Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Press (2022), Edition: First Edition, 368 pages
Description
The woman's body was found in the early morning, on a bench in a New York City playground. She was clean, her hair neatly arranged, her makeup carefully applied. But other things were very wrong, like the tattoo and piercings, clearly new. The fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon around her neck. And the note: Bad Mommy, written in crayon as if by a child. Eve Dallas turns to the department's top profiler, who confirms what Eve believes: They're dealing with a killer whose childhood involved some sort of trauma. Yet the clues suggest a perpetrator who'd be 60 years old, and there are no records of old crimes with a similar MO. What was the trigger that sent someone over the edge? When Eve discovers that other young women, who physically resemble the first victim, have vanished, the clock starts ticking louder. But to solve this case she will need to find her way into a hidden place of dim light and concrete, into the distant past, and into the cold depths of a shattered mind.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member BarbaraRogers
At fifty-four books, you’d think this series would tend to become repetitive and stale – but it doesn’t. This latest addition to the series is just as interesting as the first. I love how far all of the characters have grown – especially Eve – and I love how the author manages to add new
In the early morning hours, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the scene of a murder. The victim is twenty-six-year-old Lauren Elder. Lauren is lovely, well-liked at work, and well-loved by friends and family. Who could have done this to Lauren? Who would meticulously dress and stage Lauren’s body and then leave her in a children’s playground with a crayon sign saying ‘Bad Mommy’? Lauren had been reported missing ten days ago – where had she been all of that time?
As the team discovers more clues and discovers more missing young women who fit the same description as Lauren, they know it is only a matter of time before they find another body – if they don’t discover the killer first. Eve calls all-hands-on-deck and mounts a massive search in the area they have identified as the killer’s hunting grounds. Then, the body of Anna Hobe – one of their missing – is found at yet another children’s area. Her body has also been cleaned, styled, dressed, and includes a crayoned sign saying, ‘Bad Mommy’.
Twenty-five-year-old Mary Kate Covino is still missing and Eve knows MK’s time is running out. Can they find her alive before they discover her staged body in another children’s area? They are close – so very close – but are they close enough to apprehend the murderer and save MK?
To learn the history of the murderer, the author intersperses the current timeline (NOW) with past events (BEFORE) – so you’ll know the traumatic events in her/his life. The murderer’s identity will surprise you, but there are hints.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book and this series. Most of my favorite characters made an appearance and we got to see a bit more of Feeney’s godson, Jamie Lingstrom and I enjoyed getting to know him better. I’m sure he’ll make significant contributions in future books. The only thing missing was a scene where Roarke bought the bar Eve wanted him to purchase – perhaps that will be mentioned in the next book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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characters without forgetting older, more established characters. Tracking down the culprit in this book is certainly not an easy task because he/she is very intelligent, cunning, sly, and seems to know how to bypass and elude the NYPSD at every turn.In the early morning hours, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the scene of a murder. The victim is twenty-six-year-old Lauren Elder. Lauren is lovely, well-liked at work, and well-loved by friends and family. Who could have done this to Lauren? Who would meticulously dress and stage Lauren’s body and then leave her in a children’s playground with a crayon sign saying ‘Bad Mommy’? Lauren had been reported missing ten days ago – where had she been all of that time?
As the team discovers more clues and discovers more missing young women who fit the same description as Lauren, they know it is only a matter of time before they find another body – if they don’t discover the killer first. Eve calls all-hands-on-deck and mounts a massive search in the area they have identified as the killer’s hunting grounds. Then, the body of Anna Hobe – one of their missing – is found at yet another children’s area. Her body has also been cleaned, styled, dressed, and includes a crayoned sign saying, ‘Bad Mommy’.
Twenty-five-year-old Mary Kate Covino is still missing and Eve knows MK’s time is running out. Can they find her alive before they discover her staged body in another children’s area? They are close – so very close – but are they close enough to apprehend the murderer and save MK?
To learn the history of the murderer, the author intersperses the current timeline (NOW) with past events (BEFORE) – so you’ll know the traumatic events in her/his life. The murderer’s identity will surprise you, but there are hints.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book and this series. Most of my favorite characters made an appearance and we got to see a bit more of Feeney’s godson, Jamie Lingstrom and I enjoyed getting to know him better. I’m sure he’ll make significant contributions in future books. The only thing missing was a scene where Roarke bought the bar Eve wanted him to purchase – perhaps that will be mentioned in the next book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This episode of the Eve Dallas In Death series pits Eve against a person who is kidnapping young women, murdering them and leaving them posed with a sign saying BAD MOMMY. The rush is on to identify and track down the killer before victim number three is found dead.
The flashbacks outline the
This episode is definitely a police procedural with the investigating and gradually discovering information about the killer. It still leaves plenty of time for Eve and Roarke moments. Eve is in fine form with her misuse of idioms and snarky attitudes. It also illuminates the fact that both Eve and Roarke survived BAD MOMMYs without turning into psychopaths.
I loved Eve's interactions with her friends in this episode. She has built herself quite a support network since this series began fifty-four episodes ago.
The mystery was engaging and twisty and kept me reading long past my bedtime.
The flashbacks outline the
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motives of the killer and the switch to victim number three's viewpoint shows what she is dealing with. This episode is definitely a police procedural with the investigating and gradually discovering information about the killer. It still leaves plenty of time for Eve and Roarke moments. Eve is in fine form with her misuse of idioms and snarky attitudes. It also illuminates the fact that both Eve and Roarke survived BAD MOMMYs without turning into psychopaths.
I loved Eve's interactions with her friends in this episode. She has built herself quite a support network since this series began fifty-four episodes ago.
The mystery was engaging and twisty and kept me reading long past my bedtime.
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LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
When a dead woman is left on a playground by Mavis' house with a sign that says Bad Mommy dressed in clothes from previous decades and two other women are missing with the same general look, Dallas is on the case.
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
An enjoyable installment in Roberts' In Death series. An excellent procedural that hooks in most of the usual characters that Roberts includes in the series. The killer is known in a way -- through the choices he makes but the actual identification of the killer is a twist and very much tied to
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police procedural steps and also to Eve's intuition, hard work and detail orientation. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisCarey
A young woman is found dead in a New York City children's playground. She's dressed in a style decades out of date, and has brand-new piercings and a new tattoo.
Hidden by a ribbon around her neck is a knife slash through her throat, the cause of death.
As Eve Dallas and her team search for clues,
With the evidence they do have, Dr. Mira constructs a profile of a man who experienced a childhood trauma. As they search for similar crimes, they're finding nothing. Whoever their killer is, he's apparently only just started. And as they look for people who were in the area when the women vanished, they find they are seemingly looking for a man in his sixties.
What has happened to trigger the kidnappings and killings (they find a second body, also near a children's play area), so many years after the apparent origin of the underlying grievance against "Bad Mommy"? To find the answer, Dallas and her team have to piece together the identity of a woman who disappeared decades ago, and a child taken into the foster care system, and a very confusing, complicated family history.
The backstory is in Tennessee and Louisiana. The investigation is closer to home, and not only the reader, but Dallas, is forced to regard Chief Tech Dick Berenski as a real person. Meanwhile, in addition to playing major roles in the investigation, Detectives Delia Peabody and Ian McNabb are also renovating a large house along with Mavis Freestone and Leonardo, in which each couple will have their own spaces, but also a lot of common space.
The characters continue to grow and develop, and the stories remain fresh. Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
Hidden by a ribbon around her neck is a knife slash through her throat, the cause of death.
As Eve Dallas and her team search for clues,
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they also discover that at least two other women, of roughly the same age and physical appearance are also missing.With the evidence they do have, Dr. Mira constructs a profile of a man who experienced a childhood trauma. As they search for similar crimes, they're finding nothing. Whoever their killer is, he's apparently only just started. And as they look for people who were in the area when the women vanished, they find they are seemingly looking for a man in his sixties.
What has happened to trigger the kidnappings and killings (they find a second body, also near a children's play area), so many years after the apparent origin of the underlying grievance against "Bad Mommy"? To find the answer, Dallas and her team have to piece together the identity of a woman who disappeared decades ago, and a child taken into the foster care system, and a very confusing, complicated family history.
The backstory is in Tennessee and Louisiana. The investigation is closer to home, and not only the reader, but Dallas, is forced to regard Chief Tech Dick Berenski as a real person. Meanwhile, in addition to playing major roles in the investigation, Detectives Delia Peabody and Ian McNabb are also renovating a large house along with Mavis Freestone and Leonardo, in which each couple will have their own spaces, but also a lot of common space.
The characters continue to grow and develop, and the stories remain fresh. Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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LibraryThing member jfe16
The discovery of a young woman’s body, found on a bench in a children’s playground, throws New York Police and Security Department homicide detective Eve Dallas into kidnapping cases in which the victims bear a similarity to the dead woman.
As the frantic search for the young women continues,
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Although this book works well as a standalone, it is the fifty-fourth book in the In Death series. Well-defined characters, a twisty, compulsive plot, and a strong sense of place all work together to pull the reader into the telling of the tale from the outset. With the story firmly anchored in the near future New York City, the suspense builds as the search for two missing women held captive by the killer ramps up.
At the heart of the In Death stories are the characters. Nuanced, believable characters populate the narrative; readers are sure to feel like they are greeting old friends. It’s a fascinating tale that shines a light on the interactions between the characters.
