Strangers in death. J. D. Robb. 2008

Technology may be different in 2060 New York, but the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. But as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed -and strangled - with chords of black velvet.

It doesn’t surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders’ scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation to the public - and of humiliation to his family. But while all those in the city are talking about it, people close to Anders aren’t so anxious to do the same. With some help from her billionaire husband, Rourke, Eve is soon knocking on doors - or barging through them - to find answers.

But the facts don’t add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn’t struggle. The security breach in the apartment indicates that the killer was someone connected to the family, but everyone’s alibi checks out. Was this a kinky sex game that turned into a crime of passion - or a meticulously planned execution? It’s up to Dallas to solve a case in which strangers may be connected in unexpected, and deadly, ways.