complain about the re-issue because the rather short book had been published as part of an anthology. But the book is actually an continuation of Holiday in Death. If you have not read the anthology, pick it up. It continues the development of the relationship between Dallas and Roarke through their first holiday season. If you have read Holiday in Death and are unaware of the anthology, you will find yourself disappointed in how Dallas handled the rest of the holiday season which was started in that book. Midnight in Death picks up that thread very nicely and it finishes it out, including how Dallas finishes giving out her Christmas gifts. In terms of the ongoing character development Robb engages in with Dallas, this is very interesting. Dallas is not as socially inept as she believes herself to be and the reader really gets a glimpse of that in this short read. She may not be comfortable with it, but she can do it. The actual mystery may not be up to Robb's usual intricacies, but it serves as the "gluing agent" to finish up Holiday in Death. It's entertaining and works well.

It's the 8th in the In Death series, and Nora compensates for the shorter length by leaving out some of the secondary characters, and by having Eve know from the beginning whodunit.

The killer is a psychopath Eve helped put away some years ago, a spiritual heir of Mengele who tortures his victims to death to study their bodies' pain and fear responses. His mission since his escape from prison is both to further his "research" and to get revenge on those responsible for locking him up.

Despite its short length, Midnight in Death is a complete story, and we get some good character insights into the recurring characters. And the killer is a refreshing change from the serial killers who are killing their mothers over and over again.

I'm in the process of reading the books in order. On J.D. Robb's website, this novella is actually listed after Loyalty In Death (which I think is because it's listed by publishing date, not date written?). Obviously when I saw that it took place on Christmas Day, I knew I had to go back a couple of books to get back into the Christmas spirit :).

In this short novel a serial murderer, Dave Palmer, escaped from prison and started killing again in NYC. He left a list for the police to find out. On the list are names of people who helped put him in prison three years prior. Eve's name as well as Dr. Mira's, are on the list. This is a wonderful quick read and fits in nicely to the series.

This was another fun romp through the holiday season with Eve and Roarke.

A criminal from Eve's past breaks out of jail and is killing the people who helped put him behind bars. His deadline is midnight on New Year's Eve and the deadline is rapidly approaching. Can Eve catch him before any more people have to die? Can she keep Charlotte Mira safe?

This story is shorter, as it was originally published as part of an anthology, so the detail isn't like a normal JD Robb mystery. But it's still wonderful!

Midnight in Death. I read everything this Author writes and have never been disappointed. I was not disappointed with this selection either. Fantastic writing. However, I was very disappointed by the length of the book. I purchased the unabridged audio cassette of this book thinking that I would receive 7 or 8 tapes and 12 or so hours of listening pleasure. To my surprise, it was 2 tapes and 3 hours of reading time. The price was $29.21. I found that very expensive for 2 tapes, and found the whole experience very misleading. If this is a novelette, it should be advertised as such. In addition, the number of tapes should be listed along with the hours of listening. I would not have bought this in cassette form if I would have known this. Imagine my surprise when I ordered my next J.D. Robb book on audio cassette, Haunted in Death (unabridged,) and was again presented with 2 tapes and 3 hours of reading time. This time I paid $33.63 and again, the store did not make it clear that it was only 2 tapes. I really felt duped. Now I really hesitate to purchase any more books on tape and probably will not unless the tape count is listed. I will purchase the books at Sam's Club for a reasonable price and read the books. Linda

Typical in Death book. But at least this one finishes the left out Christmas present exchange from the last book. I was sad when it had ended without the reactions. I thought it was going to be the killer they had just captured continuing with his Christmas theme. That was not the case it was a previous criminal she captured that broke free from prison.

This book was part of an anthology in 1998, and I bought it knowing that I already owned it, but was interested in a "stand alone" copy.

On page 47, I stopped reading because, as in the original printing of this and a few other books in the series, the Medical Examiner is erroneously named Morse instead of Morris! C.J. Morse was a character from a prior book, Glory In Death. It is most disconcerting to have the name improperly assigned. I will scan more carefully the next time I purchase a book in the series. I'm glad I kept the receipt.

