J D Robb:Rapture in Death

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A very different kind of rapture in death
Rapture in Death is #4 in J D Robb's unusual crime thriller series. I am slowly coming to terms with the bizarre setting towards the end of the 21st Century when space travel is common, robots do most menial jobs, guns are banned and virtual reality systems are programmed to meet an individual's needs for activity or relaxation.

At the end of an action packed IMMORTAL IN DEATH Lieutenant Eve Dallas beats up a murderer. That just happened to be on her wedding day to mega-rich super-stud, and slightly shady Roarke. Despite this the wedding between this unusual couple goes off as planned and eventually they get away on their honeymoon, travelling to and enjoying exotic and romantic places, including to a 5 star tourist resort being built on one of Roarke's new satellites.

While they are on the satellite a brilliant engineer, with no apparent personal problems, commits suicide. Back home Dallas cannot prevent a suicide of a famous lawyer who is not known for suicidal tendencies and is not taking illegal drugs. While investigating this case Dallas believes that another suicide by a prominent politician may also be connected when she finds that all victims have a microscopic burn in the same part of the brain. How could this happen? Could it be drug related or because they all used on of Roarke's advanced virtual reality systems for their relaxation. The problem is that hundreds of other people use the same systems each day without harm.

While Eve is never scared to face up to dangerous criminals she panics at being involved in space travel until Roarke unlocks the thrills of the equivalent of the mile high club - in his private space transport. The series would not be complete without more sexual fireworks between the most unlikely couple - this time the fireworks are super spectacular and may have been manipulated.

To balance off these fireworks there is also lots of great, and sometimes tough police work as Eve happily resumes work in earnest. This time she is helped by the very efficient Officer Delia Peabody who is stunned when Eve assigns her to be her permanent aide.

This was another entertaining interlude with an episode of a very different kind of crime thriller series - which really shouldn't be taken seriously.