Eve's case involves a young woman, whose body was found lying on a bench in a playground, carefully dressed in vintage clothing from fifty years earlier with a note in a child's writing saying 'Bad Mommy'. Two other young women of similar appearance to the victim are also missing, snatched off the street in a similar way to the victim and Eve is concerned that the killer may kill again if she can't find him first. This was a hard one to put down because it involved young children at risk and I needed to reach the outcome. The police procedurals were outstanding, requiring the aid of so many teams within the NYPSD working together with absolute precision for a common goal. That meant seeing so many of the characters I’ve come to love having substantive roles in the story. I keep thinking that one day this series will become stale after so many books but it isn’t letting up. This one will remain forever memorable for the subject and emotional toll it took on everyone involved. The possibility of that academy in real life terrifies me. Mira will be brought in and there will be a mention of her gatekeeper/admin somehow. Mira will always have a few minutes to talk Eve through a case.

The prose is well-written and engaging. This time Eve’s passion for justice and those that need help pushes the story beyond finding a single murderer, to taking down those that prey on children. The plot is thought-provoking and tragic. While this book has some action, it is mostly a police procedural. The action is concentrated at the beginning and the ending. It is appalling in places and uplifting in others. There may have been others but sometimes in the audio the detail slips by. I don’t mention Sebastian since he made his appearance in an earlier book. You'd think by book number 54 that J.D. Robb would be running out of fresh, new plots but not so. This one is just as intriguing and gripping as the rest of the series.

Robb manages to embed humor in her novels, providing some much needed levity to offset some of the more serious and grim aspects of the story. She brings strong characters, great plots, wonderful relationships, and excellent pacing to this series. Themes include murder, justice, and family dynamics, as well as standing up for the innocent and the dead. Don’t expect a lot of the extra-special fluffy BFF-stuff this go-round. The story is devoted mostly to police procedures and solving this intensely emotional and tragic case. The main plot was the focus and always in the forefront brimming with suspense and impossible to put down. Even though the romance was minimal as well, rest assured that Roarke is always there to heat up a room.

books in and J.D. Robb can still keep (most of) her audience interested - it's hard to believe, really. Of course Roarke and the gang are great, always there to help Eve and I find the books that they (Mavis, Dr. Mira, etc., you know who I mean) are to the forefront of, claim my attention more than the books that they are absent in 🤷‍♀️ - I cannot wait to 'see' the house of Mavis and Co., when it is renovated.

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Was Nora putting together a homage to some of the 19th century authors? Oscar Wilde for Dorian, Bram Stoker for Mina? Robb details the abuse that the girls experience from the very beginning, so when one of them turns up dead, I feel like readers can connect more with the victim. I think this may disturb some readers due to the subject matter, but the details are glossed over. But I did just want to give a warming just to be safe.