In Death Series Reading Challenge: April 2013.

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

I debated posting a link-up this month since once again I failed. I have Kindred In Death on my nightstand, but alas did not get to it at all. Besides.. just because I missed this month, doesn't mean you all didn't read an In Death book in April! So if you did, spill! Which one did you read and what did you think?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and link it up with Mr.Linky below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
Alas, none. I did consider re-reading Naked in Death at one point during the month, but really.. how many times does a girl really need to read the same story over and over again? Okay, you're right! Once more is never enough! :)

SERIES DISCUSSION:

Do you have a favorite book in the series?

My favorites are Naked in Death (#1), Survivor in Death (#20), Innocent in Death (#24), Promises in Death (#28). I have to admit I have a little trouble remembering details from the earliest books, so there is that.

Don't forget to link up any In Death posts you made this month!

In Death Series Reading Challenge: March 2013

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

First I have to ask.. did anyone notice that I didn't post an In Death post in February? It was the first month since starting this challenge in January 2010 that I didn't post a monthly discussion post. I remembered late in February.. but since I still hadn't read a book, so I kind of didn't feel like posting. I'm back this month, however, because guess what?!? Yep! I finally read an In Death book this month. Phew! So glad I got over that hiatus. I hope to stay on track from here on out. I really want to finish this challenge once and for all in 2013.

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and link it up with Mr.Linky below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:

Promises In Death by J.D. Robb
Book #28

Promises was a really great installment to this series. I liked the crime story and police procedural in this one .. the crime of which hits close to home for Eve's team. The victim is a fellow cop who also happens to be the lover of chief medical examiner, Li Morris. It turns out the victim has a roundabout connection to Eve & Roarke's past so that makes things pretty interesting as the story unveils. I liked the little twists and turns that popped up in the investigation but even more so, I adored the personal story going on in this one, namely the bridal shower the women are hosting for their friend Louise. Hilariously fun and endearing. Of course, it was also lovely seeing Eve comfort Morris in his time of grief. In fact, I got choked up and shed a tear or two not once, not twice but thrice! Okay so to those of you know me may think doesn't mean much because I'm often brought to tears reading a book, but three times is still a lot even for me.      GRADE: B+

SERIES DISCUSSION:
Eve and Roarke have both made a lot of progress expanding their circle of friends in the two years they've been married and things are coming a little more naturally to them regarding these relationships. I think Eve in particular, has finally come to consider some of her closest friends the closest thing to family she's ever had. I loved this realization for Eve. It reminds me of the sentiment about the best families being the ones you pick yourself. For those with broken families, I believe this is the absolute truth. Can you relate to this new sense of family that Eve and Roarke are experiencing? In other words, do you have a friend or friends who are like family to you?

Don't forget to link up any of your In Death posts below!

In Death Series Reading Challenge: January 2013

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

I did not, much to my disappointment. I had big intentions to finally pick up the pace on this challenge in 2013, and yet I broke my promise to myself to read Promises in Death! It's literally collecting dust on my nightstand..

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: 

Link up any In Death series posts you may have made this month in Mr. Linky below and leave a comment letting us know which book you read. If you didn't read a book this month, tell me why not! We can swap excuses. ;)

Last Call to Join The 'In Death' Series by J.D. Robb Reading Challenge

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the post below and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?
I still have Promises In Death on my nightstand bookmarked somewhere in the first several chapters. I fell off track with this challenge in 2012, but I'm determined to fix that in 2013.

I first announced this 'In Death' Series Reading Challenge in November 2009 and here I am, hopefully at the cusp of meeting that challenge in 2013. There are currently 35 full length novels and 9 novellas published in this series, with the thirty-sixth book due out sometime next year. Despite the fact that I fell off schedule in 2012 having read only 5 novels and 2 novellas, I plan to get back on track in January and read at least one book per month, starting with Promises In Death, the 28th book. If I manage to stay on track this time, I'll finally be caught up in this series by the end of 2013, at which point, I'm going to end the Reading Challenge. So... if you've been wanting to catch up in the In Death Series, too, now is your chance to do it with some friendly camaraderie. Recommit yourself to catching up and join or re-join my 'In Death' Series Reading Challenge for 2013. 

If you'd like to join or re-join (continue) with the challenge, please add your name and a link to your blog or goodreads page in the Mr.Linky below. You can also join if you don't have a blog or goodreads page. Just leave your name in the comment section below.

