Title:  Devoted In Death
Series:  In Death #41
Author:  J. D. Robb
Genre:  Futuristic Romantic Suspense, Crime
Published:  September 15, 2015
Publisher:  G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve.

Read on for my thoughts on Devoted In Death.  No true spoilers, promise.

Ella-Loo and Darryl are crazy in love.. or just plain crazy.  Both believe in self-entitlement, even if they have no idea what that actually means.  All they know is that they are in love, no one is going to keep them from the big time that they deserve – and quite by accident discovered that taking another person’s life is a huge sexual turn-on.  And now they are on a killing spree across the country perfecting their torture and killing techniques in order to gain the most pleasure for themselves.. and the most terror and pain for their victims.

They’re heading for The Big Apple, New York City and that will be their downfall.  Because they are now in Lt. Eve Dallas’ territory now and she will not stop the search for them until they are behind bars, preferably off planet for the rest of their unnatural lives.

Devoted In Death is a perfect storm of Eve, Roarke and the entire crew at their best, doing what is natural and almost perfection for each.  This one is a pure crime case about two completely crazy people doing their worst to as many people who are unfortunate enough to cross their path.  No rhyme, no reason simply the fix for Ella-Loo and Darryl’s sick sexual addiction of inflicting as much terror and pain in order to, well, let’s be blunt to get off as high and as intense as these idiots can.  The FBI refuses to see this case as a serial or spree murderer at work, and does nothing to impede their mad dash across state after state.  The work of one small town Deputy, mostly off hours, gives Eve more information than any other agency in tracing how and where these crazy killers started… because if you know where and how they started you learn a lot about them and how they have escalated over time.

Deputy William Banner was an excellent addition to the team.  Yes, he’s a small town cop, working on a limited budget yet his determination and stubbornness are almost as strong as Eve and crew (and that’s saying something).  This time around just about everyone in the “in death” universe gets at least a mention if not actual page time – and that’s okay, because I’m getting my own fix of all my favorite characters, while knowing that not everyone is right for the plot of every story.

I believe it is the sense of an evolving sort of family that brings me back to the In Death series time and time again.  These are characters that grow, that have lives outside of the cases they work.  There is camaraderie, friendship, and a true caring among these characters that make them just a bit more enjoyable and more realistic with each advancing novel.  I have enjoyed this series from the first novel, long before I knew that J. D. Robb was in fact Nora Roberts.  I have not missed a novel nor a novella in all that time because I simply enjoy and love these characters.  If they were one dimensional or always stuck in the same box then maybe not even one of my favorite authors could keep me glued to their on-page lives.  But they’re not – these people who populate this particular universe in the not too distant future are as well defined, well rounded and basically real as any long time group of characters can become – because they grow.  And I will continue to fall into this particular universe as long as they are written.

If you are daunted by the number of stories within this series – please don’t be.  While it is a growing, continuing series with established characters – you can pick this one (or any in the series) and read to enjoy.  There is enough information or banter really, within each story to give you information about each character.  You could start with Devoted In Death and go backwards to the beginning if this one captures your attention or interest.  It’s possible. So don’t let the fact that this is a long way from the first novel keep you from enjoying an amazing group of characters, with interesting stories and a determined crew that will always get the bad guy (or gal) in the end.

Available in hardback, paperback, audio and for the Kindle