I love the series, and mainly enjoyed this installment, but the name switch is very jarring.

Unlike some, I'm happy that Robb's short stories are being released as individual thin paperbacks. I prefer to pay $3 for just the story I want, than $8 for an anothology with other authors I don't read. This is a novella, but the price reflects that. Plus it matches the other paperback releases.

The story itself was entertaining and quick paced. A good addition to the series. Look for Interlude in Death coming soon as a think paperback for $3.

I am an avid fan of this series and extremely disappointed in this latest re-release. Unlike the reviewer, "Deb" I knew exactly what I was doing when I purchased this novella from 1998 and have read the entire series. Disappointed in the writing is an understatement. This book has editing, as well as continuity errors. The story was short, jagged and nothing near the work that I am accustomed to when it comes to this series (i.e., Divided in Death, Conspiracy in Death, Vengeance in Death). I will chalk my disappointment up to the fact that Nora had to condense all the information because of the length of the book. The two stars are for Nora because I know what a great talent she really is and the excellence of this series and characters she has created.

If you have not read the In Death series than I wouldn't suggest that you start here. But if you have, than you will get added information on the characters. This novella is immediately after Holiday in Death so you will get an update on the gifts that Eve was getting and giving for Christmas. One of the intended victims had already been killed in an earlier book, so you learn this woman was fated to die a violent death. One of the main reoccurring characters is held hostage and that situation is brought up in a recent book. So the Midnight In Death does add to the history and enjoyment of the series.

My only caveat about this otherwise enjoyable installment in the Eve Dallas series is that the web site did not prominently state (i.e., I missed it!) that this had previously been published as part of an anthology. I made the mistake of only checking the publishing date, decided it was a new novella published independently (as would be deserved, given the track record of the series), and ordered it without checking further. My bad. But a reminder to readers who want to buy everything from the series -- be sure to read the description carefully enough to determine whether it is a previously-published-in-a-book-you-already-own item!

A fun Christmas story about Eve Dallas and her first Christmas as the wife to Roarke. I rea this an the orignal anthology Silent Night, but it was worth a second read to get me through novel legnth book releases. Great addition to the series.

It was really difficult to connect with the characters. The style of writing left me feeling disengaged from the story. Even though a lot of detail about the crime is given, the characters stay superficial. I will not buy books from this author again.

I have to agree with Jill on her reply to Deb.

But I would like to add some suggestions and observations...

What helps is the inside sleeve of the JD Robb series list the

books of the IN DEATH series.

However, this book is listed under the compliation of

"Silent Night". So, new fans may not have been aware of this.

But if you look at when the book was written, that may have

shed some light that Midnight was not a new release.

(someone correct me if I am wrong on this point)

The first family Thanksgiving experience Roarke and Dallas have is in noted in the release of 'Origin In Death'.

Doubtful it will be expanded upon since they already dealt with

it.

Please note that the series started in 1995 so there are

quite a few books to catch up on if you are just starting out

now...

Honestly to truly appreciate the series you have to start at the

beginning with 'Naked'.

The newest one is out this week.. hope this helps.

A Nora/JD fan since 1984.

Jeff's review was taken from another website, a bookseller we all know that has two words, one starting with B and the other with N. Look at this review below then look at his. All seventy five of his reviews are like that. Copied. I have reported this to the store. Just making people aware before they take his review (that is not his) seriously. Thank you. The Hunter has spoken.

Jennifer, A reviewer, October 3, 2005,

The Missing Case

Finally the story about how Dr. Mira was put in a cage, it drove me crazy thinking that I had missed a storyline as I have read all of the IN DEATH series. This was a very quick read, it is only 90 pages, and takes place after Holiday In Death. Still has all the action and smart alek banter that I enjoy in this series plus a small look back at a case that ended before Roarke. A good read and great of Mrs. Roberts/J.D. Robb to tie up a loose end.

I believe, that Eve gets more emotional in this book than she does in any other and that coupled with Mira being in danger is almost more than she can handle. It really is worth the read!! But be prepared to not put it down.

