2022 romance/SF/mystery; 55th novel of J. D. Robb's In Death series
(SF police procedurals). Two girls escape from a "school" for sex
slaves…
Well, yeah, so there goes the mystery. Although we may not get
actual names up front, it's made quite clear in the opening chapters
what's going on, and the action deals with Dallas and her team
catching up diegetically with what the reader already knows by
narration.
And I found the setup unconvincing. On one hand this is clearly a
large and well-funded operation that's been running for a while; on
the other hand it employs a lot of people, sells a lot more people to
dodgy men in high places, and we're supposed to believe that none of
them ever blabbed to the wrong person or indeed decided to turn
state's evidence? Or, indeed, that the organisation only has one
lawyer on tap?
I know, it's cop fantasy. And after 55 books (plus side stories and
shorts) I know that that's what I'm getting, a heroic detective who
saves lives. But I'm also a gamer, and I pick at the edges of things.
(And I've never liked villain's- and victim's-eye view, because even
when it's not prurient—and to give this book credit, it isn't here—it
spoils the puzzle that to me is an important ingredient of the mystery
story.)
Combine that with what feels at times like box-ticking references to
other series characters (though we get a bit of the Miras that's most
welcome), and this felt at times like an obligation book: two In
Deaths a year, along with all the rest of Roberts' writing, is a fair
old pace to keep up. On the other hand there's some genuine tension in
Dallas's marriage to the usually perfect husband Roarke, particularly
considering her background, and some decent police work to get
legitimate answers to the problems that the police are facing even if
the reader already knows what they'll be.
I do think Robb should avoid trying to invent futuristic hacker talk,
though.
"Are you seeing this, Ian? She's sandwiched a cross jab with a
roll-down and two-step."
"Overkill, total. Need assist?"
"No, I have it. Ah, the roll-down's counterfeit, cozied with a
triple slash and inverted ampersand. It's clever enough, but
easily … And there. I've got it."
Not a favourite, but parts of it work very well indeed.