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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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.
This series is on my bucket list, because it’s SO huge and intimidating to my gotta-finish-what-I-start OCD-ness. I’ve begun looking for the first few books while at thrift stores and clearance sections of used book stores, because I prefer physical books.
Thanks for your review! I now understand why the series has endured through 45 books. 45! So many lengthy “popular” series disappoint me (Feehan’s Dark series was a DNF after one chapter in the first book for me) because I’m a stickler for things like good writing, a believable storyline (even if supernatural in nature), and likeable characters. Too many “strong” female characters come off as plain-old rude and violent to me, and I can’t tolerate any TSTL characters either. Consistent worldbuilding is also a must, and I’m not one to overlook anything, especially poorly edited work.
I now feel safe to begin the huge JD Robb In Death series, because I actually trust your reviews. Goodreads and Amazon are less than reliable sources for book reviews; I need some fellow b¡t¢hes’ honest opinions!
@Suzanne W.: Which book did you try listening to? I can tell you if it’s the old or new voice for her.
@Meg, honestly it was so long ago, I don’t remember. I was going to check online to see if the reviews mention the switch and then start there. I could also start with a recent one, and then go backwards, but I think my brain would explode.
You will LOVE books 1-3. Meeting the awesomeness that is Roarke along with his and Eve’s coming together is total combustion!!!
I read the first 10 or 12 and then dropped out, but I still have “Naked in Death” and reread it every so often…I love when he finds the button that fell off her suit jacket. And when he courts her with a gift of quality coffee(apparently in the future there is mostly ersatz coffee substitute, and only rich people can afford the real thing).
You are in for a great read.
@JLuvv: I understand what you’re saying about Eve’s past trauma. It seems to taper off as Eve’s relationships develop and she heals. In later books, it’s less of a flashing red light (which I believe might literally be one of her memories that pops up more than once). It comes up more as a way to relate to victims than as flashbacks to her childhood.
I love this series and am about five books behind because I want to listen to audio but can’t the way I used to at work.
I like how the author resolves issues…it may take 35+ books but there is closure.
YES GET THEE TO THE EBOOKS.
This series is one of the few overlaps between my reading taste and my mom’s. I mainline her copies of the newest book every time I am at home.
Aside from the Eve-Roarkeness of it all, I particularly like the friendships in this series. They deepen over time, and they feel very realistic. Eve-Peabody are great together, and I would pay thousands of dollars to see a TV show based on this series.
I might have to fight you for Roark! He’s been my ultimate book boyfriend for years. Years, I tell you!
For Suzanne W. – when it was realized that Susan Erickson was a hit, they had her go back and re-do the earlier In Deaths. You can now safely start at the start with her.
The entire series (including the very important novellas) covers just shy of three years in the lives of the characters. Sometimes the next story starts the same day the earlier one finished. After the trilogy that started it all, Nora/JD very intelligently left no time for grass to grow while these people got on with their lives. She really does seem prophetic in some of her earlier tech – cell phones were clunky, huge things when she started the PPCs that fit in a pocket. She was asked in an interview what she wanted out of her tech inventions. The AutoChef won hand’s down.
For the people complaining about the serial killers and/or excessive violence in the stories? Helloooo? She’s a homicide cop! Yes, there were a couple of stories that personally gave me pause, most decent human beings would be put off by one aspect or another of the cases, but that’s the nature of the job for her and her “needing” to see it through is part of her psychology. Besides, as more than one person’s already noted, while decent – and sometimes very good – crime stories, it’s the characters and their development that bring us back again and again.
You’re in for a great ride, Elyse! Hope you have time to tell us what you think about it all once you’ve done some time in the pool with the rest of us rabid fans. And thank God for Robb’s work ethic that gives us two books a year in the In Death world. I’ve some authors I follow where you’re lucky if you get another one within a year.
I love this series, some books more than others. Usually I order the book from the library, receive it very quickly and devour it. This one I received on September 6 and I just finished it last night – September 11. That’s a record (and not a good one) for me. I just didn’t find it as compelling as usual – almost boring. There were good snippets, but I wasn’t sucked into the story as much as usual. Some of that may be because I’ve been listening to them on audio lately and the audio books are wonderful.
One question on the book – Larinda’s grandmother died suddenly. My immediate thought was that Larinda murdered her for the money. I don’t think that was a conclusion in the book – did anyone else jump to that conclusion?
I fully understand Suzanne W’s take on the first experience with Peabody’s voice. I listened to the second book on audio and immediately was turned off by it. A friend said it got better and so I stuck with it and can now listen to Peabody without cringing. Paula – thanks for the history of Susan Erickson’s recordings, I’ll have to get newer versions of the first books with the improved Peabody’s voice.
I think the series is terrific overall, not every book is a winner, but I do enjoy the whole cast and ongoing little jokes (candy thief, the ties/sunglasses, Summerset/Eve sniping etc.) I have the next one already on reserve at the library and look forward to reading it in January 2018!
5000 boots in 20 year equivalent to 2250 now assuming 4% average inflation
Haha, wait until you read the sex scenes in books 1-2, you will truly be a happy girl 🙂
if you liked the sex scene in this book the you will love..naked in death…judgement in death and glory in death. i am in love with roarke and eve since last year and it will be a life long affair.
This is my favorite series ever. I’m thinking about going back and doing a complete reread from the beginning 🙂
OK, I just finished this one…and it wasn’t the most exciting one of the series for me. So I think if you give this one an A, then you’ll *really* like some of the other ones. 😉
This is one hilarious book review.
Definitely a series worth starting from the beginning, but heads up – even though there are 300 bajillion books in the series, only about 3 years had passed for the characters. (Or had when I took a break at about book 33.) So it can kind of feel like “oh Lord get over it already!!”
I envy you so much. You are about to have the ride of your life. The only other series that would make me wish I was reading it for the first time would be the Harry Potter books!
I binged In Death series many years ago reading them in 5 or 6 book batches. Taking a break and then continuing on till I had read them all. Now my name is usually at the top of the list at the library for the new release. I devour it generally in one night. I try so hard to make it last longer but just can’t. I’ve been listening to audio books, always murder mysteries, when I visit my grandbabies and recently ran out of the Alex Cross etc genre. I thought what the heck, I’d listen to the IN DEATH books as it had been long enough, I wouldn’t remember enough details to ruin it. First mistake-picked up the abridged edition, OMG these sucked. So many of the details, the nuances that made Roarke and Eve special were cut out. Went back and listened to the full version and it was like floating in a Calgon bath (once you got past the first three books in the series). Once Robb realized these were going to be a full on hit and slowed the romantic pace, these books really hit their stride. It’s been fascinating watching Eve and Roarke become more, so much more than lovers and seeing the layers of Eve open to develop friendships with many of the secondary characters in the books. And the secondary characters are just as important and fascinating as E & R. Some of the storylines are rough and make you squirm a bit when reading but it’s important to see the way Eve takes on all the different types of cases and to see the growth in her. As I said earlier-You are in for the ride of your life!
I started this series, when her first book was published back in 95. I read the first 3? and then moved to another city. The library did not catalogue paperbacks, so trying to find them was painful.
I loved it and will one day read the whole series!
I have also been intimidated by the backlist on this one. Maybe, quite possibly, I see if my library has them available for audio download and I can listen when I crochet. Two birds and all.
I, to, read my first “in death” series book out of order. loved it so much, I started buying them three at a time from the beginning! I was so disappointed when I got caught up!! love, love, LOVE this series!! she is my favorite author…she makes anything sound believable! if you haven’t read her…do so…you won’t be sorry!!