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Thankless in Death
Thankless in Death
Thankless in Death
Audiobook13 hours

Thankless in Death

Written by J. D. Robb

Narrated by Susan Ericksen

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

The year 2060 is drawing to a close, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s a time for loved ones to come together. But sometimes the deepest hatreds seethe within the closest relationships, and blood flows faster than water….

For Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD, the job is a useful reminder of what she has to be grateful for this season. Hosting Roarke’s big Irish family for the holiday may be challenging, but it’s a joyful improvement on her own dark childhood.

Other couples aren’t as lucky as Eve and Roarke. The Reinholds, for example, are lying on the floor of their Downing Street apartment, stabbed and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition. Those who knew them are stunned—and even more heartbroken by the overwhelming evidence that they were murdered by their own son. Twenty-six-year-old Jerry hadn’t exactly made a good impression on all the bosses who fired him or the girlfriend who dumped him—but they didn’t think he was capable of this.

Turns out Jerry is not only capable of brutality but taking a liking to it. With the money he’s stolen from his parents, and a long list of grievances, he intends to finally make his mark on the world. Eve and her team already know the who, how, and why of this murder. What they need to pinpoint is where Jerry’s going to strike next.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 17, 2013
ISBN9781480511446
Thankless 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 Thankless in Death

Rating: 4.343869957854406 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

522 ratings24 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is interesting enough reading and learning how a the boy who never grow up became a killer accidentally over starting his mother. He found himself for the first time in his life. He likes the killing and he went a head planed and killed his father too. From there he continued on his killing and got away with it until the purchase he made points the police to him and the hurt and his killing came to an end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well I have had a couple of days for THANKLESS to percolate in my mind and in my emotions.
    Eve seems to be a little out of focus and out of sync in catching this murderer. She is deciding her next career step, (will she focus on her captains bars?) and what about the medals of honor she and Roarke have earned? How we she handle the family holiday? Peabody seems to be a cardboard cutout looking on with no urgency. Nixie (a favorite character of mine) is visiting .. Eve is concerned for her memories. All in all Eve seems to have a lot of emotions going on right at this time.

    Eve knows who Gerald Reinhold is and what he has done; what he looks like and that he feels entitled.
    Is he selfish? Or, is he was too lucky?

