Bonded in Death – J.D. Robb (Audio Narrator – Susan Ericksen)

I came late to the Eve Dallas books, at least to the desire to grab and read them as they come out. I think I read some early ones. Bonded in Death is a story of “The Twelve,” a group of European underground activists who ran important, dangerous missions during the Urban, a war that took place in the period we live in now,: Years from 2024 to 2026 get mentioned as we learn of this back story. It has the flavor of a group of anti-Nazi resistance groups, with the Twelve largely based in Britain but from, I think, four different countries. I won’t spoil things, although this might be referenced in a book I never read, but someone known to Dallas and Rourke had a connection to the group. So, there are personal ties that are interesting as well.

We know early on that the group of twelve people, each with a code name, were quite close to carrying out an exceptionally dangerous mission that would free compatriots. Then, just in time, and at a great loss to the group, they found out there was a traitor in their midst. There were deaths. Fast forward to 2061, the present. We learn that one member of the group, who comes from Italy, has been called to New York by another member who moved there. He receives a plane ticket and a note. Things are so secretive that he merely tells his beloved wife that he took an oath to always be there when this old friend needed him. We become emotionally connected to him, learning he is a lovely, gentle soul who worked in IT and now revels in his retirement with his extended family. His trip becomes the starting point for quite a thriller and a lesson in history about heroes and traitors and psychopaths.

I read the audio version of Bonded in Death. At first, I felt mixed about the narrator’s choice for Eve’s voice, but as I regained information about her character I came to admire it. All of the accents and other voices rang true to me from the start and I definitely think the narrator, Susan Ericksen, is excellent. I enjoyed the intrigue, the characters, the setting and the resolution; just terrific!