Recent Read

Concealed in Death by JD Robb

Steam Level: Warm

 

 

My Thoughts:  I don’t read many print books anymore, very, very rarely.  My hours spent browsing the shelves of the nearest Chapters are pretty much over.  Those times I do read a print book, I usually buy at Walmart because of the 25% discount.  I’ll have to do a post sometime delving into this phenomena more but that’s not the point right now.  One of the rare exceptions are the In Death books by JD Robb.  They are too expensive to get as ebooks and I’ve started waiting until the paperback copies come out.

I have lost count of the number in this series.  When I looked it up, this is book #38 and except for the possible exception of a novella or two, I’ve read them all.  If anyone had told me years ago I’d be reading the 38^th book in a series I would have called them crazy.  I don’t DO series with those kinds of numbers.  But it turns out I do with these ones.

There have been so many changes throughout this series and I’m finding I’m slow to adapt in some ways.  When they first started, I saw them very much as romances with a great mystery to them but slowly they are changing to mysteries with some romance in them and I’ll admit I’m missing the more romantic element to them.  But after 37 books, what can you expect that hasn’t already been done.  So I will have to accept them as mysteries and not as romance. 

 

And as such that will be a good thing because as mysteries they work great.  I’m an end reader.  It’s very, very rare that I can’t skip to the end of the book to make sure it has an HEA which when you think about it is real stupid as they are all romance.  But right from Naked in Death I’ve been able to refrain from peaking, knowing it would really spoil I for me.

There’s not a whole lot new in the relationship sense in this book.  Eve and Roark have settled into their marriage and it’s a very good marriage.  The passion is still there and they ‘get’ each other though they come from two opposite ends of the spectrum.  Eve is all about the law, while Roarke, with his criminal past, focuses on the results.  But when their two viewpoints collide, the talk it out and do see the others P’sOV.  I love this aspect of the books.  And they are both so mad for each other.  I love the small moments between them when they express that love as well as the bantering they do with each other.  It’s wonderful to read.  But alas, it’s not the primary focus anymore.  Instead it’s all about Eve and how she and her team solve crimes, with her Civilian Expert of course on many of them.

In this book, the bodies of twelve young girls have been discovered in one of Roarks newest projects.  The bodies are quite old now so the regular methods of identifying and CSI’s aren’t viable.  While reading this book I couldn’t help but think of the television show Bones.  There is a Bones like character, but she’s not really like Temperance but does the same kind of job.  I wonder if Ms. Roberts watches that show?

Slowly the identity of each young girl is revealed and each have their own sad and often tragic story.  The abandoned building they were discovered in used to be a home for troubled youths and many of them had lived sad lives.  And anyone who has read this series, knows that each and every victim almost becomes a part of Eve.

The mystery, as always, is very well done.  I love trying to solve them before it’s revealed and I almost got it this time.

 

Grade: 4 out 5

Recent Read

Celebrity in Death by JD Robb


Why this one: ‘Cause it’s JD Robb, ‘nuff said

Steam Level: Eve and Roarke make each other very happy shall we say.


Blurb: Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she's managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It's a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks almost like her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director's luxury building.

Now she's at the center of a crime scene-and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster and step into the role she was born to play: cop.



My Thoughts: I HEART Roarke. I’m not sure if I’ve ever come right out and said it. Others may
rhapsodize over Jamie Fraser, but it’s Roarke all the way for me. I’ve never read about a hero who ‘gets’ the heroine as much as Roarke’ gets’ Eve. Of course he’s had 34 books now for that to happen – but still, I think he’s understood her from the beginning way back in Naked in Death. There are so many reasons why I love this series, this many books in when I get tired of most series after only four and my love for Roarke is a big reason. I love Eve too of course, though she still scares the heck out of me. She has mellowed considerably over the course of the series, but still, if I were to commit a murder and she hauled me into interview, I would cave like a wet Kleenex.

This latest installment is much mellower than some of her previous books considering they are murder mysteries that is. The victim is a real nasty piece of work so we readers don’t mind that she has met her demise. This particular book is far different from some stories where our hearts hurt for both the victim and the families. But in Celebrity, even Peabody wishes she had had a chance to beat the crap out of the victim before she ‘bought the farm’ so to speak. And this is PEABODY readers, Peabody, who comes from a family of Free Agers. And she is serious.

Of course part of the reason is the murder victim. KT Parrish is her. You see if you’ve been following along with the series, Nadine Furst wrote a best seller about one of Eve’s cases, the Icove case. And now they are just wrapping up filming a movie of it. Each of our beloved In Death crew has an actor portraying them and this makes for some nice levity. The ‘other’ Dallas, a very sweet woman in involved in a secret affair with the ‘other’ McNab. The ‘other’ Dr. Mira is a real potty mouth and the ‘other’ Roarke is an affable yet dim witted man slut drunk. The ‘other’ Peabody is the victim and a truly vile person she was. And as you can imagine, the more Eve and Peabody dig into her background and find more slimy things about her, the more upset Peabody is that such a person is portraying her.


There is a second victim in this book but as the murder happens ‘of screen’ so to speak and we never get this person’s POV, the murder isn’t as upsetting as it could have been if we readers were attached to this character


There is also a scene where we get a glimpse into a hair raising, rather tragic incident from Roarke’s past. As noted also by Eve, we really don’t see many details into his past, not from Roarke himself so I found this a bit insightful and appreciated.


I’ve always found it hard to put into words what I find so very appealing about this series, besides Roarke that is. But it’s the quiet moments when there is such a connection between characters whoever they may be. There was a scene in a previous book that encapsulated what is so special. Dallas and Whitney are discussing a case while both are watching as a fish swims around in a tank. It was a gift from Whitney’s wife and both are puzzled as to why she would buy such a thing. It’s moments like that that keeps me coming back book after book after book. It’s
like hearing a few chords of music that are so beautiful that you are transcended for a moment or two. That moment in Celebrity occurs early in the morning. Eve has just woken up from a bad dream; not the horrific nightmares she used to suffer from, but rather a dream about her mother where she knows she’s dreaming. She wakes up, not frantic as with her nightmares, but still a bit shaky. Roarke holds her and tells her gently shh and is just very loving to her. I know this happens many times, but like just a few chords of a song, this moment just made me melt.


There was one thing I got kind of a kick out of. Back when JD Robb first started this series, she was way ahead of her time. I’m thinking specifically of the ‘links, which today of course are cell phones or tablets or whatever. There was no such thing as texting so of course the characters didn’t do it. But I noted that a few times Dallas and Roarke would text each other. I dunno – that just kind of made me chuckle.


There was also a delightful scene between Peabody and McNab after the ‘other’ Peabody was found murdered. A bit of development in their relationship if you will.

I even found Mavis tolerable in this book. I don’t really care for either her or Nadine,
the only characters I don’t really like in this whole series.


This wasn’t my very favourite In Death book. For some reason I like to see more tension
between Roarke and Eve, but this was pretty darn close. Oddly enough, it was almost restful for an In Death book and I like that. I like that very much.


Grade: 4.75 out of 5

Recent Reads

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

Why this one: I’m addicted to this series and since the price was right…..

Steam Level: Warm. There have been much hotter books in this series but Eve and Roarke have settled into marriage and though the passion between them burns just as bright, it’s not written as explicitly in this one as in some of the early books.

Blurb: Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master.
But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret.

My thoughts: I liked this one. There have been a few where I can’t really say that off the bat, but I can with Treachery. It was a bit different in that the murders that Eve and her team investigate happen before the story begins for the most part. And the one person murdered during the course of the story isn’t one of the innocents that so often are victims. No beloved teachers at private schools, no good cops under cover, no teenage girls who run afoul of evil witch wannabe’s and no little girls entire family are murdered during the writing of this book.

There is one, off scene so to speak, to start the story off. Dallas makes Peabody the primary in this one and there was one particular scene that was quite cute with Peabody wanting to be bad cop and Eve being good cop. We don’t often see her in this role *g*

But the story really begins when Peabody overhears some very obviously crooked cops discussing an informant they had iced. She is in a very scary situation and afterwards she and McNabb head to see Eve on how they should handle this situation when someone in their very own house has gone bad. This one pitted Eve against another lieutenant womano o’ womano so to speak, Team Good against Team Bad.

There was a lot that was familiar with the other book in this series, but then that’s what makes these such comfort books for me. There was also the start of a secondary love story in this one between a character I think we’ve all been hoping to see meet someone – heh, heh, heh on me not naming who – you will have to read it to find out who for yourselves.

