Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb

stars

This book comes out September 2, 2025

In Death #61

Follows Framed in Death

Ebook ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Framed in Death by J. D. Robb

An artist has decided that he needs new inspiration. His idea? To take licensed companions and pose them in the manner of old paintings. Then, he paints them. And, in doing so, he will surpass the masters.

Eve is off on a new murder. This time, while we do see in the mind of the killer, we don't know who he is from the beginning. 

As with other books in this series, the personal lives of our favorite characters are moving ahead. Mavis, Leonardo, Bella, Peabody, and McNab have moved into their house. Jenkinson is settling into being a detective. And there are glimpses of all the characters we expect to see. 

Four stars

This book comes out September 2, 2025

In Death #61

Follows Bonded in Death

Followed by Stolen in Death
Ebook ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb

We get to learn more about Summerset in this book which is always fascinating. It was sort of easy to tell where this book was heading when an older gentleman, one who was part of a super-secret group during the Urban war, arrives in New York. He has been summoned by an old friend and he wants to uphold the promise he made to that friend. Though they have not spoken in decades, they are bonded by war. So when that gentleman dies, and the case is handed off to Eve, the fat is in the fire. 

This book felt a little more formulaic than most and I'm not sure why. Maybe there was less of their lives outside of the mystery. I still enjoyed the story. 

Four stars

This book comes out February 4, 2025

In Death #60

Follows Passions in Death
Audiobook ARC from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley

Ebook ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Passions in Death by J.D. Robb

A group of women are out on the town to celebrate a wedding. Before the night is over, one of the brides-to-be is dead in the Down and Dirty. Crack's club. 

Erin had worked hard to be able to save for her and Shauna's dream honeymoon. Her accomplice was supposed to bring in a coconut bra, grass skirt, and the shoes that had brought her to fiancée. When she walked into the private room, she was garroted.

This is an "In Death" where we don't know who the killers are ahead of time. We work through the case with Eve and Peabody. And it pretty much comes down to two people fairly soon. 

I liked this book. I love the whole series and think that Robb is still able to keep some things fresh while still maintaining a rhythm 59 books into the series.

Four stars

This book came out September 3, 2024

In Death #59

Follows Random in Death
Followed by Bonded in Death

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Random in Death by J. D. Robb

A young girl is attending an under 21 concert at a local club. Someone elbows her harshly, but it's the needle stick masked by the movement that kills her. She ends up dying in the arms of the lead singer.

In the way of things in the "In Death" books, that lead singer is Jake, amour of Eve Dallas's friend, Nadine. He is able to get ahold of Eve so that she becomes entwined in the story. The bigger problem of this story that this girl is only the first. Someone out there is targeting teens but there is no discernible connection between the victims. 

It will be up to Dallas and Peabody to figure out what is going on before the killer takes any more lives.

This is one of the Dallas stories where we see the point of view of the killer so we know a little more than Dallas does. There are also a number of characters from past stories and they are becoming more and more entwined as the Dallas stories go on. A few too many people (felt like some were shoehorned in) but a solid addition to the In Death series.

In Death #58

Four stars

This book comes out January 23, 2024

Follows Payback in Death

Followed by Passions in Death

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby February 2024

Payback in Death by J. D. Robb

The first two chapters of this book show us a rare glimpse of Eve and Roarke on vacation. But the relaxed mood is short-lived. The night they return to New York, Eve gets a call from an old friend, one who needs a favor. His mentor is dead and it has been set up to look like a suicide. But there are a number of reasons to believe it is a setup. 

Because the deceased was an IAB (internal affairs) detective, he had many enemies over his long career. So Eve, Peabody, and the team begin the long process of crossing names off. And there are many people who do still bear grudges but just as many who seem to have moved on.

There are some side stories with more being done on Mavis and Peabody's house; one of our side characters getting a promotion; and an IAB cop who seems to have it out for Eve. 

A lovely addition to the series

Four stars

This book comes out September 5, 2023

In Death #57

Follows Encore in Death

Followed by Random in Death

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby September 2023, hard copy from library June 2024

Connections in Death by J.D. Robb

Eve Dallas has a friendship with former bouncer, now club owner, Crack. So she is astonished to see him at a Nadine Furst's housewarming party with a lovely woman at his side. She's even more surprised to find out that Roarke knows Dr. Rochelle Pickering. It seems she was a top contender to be running the new facility for homeless teens. Now that the first choice had to move, she is the choice. Dr. Pickering is delighted. As is her brother. A former gang member and drug abuser, Lyle knows better than anyone how hard life can treat you and having a home like this will give these children a leg up in the world. Three hours later, Lyle is dead. Supposedly of a drug overdose. But Eve smells a set up. Especially when she finds out that a former associate of Lyle's was seen outside his door just before he OD'd. The story takes her deep into the bowels of gang territory where a bid for power means one gang member trying to start a war.

This was an interesting In Death book because the murder doesn't actually happen until Chapter 4. Instead, we get a nice long introduction to a new character as well as catch up with many of the series favorites.I didn't feel like the gang war story line was well put together but it was overall a nice addition to the series.

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 5, 2019

Follows Leverage in Death

Followed by Vendetta in Death

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023

Encore in Death J. D. Robb

Big time star Eliza Lane has fulfilled her dreams and is living her best life; even returning to the play that made her a star, this time as the mother. She is throwing a party to celebrate but it soon turns into panic when her husband, Brad Fitzhugh, big time star himself, dies. 

Dallas and Peabody are thrown in among the bright stars, many of whom have secrets to hide, some of them decades old. But is the motive for this murder rooted in the past or the present? And who really was the intended victim? 

There were a lot of red herrings and unexpected twists in this story. I was very much reminded of a particular Agatha Christie mystery which I won't name because I think there are hints to the ending of the story. Some of the red herrings were dealt with a little too quickly but overall I really enjoyed this addition to the Dallas series.

Four stars

This book comes out February 7, 2023

Follows Desperation in Death

Followed by Payback in Death

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Divided in Death by J.D. Robb

We've seen Roarke's secretary, Caro, in previous books. She's a savvy, competent woman who was skeptical of Eve but has grown to appreciate her through the series. And it's good, because her daughter, who also works for Roarke, is now under investigation for the murder of her husband and his lover.

Of course, first appearances can be deceiving and Eve trusts that Roarke knows his employees and digs deeper, discovering that the husband and his lover were not who they really seemed and perhaps there is more to this death than mere jealousy.

Four stars

This book came out January 26, 2004

Follows Imitation in Death

Followed by Visions in Death

Hard copy I didn't keep 

Opinions are my own

Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb

Ufda. This one was a hard read. Robb often deals with dark subjects and this particular book hits close to home for Eve.

The first chapter opens with a little history for Dorian Gregg. She was taken off the streets and now lives... exists... in the Pleasure Academy. She's not sure how long she's been their but she knows she doesn't like it. Well, most of it. The French is okay but the pleasure classes? A no go. So when she meets Mina and Mina has a plan to get out? Dorian is all in. Except that they don't make it far. Mina dies and now Dorian is on her own, hurt, in New York City.

Lots of characters from the past come back though we do get a little bit of character growth for Dallas as well as one of her employees. Hard reading; justice in the end (though it could have lasted a little longer.)

Four stars

This book came out September 6, 2022

Follows Abandoned in Death

Followed by Encore in Death

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023

Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb

Flipping between past and present, the latest of the "In Death" series starts with a young mother at the end of her tether and then her now-grown-up-son who just wants to replace her. And he's doing so by kidnapping women who look similar to her. When these women fail to live up to his expectations though, he kills the "bad mommy."

Eve is brought into the story when the first body is found at a playground not far from Mavis and Leonardo (and Peabody and MacNab's) new house. They are still going full bore on renovations and the proximity shakes Dallas. There seems to be no sign that any of her friends will be affected but she doesn't want to take that chance. 

I don't remember another book in this series doing a similar thing with the past and the present overlapping in the same book (especially while rotating through third person narration with both Eve and one of the victims) but, then again, after fifty-three books, I definitely don't remember them all. It's not a favorite plot device of mine but I appreciated Robb trying something new and it worked for this particular book, especially give who the killer ended up being. 

Four stars
Follows Forgotten in Death

Followed by Desperation in Death
This book comes out February 8, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Reread as hard copy from the library August 2023

Holiday in Death by J. D. Robb

It's Christmas time in New York, but that doesn't mean that murders are going to stop. In fact, it now seems that Santa's on a tear; getting into people's apartments, killing them, and then leaving a gift linked to the Twelve Days of Christmas and given to "My One True Love." All of the murdered victims were part of a dating service, Personally Yours, which is run by a brother/sister team, twins who seem a little bit closer than Eve would like to see.

A great addition to the Dallas/Roarke line. Peabody and McNab are butting heads. Both get to go undercover as Personally Yours clients. It's really fun to look back on their relationship now that we ar 40+ books later in the series. 

The killer is maybe a little unfairly clued but still an enjoyable story for the holidays.

Four stars

This book came out June 1, 1998

Follows Vengeance in Death

Followed by Conspiracy in Death

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Forgotten in Death by J. D. Robb

The day starts with a fresh corpse in a dumpster and continues with two more walled into some construction (Roarke's unfortunately). Lieutenant Eve Dallas is not enjoying her day. It doesn't help that her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, bubbling over with enthusiasm for the home project she's working on. It's not exactly a topic that Eve is interested in but she'll listen if she has to. Then it turns out the previous owners of the site have ties to the Russian mob and her day just keeps going downhill.

When it turns out there might be a connection between the two cases, Eve is astonished. But that doesn't stop her from working on justice for all involved, even righting wrongs that the first person had done to them decades ago.

I liked that there was a concentration on Eve and Roarke, then on the mystery and to some extent what was going on with Peabody and her house. At book 53, there are a lot of characters in this series and sometimes it feels like they are all shoehorned in. Not so with this one.

Four stars

This book came out September 7th, 2021

Follows Faithless in Death

Followed by Abandoned in Death

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023 as audiobook from Libby

Faithless in Death : An Eve Dallas Novel by J. D. Robb

I loved this return to normal. The last book was fine but there was too much trying to bring back every character ever. The "bad guys" were a little two-dimensional but not horribly so. It was more building off of stereotypes to create a shortcut so that each person could get a little more depth. We also got more about our favorite characters with Mavis and Leonardo taking a pretty big life step that is just so true to their family.

The case starts out with the murder of a young artist. A wealthy, engaged socialite discovered the body and made a frantic 911 call. She claims that she was just visiting a friend but Eve and even Peabody are seeing cracks in the story. As they dig, they begin to find that the case might not be as simple as they originally thought and that finding the killer might mean having to take down a giant cult at the same time.

Four stars

This book comes out February 2nd, 2021  
Follows Shadows in Death

Followed byForgotten in Death
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023 as audiobook from Libby

Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb

After an evening out, Eve and Roarke are stopped by the murder of a young mother. But the night goes to absolute crap when Roarke sees a face from his past and realizes that this is the work of a contract killer. It will take all of our favorite characters to make sure that the killer is brought to justice.

And by all, I do mean all. We see almost every side character that has ever been introduce to the series in this book and that made it feel a little overcrowded to me. Regular readers will have all the feels as regular beats are hit (e.g. Eve becoming a little more human, more of Roarke's past uncovered, etc.) This is definitely not a standalone book because so much of the story depends on knowing what has happened in previous books.

Three stars

Follows Golden in Death

Followed by Faithless in Death

This book comes out September 8, 2020

ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby August 2023

Golden in Death by Nora Roberts

On a clear April morning, a beloved pediatrician opens an unexpected package. Inside is a golden egg. When he opens the egg, a small cloud of gas erupts, killing him. Eve and Peabody are called in to investigate. But they can't find anyone with a grudge against the doctor. He truly was a man that everyone liked. A second death-by-egg helps them to find a thread and uncover a reason for the killing.
There wasn't as much character development in this book as usual, either for the killers or for our leads. It was a fine book but without some of the introspection that make the other books more fun.

Three stars
Follows Vendetta in Death
Followed by Shadows in Death
This book comes out February 4, 2020
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby August 2023

Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb

This is an In Depth book where we know the identity of the killer is pretty early in the book. It's a woman who is bent on settling scores. She starts by picking up a man who, among certain circles, is known to be dropping date rape drugs into women's drinks, taking them home, and doing terrible things to them (very timely). The killer has labeled herself Lady Justice and plans her look to be the most appealing for every man that she is going to kill, the easier to lure them in.
Eve is on to her pretty quickly and I think that is part of my disconnect with this book. There was so much of Eve investigating that I never got the sense of killer as a person. I never really cared how/why  Eve was going to get her because we dived in so soon. It was a perfectly fine addition to the canon but not one of my faves.

Three stars
Followed by Golden in Death
This book came out September 3, 2019

Follows Connections in Death

Followed by Golden in Death
ARC kindly provided by Mamillan and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023 as audiobook from Libby