After the novella interlude, Eve Dallas is back in Conspiracy in Death, book eight in the In Death series by J. D. Robb. In many ways, it feels like the novella and its exploration of Eve's growing humanity gave Ms. Robb the license to start making Eve's trials more emotional and almost traumatic. I say this because what Eve faces in Conspiracy in Death is brutal and something she could not have endured without breaking down in the first few books. 

The murder mystery is complex and creative, but it is Eve's potential loss of job where the heart of Conspiracy in Death lies. Almost all of Eve's identity is with her badge, and to have that taken away from her is like taking away her soul. One cannot exist without the other, and the old Eve wouldn't have been able to. Once again, Ms. Robb highlights the growth of her character without banging readers over the head with it. The subtlety used in this part of the story is masterful. 

Conspiracy in Death is the first novel in the series where Ms. Robb uses the murders to explore Eve's emotional state more fully. Through the threat of job loss, Eve cannot hide behind the badge but must find the fortitude to become someone without it. As I said earlier, it is a scenario Eve would not have been able to handle in the first few books. In upping the ante for Eve, Ms. Robb made Conspiracy in Death richer and more fulfilling.