Again Nora Roberts has created a thrilling story that is all neatly placed into this short story. I took it with me to the beach and read all 90 plus pages and just enjoyed every minute of it as I took in a bit of sunshine. Roarke and Eve kept the pages burning and I thought the story moved along at a fast pace and it was very entertaining. Midnight in Death is a great addition to the series.

Great, Eve Dallas and Roarke, fabulous husband, Sidekick, always there, and where he should be, and Dallas, I love her kick ass attitude, the don't mess with me attitude, can't wait to start the next book.

I very much enjoyed this story when it was part of the anthology - what a great idea to release it all on its own as a novella!!!

Reviewer Deb, while I'm sorry you didn't realize it was a re-release, you should know that Nora Roberts' new books always have the NR logo on the cover, distinguishing them from re-releases. I don't know of another author who bothers to give readers this heads up. Pretty classy.

Reviewer Deb. I am sorry that you are upset by this edition of Midnight In Death. Why do you feel that the publishers decision to make this novella available in this format and your not realizing that this is a reissue is Nora's fault ? I am pleased that Midnight is available as a stand alone novella and at a very reasonable price. Thank you Jove.

Aside from your feeling about buying a reissue for $3.00 how would you rate the story ?

I knew from the store info (showed "Pages 96") that this was more of a short story than a real book. But I think publshing it now was a gimmick by the publisher. The story did not add to our knowledge of Dallas and her cohorts. If you didn't run across it in the anthology it was first published in, no big deal. "In Death" is far beyond this now...

This story is dripping with suspense! Eve is a tough cop after a killer who is a genius madman. The book is short, but that is a plus because it is so action packed, you will not put it down until the end.

Marty Wurtz

Author of Deceptions and Betrayals

Note that all new Nora Roberts books that are in print for the first time have a logo with NR either for New Release or Nora Roberts, I'm not sure, but it helps to find the new books if you are a long-time reader.

Somehow Nora Roberts, AKA J.D. RObb, has managed to pack all of the best elements of her full lenth books into this short read. Roarke and Eve learn to respect the traditions of a holiday that was not a part of their childhood. (Christmas) while Eve tries to solve a series of murders that targets both her and Dr. Mira as the next victims.

I love JD Robb (Nora Roberts). This was a short story originally published in a collection. It was still wonderfully written and didn't leave me feeling like I was missing something. The audio version is perfect to listen to on the ride to work, it makes the time fly.

It was really good, it gives you an idea of what the other J.D.Robb books are like if you have never read one before,this one is very short, but enough to get you hooked. I have read all the in death books, they are great!!!Thank you S.C.

I ordered this book without looking at the number of pages. I assumed for $5 it was a full length book. It is not. It is 90 pages and it says boldly on the cover $2.99 great deal! I paid $4.98 so that isnt a great deal at all. Save your money and buy another book.

Along with many others, I am truly disappointed by the "mini book". With an item like this, you need to advertise the number of pages. The idea of paying $3.99 for postage, and receiving the package with only $1.14 on the package made me feel like a real idiot. It will be a VERY LONG TIME before I order anything from the store again.

This novella pits Eve against an escaped convict determined to torture and kill all those responsible for sending him to prison. True to form, Eve and her team race against the clock to see justice served.

I guess I wasn't paying attention. I have been looking forward to a NEW Eve Dallas installment and didn't realize that Midnight in Death was just a rerelease. For several weeks now I have been hoping that Midnight in Death would turn out to be the story of Eve and Roake's first Thanksgiving with family. I had my book at 8:15 this morning looking forward to a nice read. In the first paragraph I realized my mistake.

Now I just have one question. Ms Roberts, you are one of the most prolific authors of this generation. Don't you have enough money already? Sure, the 3 dollars I paid for a novella I already own won't break me. My kid still has shoes and there is gruel on the table. What I don't have is a nice day spent in 2059 chasing murders. Oh well.

Hope my 3 dollars helps.

Deb

This title was originally printed in the Silent Night anthology and is NOT NOT NOT new material from the author. If you own all the In Death books (like me) or have read all the In Death books, then realize that you've read this before.

If you have these books or have read these books before, it's just a publishing trick to separate you from your money. If you are new to the series, start with the first book.