Overall, this one is in the higher level of the In Death books I’ve enjoyed, although it didn’t quite touch my very favourites.

Grade: 4 out of 5

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Why this one: I think she can write a great story and her heroes are always wonderful. I read another one in this 3 book series and quite enjoyed it so I got the other two as ebooks

Steam Level: while there weren’t many, what love scenes there were in there were very hot.

Blurb: Suzanne Carter has sworn off men…really! Her inability to take life seriously drives them crazy, so it’s best she leaves them alone. Then one night, strong, handsome Ryan Alondo rescues her and she simply melts. Who could resist all that rough-and-tumble sexiness? But as tempting as he is, she’s not going to fall for his charms. Because there’s no way she wants to ruin a man this gorgeous. From the moment Ryan sets eyes on Suanne, he knows she’s the one for him. She’s fun and sexy and exactly what he needs in his overcrowded, responsible life. And the passion between them can’t be ignored. He just has to convince her he’s serious enough for both of them. Good thing he can be very, very persuasive.

My Thoughts: This is an older book; back from the now defunct Temptation line and I didn’t pay very much for it, so I’m not bummed that it bombed for me. But it was a bit disappointing since once again, Ms. Shalvis wrote a great hero. But when I have issues with her books, it’s usually because of the heroine and that’s the case in Roughing it with Ryan. While Ryan was my kind of hero, a blue collar type who worked with his hands; an older brother who raised his younger siblings when their parents died, sexy and hunky and going for a higher education, I had real issues with Suzanne. First off, at the beginning of the book, she has just moved out, or rather been forced out, of living with her fiancé. She’s in no place to get involved with a guy so soon. But does she tell this to Ryan? Noooo, of course not. She just jumps from that relationship straight to another. And while she doesn’t fall right into his arms, when she does, just for lusts sake, she then backs off, confusing this great guy. And then she doesn’t want the relation ship to go any further, not for a normal reason like she just got out of a bad one, but because she figures she’s bound to hurt him as she’s hurt three previous fiancés. She doesn’t have the self awareness to realize that she’s a twit and the fault was with the men and not her. They would suggest something she should do for a living and she did it. One of them suggested she should be a stipper so she became one for awhile. Come off it. If some guy told me I should take my clothes off for a living, if he were serious and not just flattering me, he would so be out the door and at that curb!!!! But our heroine Suzanne – she’s engaged to the idiot and then when the relationship doesn’t work out, blames herself. For the life of me I didn’t understand what a guy like the hero would see in such a nitwit – except for a curvy body. She has zero sense of self worth and she’s stupid; two things that are unforgivable for me in a heroine.

She makes the poor guy work so hard for her, not because she’s worth it and we should all make the men ‘earn’ us, but because she’s an idiot. And she ends up hurting him in the process. ‘Cause she is an idiot. She’s out of a job because her last fiancé said she should work at his sisters restaurant and when he breaks it off, she lost her job. To keep things going until she finds another job, she does catering which she loves, but keeps saying it’s just a hobby and continues to look for a job as a chef which her previous boyfriend told her to do and thus she doesn’t think she should do catering because no guy said she should – because she’s an idiot. Mind you, she did strip for a while ‘cause a guy told her too.

I bet you get the feeling that I didn’t care for Suzanne one ity bity bit. And you would be right. I kept thinking about quitting this book ‘cause of her, but Ryan was so scrumptious. Author Jill Shalvis does this to me. She’s a very good author and I can totally get why she’s loved by many readers. I consider myself one. But when I don’t like the heroine, the book becomes a fail and sadly that made this one a fail.

But I did like the third one and I also have the second one – the rubber book of the series so to speak so I’ll have to see what I think of it.

Grade: Hero = 5/Heroine = 1.5. Factoring in good writing despite not liking the heroine, this book gets a 3

Well crappity crap crap crap with a darn for good measure!!

I checked my email at work - bad worker bee that I am - and noticed there is a coupon for $1 off select books for a limited time only. When I clicked on it to see what books were select, one of the is the latest In Death book. It's already only $9.99 for the E version for a savings of 63%. Add to that a $1.00 coupon and how can I possibly NOT get it.

So what's the problem you ask?? Why are you bitching about such a squeal of a deal on a series you love To Death (heh, heh, heh - get it?) Are you nucking futs?????

Well - I've been collecting this series way back starting with Naked in Death. When they switched to hardcover I wasn't happy - it interrupted the flow so to speak of the shelf. Added to that it's a lot more money in hardcover than paperback. But buying online cut the price considerably. But now it's in an impossible to resist e version so my run of paper books comes to an end. Starting with this one, no longer can I look on my In Death specific book shelf.

It's like the end of an era is what it is. I'm one of those who despite having an ereader, still deep at heart, loves the print books. Maybe it's the fear of Farenheight 451 coming out - the ultimate and eventual end of paper books. Yes, I'm sure I'm making a mountain out of a moehill and should be happy that once I get home I'll have instant gratification at a really excellent price - but stil........

Recent Read

Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb

Why this one: It's an In Death book

Steam Level: so so

Blurb: Lt. Eve Dallas, a top homicide cop for the New York Police and Security Department (the law enforcement agency for a mid 21st-century New York City), faces one of the more challenging cases of her career in bestseller Robb's exciting 31st in death novel (after Kindred in Death). When someone cuts off the head of Bart Minnock, the genius founder of the computer gaming company U-Play, apparently while he was role-playing against an imaginary opponent in a prototype of a fantasy adventure that could rock the industry, Eve investigates. Security logs show no one entered Minnock's building around the time of his murder, presenting a futuristic variation on the classic locked-room mystery. Aided by her husband, Roarke, who was a potential business rival of the victim, Dallas focuses on who would benefit from Minnock's death.

My Thoughts: *wringing hands in despair*
Oh dear, I didn't think I'd ever think this, but I didn't really care for this entry into the series and I found it disappointing. It wasn't badly done, but there was nothing new or fresh in Fantasy. It was almost like Ms. Robb had a check list and one by one checked off each item

• Eve catches a case - check

• Roarke has some kind of involvement (he knew the victim and tried to recruit him for Roarke Enterprises but when Bart turned him down, Roarke became a bit of a mentor) - check

• Eve and Roarke have a small difference of opinion - Roarke frowns at her but it is resolved within a page) - check

• Eve insults Sommerset - check

• Peabody and McNabb have a few scenes together - check

• Eve and Roarke have some love scenes (rather bland in compared to earlier books. I know this because I've reread quite a few of her earlier books lately and Fantasy is definitely lacking in the steam level) - check

• Nadine brings baked goods into the department - check

• Eve puzzles over case - check

• Eve solves case - check

• And so on and so on
  

The End

What is missing I felt, in this book, is heart. I don't really know how to explain it, but for the first time there seemed to be no real connection between the reader (me) and the characters. And there was no real connection between the characters. Some, such as Dr. Mira and Baxter and Trueheart only seemed to make token appearance because it was expected that they would be in the book. There was no real connection between any of the characters and the murder victim except for the one between Roarke and Bart and his partners.

This book focused on the mystery at the expense of character development I thought. There was no character development, no growth, nothing new. There was one scene that was so out of character on Roarke's part that it was jarring.

Usually when it comes to the next installment of this series I read the book in two days tops, but this one took five days and I read another one in between. But I just didn't feel this one, it didn't resonate with me the way all the previous books did.

My advice - unless you are anal about collecting the series (like I am), don't be spending the big bucks for this one. I think you might be as disappointed as I was. In the meantime I hope the author gets back what makes this series so special for the next one.

Grade: 3 out of 5

Reread Challenge for November

Well - it's that time again - Reread Challenge Time hosted by Nath. It's a bit of deja view from last month!


Rapture in Death by JD Robb

Why this one: I'm still making my way through a reread of the In Death books. There are a couple of coworkers reading them and as they are much further behind than I am, it's kind of fun going back to the earlier ones

Blurb: They died with smiles on their faces. Three apparent suicides: a brilliant engineer, an infamous lawyer, and a controversial politician. Three strangers with nothing in common - and no obvious reasons for killing themselves. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas found the deaths suspicious. And her instincts paid off when autopsies revealed small burns on the brains of the victims. Was it a genetic abnormality or a high-tech method of murder? Eve's investigation turned to the provocative world of virtual reality games - where the same techniques used to create joy and desire could also prompt the mind to become the weapon of its own destruction . . .

