No sooner than the Icove case wraps and thanksgiving with family passes than Eve’s family of a sort arrive in time for Christmas. Regrettably her former foster mother’s convinced Eve’s capability and wealth are a result of their time together and recognition in coin to her would be proper but Roarke and Eve don’t buy it. This isn’t a fuzzy feeling reunion and there’s nothing wrong with Eve’s memory.
With the holiday festivities going full blast, Eve needs closure and she and Roarke plan to ensure their messages were received loudly and clearly. When they arrive at the hotel Eve’s first on scene to discover the unfortunate woman in a congealed pool of her own blood. Eve had a clear memory of a kindness the victim’s son extended as she approached the family left behind.
As Christmas descends, flimsy evidence and niggling suspicion both mount for our brilliant detective as she closes in on a suspect. Once intrepid Eve caught a whiff of motive and method this dangerous villain’s days of freedom were numbered despite being daring, provocative, elusive and quite clever as the elaborate plan unfolded. .
The team was in cameo mode doing what they do best with a nod to their own holiday plans but their bits were fitting for this personal story. While most of the character pieces showed Roarke and Eve’s intimate, multi-faceted relationship helping Peabody and MacNab personally and clearing the air personally and professionally with Charlotte further mellowed Eve’s curmudgeonly persona.
While this reader is not a fan of every case connecting to or flashbacking to Eve’s traumatic childhood, for this outing it was definitely apropos but markedly restrained. Flawed Eve is very good at being herself but this installment certainly left readers a new and somehow improved, socially awkward, whole yet very flawed Eve to go forward with.
Rating: 4.5stars
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