A review by anbananova
Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

5.0

it was a hard case and the last book in my rereading “in death” series journey. these last 2.5 months were wonderful, i’m going to miss the gang until the new releases. 

dennis mira is one of my favorite characters. he’s just so sweet and comforting. i was glad eve told him her story. 

💝

“Eve caught his smile, sly and sweet, when Mira laughed at that.
“No double vision, no dizziness or nausea,” he assured her. “Maybe a little headache.”
“If, after we get home and I give you a thorough exam—”
This time he turned around, wiggled his eyebrows, and grinned in a way that had Eve swallowing an embarrassed laugh of her own.
“Dennis.” Mira sighed, and cupping his face in her hands, kissed him so softly, so tenderly, that Eve had to look away.”

“You own this place?”
“No. Why don’t we go in, see if we want to.”
“I get to intimidate the doorman,” she said before they got out. “Do not bribe him.”
“And spoil your fun? What do you take me for?”

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”
“Why? They’re idle when you’re sleeping—does he set up shop then? Are we all supposed to stay awake using our hands so the devil doesn’t make stuff? What if you broke your hand? Is he doing his workshop thing while you’re waiting to have it fixed?”
Roarke contemplated the pale gold ceiling. “Such a simple, if moralistic, phrase now thoroughly destroyed.”

“Sex makes people crazy. Mean, vindictive, violent.”
“Promise?” he said and made her choke on her wine.
“Such a pervert.”

“We should add that as like an addendum to the banner the bullpen made. You know, ‘No matter your race, creed, blah blah, we protect and serve, because you could get dead.’ We should put one of those . . .”
She squiggled a shape with a finger in the air, making him smile because he understood her so easily. “Asterisk.”
“Yeah, that thing. And add: ‘Even if you’re an asshole.’”
“Past tense might be more applicable, being Homicide. ‘Even if you were an asshole.’”

“You weren’t there with them at the crime scene. It was . . . it’s the way they look at each other, and touch. A couple times I had to look away because it felt like I was intruding. They’ve been married for decades, but when you see them like that . . . like last night? You know why.”
She closed her eyes. “I want that. I never thought I did or could or would, but I want that. I want to be with you for decades and have you still look at me the way he looks at her.”
“You’re the love of my life. And always will be.”

“There’s a room upstairs that’d curl McNab’s hair.”
“S and M?” Feeney asked.
“Dolls. A zillion dolls.”
Feeney hissed through his teeth. “Sick fucks.”

“I’d have stopped surviving without what I let in, with him. Without what letting that in let me let in otherwise. I might have pulled you in, like maybe I’ll pull in Shelby, but we wouldn’t be partners. I wouldn’t have had the chops for it.”
She made the turn into the garage at Central.
“So I found that peace. Cases like this, they can shake it. Sometimes I can lose it, like water dripping through your fingers. But I know where to find it again, and with who. You’re part of that. Part of the where and the who.”
She pulled into her slot, glanced over. “Stop that!” she ordered as tears streamed silently down Peabody’s cheeks. “No blubbering. We’re in a cop-shop garage. There’s no blubbering in a cop shop—when you’re a cop.”

“Show the LT your socks, Reineke.”
“I don’t want to see—” She broke off when Reineke shot his foot out from behind his desk and showed off red socks shocked with blue lightning bolts.
She had a terrible flashback to Juju’s airboots.
“There is no merciful God,” Eve muttered.
“I gotta keep up with my partner,” Reineke claimed. “Figured I’d go for the footwear, and shoes cost too much to play with.”

“I’ll beat you to death with a hammer, then stomp what’s left into dust. I’ll torch the dust. Register this room and this equipment at this fucking time to Dallas, Lieutenant Eve.” She slapped her badge on its pad. “Scan it. Do it. Or I swear, you’ll be in the recycler in two minutes flat.”