Echoes in Death

Bestseller Robb (aka Nora Roberts) is not only prolific but consistently inventive, entertaining, and clever in her crime series set in a near-future New York City, as shown by the stunning 44th entry (after 2016’s Apprentice in Death). One cold winter night, Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, encounter a naked, dazed, and bruised young woman wandering a Manhattan street. They take her to a hospital, where they learn that the victim has been raped; a fingerprint analysis identifies her as Daphne Strazza, the wife of prominent surgeon Anthony Strazza. When Eve and Roarke enter the Strazzas’ elegant townhome, they find Anthony slain in the bedroom. Eve soon learns of two similar cases, and she and her police team—aided by Roarke, the owner and CEO of Roarke Industries, and psychiatrist Charlotte Mira—begin a laborious process of finding commonalities that identify a pool of suspects and more potential victims while creating a profile of the perpetrator. When the attacker strikes again, Eve redoubles her efforts. Just when Eve appears to have everything sewn up, Robb delivers a final, devastating twist. 750,000 first printing. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Feb.)