Tag: J. D. Robb

Framed in Death by J.D. Robb

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Futuristic, Mystery, Part of a Series2 Comments

Framed in Death: In Death, Book 61

Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: In Death #61
Publication Date: 9/2/25
Period: Future New York – 2061
Number of Pages: 368

Sixty-one books and this series is still as fresh, new, and interesting as it was in the beginning. I continue to marvel at this author’s skill and ingenuity in creating exciting, interesting characters along with suspenseful mysteries. Thank goodness she gives us two books per year because I don’t think I could wait an entire year between books!

He was born to wealth, privilege, and an exceptional creative talent for painting. So, why do all of the gallery owners decline to feature his works? Why do they say his works are pedestrian? Well, he’ll just show them – he’ll outpaint the Old Masters and see how quickly those galleries change their minds. He’d begin tonight . . .

For a change, Eve is up and dressed when she gets the call from dispatch. She’d get all of her paperwork cleaned up before she started her day . . . but, dispatch and a vicious killer have other plans for her. When she gets a new body the next day, and the next, Eve knows she has to find the murderer before he kills again.

It’s all-hands-on-deck for Eve and her homicide squad, Roarke, PA Cher Reo, McNab, Feeny, and reporter Nadine Furst. The chase is on, and Eve and her crew always win, but this time, even if they find him, he might slip out of their hands.

I have read every book in the series, and I have also listened to the audiobook for each. The narrator, Susan Ericksen, has narrated the complete series, and she has done an outstanding job. Her characterizations are distinct for each character, and her voice conveys the emotion of the scene. You smile with her; you feel the anger; you hold your breath in suspense; you sigh with her during those softer scenes. Yes, this narrator is the perfect one for the In Death series.

Sometimes, when every work in a series is outstanding, you have to love some a bit less than others. So, while I loved this book, it isn’t one of my favorites because it has less action, less excitement, less suspense, and a slower pace than usual. As always, there is plenty of wit to cut the grim details, and we get a nice visit with Mavis, Leonardo, Bella, Peabody, and McNab in their new home. Now, I have to wait for February to get the next book.

I recommend this book, this series, and this author. If you are new to the series, I strongly recommend going back and reading at least the first few books in the series to get a feel for the characters and their development. Actually, after you read book one, you’ll be hooked and will want to read all of them!

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

Passions in Death by J.D. Robb

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Futuristic, Mystery, Part of a Series2 Comments

Passions in Death (In Death, #59)

Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Series: In Death #59
Publication Date: 9/3/24
Period: Future – August 2061, New York
Number of Pages: 363

In some book series, you are tired of the characters and stories long before the series is done. That is not the case with J.D. Robb’s long-running In Death series. This is book fifty-nine and I have been awaiting its release just as anxiously as I did the first books. The characters have grown and broadened, the relationships have matured, and the cases have remained engrossing and complex. By the end of each book, you know the victim personally – and that is often sad, and you know the murderer personally – and that is often horrifying. I have wondered what it would be like to wander around inside this prolific author’s head. Where does she come up with so many varied plots and people – not to mention the wit and humor that softens the stories?

Near the midnight hour of a slow Monday night, New York City homicide’s Lieutenant Eve Dallas receives a call from dispatch. There has been a murder at the Down and Dirty club and the club owner, Crack, has requested Eve to investigate. Crack and Eve have a long history going back to her early days in Homicide – not to mention her own attack at the Down and Dirty Club. The garroted body of lovely young bride-to-be, Erin Albright, is lying in a pool of her own blood in the very room in which Eve herself was attacked. Eve survived to take down her own attacker, but this young woman did not – so Eve will do it for her. Eve always stands for the dead.

As we move through the investigation, we get to know Erin, her bride-to-be Shauna Hunnicut, and the close loving friends surrounding them. Could the murderer be a random stranger who just happened to be at the club? Or, could it be someone who was in her close inner circle? You’ll just have to read the book to find out!

The fun, loving, joyful pre-wedding girl party will engage your emotions and pull you into the story while the solid investigation, twists, turns, red herrings, and drama will hold you through the very last page. The plot is excellently crafted and pulls you along step-by-step. The author uses wit and humor to temper the strong emotions elicited by the murder investigation and to help showcase some of the interpersonal relationships among the ongoing characters.

This very engaging book can be read as a standalone, however, as someone who has read the entire series, I would strongly suggest reading all the books in order. If that seems a daunting task, then at least read the first 3-5 books as those give you a feel for the characters, their personalities, what brought Eve and Roarke together, and what made Eve into who she is.

If you enjoy a good whodunit with compelling plots, engaging characters, wit, humor, and a glimpse into the future – this is the book and series for you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.