By linking up below, maybe it will help you be accountable to yourself to read an In Death book every month in 2013. I sure am counting on it helping me!

I post an In Death Series Reading Challenge post in the last several days of the month so participants can link up any reviews, commentary or general progress they've made that month. I also post a spoiler free series discussion post since most readers are at different stages of the series at this point.

I hope you decide to join [or re-join]!  

To help you find your way, here's a list of the currently published books in the In Death series by J.D. Robb:

1. Naked In Death
2. Glory In Death
3. Immortal In Death
4. Rapture In Death
5. Ceremony In Death
6. Vengeance In Death
7. Holiday In Death
7.5. "Midnight in Death" (in the Silent Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
8. Conspiracy In Death
9. Loyalty in Death
10. Witness In Death
11. Judgment in Death
12. Betrayal in Death
12.5. "Interlude in Death" (in the Out of this World anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
13. Seduction in Death
14. Reunion in Death
15. Purity in Death
16. Portrait in Death
17. Imitation in Death
17.5. "Big Jack" (in Remember When novel)
18. Divided in Death
19. Visions in Death
20. Survivor in Death
21. Origin in Death
22. Memory In Death
22.5. "Haunted in Death" (in the Bump in the Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
23. Born In Death
24. Innocent in Death
24.5. "Eternity in Death" (in the Dead of Night anthology)
25. Creation in Death
26. Strangers In Death.
27. Salvation In Death
27.5. "Ritual in Death" (in the Suite 606 anthology)
28. Promises in Death
29. Kindred in Death
29.5. "Missing in Death" (in The Lost anthology)
30. Fantasy in Death
31. Indulgence in Death
31.5. "Possession in Death" (in The Other Side anthology)
32. Treachery in Death
33. New York to Dallas
33.5. "Chaos in Death" (in The Unquiet anthology)
34. Celebrity in Death
35. Delusion in Death
36. Calculated in Death [2013]
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.
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JOIN HERE!

In Death Series Reading Challenge: November 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

I started reading Promises In Death very early in the month and was LOVING it. It's the one in which one of the NYPSD's own female detectives is murdered in the basement of her apartment building, likely by someone she knows. She also happens to be a recent serious love interest of one of the long term characters on Eve's team. So there's a strong personal component to this one, which is making the mystery shrouding her murder even more compelling. I put it down only because I had some other books that I really wanted to read to fulfill book clubs, read alongs on reading challenges, but hope to pick it back up in December!

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and leave it in the comments below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
None this month.

SERIES DISCUSSION:

The five most popular genre shelf labels for the In Death series on goodreads are mystery, romance, crime, suspense and romantic suspense. I've often been conflicted about under what genre this series falls. Originally thinking it was romantic suspense, I've finally decided on crime fiction. Mystery would work, too, since each book focuses on a murder mystery, but I think crime fiction is more indicative of the police procedural aspects that dominate a large part of the books.

Under what genre (or subgenre) do YOU classify the In Death series?

In Death Series Reading Challenge: October 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

It's been several months since I read an In Death book so I'm particularly happy that I finally managed one this month. I had a couple of false starts with Salvation in Death, having started it in August, but once I read passed the first 50 pages, I became more invested in the story and I was able to stick with it. I'm so glad I did--I feel a renewed interest in the series again! Let's see if I can catch up to Nora over the next couple of months. I think I might be gaining on her!

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and leave it in the comment section below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW: 

Salvation In Death by J.D. Robb
Book #27

I thought this story had a slow start, but maybe that's just me. There's not a lot of action in this one, but there's definitely a lot of details to work out in order to get to the bottom of this crime. Eve is called to St. Cristobal's Catholic Church in Spanish Harlem when the well-loved Father Miguel Flores collapses and dies in the middle of conducting a funeral mass for one of the community's most prominent families and business owners. It's quickly deduced that Father Flores was poisoned, but why would a priest be the target of murder? The victim has very few possessions, but upon searching his room, a religious medal is found hidden in his room with an unusual inscription on the back and to complicate things more, the autopsy reveals that Father Flores had a gang tattoo removed from his arm a few years ago. Eve and Peabody try learn more about this priest and his past in hopes that it would help them identify his killer, but all it does is complicate things even more.

