Reviewed: 08 January 2025

Bonded In Death

Name: Bonded in Death
Author: J.D. Robb

by: J.D. Robb

In Death - Book 60

Rating: (4.0/5)

“Loyalty as a weapon”

It felt a bit like hanging out with old friends. I have enjoyed this series since Book 1. This is the first time to listen to an audiobook version. I think it may be my last. The narrator did a great job with distinctive voices and accents for all of the characters, it is just that some of the voices didn’t quite match what I have had in my head since book 1 - LOL! There is enough backstory included that you don’t have to go back to book 1 for the characters but you may need a little help with some of the terms used in 2061. In my opinion it won’t detract from the story and you’ll be able to keep up.

I’ve always wondered about Summerset’s backstory. Along the way/through the series we’ve gotten bits and pieces, especially about him and Roarke. This time we are treated to more about him. It made him a bit more human. The story not only touched on the bond between Summerset and The Twelve but also the bond between him and “the boy” aka Roarke.

Reading/listening to the story set in 2061 referring to events in 2025 and 2026 is a bit of fun (possibly prophetic, the 2025 Massacre of Hope? Makes me wonder the inspiration). As a tech geek, have always loved Roarke’s tech and EDD, they did not fail to impress. The Twelve, were quite impressive with their varied backgrounds and skills all coming together for a common cause. The way they honor the vow made many years ago is something you don’t always see.

There is so much going on in this 13h 50m audiobook, that the time flies by. Brave people doing brave things. Brave women doing the unexpected supported by the men who love and respect them.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.

Happy Reading!

Release Date: 4-February-2025

Audiobook, NetGalley, Mystery, Female-Led, Thriller

Plot Summary

His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. And died within minutes…

Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. She’s got an elderly victim who’d just arrived from Rome; a widow who knows nothing about why he’d left; an as-yet unidentifiable weapon; and zero results on facial recognition. But when she finds a connection to the Urban Wars of the 2020s, she thinks Summerset—fiercely loyal, if somewhat grouchy, major-domo and the man who’d rescued her husband from the Dublin streets—may know something from his stint as a medic in Europe back then.

When Summerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear—because, as he eventually reveals, he himself was one of The Twelve. It’s not a part of his past he likes to revisit. But now he must—not only to assist Eve’s investigation, but because a cryptic message from the killer has boasted that others of The Twelve have also died. Summerset is one of those who remain—and the murderous mission is yet to be fully accomplished…