My thoughts: It's been a while since I've read this one - number 4 is anyone doesn't know the order. It takes place almost right where Immortal in Death ends. Eve and Roarke are just finishing off their honeymoon off planet, when Eve is called to check out an apparent suicide of one of the staff. Everything appears as it ought to be but when Eve goes back to work, she is made aware of a number of suicides and puts two and two together and comes up with murder. What I enjoy so much about this one is the passion between Eve and Roarke. The last book so far in the series I only gave a warm rating too, but this one is hot, hot, hot as they are both still newlyweds. Add to that a musicologist who is working to help Mavis with her singing career and who likes to 'manipulate' things between Roarke and Eve and this is another good read. I did notice though that this one is a bit unusual in that Eve, who is usually so right on about the murderer is a bit off on who she thinks it is in this book and pushes things further then she usually does and ends up wrong - for a short time.

This is another one that is heavier than some on the relationship aspect and I wish more of them were like this. I originally gave this one a 5 out of 5 - but I was new to the series and I was giving 5's out like candy I love the whole series that much. This time 'round though I'm changing it to a 4.5 out of 5. Still a very good grade, but I downgraded it just a tad due to Eve's stubbornness.




Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Why this one: Ever since I first read it, it's always been my favourite

Blurb: A serial killer takes his dead victims' portraits and sends them to the media. Lieutenant Eve Dallas counts on her husband's help to crack the case, but he's just learned a devastating truth about his past.

My thoughts: I've always liked this one best as it's quite a role reversal compared to most of the other In Death books and it's one I taunt my coworkers with. Usually it's Eve who remembers the horrible things in her childhood, but in Portrait, Roarke learns something about his past that rocks his world. I won't say what so as to avoid spoilers for any readers who are just starting this series or who haven't made it this far. But Roarke is shaken - very shaken - and as those who know this series so well, other than worrying about Eve, Roarke is pretty much cool as a cucumber. And because his world is so rocked, and he doesn't know how to handle this new development, he does something else very un-Roarke like - he shuts Eve out. And thus Eve is shaken.

Later on in the story, once Roarke kind of comes to terms with the situation, we have another role reversal. It's Eve who helps Roarke. As we all know, Eve isn't exactly the 'nurturing' kind. She is faced with a dilemma - whether to continue working on the case or help Roarke when he needs her the most. After a head smack from Feeney, she does make the right choice.

This one is more of a relationship entry than many of the In Death books and I liked it. The first time I gave this one a 5 out of 5 and it still gets a 5 out of 5 and still remains one of my favourites!

Recent Read

Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

Why this one: Hello - it's J.D. Robb - the queen of the trump books

Steam Level: Surprisingly this one was only luke warm. But I didn't mind that at all

Blurb: When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they were looking forward to spending time with their bright and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter who had stayed behind.

Not even their worst nightmares could have prepared them for the crime scene that awaited them instead. Brutally murdered in her bedroom, Deena's body showed signs of trauma that horrified even the toughest of cops; including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who was specifically requested by the captain to investigate.

When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.

My Thoughts: Nothing stands between me and the my need for the latest J.D. Robb fix and this one is no exception. As mentioned a couple of posts previously, when this one arrived in the mail I dropped all other books so I could read this one.

The story opens with Eve and Roarke enjoying a rare two days in a row off and having just enjoyed the 'steam' for that particular day, they are trying to figure out what else to do with their time when Dallas gets called in for a crime. The daughter of a fellow cop, a newly promoted Captain, has been brutally and repeatedly raped and then strangled. This one is a tough case for Eve as it hits close to her own horror filled childhood. And it's tough for us the reader to read about how she suffered before her death.

One of the things Ms. Robb excels at is drawing the reader in and making us feel what the victim and what Eve feel. I'll confess to not reading a lot of mystery books, but I can't imagine that there are very many that are as well written as the In Death series.

As Eve struggles to solve the case, she juggles this with her role as Louise's Matron of Honour in the upcoming nuptials of Louise and Charles and what exactly her role is and how much is expected of her. It's always so delightful to see Eve struggle with things that the rest of us take for granted.

