Multiple murders are wrapped up for Christmas

The cold, raw winds lately really put me in the mood when I read “Festive in Death” by J.D. Robb.

It is only days before Christmas when Lt. Eve Dallas is called to the scene of a murder. The victim was Trey Ziegler, a very successful personal trainer. He died from damage done by two blows to the head with one of his trophies. Additionally, a large knife is stuck in his chest holding a sign saying “Santa says you’ve been very bad. Ho Ho Ho.” It doesn’t take Dallas long to learn that Ziegler may have been a great trainer, but a total jerk otherwise.

His “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude toward women made him a long list of female enemies. Men disliked him because of his arrogance and ultra-competitive behavior. Dallas and Detective Peabody tackle the long list of people who knew Trey Ziegler, hoping to find a way to connect the dots and identify the killer before Christmas.

Christmas and all its frenzied gift buying and decorating are still completely foreign to Dallas. Her childhood held no happy holiday memories. Even her various foster homes fell short in teaching her Christmas cheer. Her dearly loved husband, Roarke, takes great pleasure in giving gifts and holding fabulous parties. So as much as she tries to avoid it, Eve is honor bound to find “the perfect gift” for those closest to her. Being Eve, she manages to put off shopping until the last minute.

Luckily, she has a good relationship with a former street urchin/criminal named Tiko. He’s now legit and has connections with a couple who soon have Eve loaded with just what she needs, but she still has to wrap them. That‘s when she makes a deal with Summerset, the butler. He’ll wrap them if Eve will help with preparations for the big Christmas party.

Putting that out of her mind, Eve returns to the case. They have learned that Ziegler was offering in-home massages that include his special herbal tea, incense and sex. Each session earns him a fat fee plus a little extra to keep him quiet. Analysis of the tea and incense proves that the women were being drugged.

Eventually Eve narrows the list to J.J. Copely and Natasha Quigley and her sister Martella and husband Lance Shubert. Ziegler had drugged and blackmailed Martella, but Natasha had slept with him willingly and often. A little more digging reveals that J.J. Copely has been siphoning money from his wife’s company and has been keeping a young dancer in a luxury apartment. Did Ziegler try to blackmail Copely, too?

Eve hates to do it but supervises some of the party prep, submits to Trina’s beauty and dress up for the party. The party is a big success and even fun, but after a few hours rest they are on the job. Then Eve gets a report that Natasha made a 911 call that J.J. was attacking her.

They find J.J. Copely fuming, the Shubert’s social secretary Catiana DuBois at the base of the fireplace and Natasha Quigley with a serious head wound. The call is enough for Eve to arrest J.J. for both murders. While Natasha undergoes surgery, Eve blasts Copely with “proof” that he killed Ziegler and Catiana and tried to kill his wife. Copely insists that he’s innocent on all accounts.
By the next morning, Eve has figured out what has nagged her from the start and confronts Natasha. By the time she is finished, she spells out how and why Natasha killed Ziegler, Catiana and nearly killed herself trying to frame J.J. Closing the case can’t bring back the dead, but it should give their families some closure and Eve’s team a chance for a pleasant Christmas.

AT A GLANCE
BOOK:
“Festive in Death”
AUTHOR: J.D. Robb
PUBLISHER: Berkley
PUBLISHED: Sept. 9, 2014
PAGES: 390

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