A
Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Romance
Over the years here at the Hot Pink Palace of Bitchery, my fortitude has been tested. I’ve read books about reindeer shifters and suffered through hours of Nick Viall trying to form a coherent sentence. My constitution strengthened by rum, I’d describe my loins as exceptionally girdy.
My aunt has been recommending JD Robb’s (aka Nora Robert’s) In Death series to me forever, but I’ve always been intimidated by the length of the series. Then Secrets in Death came out and sounded good, and I thought, fuck it. I’ll start with the 45th book in the series.
I’m not scared.
So opened this baby and got started.
The book opens with the heroine, Eve Dallas, meeting a woman she doesn’t particularly like for lunch. This other woman (the one Eve doesn’t like) is Garnet DeWinter, a medical examiner and Eve is a homicide detective. They mention some secondary characters who I don’t know, but overall I get the gist of it. Eve thinks the Garnet is a stuck up bitch; Garnet points out that Eve is wearing $5000 boots.
It’s about this time that I realize (although I had previously known and then forgotten) that this book is set in the near future. Like the 2060’s or something.
Spoiler alert: we survive the current presidency.
Which also makes me wonder how much $5000 boots would really cost forty years from now? I feel like that doesn’t translate well.
Anyway, when she walked into the restaurant, Eve noticed that a gossip reporter, Larinda Mars (isn’t that an awesome name?) is eating there and makes a mental note to avoid her. Suddenly Eve hears a kerfuffle and there’s Larinda, bleeding out all over the place. She and Garnet try to save Larinda, but to no avail. Eve immediately gains control of the scene and calls for reinforcements. It’s right about here that I realize that Eve is tough, cool-headed and extremely competent. I really like her.
Now, I will say that while we get some details about Larinda bleeding to death, this isn’t a particularly gory or scary book. It’s a romantic mystery, not a romantic thriller, and those of you looking for less chills and more who-dunnit will be happy with this one, though other books in this series may be very different.
So then we learn that Eve’s husband, Roarke, owns the restaurant. Roarke apparently owns a lot of New York City.
For the record, I don’t know if Roarke actually has a last name or it’s like a Cher situation.
It doesn’t matter though, because OMFG. Roarke is hot.
I will read 44 more goddamn books for Roarke.
Robb/ Roberts has this amazing way of fleshing out characters using the tiniest details. Even though I know very little about Roarke, I pick up on a few things immediately: he’s Irish, he’s rich as hell, he’s powerful, he has criminal ties, he’s sex on wheels, and he doesn’t feel the need to control/ dominate/ or otherwise stand in the way of his badass wife. He’ll hold her purse while she gets shit done.
A little later we get a sex scene that while brief and not super descriptive left me all:
If this is how hot the sex is between characters who have been together for 45 books, count me the fuck in.
The rest of the book is Eve, with help from Roarke and her fellow cops, trying to figure out who killed Larinda. Turns out, despite the murder practically happening in front of her, that’s tough because a lot of people wanted Larinda dead. Like a pretty impressive number.
Along with being a gossip reporter, it turns out Larinda was also blackmailing a whole bunch of people. She tried to blackmail Roarke once but he put a stop to it like a boss and I was all:
Also Larinda had really extensive reconstructive surgery–extensive as in “starting a new life,” which adds to the mystery.
Overall, I loved this book. I loved it for that one sex scene alone, but it held up super well for immersing me in a long standing series that I hadn’t read before. I had zero trouble picking it up and starting from scratch. I didn’t know who everyone was, but I was able to intuit a lot without info-dump.
I also thought ($5000 boots aside) that the fact that it was set in the near-future wasn’t particularly jarring. There were hints (mostly slang terms for technology) that we weren’t in Kansas anymore, but it still felt very contemporary.