This is a typical In Death book and I think those of us that love this series will love this latest installment. Roarke is as usual, Roarke and there are some tender moments as he realizes how this case in particular is hard for his beloved Lieutenant and he himself is pulled in with the similarities to the death of Marlena, Sommerset's daughter (I think that's her name but I could be wrong). We get to see all of the characters we love so much. There is a tender moment between her and Morris, the insult hurling between Eve and Sommerset, the banter between Eve and Peabody and of course the deep and passionate love between Eve and Roarke. And there is another character who has been in a few of the books now who makes an appearance and plays a vital role in solving the case.

It's fascinating watching as Eve, with help of her gorgeous techno geek husband sort through the clues and try and determine who the evil person who took away the life of a very popular young woman.

In some books I get a little frustrated as the case takes the main focus and the great relationships take too much of a back seat but there is a good balance in this one. Of course my favourite books are where the relationships are featured more, but I wouldn't put Kindred in Death in this category. Still - it's another very good addition and I'm already looking forward to the next one, even though I just finished this one yesterday.

There are a couple of coworkers reading this series now and and I very proudly showed them my copy as they looked at in envy - they aren't nearly to the point in the series that I am. I even took a book bag with me to work since this is a harcover and doesn't fit in my purse and I read it at every opportunity. I just read three of the series for Nath's challenge and now I feel like going back and reading a few more. I honestly can't see me ever getting tired of this world and these people that J.D. Robb has created.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

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.

Recent Read

Promises in Death by JD Robb

Why this one: I never miss an In Death book!!

Steam Level: Same as always – Eve and Roarke – they make those pages steamy!

Amazon Blurb: Amarylis Coltraine may have recently transferred to the New York City police force from Atlanta, but she’s been a cop long enough to know how to defend herself against an assailant. When she’s taken down just steps away from her apartment, killed with her own weapon, for Eve the victim isn’t just “one of us.”

Dallas’s friend Chief Medical Examiner Morris and Coltraine had started a serious relationship, and from all accounts the two were headed for a happy future together. But someone has put an end to all that. After breaking the news to Morris, Eve starts questioning everyone from Coltraine’s squad, informants, and neighbors, while Eve’s husband, Roarke, digs into computer data on Coltraine’s life back in Atlanta. To their shock, they discover a connection between this case and their own painful, shadowy pasts.

The truth will need to be uncovered one layer at a time, starting with the box that arrives at Cop Central addressed to Eve containing Coltraine’s guns, badge, and a note from her killer: “You can have them back. Maybe someday soon, I’ll be sending yours to somebody else.”

But Eve Dallas doesn’t take too kindly to personal threats, and she is going to break this case, whatever it takes. And that’s a promise.

My Thoughts: Despite the murders that always happen; after all Dallas does work in Homicide, these are almost a comfort read to me. It’s so good to be able to keep visiting with Eve and Roarke, Peabody, McNab, Feeney and the rest of Eve’s friends and coworkers.

The mystery this time surrounds the death of one of their own – Ammy, the cop who has been seeing Morris in the past few books. Although we didn’t get a real chance to know her, Robb has such a way of writing that characters come alive and it’s bittersweet to see this character not through ‘meeting’ her but through Eve and Morris eyes.

These are about the only books that I’m able to refrain from reading the end so I always try and guess who it is. I guessed part of the puzzle on page 117 but not the whole thing until much later when it was very obvious.

I really enjoyed this latest one but as odd as it is, I seem to enjoy the books even better when there is conflict between Eve and Roarke and watching two such strong characters work through it. And there really isn’t any this time round. They are both in pretty good sync with each other throughout.

Nevertheless, this one is again filled with great dialogue, moments that make you laugh, Eve trying to dodge the shower for Louise that she is most reluctantly hosting, and getting hurt in the line of duty and Roarke coming to her aid. It was great getting to learn more about Morris. I really hurt for him going through the loss of someone he was really coming to love.

And there was another character that I really hope makes more appearances in the book. He was quite intriguing – almost a mirror of Roarke – in a slightly off kind of way. Without meaning to be too mysterious, I hope he learns from his mistakes and comes back again.

Again – this is (I think) book 31 in the series including novellas and I’m not the least bit tired of them. In fact I’m counting the months until the next one out Kindred in Death in November 2009.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5