The murder of Father Flores ends up being a really interesting case with many layers of people and secret pasts. I enjoyed watching Eve and her team unravel the mysteries in this one, more so than I expected given I thought the first 50-100 pages were pretty slow. It's always fun watching Eve stumble through situations in which she's not comfortable, and in this case it was her knowledge of and comfort level with religion and religious figures. Likewise with Roarke! There was a second murder investigation mixed in with that of Father Flores that I wasn't very interesting and frankly didn't add anything to the story, but perhaps Robb needed to bump up her page count. Overall, another great installment to this series.

I give Salvation in Death 4 out of 5 stars on goodreads.

GRADE: B 

"Ritual in Death" by J.D. Robb
Book #27.5

This novella can be found in the Suite 606 anthology. The last short story I read was a disappointment for me, but I really enjoyed this one. Readers who skip this story don't miss anything vital to the series arc or the character development, but it was a fun one, nonetheless.

Eve and Roarke are at a formal party in a hotel ballroom when a naked, bloody and delirious man stumbles into the party with a knife in his hand. Eve disarms him and once the situation is secure, she follows the bloody trail back to Suite 606 where a woman is found murdered in what looks like a Satanic ritual sacrifice. Unfortunately the only suspect is one who is severely overdosed on a deadly mix of drugs and he can't even remember his own name. There's evidence at the scene of the crime that indicates additional suspects, but Eve and her team have to be very clever, persistent and perhaps rely on psychological instincts, so to speak, to pinpoint the killer or killers.

This police procedural rolled at a quick pace and unfolded pretty logically. I liked the way Eve had to rely a little on the undeniable psychological power she felt pouring off one particular suspect. It's good to see her put a little faith into things that can't be seen or touched.

I give Ritual in Death 4 out of 5 stars on goodreads.

GRADE: B


SERIES DISCUSSION:
One of the things I admire most about Eve is that she steadfastly stands up for the dead even when the victim is a far cry from being a model citizen or even has a crime sheet of their own. She acknowledges her role in solving the crimes and bringing in the perpetrators so that the system metes out justice. This isn't always easy on her conscience, but she's nothing if not consistent in her role as homicide detective. Part of her role as homicide detective is questioning suspects and sometimes Eve resorts to some pretty bad ass tactics to "break" her suspects into confessing. It's pretty entertaining to the reader when Eve gets her prime suspect into interrogation, but sometimes she can be excessively harsh.

What do you think of Eve's interrogation tactics? Do you ever think she goes overboard and is perhaps out of line?

In Death Series Reading Challenge: September 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the comments below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW: 
I still have Salvation in Death on the nightstand bookmarked to page twenty something and haven't picked it up in several weeks. So no review from me this month.. :(

SERIES DISCUSSION:
This month's series discussion is extremely self-serving.

How do I get out of this In Death reading slump I'm in? 

I'm stuck and I can't move forward! Help!

If anyone has series discussion suggestions, please drop me an email. I have shiny new social media icons up at the top of my sidebar. Just click on the little mail icon and zip me an email.

In Death Series Reading Challenge August 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the comments below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW: 

Strangers In Death by J.D. Robb
Book #26

I finished this one early in the month and gave it four stars on goodreads. Yet when I sat down just now to write up a short synopsis and review, I practically forgot everything about it! I had to pull the book out to refresh my memory. Not a good sign, but I guess after a while, it's difficult to remember all the crimes and their book titles in this series.

In case your memory needs refreshing, in this book, Eve and her team are investigating the murder of a rich, successful, happy and very well liked businessman, Thomas Anders, who is found naked and tied to his bed with velvet cords and murdered without any signs of a struggle. The public and Anders' family and friends are shocked at the nature of the crime, but as always, Eve doesn't let "what it looks like" interfere with her quest for the truth. She thoroughly investigates every possible angle until she solves the crime and brings down the murderer.

Overall this is another solid installment in the series. There were actually a few things that happened in the personal subplots with some of the secondary characters that I just LOVED. For fear of spoiling it for anyone who hasn't gotten this far yet, I'm not going to mention it, but I will admit I got teary eyed in a few scenes. Even if I thought the case was drawn out and boring at times, these little pockets of awesomeness among the characters pulls the rating up to "very good." I can't help it! These characters are like friends at this point.

GRADE: B

SERIES DISCUSSION:
I'm slowly but surely plugging along in this series. I had hoped to finish reading Salvation in Death this week, but I was overcome with the impulse to catch up with Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series and decided to first go back to the beginning to re-read the first five books that I read back in 2007-08! Who does that?! Anyway, it got me thinking that I should get just as determined to catch up with the In Death series once and for all. No more slacking! One book per month at a minimum until I'm caught up.

This month's series discussion is very easy: I want to know where you are in the series.

All caught up? Or still plugging along like me?

In Death Series Reading Challenge July 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month? 

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter it in the comments below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. I'm too lazy to grab Mr. Linky. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well. 

BOOK REVIEW:

None for me this month. I hoped I would get to Strangers in Death this month--I even brought it with me on vacation to read next but I probably won't get to it by the end of the month. 

SERIES DISCUSSION: Keeping in the spirit of the Olympic Games, let's imagine Eve and her gang competing in the games. In which events do you imagine them competing? 

How about Eve and Roarke both competing in shooting. Maybe even against each other? USA vs. UK? Ha! Perhaps Summerset in some equestrian event? What do you think? 

In Death Series Reading Challenge June 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun! 

Did you read any In Death series books this month? 

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW: 
None from me this month.


SERIES DISCUSSION:
I've had Strangers in Death on my nightstand for weeks now and just haven't felt like picking it up. I enjoy these books very much, but I find I have to be in the right mood to want to read them. Like most In Death readers, I've gotten this far in the series because of the characters. It's like catching up with a friend.. sometimes the time between visits is long, but once we get together it's like we never parted. I know once I decide to start reading Strangers in Death, I'll get pulled in to the story and enjoy it. And then wonder why I was pushing it off for so long.

What drives you to pick up the next book in this series? 

In Death Series Reading Challenge May 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf.

BOOK REVIEW: 

Creation in Death by J.D. Robb
In Death series, Book #25

This story opens with Lt. Eve Dallas called to the scene of a murder that's all too familiar: The body of a young brunette woman with wounds on her body indicative of horrific torture and carved in her belly is the time it took for her to die. Nine years ago, the department investigated a series of murders just like this one, the case never solved. Now this vicious, elusive murderer known as "The Groom" is back in NYC, targeting women who work for Eve's multimillionaire husband Roarke. Eve and her team are literally racing the clock with a vengeance to catch "The Groom" once and for all and before more women die.

I have to admit that it took me almost half the book before I got pulled into this one. The case was interesting enough, but there was a lot of fact gathering going on and very little criminal suspense or personal drama to the story at that point to keep me absorbed. Plus I have to admit being somewhat annoyed that once again, expert civilian Roarke is working around the clock with the NYSPD on this case and even present at meetings with the commissioner. Really?

Thankfully, around half way through the book the pace finally picked up. In fact, it got so intense that I didn't want to put it down! The reader is exposed to the murderer's disturbing torture methods throughout the story, which definitely raises the creep-factor several notches. His motives are slowly revealed as the investigation progresses, which in turn makes it all the more disturbing. Not only are the physical acts horrific, but so are the psychological aspects.

There are some great scenes between Eve and Feeney, both heated and emotional, as they rehash the investigation from nine years ago and discover that neither one of them have ever gotten over the frustration and guilt from having never solved "The Groom" murders long ago. These several scenes and the last couple of chapters turned this book from an okay read into one I thoroughly enjoyed. I even choked up a bit there at the end!

I gave Creation in Death 4 out of 5 stars on goodreads.

GRADE: B 

SERIES DISCUSSION:


Broadly speaking, it seems that many of the In Death crime investigations can be categorized in one of two ways. Personal homicides or serial murders. By personal homicides I mean cases in which the  murderer kills people he or she personally knows; domestic or professional type relationships. By serial murders I mean homicides in which the murderer is selecting strangers as his victims who fit some specific criteria, usually tied to his or her past.

Do you prefer one or the other above type of crime investigation in this series? 


Or do you like to read this series primarily for the personal interactions with the characters? 


I don't prefer one crime investigation or the other, although I have to admit the serial murders usually end up being super creepy. The kind that make me nibble on my fingers and shudder and cringe at the horror. I do prefer, however, when the crime investigation gets entangled with the personal lives of our favorite characters, whether it be Eve, Roarke, Peabody or any one else in Eve's circle of friends. Those stories seem to be the biggest page turners for me.

