From Publishers Weekly
"A sick computer can and does infect other computers, but not its operator," claims Roarke, dreamboat husband of New York's hotshot futuristic cop, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, in the 15th installment in Robb's `Death' series (after Reunion in Death). Roarke's theory is put to the test when pedophiles and drug dealers begin dying from a computer-generated virus that literally blows the mind of its victims. It doesn't take long for Eve to figure out that a vigilante terrorist organization with superior tech knowledge is meting out its own form of justice the group even leaves the message "absolute purity achieved" on victims' computer screens. Pinpointing the group is more of a challenge. Suspects could be anyone from members of the justice system to formerly abused children, the latter of which strikes a personal and painful nerve in Eve, who was abused as a child. Readers familiar with Eve's history and the sea of characters brought over from her previous books will be more comfortable than first- timers attempting to wade through this sluggish installment. Despite Robb's smooth-as-glass prose, her latest isn't likely to win new converts to the series.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Crossing the boundary between literal and virtual reality is the basis for PURITY IN DEATH. In a convincing narrative, a computer virus attacks a target victim's central nervous system, bringing certain excruciating death. The story is a suspenseful delight for the listener who is fascinated by the exploits of serial killers. Susan Ericksen is flawless as the articulate, hard-driving Detective Eve Dallas. Ericksen's crisp enunciation and beautifully paced reading style convey the nuance of interior thought as well as the death cries of the afflicted victims. The book is awash in blood and flashy techno-jargon, which Ericksen handles with skill and energy. M.D.H. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Nora Roberts (writing as J. D. Robb) delivers the 15th installment in her continuing In Death series, featuring no-nonsense homicide detective Eve Dallas. As with each of these novels, Purity in Death offers a story line that is fresh and compelling but never loses touch with the core components that have made the series such a success: love, loyalty, and justice.

Purity in Death finds our heroine on an assignment that leaves her even more tormented by the past. When a deadly computer virus is unleashed on society's undesirables (namely, child abusers), it's up to Eve -- along with her astonishingly handsome husband, Roarke; her feisty aide, Peabody; e-geek McNab; and her mentor, Captain Feeny -- to discover the origins of the virus and shut down the clandestine vigilante group that created it before the next target is marked for execution.

Eve's task is complicated further as she grapples with her demons (as a child-abuse victim, it was a matter of survival that led Eve to kill her father) and squares off with Roarke, who does not regard the group's intentions as inherently bad. Once again, she must muddle through those gray areas of right and wrong as she seeks to "stand for the dead," and answer the question of whether the group is justified in its actions, or whether they simply represent a new breed of terrorist.

A quick, thrilling, and captivating read, this novel will leave fans pining with anticipation for No. 16. Tanya Chesterfield

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Eve Dallas must face the impossible: someone has unleashed a computer virus that may be able to spread from machine to man.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

"A sick computer can and does infect other computers, but not its operator," claims Roarke, dreamboat husband of New York's hotshot futuristic cop, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, in the 15th installment in Robb's `Death' series (after Reunion in Death). Roarke's theory is put to the test when pedophiles and drug dealers begin dying from a computer-generated virus that literally blows the mind of its victims. It doesn't take long for Eve to figure out that a vigilante terrorist organization with superior tech knowledge is meting out its own form of justice the group even leaves the message "absolute purity achieved" on victims' computer screens. Pinpointing the group is more of a challenge. Suspects could be anyone from members of the justice system to formerly abused children, the latter of which strikes a personal and painful nerve in Eve, who was abused as a child. Readers familiar with Eve's history and the sea of characters brought over from her previous books will be more comfortable than first- timers attempting to wade through this sluggish installment. Despite Robb's smooth-as-glass prose, her latest isn't likely to win new converts to the series. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile