by J.D. Robb
Part of In Death, book 22
First published 2006
Lieutenant Eve Dallas handles the bizarre case of a holiday reveler in a Santa suit who plummeted thirty-seven stories to the sidewalk below. Back at the station, her past crashes into her present when Trudy Lombard appears. This twisted woman tormented Eve during her vulnerable years in foster care. Trudy claims she simply wants to check on Eve, but her real agenda emerges when she visits Roarke's office demanding hush money to keep Eve's traumatic childhood secrets buried. Roarke throws her out and warns her to leave New York immediately. Days later, Trudy turns up dead in her hotel room, beaten and bloodied. Eve must investigate the murder of the woman who once victimized her. She discovers Trudy left many damaged lives in her wake. Eve and Roarke follow a twisted trail of suspects, each with their own reasons for wanting Trudy silenced forever. The case forces Eve to confront her deepest wounds while seeking justice for Trudy's grieving son.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: New York
Period: contemporary
375 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley Books
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse