Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of Spoilers*

The summer of 2059 is turning out to be quite the scorcher and as Lieutenant Eve Dallas can attest to the heat makes people do crazy things.  Cop central is hopping with an increase in assaults, robberies and just about every other crime.  So Eve really wasn’t surprised when Louie Cogburn beat his neighbor to death with a baseball bat and even turned on the off-duty police officer who responded to a plea for help from the victim’s girlfriend, who was also being attacked by Cogburn.

What did surprise her was that when the officer used his police issued laser on Cogburn it killed him even though it was on low stun and at a distance, which shouldn’t be possible.  And the officer in the hot seat is none other than Troy Trueheart, a police officer Eve had gotten moved into his current role.  She feels personally responsible for Trueheart being in the position of having to defend his actions and his badge.

And stranger still is the message that was up on Cogburn’s computer screen:  “ABSOLUTE PURITY ACHIEVED”.  Beings as Cogburn is a known drug dealer, Eve assumes it’s a new drug, but she can’t find any information to substantiate the theory.

When one of the electronic detectives starts working on the unit and snaps and zaps fellow co-worker, Ian McNab, with his police issued weapon and then takes Captain Feeney hostage Eve takes notice.  And when the detective dies just as quickly as Cogburn when he was injected with a tranquilizer Eve’s suspicions are solidified; the computer is infected with a virus that is somehow infecting the computer operator.

It turns out the virus was created by a terrorist group, the purity seekers, trying to knock off despicable people that prey on children that the justice system has failed to punish.  But how long before they start taking out innocents that they feel are guilty?

When I read the blurb of this book, I thought it would probably be a little too futuristic for me, like the virtual reality deaths in Rapture in Death (Book #4), but I was pleasantly surprised with this installment.  Yes, it seems a little far-fetched that you could pick up a virus from your computer, but in another 46 years will it really seem that fat-fetched?

I really enjoyed delving more into Peabody and McNab’s relationship.  Seeing how they handle McNab’s injury and the possibility of him being paralyzed permanently.  And then we get to see McNab’s worried and concerned side when Peabody is hurt in the line of duty.  I’m glad to report that both come through their injuries with flying colors.

And Jamie from Ceremony in Death (Book #5) is back to help the e-detectives and the civilian consultant try to pin down all they can about the virus and figure out a way to stop it.  I really enjoyed him and he definitely brought out Roarke’s parental side:)  It’s nice that Robb (aka Nora Roberts) brought back a character that I actually remember!

Then we have Mavis’s news that she’s pregnant.  I was wondering when someone would wind up knocked up in the series, but she was the last one I expected it from.  It should be interesting to say the least.

Overall I did really enjoy this installment.  It was interesting and original and had Robb’s usual light humor as well.

“You tell Roarke you were tagging me for this? Or is he going to get riled up so I have to kick his ass again?”

“Oh, is that what you were doing when you had to be carried out of the room unconscious?”

“I like to remember it that I was just getting my second wind.”

I can’t wait to see how the storylines started in this installment progress in later books.