All of the expected characters . . . old friends for readers of the series . . . are in place as Eve faces a new sort of dilemma as she comes to realize the identity of killer. As always, the case is intriguing and captivating; in this narrative, the mind of a psychopath is part of the “Now” story while the background is slowly revealed in the “Before” sections. The twists and turns keep readers guessing, but the identity of the killer is sure to surprise everyone.
Highly recommended.
As the frantic search for the young women continues,
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Eve fears that another death will occur. Can they find the answers, identify the killer, and save the abducted women? Or is it already too late? =========
Although this book works well as a standalone, it is the fifty-fourth book in the In Death series. Well-defined characters, a twisty, compulsive plot, and a strong sense of place all work together to pull the reader into the telling of the tale from the outset. With the story firmly anchored in the near future New York City, the suspense builds as the search for two missing women held captive by the killer ramps up.
At the heart of the In Death stories are the characters. Nuanced, believable characters populate the narrative; readers are sure to feel like they are greeting old friends. It’s a fascinating tale that shines a light on the interactions between the characters.
All of the expected characters . . . old friends for readers of the series . . . are in place as Eve faces a new sort of dilemma as she comes to realize the identity of killer. As always, the case is intriguing and captivating; in this narrative, the mind of a psychopath is part of the “Now” story while the background is slowly revealed in the “Before” sections. The twists and turns keep readers guessing, but the identity of the killer is sure to surprise everyone.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member AnnieMod
If you are 54 books into a series (and that counts only the novels; there are also at least 11 novellas) and you are still reading the new books as soon as they are out, you either like the series or you are paid to do it. As I am not paid to read anything (I wish...), I really don't need to
One morning a body is found on a bench, holding a scrawled message "Bad Mommy" - a woman who seems to have fallen off time and landed in the future - everything about her is old-fashioned - her clothes, her hair. Except she is not - until a few days earlier she was just a normal modern woman - before disappearing. The reader actually knows a lot more that Eve at that point because we get not only the chapters from the perspective of the killer but also parts of chapters showing the past which led him to the current state.
Before long the book turns into the usual cat and mouse game - Eve is sure there are other women being abducted and about to die so the team works non-stop to try to stop the killer. A few red herrings later and the killer ends up being a surprising one (it was about time for this kind of a twist in the series but it still was surprising).
The novel won't win any awards in any of its genres but it is a decent entry into the series. Not sure if it can work as a standalone (the author stopped doing heavy introductions of her characters awhile back so they can look almost cardboard-y without the backstory). And I tend to overlook and forgive things in long running series - the backstory carries a lot of weight.
Note on timing - Eve and Roarke are about to celebrate their 3rd anniversary - which means that the 54 novels fit in 3 years (2058-2061). As all of them are dated somewhere in the books, that is not hard to work out if one tries to but still... this series can continue forever with this speed. Not that I mind.
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mention that I like the series. One morning a body is found on a bench, holding a scrawled message "Bad Mommy" - a woman who seems to have fallen off time and landed in the future - everything about her is old-fashioned - her clothes, her hair. Except she is not - until a few days earlier she was just a normal modern woman - before disappearing. The reader actually knows a lot more that Eve at that point because we get not only the chapters from the perspective of the killer but also parts of chapters showing the past which led him to the current state.
Before long the book turns into the usual cat and mouse game - Eve is sure there are other women being abducted and about to die so the team works non-stop to try to stop the killer. A few red herrings later and the killer ends up being a surprising one (it was about time for this kind of a twist in the series but it still was surprising).
The novel won't win any awards in any of its genres but it is a decent entry into the series. Not sure if it can work as a standalone (the author stopped doing heavy introductions of her characters awhile back so they can look almost cardboard-y without the backstory). And I tend to overlook and forgive things in long running series - the backstory carries a lot of weight.
Note on timing - Eve and Roarke are about to celebrate their 3rd anniversary - which means that the 54 novels fit in 3 years (2058-2061). As all of them are dated somewhere in the books, that is not hard to work out if one tries to but still... this series can continue forever with this speed. Not that I mind.
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LibraryThing member jshillingford
I've been a fan of In Death for many years. I love the blend of character relationships with a nice mystery. Sadly, I felt that the last couple installments had very weak mysteries; read and done in a couple hours. Abandoned changes that, but at the expense of the relationships.
The book kickstarts
I enjoyed it, but hope the next one gets back to better balancing the relationships and the investigation.
The book kickstarts
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with a young addict abandoning her toddler before taking an overdose of pills. We then jump to The Body. The book focuses almost exclusively on the investigation from there on, mostly via Dallas & Peabody, with a lot of flashbacks to the killer's past or the pending victims. There are a few mentions of Mavis' new house, but there's very little interaction among all the principals. While I felt that lack keenly, the improved mystery was a welcome change and the killer was surprising.I enjoyed it, but hope the next one gets back to better balancing the relationships and the investigation.
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LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
There is a serial killer working that remakes his victims into what they label as a bad mommy. The clothes and makeup are dated so Eve and her team work with Mira to find someone that have the ultimate in mother issues. There is a lot of flashbacks in the book to tell the story of the original bad
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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mommy as the story progresses that flesh out what drove the killer to do it. A tight story as usual from JD Robb and I can’t wait for the next one. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member ftbooklover
Mary Kate Covino wakes up in shackles in a dark room, abducted by a man who half the time seems rational, meticulous, and devious. The other half the time, he is a spoiled, angry child who wants her to be his Mommy. Once Eve Dallas and her team find a dead woman in a local park in make up and
Abandoned in Death is another enjoyable entry in the In Death series. The procedural elements in this book are outstanding and make for a fascinating ride as the evidence and clues are introduced with exceptional pacing. Humor is injected at several points in the story that include some laugh out loud moments as Eve's down to earth style contrasts with those of almost everyone around her. The only downfall of this book is the lack of personal connection to the case, despite the story line involving Mavis and Leonardo's house. Overall, Abandoned in Death is not the best book in the series but still a solid entry.
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clothes not her own with a sign written in crayon that says, "bad mommy," it is determined that there are at least two other women being held against their will, one of whom is Mary Kate Covino, and the race is on - find the abductor before he kills again. All the while, Eve is being bombarded with details involving the house that Mavis and Leonardo are renovating along with Peabody and McNabb.Abandoned in Death is another enjoyable entry in the In Death series. The procedural elements in this book are outstanding and make for a fascinating ride as the evidence and clues are introduced with exceptional pacing. Humor is injected at several points in the story that include some laugh out loud moments as Eve's down to earth style contrasts with those of almost everyone around her. The only downfall of this book is the lack of personal connection to the case, despite the story line involving Mavis and Leonardo's house. Overall, Abandoned in Death is not the best book in the series but still a solid entry.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This episode of the Eve Dallas In Death series pits Eve against a person who is kidnapping young women, murdering them and leaving them posed with a sign saying BAD MOMMY. The rush is on to identify and track down the killer before victim number three is found dead.
The flashbacks outline the
This episode is definitely a police procedural with the investigating and gradually discovering information about the killer. It still leaves plenty of time for Eve and Roarke moments. Eve is in fine form with her misuse of idioms and snarky attitudes. It also illuminates the fact that both Eve and Roarke survived BAD MOMMYs without turning into psychopaths.
I loved Eve's interactions with her friends in this episode. She has built herself quite a support network since this series began fifty-four episodes ago.
The mystery was engaging and twisty and kept me reading long past my bedtime.
The flashbacks outline the
Show More
motives of the killer and the switch to victim number three's viewpoint shows what she is dealing with. This episode is definitely a police procedural with the investigating and gradually discovering information about the killer. It still leaves plenty of time for Eve and Roarke moments. Eve is in fine form with her misuse of idioms and snarky attitudes. It also illuminates the fact that both Eve and Roarke survived BAD MOMMYs without turning into psychopaths.
I loved Eve's interactions with her friends in this episode. She has built herself quite a support network since this series began fifty-four episodes ago.
The mystery was engaging and twisty and kept me reading long past my bedtime.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
Like another reviewer, I went back and forth on how to rate this book.
I was introduced to this series when I was in a book club. I've read other titles in this series, but I don't always read them in order. I don't think I did that with this one though because there weren't any spots where I knew
The last few in this series that I've read, Eve has fixated on a suspect early on. That was different than earlier books in the series where she had to work the case, follow the evidence until she found a suspect. This book returns to that earlier format.
There is a Past/Present divide within the narrative which isn't done too often in this series.
As usual for me, I didn't guess the suspect until the author revealed it. (Your experience may vary.) I tried to think back if anything foreshadowed who it was in the earlier scenes of the book. Nothing jumped out at me from that. (Again, your experience may vary.)
I was introduced to this series when I was in a book club. I've read other titles in this series, but I don't always read them in order. I don't think I did that with this one though because there weren't any spots where I knew
Show More
how something (minor) would turn out.The last few in this series that I've read, Eve has fixated on a suspect early on. That was different than earlier books in the series where she had to work the case, follow the evidence until she found a suspect. This book returns to that earlier format.
There is a Past/Present divide within the narrative which isn't done too often in this series.
As usual for me, I didn't guess the suspect until the author revealed it. (Your experience may vary.) I tried to think back if anything foreshadowed who it was in the earlier scenes of the book. Nothing jumped out at me from that. (Again, your experience may vary.)
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LibraryThing member JosephKing6602
Ok crime story…psycho wierdo story
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022-02-08
Physical description
368 p.; 9.6 inches
ISBN
125027821X / 9781250278210