Reread Challenge for October

Well, it’s that time again. What time? Nath’s Reread Challenge time. And mine is a bit different this time round. I did a lot of rereading for it *g*.

This is a quartet of reviews. I’ve read them in preparation for the next In Death book, due out Very Shortly. I thought I’d go back to the beginning, the middle and near the end for my Eve, Roarke and the gang fix.

Naked In Death – the book that started them all.

I think this was about the fourth or fifth time I’ve read this one. I read it every so often when a new In Death book comes out just so I can see how far Eve has come. I’m always struck by what a loner she was in Naked in Death. Except for Mavis and Feeney, she didn’t really have anyone in her life.

This book really is a catalyst book though for Eve. She begins to remember her horrific childhood and she meets and Very Reluctantly starts to fall for billionaire Roarke. I didn’t realize how alone she was when I first started reading this series, but going back once she has a whole network of family and friends, the first few are quite stark.

But at heart this is a mystery series and in this book, Eve has a high level case given to her right after closing a traumatic case involving the stabbing to death of a young child. This new case is the murder of a highly connected licensed companion – a prostitute. And mysterious billionaire Roarke is on her suspects. When unwanted sparks begin to fly between them, Eve is determined to rule him out before she becomes even more involved.

I’m not normally a mystery reader, but it is the relationships that originally appealed to me and keep me coming back for more.

Portrait in Death is the 16^th book in this series and is probably my favourite of the series so far. Someone has been killing innocent young people and once again it is up to Eve to solve the mystery. But what sets this one apart is we get to see more of Roarke’s background and even more – a shaken Roarke. He is usually so imperturbable, but in this one his world is rocked when he is confronted with the fact that his past isn’t what he thought it was. It turns out he has a mother who loved him and a whole family he was completely unaware of. He doesn’t know how to handle this and blocks Eve out for a while. I just love the dynamics in this book; how he pushes Eve away while needing her desperately at the same time. It’s unusual that the tables are turned.

Survivor in Death – This is the 20^th book in the series and in this one, Eve and Roarke are confronted with a child. When Nixie Swishers’ whole family are murdered and Nixie is the only witness, Eve takes the drastic step of bringing her to their home for protection while she works to solve the murders. It’s obvious in this book that though Eve has come a long way from the isolated person she was in Naked in Death, she is far from ready for a family that includes children. She doesn’t know how to deal with them yet and it’s kind of sad in this book to see Nixie needing her and Eve not know how to respond to that need. As she follows the clues and slowly starts to solve the case along with her team, she and Roarke realize that they aren’t ready for children – at least for a while.

Salvation in Death – this is book 32 in the series and concentrates more on the mystery. In this one Eve and team must solve the murder of Father Miguel Flores, a priest who dropped dead from poison during a funeral service.

What fascinates me about this one is how JD Robb slowly takes the reader from feeling a great deal of sympathy for the murdered priest through the story where things aren’t what they appear to be at first. This wasn’t my favourite in the series, but I certainly enjoyed enough that I’m still hooked!

I realize with this many books in a series, it can be somewhat intimidating to start reading them - but trust me, they are well worth it. And if anyone is thinking of reading them - just start, one book at a time. While I'm one who can read series out of order without it bothering me, if you are thinking of starting, I highly recommend start at least with the first three. The first three set up the relationship between Eve and Roarke and slowly introduce the cast of characters I've come to love. I know a lot of readers have dropped the In Death series along the way, claiming a certain sameness in all the books. But for me, this is the appeal. When I read a new one, it's like visiting friends and when I reread, it's like reminiscing old times.