By Antigone Hall
The situation was ideal. I had time and a bookshelf of second-hand books to choose from.
I wanted a first-sentence hook.
Following a couple of lacklustre first sentences I came across Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb.
Romantic/suspense/futuristic detective novels are not usually my genre but the fervour of those first 15 words was exactly what I was seeking.
Set on Earth in 2058, there are outposts on other planets so the technology aspect is very futuristic. If Back to the Future 2 and The Matrix had a baby vibe.
The heroine is Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD Homicide Division. She is intensely dedicated to her job and will stop at nothing to solve a case.
I enjoyed being on her journey in the pursuit of justice and her vulnerable side which she shares with her billionaire husband Roarke.
There is a lot going on in this story but it ties in together well, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat the whole way through and wanting to know what will happen next.
It felt like a standalone book and I didn’t feel like I was missing out from not reading any of the previous books.
I didn’t want it to end and luckily for me Rapture in Death is the fourth book in a long-running series called In Death. There are over 60 books in this series so I am spoilt for choice and intend to start from number 1, Naked in Death. In writing this I may read the latest one first, Desperation in Death.
It really doesn’t matter which order you pick one up because the essence of Lieutenant Eve Dallas is palpable in the first sentence.
Featured image: Second-hand books can be gems in disguise. Photo: Ayyee Ayyee/CC/pexels