    She not quite able to anticipate his next move, perhaps she knows too much about him; learned too quickly his inhumanity, for her to process and predict his upcoming actions? Not quite the Eve Dallas/Roarke of preceding books in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just makes me want to read the next and next.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow this wA so different than the rest,made me cry.The love between Eve and Roarke.Plus catching the bad guy!!!And bringing Nixie back just broke my
    heart!! Thank you for a wonderful story
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This episode isn't a "who dunnit" because we know who the criminal is. Eve and the rest of the police know too. However, knowing who doesn't help if they can't find him or can't figure out who the killer will target next. What makes this episode creepy is that we spend time in the mind of the killer who who is so self-centered that he knows that nothing is ever his fault and that nothing he could do is ever wrong. Jerald Reinhold is the spoiled only child of loving parents. He can't hold a job because every job is beneath him and every boss has it in for him. He thinks nothing of stealing from his parents or freeloading on them. His girlfriend kicked him out when he didn't pay his share of the rent, stole from her and then hit her. Now his parents are getting ready to show some tough love and kick him out if he doesn't show an effort to get and keep a job. When his mother "nags" him, he picks up the knife she is using to make him a sandwich and stabs her more than 50 times. He decides that he really likes killing and lies in wait for his father. After killing him, he steals everything he thinks is valuable and decides it is time to even the score with all those who have done him wrong. This story takes place just before Thanksgiving. Eve also has to deal with the fact that many of Roarke's Irish relatives are coming to stay over Thanksgiving. Eve likes them all but is still uncomfortable with them all being there. She is also afraid that her job will get in the way of her doing as much with the family as she should which will let Roarke down. In addition, many of Eve and Roarke's other friends are scheduled to attend the Thanksgiving festivities.To add even more pressure, Eve is to be given the Medal of Honor for solving some very spectacular cases. Roarke is to be given the Medal of Honor - Civilian too. Eve is not a fan of publicity. She doesn't do the job for the glory and hates that the ceremony will keep her from looking for this latest murderer. Then her boss offers her a promotion to Captain. Once, Eve would have jumped at it. Marrying Roarke of the questionable past slowed down her path to advancement because of politics. Choosing to marry Roarke was right for her. She doesn't hesitate very long before turning down the promotion. She knows that her strength is as an investigator. She doesn't want to become an administrator. At first, Roarke is surprised that she turned down the promotion but quickly understands Eve's reasoning. I love this series. I eagerly anticipate each new episode because I really like all the recurring characters. I think Eve and Roarke have a great relationship. I also like catching up on the lives of many of the secondary characters too. In this one, few secondary characters beyond Peabody had more than walk-on parts.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    New York Police and Security Department homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the approaching arrival of Roarke’s Irish family rather challenging. But they’re all coming to New York to celebrate Thanksgiving and having the family together for the holiday is a good thing. However, not all families will be celebrating together this year.Barbara and Carl Reinhold lie on the floor of their Downing Street apartment, stabbed and bludgeoned to death. Those savage beatings apparently came at the hands of their twenty-six-year-old son, Jerald. Friends and neighbors struggle to believe that Jerry could have committed such a vile, vicious act but the evidence doesn’t lie.Eve knows who and how and why; now she needs to find Jerry before he strikes again.Thirty-seventh in the “In Death” series, this narrative continues its focus on the relationships that remain at the heart of the stories; readers are sure to find much to appreciate as Eve’s slowly-developing people skills are delightful to see and Eve and Roarke’s comfortableness with each other demonstrates the continuing growth in their relationship.Firmly anchored by a strong sense of place in the near future New York, the unfolding narrative offers readers a truly reprehensible villain: a whiny, irresponsible brat determined to eliminate everyone who has ever offended him in any way. The unfolding narrative highlights the procedural aspects of Eve’s investigation since she knows [as does the reader] the identity of the culprit. Still, there are unexpected plot twists and turns as they chase the murderer and just enough sweet moments, bickering, and humor to keep readers satisfied and to keep the pages turning.Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Had a long break from this series. Was a good read but didn’t quite re-enthuse me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a few days before Thanksgiving, and Roarke's entire Irish family will soon be arriving to spend the holiday with him and Dallas. She loves him, she loves them, but really, she'd rather deal with a nice, straight-forward murder investigation. At least in theory.

    When the call comes in about the murder of the Reinholds, a nice, quiet, responsible, middle class couple, it's a tragedy. When Dallas and Peabody realize that their grown son killed his mother, waited around until his father came home, and killed him--and then sat around eating and emptying his parents' accounts into his own accounts--it's horrifying.

    What they don't know yet is that the killing has only started.

    Eve Dallas, her friends and colleagues, and especially, of course, Roarke, are old friends now, and they don't disappoint in Thankless. Dallas, Peabody, and Roarke, in particular, have grown deeper and richer as characters in every book. In this addition to the series, Eve has to make a big career choice she wouldn't have been ready for earlier, and Roarke has his own, related but separate, challenge to overcome.

    If you've enjoyed earlier In Death stories, you'll enjoy this one. If you haven't encountered the series before, this isn't the best place to start, but the story is sufficiently self-contained that it should be no real problem to follow. There are references to earlier cases, but you don't need more information than is included.

    Recommended.

    I bought this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Spoiled entitled adult man goes on a killing spree against those he feels have wronged him in his past.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good entry in the In Death series. I enjoyed that the couple who was killed at the beginning were just an ordinary couple. Also nice was that the murder case wasn't stretched out but took place in a few days while Eve just hammered away at it. I guess that this format isn't so unusual but it felt right for this story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It started with his parents and spread from there. Jerald Reinhold had an agenda that benefited no one but Jared. A bully, an antagonist, a coward, lazy and unmotivated from childhood, Jerald has found a way to even the score and profit to boot.

