Book #12...Betrayal in Death

This book opens at Roarke’s fancy hotel, where he is hosting an event for a famous actress, a preview for the auction of her movie collectables, the proceeds to be given to charity.

The first murder is an employee of the hotel, the next a friend and another employee of Roarke’s. It is Eve’s first thought that since the only connection between the victims is Roarke, he must be the ultimate target. More people close to him, including Summerset, are being attacked.

It’s the same old story for these two, Eve wanting to protect her husband, and his wanting to deal with his own safety.

Their work lives are constantly connecting, little wonder as Roarke owns so much New York real estate, and his checkered past keeps coming back to haunt him. In one of the previous books the killer went after Roarke’s childhood friends from Ireland, and another friend was mentioned, thought to be dead. Mick Connelly reappears, alive and well, and inserts himself into Roarke’s life.

Eve finds the friend’s sudden appearance suspicious, and once again she and Roarke are at odds. He has suffered too much loss in recent months and to have his friend back is very important to him.

I think it is hard for Eve to understand that Roarke’s chums were his family, and that he has a strong bond of survival with them, and some guilt that he walked away and made a new life for himself, a very successful life. Eve was kept isolated in her early years; her only contact was with her abusive father. When she entered the system, raised by the state, she avoided relationships as her only goal was to be a cop. Her friendship with Mavis is the only one she’s allowed herself.

These two characters are very intense and complicated. With each book we learn more about them, their background and how they cope, with the past and each other. It keeps each book interesting, murder story aside, as nothing is more boring than stagnant characters.

Throughout these last few books some of the lighter moments are the found in the budding relationship between Detectives Peabody and McNabb. Both Eve and Feeney are concerned because a relationship, and its potential demise, do not make for a cohesive work environment.