Fantasy in Death – Book #26

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| Title | Fantasy in Death |
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| Author |JD Robb (Nora Roberts) |
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| Genre |Mystery |
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| Pages |356 |
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| Publisher |GP Putnam |
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| Copyright |2010 |
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Synopsis (from web-site)
In the latest novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical. The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . . NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a problem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one. Eve and her team are about to
enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

Why I read It
This is one of Nora Roberts’s ongoing series and I believe she is up to book 30 now. Her usual pattern is to write 3 at a time, and then while she returns to her other books the publisher will release the three over the course of two years. This is book two of the latest set. Now you can read each book for the mystery in any order, be aware there are ongoing characters and relationships that have been developing since book one. My advice is to start as early in the series as you can.

What I Thought About It
Eve Dallas is a police detective in a futuristic New York City. In an homage to her romance writing Eve also happens to be married to the world’s richest, most considerate, good looking, desired man who also happens to be a former Irish street criminal gone straight. This guy gives women orgasms just by looking at them. All that silliness aside the mysteries are straightforward and solid – somebody killed somebody else for usually pedestrian reasons. Through determination and cleverness Eve’s team of investigators usually get to the bottom of the case.
The only drawback to these books is the sameness on the big picture elements. So while it may seem tempting after enjoying a couple of them to read her backlist straight through, I would highly recommend breaking it up with other authors. If you don’t those basic outline points will really jump out at you and ruin your reading experience.

Mormon Mentions
None

Author Biography

Nora Roberts has published more than 130 novels, which has been translated into more than 25 languages. She writes romances under her own name and futuristic crime novels under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb. She has been given the Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into their Hall of Fame.