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Fantasy in Death
by J.D. RobbSeries: In Death #30
Published by Berkley on January 18, 2010
SubGenres: Mystery, Romantic Suspense
Format: AudioBook, Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 339
Length: 12 Hours And 50 Minutes
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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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 prob-lem 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. . . .
I finally finished the thirtieth book in J.D. Robb’s In Death series, and I know I’m far behind, but I’ll eventually catch up. I just need to make time to read several books in the series back-to-back soon, especially since each time I pick up a book in this series, I’m reminded how much I enjoy J.D. Robb’s storytelling and the cast of characters that have become like family to me.
In Fantasy in Death, Eve and her team must solve a murder where someone ends up getting killed while playing a role-playing virtual reality video game. The second I realized what type of case Eve and her team had to solve, I knew this one was going to be a hard one for Eve to crack on her own. She’ll have to get the tech team involved and have Peabody and McNabb go uncover, which they don’t mind doing at all. Then there is Roarke, who always gets involved since he is her husband, but once again, he knows the person who was killed and knows the people Eve suspects are the potential killers. So, he is the perfect person to help her, especially since this case involves a lot of tech.
I did find myself getting bored at times with this book due to all the tech being mentioned, and this is coming from someone who worked in IT and always talked tech, but not video game tech. But, other than that, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed the case Eve got this time around, but I was reminded how much I’m not a fan of high-tech virtual games, especially if they ever become like the game created in this book that ended up getting a person murdered. No, I’ll stick to the OG Nintendo games and play Mario Kart or Mortal Kombat any day.
I didn’t know who the murderer actually was this time around. I couldn’t figure it out, even with the three suspects that Eve had, until it was finally revealed. I knew at least one of the three couldn’t be the murderer, especially after what happened toward the end of the book, but I was surprised by who the actual killer was and why. J.D. Robb definitely kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time with this book.
One other thing want to mention: I really didn’t like that Roarke got hurt in this book. Nope, not one bit. I felt for Eve when he got hurt toward the end of the book. Usually, she’s the one getting hurt, but Roarke did this time. This hurt my heart a lot. No more hurting either of these characters, J.D. Robb. (I know I have several more books to get through, and they probably will, but give them a break for a bit.)
Overall, another great installment in the In Death series, and I give it four stars. I look forward to picking up the next book in the series very soon.
POV: Third Person (Multi-POV)
Standalone or Part of Series: As someone who started this series from book one, I highly recommend reading these books in order for the best reading experience. Other readers may suggest differently since each book the characters handle a new case. (I’m a reader who likes reading in order.)
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes, absolutely, especially for readers who love Murder Mysteries and Romantic Suspense. If you haven’t picked up the In Death series by J.R. Robb, you are missing out on a suspenseful series with a great cast of characters and an established married couple that you will love immediately.
What to Expect:
✔️Futuristic Setting
✔️Police Procedural
✔️Murder Mystery
✔️Virtual Reality/Video Gaming
About J.D. Robb
J.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Shadows in Death(St. Martin's Press, September 2020) is the 51st entry in the series.
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