    This book is slightly different than all the previous "In Death" books as Eve knows from the second chapter who the killer is. She understands what he is doing and how...she just can't find him. She badly underestimates this killer and seems to always be a step behind him. Her team is all present, Peabody, McNab, Fenney, all the favorites that have made this series so enjoyable, but...they play a much more passive role than in previous books. Even Roarke and Sommerset took somewhat of an unusual back seat. Thankless In Death is by no means not enjoyable, just different. It still gets 5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Eve Dallas summarizes it best when she says, “That’s just the whole thing, isn’t it? He just keeps catching the breaks. We know who he is, we know he killed every one of them, when he did it, we even know why. We have a reasonable list of possible targets. We believe we know his general area. And we can’t find the S** of a B****.”

    Let’s face it, when a series has reached book #37, the reader pretty much has the format down pat, so the author has to keep the plotline interesting enough, the character relationships moving forward enough, and the writing crisp enough to keep the pages turning in this book and the next, and the next, etc. Ms. Robb manages to do that with this series. Yes, there have been a few bumps and groans along the way but this book redeems those. It’s Eve and Rourke and the heart of Eve’s NYSPD team going after one killer. There are no “end of days” terrorists; there are no mad scientists or Hollywood glitz, simply one (admittedly pretty nasty) bad guy and a string of bodies. Thankless in Death is reminiscent of her early books. She even had me misty eyed a couple of times during this read. Ms. Robb does many things really right with this series; she keeps the characters moving forward, she does not bog down the book with long explanations of what happened in previous books – constant readers (like me) appreciate this and, although the book makes sense for first time readers there are enough references to the past to make constant readers smile and give new readers a reason to go back to the first book.

    ** Slight spoiler alert **

    I’d like to send out a huge thanks to Ms. Robb for not killing the dog!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It may be Thanksgiving week in New York, but Eve and her homicide squad find themselves involved in one of their most intensed cases ever as they try and track down Jerry Reinhold wanted for the murder of his parents and ex. No mystery as to who did the murders even if some of his friends find it difficult to believe good old Jerry could ever do anything like that. But Eve and the team are in no doubt.This is basically a Columbo episode on speed - we know who did it and we're reasonably certain why he did it but there is a reasonable degree of tension as we hope Eve and Roarke are able to find the killer before he works his way down his sh*t list. At firs, things look like they're going the way of the killer but gradually the odds change as Roark and EDD uncover the last testament of one of Reinhold's victims.As we've come to expect from JD Robb after all this time, weget a fast actioned tale with some emotional moments and if there are less twists and turns this time out the tension is still high to lead to a satisfying finale
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I timed this read well, US Thanksgiving is looming and the planning is starting to make an impact on my feeds and the advertising is clogging my email.Thanksgiving is looming for Eve, it's 2059 and some of Rourke's family are visiting from Ireland, there's a gathering in his house for the season and Eve has just caught a case. A killer who starts with his parents and continues with people he perceives have wronged him, Eve has to try to stop him, to stop the killing and make sure he pays. Meanwhile she has to live up to the ghosts of the past, some of which are brought to life in the people coming to the thanksgiving party.This series is like watching a long-running cop drama on TV, one that I like watching, this was an episode I liked. I like how Eve and Rourke interact and work together and occasionally have spats, but still love each other. I also found the killer genuinely scary and believable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The killer isn't that smart in this book just very lucky. The B story has to do with Roarke's family coming into town for Thanksgiving. Dallas as usual gets jittery with the idea of family around and the bonus of having Nixie in town from Texas with her new family to see the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The personal parts of the book felt like a turning point in the character growth of Dallas and I'm now wondering how much more we will get before Dallas settles down to actually have a family with Roarke. [ The ending of the series from what I have heard]. All in all an entertaining read and I'll be waiting on the next one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I do(or did)love Robb’s In Death series. I especially love the relationship between Eve and Rourke, their feisty friends (Mavis, Trina, Charles, and others), and family. However, it seems to me that we are getting less and less of that in the books as the series progresses. In fact, this book was almost all the grisly torture and killing of one person after another and very little of the things that have made this series special. I have read many reviews where people are wondering if someone else is now writing this series for Nora Roberts – and I am wondering the same thing. The books just aren’t the same as they were – and I miss the old way!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Those who love just about every installment of the series, you will not be disappointed in "Thankless in Death", it's classic "In Death". The book takes a total procedural story line in revealing the killer, the method and some of the why. It's the chase and reasoning behind the killings that is the meat of the story.

    For Lt. Eve Dallas and her team its' a race against time to catch a novice killer who's quickly becoming adapt at killing. A killer with a huge ego and sense of entitlement. In the past there have been numerous suspects and ultimately killers that have committed heinous crimes, but I think this one is right up there with McQueen.

    Interspersed within the hunt is the much anticipated arrival of the "Irish". It's almost thanksgiving and there is much to be thankful for this year. Old friends and families make an appearance. The family get together really emphasis the level of growth that has transpired in both Eve and Roarke's life since that first case in "Naked in Death".

    I so enjoyed this installment and the last chapter of the book is most satisfying on so many levels.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Decent Eve Dallas tale. Mildly suspenseful. You know "who done it" right from the start, but you wend your way through the story just waiting for Dallas to get him, and you're happy when she does. Jerry Reinhold is a sniveling, conniving asshole who kills his mother, then lies in wait for father. Thinking he's found his calling in life, he goes on a murder spree with Dallas right on his tale.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed this JD Robb again. This time Eve is searching for a known criminal which is a bit different. It doesn't make the book any less interesting though. Eve shows a couple of signs of becoming 'softer, as she buys a lip stick thing for Peabody and also enjoys the time she spends with Roarke's family who have come over from Ireland for Thanksgiving.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    At first I was disappointed with this book strictly because the villain seemed like a retread to me. Upon reflection I realized that was an unfair generalization. Just because the killers motivation was familiar it doesn't make him any less of an evil little bugger. Besides the story is in how she tracks him down and breaks him.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    With Thanksgiving and the impending arrival of all of Rourke's family looming at her, Eve catches a case that makes her realize yet again how lucky she is in her family. Jerry Reinhold is cashing in a lifetime of grudges, one perceived slight and long-held jealousy at a time. And catching him is proving surprisingly difficult.Roberts as always manages to reveal the killer in the opening moments, and still weave the story out in a skein of sheer readability. I'm almost always sorry to come to the end of one of her books, and this one's no exception.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this series -- Eve is just about the most interesting, likeable character in series books that I can imagine. I love how Robb gets us into Eve's head; the scene early in this book where Eve decided she should come up with a "date night" with Roarke was wonderful. She's always tripping over the "marriage rules" and the social expectations of her friends and co-workers. Don't we all find a bit of Eve in ourselves, as we wonder if we're doing the right thing, and why can't everyone just leave us alone to deal in our own way? There was no mystery in this book - we're told the perpetrator right from the beginning. The interest comes in following Eve's path as she tracks him down, while at the same time keeping her own life humming along. I don't know how long Robb can keep it up but I'm not ready for this to end yet.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Usually, I finish an In Death book in one day, but I actually put this one down for a couple before going back. Robb's mysteries have two kinds of perpetrators: those that are revealed right away and those that Eve has to figure out. The ones that reveal the killer's identity at the start are not my favorite, and, unfortunately, this is one of those.Jerry Reinhold is a whining brat who has discovered a taste for killing. After murdering his parents, the book dissolves into a chase wherein Eve has to figure out where he is and where he'll strike next. Since Eve doesn't have to spend time figuring out who the killer is, Robb gives a lot of the book over to Jerry. In between whining, he tortures and kills. This doesn't make for enjoyable, or fast, reading.Never-the-less, I gave the book 3 stars because the parts with Eve, Peabody and all our favorite regulars still kept me invested. And the ending, when Eve gets her man in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with everyone she thinks of as family, was just as satisfying as every other collar she has made. Overall, though this isn't in my top ten, it was still a good read. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was so much more satisfying that her last (Calculated in Death) which was lifeless. I was worried that Robb was running out of steam but it turns out I didn't have to. Thankless in Death has all the elements you want in an "in death" book: A grisly murder or two or three, family, ties to previous books and an interesting puzzle. I'm waiting for some next steps. Maybe Charles and Louise will have a baby or Peabody and McNab will get married or Eve will decide to start a family and take a promotion to mostly a desk job. Wouldn't it we interesting to see Baxter as the LT? Or maybe something with Truehart? One wonderful thing about series books is that if the writer is skilled and the characters interesting to start with, they become friends and change and grow. The 37th (!) book in this series still has the magic we fans look for when we pick up a book about Eve Dallas, Roarke, and their friends.