The body was left in a dumpster like so much trash, the victim a woman of no fixed address, known for offering paper flowers in return for spare change―and for keeping the cops informed of any infractions she witnessed on the street. But the notebook where she scribbled her intel on litterers and other such offenders is nowhere to be found.

Then Eve is summoned away to a nearby building site to view more remains―in this case, decades-old, adorned with gold jewelry and fine clothing―unearthed by recent construction work. She isn’t happy when she realizes that the scene of the crime belongs to her husband, Roarke―not that it should surprise her, since the Irish billionaire owns a good chunk of New York. Now Eve must enter a complex world of real estate development, family history, shady deals, and shocking secrets to find justice for two women whose lives were thrown away…

Forgotten in Death is the 53rd title in the “in Death” series.  A complete list of all the titles in this futuristic police procedural mystery series can be found on our J. D. Robb page.

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Forgotten in Death
Series:  in Death #53
Author:  J. D. Robb
Genre:  Police Procedural, Murder, Mystery
Published:  September 7, 2021
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
My Rating:  5 stars

I have loved, and been hooked on every new story (or novella) in the long-running …In Death series, and the newest, Forgotten in Death is no exception to that fact.  Eve and Roarke’s world keeps drawing me back because it now feels comfortable, like home.  With recurring characters who I’ve watched grow, develop, and sometimes change a bit over those fifty-three books there is still the comfort of knowing that these characters stand the test of time – that Eve will always stand for the dead, that Roarke will always tend to his cop in his own unique way, that Peabody will always be worried about “loose pants” and becoming stronger as a detective.  And that Reno, Mira, Nadine, Feeney, Summerset, and all the rest will add their parts to the current story and in doing so bring this world alive once again.  This series, for me, is like returning home – and I don’t feel that I’ll ever lose that impression.

When a homeless woman’s body is discovered in a construction site garbage dumpster it’s up to Eve and crew to discover why this harmless woman who made origami out of tossed flyers and handed them out to strangers for no reason or a bit of change ended up dead and discarded like little more than litter on the ground.  Eve will stand for her – yet this case may have gotten a bit more complicated as Eve is soon called to another location at this same construction site for another dead body… or more like a woman and unborn child’s skeletons discovered encased inside of a wall.  Two cases are decades apart yet each one calls to Eve to find answers and justice for these women whose lives were stolen from them.

I was easily caught up once again in the search for killers and the road that must be followed to find justice for the dead.  No spoilers here, simply an appreciation for building tensions, discoveries (some expected others a bit of a surprise at first), and a solid story that held me captive from beginning to the ending.  There is the sass from Eve that I adore and her mangling of well-known “sayings” and shying away from anything in the fashion or decorating realm.  I loved seeing Peabody take on some more “acting” roles within interrogations, she does them so well that I almost believed them. *wink*  The solid relationship between Roarke and Eve though is what always is my first enjoyment of any new story.  They fit, even in their differences they always fit so well together.  I’ve enjoyed watching their relationship, and the secondary relationships grow, change, and mature over time.

Justice will be served in Forgotten in Death.  And the journey to that well-deserved justice for three innocent lives tossed carelessly away was intense, relentless, and always entertaining.  Now begins the wait for the next book… but in the meantime, I may do a few re-reads to keep my Eve and Roarke cravings under control.  If you haven’t yet read any of the In Death stories, then what are you waiting for?  Sure it might seem daunting seeing that we’re at book number fifty-three but you could go back to the beginning to see how Roarke and Eve began with Naked in Death and then pick up as you choose.  I think it’s worth the time to read them in order because relationships do build and change over time – but you could still pick up one and enjoy yourself immensely.

I own a Kindle edition of Forgotten in Death.

Available in a variety of formats including your favorite e-reader