Judgment in Death by J. D. Robb is the eleventh book in the In Death, and boy does it leave a lot to unpack. The biggest topic to discuss is the theme of police corruption. When you think that Ms. Robb released this novel in 2000, it speaks volumes that police corruption remains a hot-button issue twenty-three years later. I love that Eve is such a hardliner, not afraid to expose the rot in her beloved police department because it gives a bad name to a career she cherishes. 

Judgment in Death contains one of the goriest scenes in the series and probably one of the worst scenes I've read. Again, it is a stark reminder that when Nora Roberts dons her J. D. Robb writer's hat, she is not afraid to take her characters to places few will travel and expose them to scenes authors typically don't like to show.

One of the things I loved about Judgment in Death is that we learn more about Roarke's past. More importantly, we get a glimpse of the behavior that gave him such a lasting reputation. We learn more about who Roarke used to be and can finally understand why he has no desire to revisit those days. 

Judgment in Death provides a much-needed step forward for Eve and Roarke's marriage. I always love when they butt heads over her work, but this was the first time where I didn't find it amusing at all. Roarke is so good for Eve, but I am not certain he was right this time. Their disharmony is unsettling as much for the readers as it is for them. 

As always, Susan Erickson's performance is stellar. At this point, I can't picture any actor as these characters because I know their voices will not match any as performed by Ms. Erickson. I look forward to her narration as much as I do to the story itself.