Festive in Death (In Death #39) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

Eve Dallas deals with a homicide—and the holiday season—in the latest from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Personal trainer Trey Ziegler was in peak physical condition. If you didn’t count the kitchen knife in his well-toned chest.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas soon discovers a lineup of women who’d been loved and left by the narcissistic gym rat. While Dallas sorts through the list of Ziegler’s enemies, she’s also dealing with her Christmas shopping list—plus the guest list for her and her billionaire husband’s upcoming holiday bash.

Feeling less than festive, Dallas tries to put aside her distaste for the victim and solve the mystery of his death. There are just a few investigating days left before Christmas, and as New Year’s 2061 approaches, this homicide cop is resolved to stop a cold-blooded killer.

Review:

I love a Christmas setting so I was excited to read this book. The fact that it was another relatively normal case with no world shattering outcomes was also welcome, however when things started to wrap up I felt dissatisfied. Eve really pushed the person she thought the murderer was and it never felt right. It didn’t feel right for her character or completely for the murder. The motive was there and the personality of the person fit, it just didn’t click. Thankfully things were settled by the end, but I started to worry.

Lots of visits from other characters and a few emotional moments, so the character development definitely outshone the mystery.

4/5