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*Beware of Spoilers*

Survivor in Death is the 20th installment of J.D. Robb’s (aka Nora Roberts) futuristic In Death series.  In this book, a young girl, Nixie, was having a sleepover at her house.  She decides to sneak down to the kitchen for an Orange Fizzy, which was against her mom’s rules.  Her friend didn’t want to go with her, so she went by herself.  While down there she saw someone sneak in and go into the maid’s room and slit her throat.  Then, the man went upstairs and met another man and together they killed the rest of Nixie’s family and her friend, who they thought was her.  When Dallas arrived on scene she found a frightened Nixie hiding in her parents’ bathroom.

After Nixie takes a liking to Eve, and fights the social worker that comes to take her, Eve decides to take her home with her where the security is the best they can get and Summerset can look over her until they can find the killers and make Nixie safe again as it’s only a matter of time before they realize they killed the wrong girl.  In the meantime, Eve and Roarke have to find a way to deal with having a child in the house, especially when every time they look at her they are reminded of their horrible childhoods and are even more bent on protecting Nixie and keeping her from having the fate that they had at the hands of their own parents.  Nixie really gave Roarke and Eve a lot to think about, their past and future and just what kind of parents they could be….or not be.

“He stepped to her again, laid his lips on her brow. “But I want children with you, my lovely Eve. One day.”

“One day being far, far in the future. Like, I don’t know, say a decade when…Hold on. Children is plural.”

He eased back, grinned. “Why, so it is–nothing slips by my canny cop.”

“You really think if I ever actually let you plant something in me–they’re like aliens in there, growing little hands and feet.” She shuddered. “Creepy. If I ever did that, popped a kid out–which I think is probably as pleasant a process as having your eyeballs pierced by burning, poisonous sticks, I’d say, ‘Whoopee, let’s do this again?’ Have you recently suffered head trauma?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Could be coming. Any second.”

I really enjoyed this book beginning to end.  The storyline was interesting and engaging and I was never bored.  You couldn’t help, but feel for the child that saw her entire family being murdered, not to mention the friend that died in her place.  I did expect Roarke and Eve to take her in though or at least Summerset as she was a constant reminder of the daughter he lost.

There was plenty of light humor in this book that kept me chuckling with little comments throughout.

“Every minute with you, Darling Eve, is a minute to treasure.”

She slid a glance toward him as she uncoded the seal. “You really do want sex.”

“I’m still breathing, so that would be yes.”

Eve and Roarke are definitely at their best.  We get to see more Peabody and McNab, but they are pretty well in the background in this one, but the storyline is interesting enough that the book doesn’t suffer from it.

This was another straightforward enjoyable read in the series and I can’t wait for the next, Origin in Death, which I hope to start soon!