Judgment in Death

Written under the pen name J.D. Robb, this futuristic mysteryDset in New York City, year 2059Dshowcases veteran writer Nora Roberts's skills at their best. It's as tough, smart, sassy and successful as its heroine, police lieutenant Eve Dallas. The story opens in the upscale nightclub Purgatory, where Dallas discovers the brutally slain body of a fellow officer; another cop is murdered soon thereafter. Both men, it appears, were on the take, and both were connected to elusive criminal Max Ricker. Dallas's investigation, which exposes crime and police corruption, puts both her reputation and life in danger. To make matters worse, Purgatory is owned by her own millionaire husband, RoarkeDa business associate of Ricker's before turning legitimateDand the overlap of professional and personal lives adds extra fireworks to an already tempestuous marriage. Robb's plotting is precise and fast paced, creating a satisfying mystery full of lively, credible twists. Secondary charactersDa troubled female police captain, an Internal Affairs cop with a leftover crush on DallasDare as well-drawn as Dallas herself, a tough but endearing 21st-century woman. Sexy, surprising and often funny power struggles between Dallas and Roarke are the tasty icing on this extremely well-made fictional ""cake,"" which is just the right confection for lazy late-summer reading. (Sept.)