Book Review: Origin in Death

Every now and then I try and break out of my reading mold. In general I tend to read mystery novels, and if I didn’t force myself, I’d never read anything but Dick Francis, Lawrence Sanders and Agatha Christie novels. Breaking out of this mold however has lead to my reading some wonderfully inspiring, and well written works. I’ve enjoyed JA Konrath’s series of books, George MacDonald Frasier, Vernor Vinge, and George RR Martin’s series. Then there are the stinkers. The books that having finished them I wish I had the time I invested back. Time that I could better spend doing something worthwhile like watching paint dry or following the pattern in the office carpeting. Some books that are in this category? Ellen Crosby’s first book . . . another? Neal Stephenson’s Anathem . . . yet another? Anything by James Patterson. No offense to Patterson fans, but BLAH!

Anyway, I just finished Origin in Death by J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts. Apparently Nora Roberts is the romance side of the authoress, while J.D. Robb (the pseudonym) is the mystery novelist; the futuristic mystery novelist to be precise.

The story for Origin in Death takes place in the near future, the 2050’s. Setting the story in future New York City allows the author the ability to throw in some interesting inventions and cut down on travel times via the use of “jet copters” and “glides,” but in general, and perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Origin in Death is like the twelve of thirteenth in the series, I felt Robb/Roberts did a rotten job of creating a believable setting. In terms of world building, something sci-fi authors tend to do well, J.D. Robb left a lot on the table.

The mystery and the characterization was well done however. This is something I’ve learned over the past few years. Character counts more than anything else. You can have a fabulous plot and story, but without compelling characters, the story aint going nowhere.

I don't know if I LIKED this passage, but I did read it twice. “But he didn’t ooze like evil fog out of the walls or woodwork. He always oozed like evil fog out of the walls or woodwork. She had a moment to be puzzled, then irritated, then mildly concerned he’d dropped dead during the day.”

Another passage that caught my eye, and what I felt was perhaps the most well written and succint line in the story: “It’s difficult to say with any accuracy. It was war. Personalities cope, or shine, or shatter during war.”

Finally, you have to give J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts serious props for how prolific she is. I looked her up on Wikidpedia to see how many books she has had published under her various pen names . . . I stopped counting at two hundred. That’s some serious dedication to writing.

So where does Origin in Death fit in my range of good book to waste of time book? Squarely in the middle. Not a complete waste of time, but definitely could have been better. (Lord knows it wasn’t as big a waste as Neil Stephenson’s Anathem. Truly, that tome may have skewed the curve for all future books.)