In Death Series Reading Challenge April 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW: 
I didn't make it in time this month. I'm in the middle of reading Creation in Death right now and will probably finish it tomorrow. This one started out a little slow for me, but once Eve and her team got hot on the trail of the killer, the pace picked up and now I don't want to put it down.

SERIES DISCUSSION:
Last week I spied a pristine hard cover copy of the recently released Celebrity in Death on the used book sale shelf at my library for only $5, but alas I had no cash on me! I toyed with asking the librarians to hold it for me until the morning, but ended up not doing anything. I didn't even go back the next day with $5. If it's there the next time I go, I'll buy it. If not, I figure by the time I'm ready to read that one it will be out in paperback anyway and maybe I'll even find a used copy somewhere just as cheap or cheaper. Most of my In Death collection are used books.

This got me wondering what format of In Death books do you read?


Do you own the whole series? 


Does your collection consist of paperbacks? Hardcover? E-book? A mixture?


Do you borrow the books from the library?

In Death Series Reading Challenge March 2012

 Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month? 

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month in this post. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW: 
Eternity In Death 
Book #24.5

In this short story from the Dead of Night anthology, our fearless Lieutenant Eve Dallas is hunting a vampire allegedly responsible for the murder of a beautiful young woman.


Wait, what??!

Vampires in an In Death story?! Rest assured this series has not taken a turn down paranormal lane, although you'd be hard pressed to convince this murderer otherwise.

Infamous for her wild living, the very rich, beautiful and famous Tiara Kent is found dead by exsanguination in her apartment, the only injury on her body a pair of puncture wounds on her neck. The open minded and perhaps superstitious Detective Peabody suggests the wound is indicative of a vampire bite, but the logical and pragmatic Lt. Dallas sees right through that charade and is determined to snare the mortal man responsible for this murder, no matter how convincing his vampiric behaviors are.

Eve and her team venture into the darkest, most dangerous depths of the city to solve this crime and bring the killer to justice. The best part of this story is how everyone on Eve's team, including Roarke, couldn't help but speculate if the killer really is a vampire, even if just for humor's sake and to jerk Eve's chain. Aside from that, the case is solved almost as quickly as it presents itself, and it's just a matter of logistics on how to acquire evidence on the killer.

GRADE: B
 
SERIES DISCUSSION:

How do you feel about the In Death short stories?
I think some are better than others in this series. The crime aspect of this one was okay--not terribly suspenseful, but still pretty entertaining in the subject matter and how the team played up the vampirism.

Do you seek them out and read them? Yes, I do.

Do you insist on reading them in their proper chronological placement within the series?
I've become a stickler about the whole reading in order thing. I'm just glad I can find a lot of these later anthologies at local libraries so I don't have to buy an $8 book for a 100 page short story.

In Death Series Reading Challenge: February 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
I have reviews for both of these books posted on goodreads that are a little more elaborate than what I wrote here. As I progress in the series, I'm trying to be more cautious about inadvertently spoiling plot lines to other participants in the reading challenge. So I'm going to try to be brief and vague.

Born In Death
Book #23
In this book, Eve and her team start out investigating the murder of a young accountant and her boyfriend, both of whom work for the same high profile accounting firm. Coinciding with this murder investigation, Eve also starts investigating the suspicious disappearance of Mavis' pregnant friend Tandy.

Born In Death was just an okay read for me. There were a few nice scenes from Eve's personal life, particularly between her and Mavis, but aside from that, the story was a bit flat for me. There are a lot of secondary characters in this book--significantly more than usual, I think, and at times I was losing track of who was who. Not fun when you're trying to solve the murder alongside your favorite homicide detective!

My other complaint with this book has to do with Roarke's involvement as civilian consultant. Yes, again. But what makes it even more annoying in this installment is that an unethical situation arises under the circumstances and instead of both he, Eve and the NYPSD all determining he needs to sit this one out, he gets his lawyers involved and then poof! All is well and he's on the case. I found this ridiculously unrealistic.
MY GRADE: C

Innocent In Death
Book #24
Where Born In Death fell short for me .. Innocent In Death totally stole the show and won my heart. This installment is definitely one of the most compelling books in the series. The crime fiction was interesting and suspenseful and the drama in Eve and Roarke's personal life was equally engaging--at times heartbreaking and at other times utterly heartwarming.

