Eve Dallas is called to a crime scene in the West Village studio where a young sculptor, Ariel Byrd lies dead. The 911 call is traced back to Gwen Huffman from the Upper Side, a wealthy woman with a fiancé. However, Eve finds gaps in the answers and has too many questions. It’s time to dig deep and find out exactly what happened. Turns out, this is a case of greater conspiracy and a fanatical group! 

The book comes in omnipresent third-person POV. 

I read the earlier books in the series some years ago (thanks to the library). Of course, even then, I didn’t follow the order but read them based on what appealed to me at that time. Though there have been many developments afterward, I knew the basics and could follow this one easily despite the large cast. 

The publisher made three random books available as 'read now' on NetGalley, so I grabbed what was the latest one among the given selection. Guess they wanted to create some interest in this based on the current events. After all, the book has the Natural Order cult and all the dangerous nonsense that comes with it. 

The book is filled with mystery, action, and quick developments. Though it has 400+ pages and can be on the slower side, there isn’t a single moment when you feel bored. The momentum sustains throughout and increases in the last quarter. At the same time, there’s space for personal relationships and other developments a series requires. 

I’ve admired Eve since the first time I read the series, and it hasn’t changed. There have been many such badass woman cops in the last few years, but, Eve remains at the top of the list. Only she makes that attitude work! 

Roarke doesn’t have a lot to do, but he shines whenever he is in the scene. Either by being a silent pillar of strength or getting things done to help Eve with the case. Yeah, another favorite guy! 

The climax may be a little less on the action part but I like how it has been planned. Instead of slippery high-volatile action scenes, we have more focus on planning. Naturally, a solid plan results in a glitch-free execution. 

Strategic planning, tactical approach, and a competent workforce are key to success. I know this sounds like a statement from a business blog, but the same theory applies here. When you spend enough time to plan something and know how to execute it, not much can go wrong. There’s no unwanted clumsiness either, so everything is efficient and perfect. Just the way I like it! 

To summarize, Faithless in Death is a slow-paced yet gripping police procedural that starts with a simple murder and spirals into a bringing down fanatic cult committing all possible crimes. If you enjoy the series, I’m sure you’ll love this book too! 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley