'cause it's us against the world, you and me, against them all' _Westlife Setelah cuti cukup lama karena menyelamatkan bokong kurus Summerset, letnan kita siap beraksi lagi. Disinilah dia, di musim dingin, menghadapi kasus pembunuhan bertema natal. Korban diperkosa secara brutal lalu dibunuh. Kasus pemerkosaan selalu menjadi lebih pribadi bagi Eve, mengingatkannya akan masa lalunya sendiri, sebelum ia menjadikan dirinya Eve Dallas. Setelah cuti cukup lama, menghadapi kasus pemerkosaan ini membuat Eve cukup terguncang. Mimpi-mimpi masa lalu kembali menghampirinya, membuatnya takut dan lemah.Namun ketika ia melangkah pulang, Eve akan mendapati Roarke disana, menantinya, menghapus ketakutannya, memeluknya serta melindunginya dari ancaman masa lalunya, dan Eve benar-benar berada dirumah.Pembaca sungguh berpikir setiap wanita didunia seharusnya memiliki suami seperti pria Irlandia yang menakjubkan ini, yang tanpa banyak pikir membatalkan dan menjadwal ulang kontrak bisnisnya yang bernilai jutaan dollar dan pulang ke rumah ketika melihat kelelahan dimata istrinya. Sayang sekali Roarke tidak ada duanya.Natal sebentar lagi tiba, dan Eve merasa diejek oleh bangsat gendut bertampang teler (sinterklas) setiap kali ia keluar rumah. Natal berarti hadiah, dan hadiah berarti belanja. Eve benci belanja, dan ditengah kebingungan terhadap kasusnya, Eve juga kebingungan memilih hadiah untuk suaminya. Kebingungan yang patut dipahami mengingat suaminya pemilik perusahaan besar pembuat berbagai macam barang. Bagaimana jika barang yang kau beli untuk suamimu ternyata bikinan suamimu sendiri? Namun tentu saja letnan kita memiliki efisiensi yang tidak perlu diragukan, ia mendapat hadiah tepat dengan bantuan si bokong kurus, Summerset (pembaca menolak merusak kesenangan dengan membocorkan apa hadiahnya, dan pembaca senang melihat perkembangan hubungan Eve dengan Summerset yang sinis namun menuju arah yang baik).Menyambut natal, Roarke juga sudah menyiapkan perayaan natal, tradisi, yang akan dilaluinya bersama istrinya. Mereka sama-sama tidak memiliki kenangan tentang natal, karenanya mereka membuatnya. Sikap Roarke yang kontradiktif sangat berhasil membuat pembaca tergila-gila. Roarke suka uang, namun tidak dikuasai oleh uang. Ia yang menguasai uang itu. Roarke hidup ditengah kemewahan, namun hal polos sederhana dapat menyenangkannya. Roarke memanjakan sekaligus manja. Ia bersikap dewasa dengan antusiasme seorang anak kecil. Ia bertanggung jawab, bisa diandalkan, namun tidak segan menggunakan cara ilegal. Pertentangan itu membuat pembaca secara sukses membenarkan semua yang berhubungan dengan Roarke.Ditengah euforia natal, letnan kita tetap menyelesaikan tugasnya dengan baik, kelewat baik bahkan. Ia telah berkembang sesuai jalannya sendiri, sesuai yang ia inginkan. Ia mengubah seorang gadis kecil ketakutan tanpa nama menjadi sesosok Eve Dallas yang kuat dan tangguh. Dengan kedua tangannya, Eve membela mereka yang harus mendapat keadilan, dan Eve mendapatkan keadilan untuk dirinya sendiri. Pembaca berpendapat, walau masa lalu masih menghantui, Eve Dallas bukan lagi gadis kecil itu, sekarang ia telah membuktikan pada dunia kalau ia tidak harus hancur karena masa lalunya. Itu merupakan keberanian besar yang tidak dimiliki semua orang, itu jugalah yang membuat Eve Dallas berbeda.with love,Vei
Ack, Robb's villains in this series are so skeevy. This guy was a really nasty piece of work, and the fact that it muddled Eve's mind due to how personal it was for her was not a new idea. However, it still stirs up a lot of pity from the reader...namely ME. I hope that Eve seriously addresses her issues soon. I love this series but something I just thought about while listening to this installment is how Eve is the one with all the problems. Girl is messed up. And I suppose entering into a relationship with Roarke and allowing all of these new friendships into her life are a big step in the right direction for her. Still, I would like to see some healing start to take shape.There's something going on between Peabody and McNab, and I'm loving that angle of the story. I have a feeling their romance will play out slowly, so it will be great fun to watch that unfold. The series seems to get a little sexier in this book. Roarke is awfully randy for his wife, and I'm okay with that :D Another great listen! Love the narrator. The story was, of course, very good. I just read awhile back about how this author has no plans to give Eve and Roarke a child...like, EVER. And I'm really bummed out about that. I think it would add an element to their relationship (and the series) that it needs. Give it some levity in a different direction than the same ole badass cop, hot husband thing. I'd love to see Eve as a mother. But woe is me...never gonna happen. I'll get my kid fix somewhere else, I guess.
What do You think about Holiday In Death (1998)?
I liked it. I have a hard time ranking these books. Was this my favorite? I don’t think so. However, in each book there is something new we learn about Eve and some new character growth. In this book a whole new appreciation for Eve’s problems Christmas shopping. This and her interaction with Peabody is certainly the best part of this book. Funny and moving for certain. The plot was a little weak and I’m a bit pissed that the payoff of the trading of gifts was saved for a short between books story in another anthology. But none of that deterred me from getting the next In Death book as quickly as I could. I’ll probably start it tomorrow. 3/5
—Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)
Perfect holiday to re-read to start the Christmas season. Loved Eve and Roarke's first Christmas together...Roarke's obsession with all the trees, the memory/wish box from Mavis and Leonardo, McNabb's hand on Eve's ass at the party...lol...and Roarke's reaction to it. Maybe because of the rape/murder nature of the crimes and Piper and Rudy's relationship, I felt that Eve's strengths and vulnerabilities were really showcased in this one. Roarke's understanding of his wife always makes my heart pitty pat!
—Kjen
Eve Dallas' latest case involves dating services, ritualistic murders and Santa Claus. Yes, I said Santa Claus. The city's latest killer dresses as Santa to gain entrance to his victims' homes. When he gets into their homes, he rapes, sodomizes, murders, cleans, does their make-up and poses them. He also leaves a piece of jewelry in the "12 Days of Christmas theme with the victims.Eve and her team, Roark, Feeney, Peabody and McNabb find out that all the victims used a dating servicce called Personally Yours. As they try to track down this killer, Eve has to deal with Christmas shopping, a horrible fight with not only Roark but also with Peabody. As the clock winds down, the intensity of the case takes a toll on Eve both mentally and physically.This was my favorite of the series so far. I loved everything about it. The bantering and pulse pounding suspense were fantastic. This series still manages to not only hold my interest but keep me fully engaged. A lot of emotions took place in this book. Eve had to face a lot of things that she wasn't necessarily ready for. Now, me, I'm ready for the next book.
—Kay the Snitch Bitch
