About two years ago I was looking for a new suspense/thriller author to read. In addition to a new author, I was looking for a female author because up to that time all of my favorite authors were men – Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly, Walter Mosely. I had just joined a book club and decided to use the membership to try out a few new female authors. I ordered two books by Patricia Cornwell, one by Nora Roberts and another by JD Robb. Now before you say it, I know that Nora Roberts and JD Robb are the same person.
Anyway, I read the Patricia Cornwell book and liked it but it didn’t make me want to rush out and buy another. I liked the story in Nora Roberts book but thought the ending was too “happily ever after” for me. The JD Robb book sat around for quite a while because I was thrown off by the moniker, “In Death Series.” I didn’t quite know what that meant – who writes a series about death? So the book sat and collected dust for several months.
I finally picked up the book to read it – Innocent In Death. I really liked the book and I had to laugh at myself when I realized that the books are called the In Death Series because the main character – Eve Dallas – is a homicide cop. She investigates murders – her job is about death.
A few months later I bought another book in the series and I was hooked. I don’t know which book it was because as of this writing, I have read 16 books in the In Death Series. I started with book #28 (I think). At first I just bought books as I could find them but soon realized that reading them in random order lacked something. Now I am trying to work my way through the books from the beginning of the series so I can understand more about the different characters and how they became connected.
Eve Dallas
There are so many things I like about JD Robb’s In Death Series. First of all the main character Eve Dallas is no-nonsense. She only has a few close friends to whom she is extremely loyal. She’s good at her job and dedicated to find justice for the murder victim even if the victim is an unsavory character. Unlike most television shows, she has a good but not perfect relationship with her husband Roarke. Even though her husband is a multi-billionaire, Eve is down to earth and unpretentious. She’s logical, unemotional and not a touchy-feely kind of person (I really like that).
Roarke
Eve’s husband, Roarke, is a Bill Gates kind of guy, except he’s described as being quite handsome. A multi-billionaire, former, hacker and thief – his character is a lovable Irish scoundrel. He can be very kind or extremely dangerous. His commitment to Eve is unfaltering and he is the one who keeps her grounded making her rest when she is overworked and exhausted. His talents from his former life are always at Eve’s disposal to help her solve cases. Though she is reluctant to use them, the resources of Roarke Industries are readily available to Eve as well.
Summerset
No book in the In Death Series would be complete without Summerset – Roarks majordomo, butler, foster father. Summerset and Eve have a love-hate relationship in which they take a lot of pride in insulting each other. Though Summerset is 60ish he is probably as dangerous as Roarke. He has a special place in his heart for children, especially little girls who probably remind him of his deceased daughter, Marlena. Among Summerset’s hodgepodge of talents are his medical skills, baking and proficiency in computers and weapons.
After reading so many of the books the characters are like your friends and neighbors. Even though the books – read in order – are a continuous story, each book stands on its own merit.
If you would like to start from the beginning here’s the link for JD Robb’s Naked In Death:
[...] J.D. Robb’s In Death Series [...]