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    Imitation in Death
    Imitation in Death
    Imitation in Death
    Audiobook14 hours

    Imitation in Death

    Written by J. D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas becomes entangled in the deadly mind game of a vicious copycat killer...

    Summer, 2059. A man wearing a cape and a top hat approaches a prostitute on a dark, New York City street. Minutes later, the woman is dead. Left at the scene is a letter addressed to Lieutenant Eve Dallas, inviting her to play his game and unveil his identity. He signs it, “Jack.” 

    Now Dallas is in pursuit of a murderer who knows as much about the history of serial killers like Jack the Ripper and the Boston Strangler as she does. He has studied the most notorious and the most vicious slayings in modern times. But he also wants to make his own mark. He has chosen his victim: Eve Dallas. And all Eve knows is that he plans to mimic the most infamous murderers of all...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2013
    ISBN9781469277073
    Imitation in Death
    Author

    J. D. Robb

    J.D. Robb is the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. She is the author of over two hundred novels, including the futuristic suspense In Death series. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print.

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    Reviews for Imitation in Death

    4.5/5

    819 ratings31 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Seeing how the might has fallen and the way its own sin helped brought him down the wife is the biggest fool of all. Living with a killer that hunts women and knowing fully well what he up to and yet she stage for the title and the position of authority that she can play is more important than any other person. Power is what both enjoys and the killings.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant! I love Eve … and Roarke … and Peabody! The whole gang! Fantastic narration, as per usual ❤️
    • 4/5
      As always your never sure who the culprit is until the end.
    • 5/5
      Although Portrait in Death is still my favorite so far, I really like Imitation in Death. It shows the deepening relationships between Peabody and McNab, and that Roarke can't ace it all, thus "humanizing" him. It must be pretty upsetting to him to fail somewhere. Now, maybe he will master it in the later books, if he did, please don't tell me. I want to learn it by myself first.
      I think another reason why it took me longer to finish Imitation in Death is there are 4 likely suspects and I kept going back and forth about who is the real serial killer. This is one book that I didn't guess the right one. I love it when that happens. Thanks, Nora!
    • 5/5
      Great series !
      story line plot and narration excellent .

    • 4/5
      Sometimes not for the faint-hearted, but I enjoyed it. Well written, as usual.
    • 5/5
      Imitation in Death, despite being published almost 20 years ago, still holds up as a captivating and well-written crime novel. As the 17th book in the In Death series, it showcases J.D. Robb's talent for crafting compelling plots and complex characters. The book is a testament to Robb's ability to create a rich and immersive world that continues to engage readers even after two decades. As someone who is halfway through their goal of reading the entire In Death series, I can attest to the enduring appeal of these books. Imitation in Death is a standout in the series and a must-read for fans of crime fiction.
    • 4/5
      Another great installment! I enjoy this series but don't feel the need to read them back to back. Every few months I jsut get a hankering to "check-in" and see what's up with Eve and Roarke.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. Eve and Roarke are still my favorite characters .
    • 5/5
      In the 17th In Death mystery, Eve is trying to track down a murderer who is recreating the crimes of earlier, famous serial killers. Her one clue is the notes he left for her on the first two bodies. The paper is exclusive, unrecycled paper only available in England. She has five suspects - a sleazy producer with a history of violence toward women who is living with one of Roarke's past lovers; a guy in his seventies who lives for golf and has a young, dumb third wife, a British aristocrat with diplomatic immunity and a really snooty attitude; a famous soft pop musician who had a troubled past; and an author whose first two best-selling books are all about serial killers. All of them have the British stationary and have pasts that might have twisted them enough to make them murderers.Meanwhile, Peabody is getting cold feet about signing a lease agreement for her and McNab to live together in the same building as Mavis and Leonardo. And she's really worried about her upcoming test to become a detective. As part of the stressors of the case, Eve has a dream or recovered memory about her mother which tells Eve that the woman not only didn't love her but actually hated her. It puts paid to the faint hope that her mother is our there somewhere and misssing her. She is slow to share this with Roarke because he's still grieving the loss of his own newly discovered mother.
    • 4/5
      It is the summer 2059 as Imitation in Death by J.D. Robb begins and the September heat is just as bad as August was. It is too hot, even for sex work, as Jacie Wooton has found out in recent days. She is a licensed companion and longs for her recent past where she had the same job, but better clients as they were rich and lonely. She has a plan to stay clean, be professional, and get back where she belongs in six months. Her plan did not involve being murdered by a psycho.But, that is what happened. She is very much dead and her case is the latest for NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Jacie Wooton had her throat slit by somebody in the alley. The crime scene is blood bath. Much of that is due to what he did to her afterwards. If there was any mercy, she never felt it. The scene is so bad that even Peabody is shaken to the core and spends some time losing whatever was in her stomach. She is not alone as at least two other officers are going through the same thing. Dallas got through the scene and thus found the note on the body personally addressed to her. The note used a fancy font on expensive paper and is a calling card taunt by a killer who sees it all as an elaborate game. A sick and very twisted game where he begins duplicating famous serial killers across history. With each one, he dares Lieutenant Dallas to catch him. While she sees the end game as he envisions it playing out as well as a couple of possible potential kills if he continues the patter, she can’t figure out who he is or where he will strike next. Identifying the killer and stopping him is going to take a team effort.Book 17 of the long running series has all the usual flaws of the previous books. It also again plays with the idea that a killer is working his way to the ultimate prize of killing Dallas. At the same time, though we have seen it all before, the read is fun and well worth your time.My reading copy came by way of the Libby/OverDrive app and the Dallas Public Library System.Kevin R. Tipple ©2022
    • 5/5
      A top hat and cape-clad killer is determined to make his own mark as a serial killer. He’s executing copycat murders, re-creating the killings of the most notorious, vicious murders of all time, beginning with Jack the Ripper. And he’s chosen New York Police and Security Department’s homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas as his victim.Seventeenth in the “In Death” series, readers will find much to appreciate in this story’s evolving relationship between Eve and Peabody, a nice counterpoint to the gritty and gruesome murders taking place at the hands of the sadistic copy-cat serial killer. There’s the requisite laugh-out-loud humor, the Eve/Peabody banter, the romance, the character development, the strong sense of place in the summer of 2059 in New York City. Readers will find this to be a perfect addition to the canon. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      Imitation--as in someone is imitating serial killers' m.o.s. I felt like the plot kind of dragged on to fill a page count. It was nice to see Delia Peabody advance. I didn't guess who the perpetrator was before it was revealed (which I have in some other books in this series).
    • 4/5
      A copy cat killer is reprising ugly crimes of rape and murder from the past., Dallas may be on his list. A good entry in this excellent future based police procedural series.
    • 5/5
      Imitation in Death
      4.5 Stars

      Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in pursuit of a vicious killer with a penchant for copying the crimes of the most notorious serial murderers in history. With several suspects to choose from, Dallas and her team will have to use all of their skills and wits to narrow the field before the monster strikes again.

      The best book in the series so far, but then I have a Jack the Ripper fetish, lol!
       
      In terms of the case, my preference is for those with several suspects and clues that the reader can follow in an attempt to determine who-dun-it (rather than those in which the perpetrator is revealed up front or the mystery takes a back seat to the character development, i.e., Portrait in Death). Imitation in Death is one such investigation and it is very well done.

      The characters in Robb's book are always a delight. Whether it is the amazingly sexy Roarke or Peabody's and her sarcastic one-liners or even the despicable villain, the people who populate the books are incredibly real and never trite or one-dimensional.

      Add to all this the laugh-out-loud humor (although I do wonder what it says about me that I find the descriptions of Eve threatening to commit grievous bodily harm so amusing), and this is a virtually perfect installment.

    • 5/5
      Eve must once again track down a killer before he or she gets too close. And close is what they've become, leaving personal letters addressed to Eve at each of the killings. And something else about this is strange, the killer is copycatting some of the world's most notorious serial killers. Somehow, Eve must muck through politics, paparazzi and personal issues just to find a lead.
    • 5/5
      Imitation in Death opens when Jacie Wooton, a licensed street worker with twenty years of experience, takes a man wearing a cape, top hat and carrying a black satchel into a dark alley. When her mutilated body is discovered, her throat slit and pelvic area removed, Lieutenant Eve Dallas can’t mistake the similarity to Jack the Ripper. What makes it more ominous is a that there is letter addressed to her that reads “Looking forward to our continued association.”

      With each of the next murders, the hunter imitates another famous killer, each time leaving Eve another note on expensive stationery imported from London. All her suspects are wealthy high profile people and Eve hates dealing with the bureaucratic problems that accompany them.

