Brotherhood in Death * J.D. Robb * In Death #42

When a prominent corporate lawyer and close childhood friend of Dennis Mira vanishes from an upscale Manhattan home after discovering a dark family secret, Lieutenant Eve Dallas must plunge into the victim's secret past to track down an elusive ring of abductors.

The Story: Written by prominent global chart-topper and master of romantic suspense J.D. Robb (the fabled pen name of Nora Roberts), this 2016 futuristic blockbuster is a pacy, high-stakes milestone in the legendary In Death franchise. The narrative steps away from slow, low-friction domestic mysteries. Instead, Robb constructs a deeply atmospheric futuristic noir that masterfully pairs realistic forensic police procedurals with an uncompromising examination of loyalty and hidden corporate corruption, showing that solving a high-profile disappearance relies on exposing the dark secrets of a powerful elite who treat human lives like a private, disposable asset pool.

The plot centers on mid-21st-century New York City, where Dennis Mira (the gentle husband of top profiler Dr. Charlotte Mira) arrives at his cousin Edward's luxurious townhouse to confront him about a plan to sell their ancestral family home. The routine takes a sharp, terrifying turn when Dennis walks into the house, discovers Edward badly beaten, and is instantly knocked unconscious from behind. When Dennis wakes up, the house has been meticulously cleaned of all forensic evidence, and Edward has completely vanished. Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD immediately takes the case, and her team's tracking loop reveals that Edward had recently uncovered a horrific secret regarding his elite circle's past behaviors, turning the missing-persons inquiry into a frantic race against a ticking clock.

Rather than navigating standard bureaucratic gridlock alone, Eve leverages the massive financial asset pool and street-smart surveillance networks of her billionaire husband, Roarke, to trace the abductors' high-tech communication lines. Moving smoothly from rain-slicked city alleys and pristine forensic laboratories to high-risk boardroom confrontations, the narrative keeps the adrenaline at an absolute boil. Eve must break into the mastermind's hidden psychological profile and sever the toxic connection holding the victims captive before the trail goes completely cold. This multi-million-copy international bestseller remains an absolute showpiece for sci-fi noir and thriller shelves worldwide.

Perfect For: Fans of high-octane police procedurals, futuristic crime fiction, and intense romantic suspense; readers tracking the complete evolution of Eve Dallas and Roarke's professional partnership; and book collectors securing a core bestselling volume of a massive multimedia saga.

Published 2016 by Berkley.

Mystery & Thriller / Futuristic Sci-Fi Noir / Police Procedurals / Romantic Suspense / Abduction Thrillers / Urban Crime Fiction