Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Suspense
The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wine glasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don't add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body--but why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?
As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within--and soon they're getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.
As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within--and soon they're getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group and a stunning criminal conspiracy.
J.D. Robb's Faithless in Death is the 52nd installment in the author's In Death Series. This series features Lt. Eve Dallas of the NYSPD Homicide Division, her partner, Detective Delilah Peabody, and her husband, Roarke. The novel opens with a seemingly straightforward murder: Ariel Byrd, a talented young sculptor, is found dead in her West Village studio, bludgeoned with one of her own mallets. Eve Dallas, the tenacious homicide lieutenant of the New York Police and Security Department, is called to the scene.
Initial evidence points to a crime of passion, possibly linked to Ariel’s romantic entanglements. However, as Eve and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, dig deeper, they uncover connections to the Natural Order, a secretive and authoritarian organization with cult-like tendencies. What begins as a single homicide investigation balloons into a sprawling case involving abduction, brainwashing, and systemic abuse, forcing Eve to confront not only the perpetrators but also the moral weight of dismantling a dangerous ideology.
To maintain suspense, the plot unfolds with Robb’s trademark precision, layering clues, red herrings, and revelations. The investigation takes Eve and her team from gritty crime scenes to high-society enclaves, exposing the sinister underbelly of a group that preys on vulnerability under the guise of salvation. Interwoven with the case are personal stakes for Eve, whose own history of trauma resonates with the victims’ plight, adding emotional heft to her relentless pursuit of justice.
With nuance, Robb tackles weighty themes—religious fanaticism, abuse of power, and the manipulation of belief systems. The Natural Order, with its rigid hierarchies and extremist ideology, serves as a chilling allegory for real-world cults and authoritarian groups. The novel explores how such organizations exploit vulnerability, particularly among women and marginalized groups, without veering into caricature. Eve’s personal connection to the victims, rooted in her own history of surviving abuse, adds a layer of poignancy, making her fight feel deeply personal.
While chilling, the cult’s inner workings occasionally lean on familiar tropes (e.g., charismatic leader, brainwashed followers), which slightly dilute their impact. While satisfying, the resolution of the Natural Order storyline wraps up a bit too tidily. The dismantling of such a sprawling organization feels streamlined, with some loose ends glossed over in favor of a clean close. This is a minor quibble, as the emotional payoff remains strong, but more ambiguity could have heightened the realism.
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