And the mystery was solid. Also this is a mystery–the reader gets clues and can guess at the outcome right along with the heroine. It’s not a thriller where we are along for the ride, but have no means of intuiting the end. There were lots of suspects and leads for Eve to chase, and I loved it. Given the lack of gore and scary bits, it also felt like a safe place for my brain to be (despite, you know, murder).
And finally, the main characters are so well developed and so well written that I didn’t need the previous books. Roarke is…well you already know my feelings on him and I’m going to be scribbling Elyse Roarke (does he have a last name? Is that his last name?) on my planner for awhile, but Eve was equally well written. She’s tough, but protective of those around her. She clearly cares deeply, but takes no shit and gives no fucks. Both of the main characters are remarkably nuanced and well developed, even with the expectation that the reader knows them well.
So yeah, books one through three are already on my e-reader because I have a lot of catching up to do–not because I have to, but because I love these characters and this world so much I need to go back.
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Oh you have a lot of pleasure in store!
Haha. Roarke is his last name, but it’s the only one he uses. So, yes, it’s like Cher.
I agree about the money thing. I figured Robb thought it would be too jarring to try to use hugely inflated currency amounts ($100K boots?) so stuff like that is pretty current. Then again, the world went thru the Urban Wars so maybe that reset worldwide currency values.
I struggled to get beyond the first few books in the series for years until I started listening to the audio books last year. I just finished #30 yesterday. (The narrator is fabulous, btw.) I’m amazed at how strong and fresh the series remains. Some books are better than others, of course, but there haven’t been any bad ones. The mysteries are consistently good. Even better is the ongoing character development. Eve and Roarke don’t have a fairy tale marriage but go through things that any normal couple might. The supporting characters aren’t left out, either, and it’s a joy to see how they interact not just with Eve and Roarke, but with one another. They’re more than wallpaper; they, too, have “real” lives.
Thirty books in and I can’t wait to start on the next one. It’s been a real test of will to pace myself and not totally glom the whole series. I’m in awe that Robb puts out such consistently great books at the pace she does. When I take into consideration that it’s basically a sideline to her Roberts books. . . well, I’m just floored.
I did want to add that many of the books do have a high gore/violence level, often of a sexual nature. Sometimes children are involved. One of the books I finished recently was particularly disturbing to me. So be forewarned.
Also, I’m sure you’re aware that Robb initially intended the series to be just three books so things move very quickly between Eve and Roarke in those books. Personally, I think that was a bit of a shame and would have loved for things to have developed in a little less rushed manner if she’d known how popular the series would be.
I’ll shut up now and just end by saying I hope you enjoy the trip. 🙂
I binged something like the first 35 or so, and now preorder them as soon as I get the notice. At least for me, they don’t get old.
And Roarke…he’s my best book boyfriend.
Is there a list somewhere of the more gory entries in the series so I can avoid? The podcast episode about the academic writing about series themes also intrigued me about the series but I am more of a cozy-type mystery person.
I’m going to go against the tide here and say this wasn’t my favorite series. I stopped after book 2. I just couldn’t get into it. The relationship between Eve and Roarke went from 0 to 100 in like 50 pages, it seems. He saw her, and that was it, she’s his mate 4eva? It read like one of those vampire books.
The mysteries were ok, though, no complaints there. I just couldn’t get past that superficial development of the relationship between the main characters. Roarke was so unbelievable to me that I can’t understand why so many readers love him so.
In my opinion the first 10 In Death books were the best. It got repetitive and less of Eve-Roarke sparks.
Oh how I envy you. This series is terrific, some books are meh, but then she writes one like Survivor in Death or the Icove book and you forget all about the meh. How about a review when you’ve read Naked through Seduction? Those first few books knocked my socks off, we were on vacation on a beautiful lake in Western WA. and I found the first few on the bookshelf in our cottage, I just read only stopping to cook/eat and swim the whole holiday, it was blissful.
I love this series–I’m currently rereading it and trying to convince myself to get through the other books before I start this one. It’s a struggle!!
Like every series, especially one that’s been going on as long as In Death, there are some books that are better than others. Ceremony in Death had me rolling my eyes at times, but then it was followed by the dynamite Vengeance in Death. Some of the plots of the later books appear to be retreads of previous books, with some twists here and there. But one of the best things about this series is seeing the evolution of Eve’s character. She’s come a very long way from where she started. I hope you enjoy reading about it!
I love these books. After 45 of them there are some I love more than others, but these books hold up really well. About 2 years ago I did an entire series reread and it reminded me why I love them so much.
For those looking for spoiler info or character backgrounds, this is one of the most complete book series wikis I’ve ever seen.
@CatC this might help answer your question about which are the more violent.
http://indeath.net/indeathwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
I’ve also been reading this series for lo! these many years, and I envy you the first fine, careless rapture of the initial glom. Not only will you enjoy Eve and Roarke’s origin story, but you’ll get to savor the introduction of some truly wonderful supporting characters. Stories that focused on Peabody, Mavis, Charles, Summerset and assorted colleagues have been among my absolute favorites.
If I’m honest though, I have to say I’m finding the series has gotten a bit tired these days. We don’t often see some of these old friends except in passing, and I really miss them. A couple of years ago, I demoted the In Death books to library holds, because I was no longer awaiting developments with bated breath.
The other issue is that Robb tends to favor certain themes and scenarios and after 45 books the reader knows and probably loves those themes. However, when those themes drive plot, it’s not shocking that some of those plots seem like reruns. Two edged pillow here: what smothers you with its sameness also cuddles with its comfort. Fortunately, Robb can always be depended on for excellent writing and well drawn characters. Gotta say though, I’m really really sick of serial killers and domestic abuse as topics.
I’d be really curious about your reaction to the series as opposed to individual novels. I hope you follow up.
@PamG:
“Two edged pillow here: what smothers you with its sameness also cuddles with its comfort.”
That is a brilliant way to describe that feeling of intimate familiarity. So very, very true.
There is a YouTube video “Nora Roberts at the Washington Post” where an audience member asks if Roarke is real, if he is single and where she can fond him. Nora replies thst “Honey, if he was real I would hide him and no one woUld find him.” She then goes on to say something to the effect that the beauty of reading a novel is that YOU can bcomee Eve so that you are the one with Roarke. I recommend watching the video -Nora is quite funny.
I love the In Death books and agree that some are definitely better than others. However, the menagerie of secondary characters are hands down the best and most developed I have ever read. In addition her realistic handling of Eve’s abuse as a child and its lingering impact is inspired as she has Eve slowly but surely healing.
Roarke and Eve and the rest of the characters are like seeing your relatives twice a year when a new book is published. You can’t wait to see what they have been up to and how they have grown.
As far as for Roarke, as a great-aunt of mine used to say, “he can put his shoes in my closet whenever he wants.”
I love these books and so does my mother. Comfort reads for both of us (yes, even with the violence.) For me, the best part isn’t the relationship between Dallas and Roarke, it’s the partnership and developing friendship between Dallas and Peabody. They’re such very different women but they’re such an awesome pair.
I am reading Secrets in Death right now, so I stopped reading your review when you got to the part I’m at, but yeah, this is a good series overall and I think you’ll be impressed when you go back and read book 1 and see how far everyone has come. There are also various novellas and a two-part book where the first part is in the present (by Roberts) and the second is in Eve’s world (by Robb). If you intend to read all of those too, you might want to search out a complete list so you can get them inserted in the right spots. The entire series takes place over a much shorter timeline than real time (maybe 6 years?), so even though there are 45 books, Eve is not much older in this one than she was in the first.
I admire those of you who can do an entire series reread. Robb/Roberts has some verbal ticks that drive me crazy if I try to read too many of her books in a row, so I always have to space them out a bit and read others in between.
This is a fabulous series. I love the character growth both with Eve and Roarke as well as secondary characters.
If you need to play catch up, narrator Susan Erickson is fabulous! I highly recommend the audiobooks.
NAKED IN DEATH is my chicken soup book. Goodreads doesn’t even know how many times I’ve reread that book. Maybe it’s because I discovered the series about 20 books in, during a very dark time in my life when I was dealing with deep PTSD (as a first responder). I would stay up all night (hell, with insomnia, who sleeps anyway, right?!?) reading them. When the next book wasn’t available at the library, I went to on-line used books sellers and scarfed all of them. Starting with SURVIVOR IN DEATH, I bought them in hardback. Then Kindles came out. And then audio. I now own every book in the series in digital and audio, and most of them in HB. I have hopes that more of the early books will be reprinted in HB so I can replace my very worn PBs.
I’ve walked through homicide scenes so I’m right there with Eve. Watching her grow from the shuttered, stranger-to-trust woman in NAKED IN DEATH to the woman you read about in SECRETS IN DEATH is an amazing journey. And then there’s Roarke. I would fight Eve for Roarke but he wouldn’t have me. There is only room for one woman in his heart–Eve. And as all good love stories go, that’s how it should be.
And yeah, I just finished SECRETS so I’m still basking in the glow. Nora will never know how much this series meant/means to me. And though we’ve met and visited, I managed to squelch my fangirl squee and seem semi-adult and calm. But someday, I hope to be able to walk up to her and say, “This series, the words you wrote in these books, changed my life.” Because they did. In so many ways.
Welcome to the Kool-Aid, Elyse.
I just embarked on the odyssey of reading this series–I think I’m on book 17. Like Susan said above, I’m in awe of how consistently good they are. At this point, I think I’m reading mostly for the Eve/Roark relationship and the secondary characters. And Eve and Peabody bantering. Some of the books are horrifically gory and disturbing (I have a low threshold for that), but I’m doing ok with flipping past those parts. (Side note: formulaic novels are my friends when I need to predict and skip the upsetting shit!) So glad I finally gave these a try–I’ve bounced off Nora Roberts books for years, then read Northern Lighs and loved that. I was kind of put off by the futuristic (er, in the sense that Tomorrowland is futuristic) setting of the In Death books before I started reading them, but it’s kind of charming.
I cheerfully credit Nora in her J.D. Robb guise for making me embrace being a romance reader, albeit one who prefers some SF/F mixed in with the romance. (heart)
I haven’t read the whole series but I’ve read a lot of them. And every so often the series actually delivers some legit SF, too, when Nora actually takes better advantage of her futuristic setting. I won’t say what the deets of Origin in Death are that made it more SFnal for me, because spoilers, but that one was fun. 🙂
But HOLY CRAP 45 books. I sputtered out reading them in the mid-20’s range! Now I do admit to being curious about trying to catch up, though!
I remember reading my first paragraph, not realizing it was in the future and thinking “What the hell is this?” My mother had been reading them from the beginning and continually suggested reading them. I had finally given in and started with either the 2nd or the 3rd so it took me a bit to figure it out.
What I find fascinating about these books is how Robb/Roberts seems to have a crystal ball about technology. (Or maybe I lived under a rock??) Wearable technology, body cameras, links, self-driving cars…it’s amazing to me to go back and look at dates of publication in the early books and realize that the things she wrote about in the beginning are bits of technology that we have now and I wouldn’t have imagined then.
I highly recommend reading the series in order, both to keep the characters straight and to watch the development of the relationships and personalities (and because I have book series OCD and must read books in order). When a new character comes in as a minor part, I wonder if/when I will see them again and how they will affect future books (like Peabody).
This series is one of the great loves of my life. I can happily wax about it for hours and hours. In addition to Eve and Roarke, the supporting characters are just gold. Especially Peabody. I worship Delia Peabody. She is amazing.
This series is so long, here are my recommended books that I always turn back to. Mild spoilers below:
Naked in Death – Where it all begins
Immortal in Death – Key arc book, end of the original trilogy. The events that happen here affect the rest of the series.
Conspiracy in Death – This book has an amazing mystery and really dives into why Eve becomes a cop when she risks losing it all.
Loyalty in Death – This is an amazing thriller. Key book in the Peabody/McNabb relationship. Ending of the book is outstanding.
Visions in Death – I. CRY. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Those of you who have read it know why.
Origin in Death – The events of the book have a huge impact on the later half of the series and is a must-read for understanding them.
Innocent in Death – The mystery part is OK, but the really awesome part of the book is the conflict between Eve and Roarke and really explores the depths of their devotion to each other.
Creation in Death – If you love the father/daughter relationship between Eve and Feeney, this is the book for you. It also takes the unique perspective of telling a lot of it from Roarke’s POV during the investigation.
Promises in Death – Also a book that has a huge impact on current books. If you love Chief Medical Examiner Li Morris, this is the book for you. Have tissues ready. It also ties very neatly back into an earlier book in the series.
Treachery in Death – Eve takes down a squad of crooked cops, and you get to see her at her best as the leader of NYPSD’s homicide department.
New York to Dallas – Basically every book in the series has led to this one. A must-read for resolving a lot of Eve’s issues from earlier in the series.
Otherwise, I have enjoy every book in this series and could easily recommend every book … except Thankless in Death. There is a scene here involving a victim that left me so disturbed that it is the only book in the series I didn’t get the audiobook for, and I haven’t re-read the book since it came out.
I’ve often thought that TV showrunners could do worse than pay attention to how well Roberts as Robb develops both her main and secondary characters and brings new ones onto the canvas.
One thing that amazed me about how she handled Eve and Roarke is that she has avoided the tedious breakup-to-provide-interest. They have conflicts, but they work through them, all the more amazing in such a long series.
Lucky, lucky you to be reading Eve/Roarke for the first time,
I go back to this series constantly. Downloaded “Secrets” yesterday as an antidote-to-a-bad-day gift to myself and read half of it last night. 🙂
Excellent use of GIFs. LOL
@DianeV I can’t even imagine feeling like that about my relatives, but your description really tempts me to try the books again…I was indifferent to the first three initially, but 45 books worth of homecoming joy is pretty irresistible…
I only began reading this series in 2016. I’ve read up through Book 27 (except the novellas) and even though I’ve loved some more than others, I’ve never rated one below 4/5 stars. I’ve been careful to ration myself so I don’t run through the series too quickly and run the risk of getting burned out. (Which reminds me, it’s about time for a 3-4 book mini-binge!)
I love Eve & Roarke, yes. I adore Eve & Peabody almost as much. But what brings me back over and over is how the secondary characters have grown and developed, both in character and quantity, over the series. It really is something special.
I love the series. I like how competent Eve and her friends are and how all the bonds are forming in time. True the Eve Rork love was pretty quick consumed but the books show how much there is still to learn and solve after happy ever after wedding.
Welcome to the “In Death” world! I have re-read the series a few times and agree (as with any long running series) some are fantastic, some are great, others are good however I love the characters so much that it works. I have just started my first “listen” of the series which I was unsure of simply because if the voice wasn’t right it would jar. However the audio’s are fabulous and I am finding new facets to the stories. Enjoy all the books and the feels that come with.
Oh! Oh! Oh! I have had the pleasure of banging through the entire series as audio books. Susan Ericksen does a great job of giving life to each character. The Dallas/Peabody dialog is especially chuckle inducing.
An aside…I cannot do science fiction/fantasy so don’t let the futuristic aspect scare you away. It’s very easy to follow the lingo.
I started reading this series the summer I graduated from high school (2004) and have been a fan ever since. Some of her more recent books aren’t as good as the older ones (my favorite books tend to be the ones from the first few years she was publishing them), but for the most part they are consistently good.
As others have said, some of these books do get a bit gory and rape plays a large roll in the series. With these books, there seem to be an incredible number of serial killers running around NYC, starting in 2058 (I believe Naked in Death takes place in February of 2058, but there is a fairly large gap between book 1 and book 2–much larger than between the other books).
If I had to give a top 10 of the In Death books, they’d be:
1. Treachery in Death
2. New York to Dallas
3. Loyalty in Death
4. Holiday in Death
5. Apprentice in Death
6. Brotherhood in Death (Mr. Mira!)
7. Obsession in Death
8. Purity in Death
9. Seduction in Death
10. Kindred in Death
There has been only one In Death book that I didn’t like (Devoted in Death)–I actually returned my digital copy to Amazon because I couldn’t justify spending good money on a book I considered a D.
Over the summer, I re-read all 45 books. I loved them. I picked up more nuances and and tidbits that all came together the 2nd or 3rd time around. I hope you enjoy them all.
“Naked in Death” was one of the first books I read this year and I’ve been SO enjoying making my way through the series this year! I’m on book 10 (I think it’s “Witness in Death”?) and they are almost uniformly really good. I didn’t totally fall in love with Roarke + Eve until the last book I read, “Loyalty in Death.” I was half way through it and realized, “Oh. OK. I get why people are obsessed with this couple.” Also Peabody & McNabb in this are amazing
I haven’t liked the last 3 books and especially didn’t like this one. I hate the continued habit of describing every smell in the room and how Peabody was dumbstruck at Eve’s gesture, one that she has made before in several books. I knew who the killer was because she broadcasted who it was early on. I will continue to read the series because I’ve read them all, but it’s more a have to read instead of I want to read.
I really love the books (and so does my dad – it’s adorable!). I did try the audio books, and sadly couldn’t get beyond the narrator’s interpretation of one of the major secondary characters. She made her sound kind of nasaly and dopey – I found it really off-putting. If the books work for you, awesome! They just didn’t work for me.
@Suzanne W.: If it’s Peabody, it really depends on the book. The first books that were turned into audiobooks (which wasn’t the first one, I think it was around 6 or 7), a different voice is used for Peabody for about 2-3 books. Then she decided to change it to the one used now, and it’s a much better match for her IMHO.
OMG, @Meg, this is the best news I’ve had all day (well, tbh, it’s been a slow news day). Yes, it was Peabody. But you have given me hope. I will definitely go back to find the new Peabody voice. Thank you!
I read “Naked in Death” many, many years ago, and stopped there because Roarke was a giant alphahole. Not only would he not have held his wife’s purse, he would have told her to sit down & shut up while he solved the problem and taken the purse away from her so he could order a new one for her since he has-the-better-taste-doesn’t-she-agree? She should just sit and look pretty until he’s done. No not like that, crossed at the ankles.
It’s nice to know that somewhere in the intervening 40 books, he’s become tolerable. I still don’t think I’ll go back to those.
Oh, I wish I were you and had this delicious series in front of me to read for the first time. I made the commitment about 7 or 8 years ago to start it and took the first 6 books to the beach with me. OMG! I almost cried when I realized they would NOT last the week. I ultimately binge read them in 6 book groups, not because I got tired of the series but because I wanted it to last. Now I am nearly always the first to read it from our library and must wait the six months between each new book. The best thing about this series–they sold so many of each that you can pick them up for a song used. I suggest Paperbackswap as the best place to get them.
I read this series probably up to book 16 or seventeen and then fell off. After the first 17 or so books, I was starting to be a little frayed by Eve’s past trauma popping up to waylay her every other book. While I fully appreciate the consistency and reality in writing a character that has such a sad past, it became a little bit more than I could bear and decided to take a break. Needless to say I fell waaay behind. This review has made me consider picking it up again. The mysteries have always be solid. I love how Robb develops her characters, be they main or secondary, and the suspense of some have literally left me on the edge of my seat, ready to shout out loud! Great series! Highly recommended.