Taken in Death

In Death, Book 37.5

By: J. D. Robb

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Two young children disappear from their East Side home in New York City, their nanny killed in cold blood. As Lieutenant Eve Dallas begins to unravel the crime scene and search for Henry and Gala MacDermit, she's drawn into the twisted mind of a kidnapper who will stop at nothing to take revenge. Horrific threats concerning the brother and sister hit far too close to home for Eve, drawing her back into memories of her own tortured childhood.

But Eve knows that there's no time to waste on the past, and with every passing hour her determination to bring the children safely home strengthens. Eve and her team find themselves following an electronic breadcrumb trail left by a boy desperate to escape the evil witch. Their investigation into the kidnapper's sordid past reveals violent coercion, ritualistic killings, and chilling bloodlust - making her terrifying plans for the children abundantly clear.

©2013 Nora Roberts (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Great short story, Great narrator

What did you love best about Taken in Death?

The narrator, Susan Erickson, brings characters to life, I am not sure I could read these books after listening to all of them.

What other book might you compare Taken in Death to and why?

Any J.D. Robb book

Which character – as performed by Susan Ericksen – was your favorite?

Peabody, always!!!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I teared up in the book with the children and any time Eve relives her childhood through nightmares. I did laugh out loud with Peabody figuring out that her family altered the fairytales that were told to her with the "New Ager Crap"

Any additional comments?

Good short story, this one was about a "Bat" crazy twin that goes after the "weaker" one and her family for revenge. It was well developed for a short story, but it is J.D. Robb so I am not surprised. A set of twins are kidnapped and I did sit on the edge of my seat "praying" that Robb would not kill the kids, because she has in some of her stories.... Anyway, this is a good one, and you get all the great characters appearing throughout the story. Robb brings back Agent Tisdale from HSO who worked with Dallas on a previous case. Worth the read!

Another Good Outcome by Dallas and Roarke

I really like these stories. Even when they are predictable and you know the outcome, they are still entertaining. This one was a bit weak with not much time for Eve and Roarke to 'get together' and resolve things. That's just another phrase for sex. But even without that, it was a good read. The premise is that two kids are kidnapped, their nanny murdered, and at first we are to think it might be the mother but then rather quickly we find out that it is her identical twin. Then things get interesting but that's what the books all about so you'll have to read it. Needless to say, you'll enjoy it if you've read any of the earlier ones. If you are thinking of jumping in to this series, do yourself a favor and at least read the first book so you know how Eve and Roarke got together. It's well worth the price.

As usual, Susan Ericksen is awesome.

It Is A Short Story!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Oh don't make me pick, I love them all.

What about Susan Ericksen’s performance did you like?

She is one of the best readers ever. She is so good with all the characters.

Any additional comments?

I am surprised that readers complained about the story, it is a "short" story and it goes quick, but I like them and having stepped through this series one by one I never miss the short stories. I like that the author gives us something between the full novels. I really love this series.

Good addition to the series

Any additional comments?

Dallas and her police team, along with her husband Roark, have a huge challenge finding the location of two kidnapped children. The children are in a dire situation and must be found before they are murdered. Good police work helps pinpoint the location but it will be difficult to rescue the children before they can be killed by the evil woman who is holding them.

The well know and well loved characters from the series act predictably and the plot is excellent. I recommend even though his is a short entry to the series.

Good Short

For a new J.D. Robb reader, this is not the place to start. Go back to the beginning. For those familiar with the characters, this is a good short story full of suspense, the usual high tech SciFi combined with good detective sleuthing set to the back drop of New York. If you enjoy the J.D. Robb series, you will enjoy this book. It will keep your attention and before you know it, the story will be over.

An Afternoon Snack

What did you love best about Taken in Death?

The story grabbed your attention and kept it. Given the relatively short length of the story, it was a quick listen.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was good, giving you glimpses of where it was going, but still taking turns you didn't expect.

Would you be willing to try another one of Susan Ericksen’s performances?

No. I didn't enjoy either the accents or the character voices the reader used. I thought the accents were poor and some of the voices given to characters made them sound dumb.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't laugh or cry, but enjoyed an afternoon of listening to a good book.

This entire series is great fun!

Pick it up anywhere in the series, the back plot is not that intricate. But just a warning, you will want to listen to them all!

Taken

Taken was a good short mystery. It was an easy listeni over a days drive.

Was she in a hurry?

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would always recommend J.D. Robb, but I would recommend that her books be read in order, since character development is so important. This shorter story leaves out a lot of the usual interactions and behind the scenes development. I felt that it was just a little "off" from her usual stories, as if she didn't have time to expand it fully. It even seemed to be read a bit more slowly than others in the series!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Taken in Death?

I liked the relationship between the twins: the communication that they had together. Would have liked more of it, though.

Which scene was your favorite?

The end: the children showing their gratitude to Eve, who doesn't know how to respond.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to it in one sitting. Always want to, but usually can't because of their length.

Any additional comments?

I don't know why this book seemed to be abbreviated, but I hope Robb gets back to her usual detail and length. Nevertheless, she remains my favorite author.

Hansel and Greta

In this next to last novella in the In Death series, Eve and crew mist work against the clock when two kids, twins, are abducted by their mother's crazy twin sister. Henry and Gala are counting on the "good witch" to come rescue them. The "good witch" being Dallas. Working with her team and the Feds, Dallas goes all out to find the kids. A delightfully short read and a very good plot. Another win for J D Robb.