BETRAYAL IN DEATH is the twelfth book in the In Death Series. As the cover states, it deals with betrayal in many situations. Eve is at a party at one of Roarke's hotels when she is called to the murder of a chambermaid in the same hotel. The murder is brutal and was clearly done by a professional. It looks like the murder was done to hurt Roarke. Eve is determined to find the killer and protect her husband.Roarke is busy arranging with actress Magda Lane to hold an auction of her movie memorabilia to fund a foundation to assist young actors. The memorabilia could bring in around one billion credits. Eve is concerned about the security surrounding the auction but that is quickly overshadowed first by the chambermaid's death and then by the death of another of Roarke's employees who is also killed in a property Roarke owns.One of Roarke's old friends - long thought to be dead - arrives to visit Roarke too. Mick Connelly was one of the people that Roarke grew up with in Dublin. While Roarke has cleaned up his act, made a lot of money, and married Eve, Mick is still a very charming criminal. Eve worries about what he wants from Roarke. The hired killer's viewpoint is also given. He is a sociopath who lives for the finer things in life like opera, fine foods, clothing and wine. He is utterly creepy and terrifying. As Eve hunts for the him, she learns that the murders are part of a much larger plot.For the more personal part of the story, Roarke and Eve are still adjusting to each other in their marriage. While they are great with each other, they are coming from very different backgrounds and sometimes that takes adjustments from both of them. Mick is a focus that highlights their different reactions. Eve also deepens her friendship with Peabody as she attempts - despite her strong desire not to get involved - to act as a relationship counselor when Peabody and McNab have a falling out. I love this series. Each episode deepens the relationship between Roarke and Eve, which I think is one a fiction's great romances, and each finds Eve expanding and deepening her circle of friends which is a sign that she is finally overcoming the horrible experiences of her childhood. Sometimes the mysteries take a backseat to the relationships but, in this case, the mystery and relationships were integral to each other.
