Midnight in Death

Midnight in Death (1998) is a novella by J.D. Robb. It is the first In Death novella, along with the shortest. It takes place between Holiday in Death and Conspiracy in Death.

Plot summary

Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke's first Christmas together is interrupted when she is called to the murder scene of Judge Harold Wainger. The Judge has been found naked, strangled, tortured, and kept alive as long as possible. Words are burned to his chest, reading Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged. A note, draped on him like a loin cloth, reads

Judge Harold Wagner P.A. Stephanie Ring Public Defender Carl Neissan Justine Polinsky Dr. Charlotte Mira Lt. Eve Dallas

Dallas instantly recognises this as the work of a man named David Palmer, a serial killer, who Dallas had thrown in prison. Palmer was infamous for kidnapping women, and performing "experiments" on them, before strangling them. He was eventually captured by Dallas, and all of the people on his list are people who helped put him in prison. On December the 19, Palmer escaped, and neither Dallas, nor her commander were aware.

Soon, two more people are dead, and Palmer has kidnapped Dr. Mira. Dallas must find Palmer, before he tires of Mira, and decides to end his experiment.