      The author has once again spun a fast-paced story using many of our favorite characters. The realistic portrayal of marriage as a work in progress is one of my favorite things about this series. This is the seventeenth book in the series and, while it could be read as a standalone, is much better if you have a basic understanding of the characters and their past. I look forward to reading future books in this well conceived series set in 2059 New York.
    • 5/5
      With the very fist victim, Lt. Eve Dallas realizes that the killer stalking the streets of New York City isn't the usual serial killer. The copycat executions are imitating the methods and victim choices of an ominous list of notorious serial killers, beginning with Jack the Ripper. When the killer leaves a distinctive note at the crime scene, it's clear that Eve is his main target.

      One of my favorite aspects of this series is the Eve-Roarke dynamic, and in this book, they're awfully cute in this book, and such fun to read. They're a highly amusing couple. A favorite moment of mine is Eve watching, with some baffled horror, as Roarke cooks, and I don't mean with an Auto-Chef. ( I just want to say here that "I WANT ONE OF THESE"). I think this couple has really settled into a comfortable dynamic, the way that only they can do it.
    • 5/5
      Copycat of famous serial killer. I enjoyed watching Eve go through her list of suspects and weed them out. I also like how well Roarke knows Eve that he can tell when she is hiding something. I love watching Eve deal with her "family" as Peabody is studying to take her detective exam and move in with MacNab. It is fun
    • 5/5
      Great story, but what I loved the most about this one was the background plot with Peabody, McNab and Eve. The ending was the cutest thing ever! Oh, didn't quite liked the fact that we didn't get to spend more time with the unbelievably hot and delicious and charming Roarke. Otherwise, another winner.
    • 4/5
      Another excellent mystery. A special treat for those that follow true crime - the killer imitates famous serial killers. 
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this one. The ending especially. I love this series and I am so thankful that I can listen to them in audiobook format because the narrator does such a marvelous job bringing the characters and story to life.
    • 4/5
      Another great installment! I enjoy this series but don't feel the need to read them back to back. Every few months I jsut get a hankering to "check-in" and see what's up with Eve and Roarke.
    • 4/5
      This series is really growing on me, I very nearly put it down at the first mention of Jack the Ripper (personal thing for me) but I just couldn't. I just love the characters, the relationships, the humor and how grounded they are (well the main characters). The exploration of the fine line between victim and perpetrator was a huge part of this book, elevating the shock horror level of murder and abuse to an intelligent insight into the nature vs nurture debate. A great read.
    • 3/5
      "Imitation in Death" by J.D. Robb, a.k.a. Nora Roberts, follows futuristic police detective Eve Dallas through the mind of a copy cat serial killer. After the mutilation of a licensed companion, and a personal not to Dallas with the body, Eve is determined to stop the killer before he strikes again. I have read several of Robb's "In Death" series and like the others, this book did not let me down. Ms. Robb takes us into what was once the distant future and now is just a few years away, 2059. We get to enjoy her "Jetson" type take on the ways of the future while seeing the psychopathic workings of a killer's mind. This book will keep you guessing until the end. Don't miss it!
    • 4/5
      In this book, Eve and her team are chasing a serial killer who is imitating famous serial killers like Jack the Ripper and the Boston Strangler. I had no idea who the killer was and I quite enjoyed trying to figure it out even though Eve knew it way before I did.
    • 4/5
      Another serial killer murder mystery for kick-ass cop Eve Dallas and her entourage to solve. This time the killer is aping famous serialkillers from the past. With several high-profile suspects to choose from, how will Eve get her man? Enjoyable and page turning as always, emotional and evocative. ...in Death is a reliable series.
    • 4/5
      Imitation In Death is a continuation of the In Death series featuring Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke. In this novel, Eve is dealing with a killer who imitates famous serial killers like Jack the Ripper. The killer leaves a note on the body of his first victim addressed to Dallas, and just like that Eve is caught up in a new case.I really enjoyed this book and find that for me this series just gets stronger and better. I love the characters and their relationships with one another which is what makes this series for me. They grow from book to book and it is fun to see it. Eve is prickly and difficult but I just love her as the main character. And the ending of this book was great! I'm so excited to see how this changes or affects Peabody and Eve's relationship or if it doesn't change it at all. Of course, I love this series but if you haven't read it yet then give it a try!
    • 3/5
      Eve solves the case of a serial killer who copies famous killers throughout history -- Jack the Ripper, DeSalvo, etc. with the help of Rourke and the gang. The reader of this audiobook series makes these fun to hear. Love her Irish brogue accent when she speaks for Rourke.
    • 4/5
      A quick read for me, and very enjoyable.More lovely progress on Eve and Roarke's relationship and a good murder mystery this time. I did some to-ing and fro-ing on who the murderer was before it was revealed at the end.Just one small word of warning - don't look at the cover too carefully (the US version) as it gives something away.