In Innocent In Death, Eve and her team are investigating the murder of a young, admired history teacher in a private high school. While his wife seems the most obvious suspect since it was the lunch she packed for her husband that was the cause of his death, it turns out quite a few staff members in the high school are keeping secrets. In the meantime, Eve and Roarke's marriage is being tested when Magdelena Percell--a gorgeous, seductive and powerful old flame of Roarke's shows up in New York on a mission to recapture the attention of the man she let go all those years ago--Roarke. This woman's presence sends Eve for a loop and she's struggling to keep her act together both on the job and at home.

While the turmoil between Eve and Roarke was very sad to read about, it was also one of the best, most accurate representations of the real life challenges of marriage in this series so far. Very distressing and also very sentimental. I loved it.
GRADE: A

SERIES DISCUSSION:
Another one of the things I loved about Innocent In Death was Summerset's obvious disdain for Magdelena Percell and his obvious approval of Eve. As usual, he isn't afraid to speak his mind to either Roarke or Eve, and in this case, I was so glad he didn't mind his business. It may have been the first instance in which Summerset clearly verbalizes to Eve that he in fact believes Eve is the right woman for Roarke. He scored major points with me in several scenes in this book.

Which of Summerset's character traits are your favorite? 

In Death Series Reading Challenge: January 2012

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

We have four new participants in the challenge this year. Please welcome Darlene, Lauren, Cassandra and Aisha!:)

Would you believe this post marks the two year anniversary of this challenge? Two years! .. and most of us are still not caught up yet! I'm trying to stay on track with one book per month, but it doesn't always happen. This month was overall a very slow reading month for me. I'm currently reading Born in Death, but haven't finished it in time for this month.

How did you do?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
... none ...

SERIES DISCUSSION:

Eve wasn't sure what it said about her that she was more comfortable in the morgue than in a baby boutique. And she didn't actually care. The cold white walls, the scent of death under the piney odors of cleansers were the familiar.
--Born in Death, p. 46

Oh Eve. We can't even fell sorry for her, thinking she is missing out on anything because the cause for which she chooses to devote herself is so heroic. No one will work harder to solve a murder and see that justice is served on behalf of the victims as Eve does. Of course, we all feel tremendous sadness and sorrow for the horrific childhood that Eve lived. I also sometimes think of Eve's adult life before she met Roarke and think those years must have been pretty sad as well--really only living and breathing her job, rarely if ever relaxing, having fun, sharing herself with someone, loving and being loved. The quality of Eve's life has improved tenfold since those days thanks to Roarke, her friend Mavis and numerous colleagues who are now also considered friends. She's come a long way, hasn't she? So if she's not comfortable with spa treatments, shopping sprees and baby boutiques, I can accept that.

What are your thoughts regarding the quote above?

In Death Series Reading Challenge December 2011

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

It's that time again to share which In Death books we've read this month. I read two full length novels and one novella in this series in December--a new record for me! How did you do?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:

Origin In Death
Book #21
It's Thanksgiving season in the year of 2059 and New York City's top homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas is investigating the murder of Wilfred B. Icove, a world renowned and esteemed cosmetic surgeon while also trying to deal with her first ever familial holiday celebration. The murder investigation reveals connections between this respected physician and extremely controversial and unethical genetic manipulation and experimentation. The genetic science and the moral and ethical implications of such behind this investigation was all very interesting, but unfortunately, it left for a rather dry plot, lacking the usual fast paced homicide investigation I've come to expect in this series. In addition, the secondary thread of Dallas' personal life was barely addressed. Had the personal aspects of the story been more deeply developed, it could have made up for the slow pace of the murder investigation, especially given the holiday nature of the story and the arrival of Roarke's relatives from Ireland.

There are a couple of very brief scenes in the book that do bring some meaning to Eve's personal life, however. My favorite is one involving Eve and her friend and partner, Peabody. After some extremely unorthodox connections between the victims of Icove's experiments is uncovered, Peabody expresses her strong desire to connect and talk to her parents. Of course having no parents or family, Eve responds with an "I wouldn't know." and states that if that's what makes Icove's victims artificial, then so is she. After a moment of silence, Peabody responds:

"I know I'm lucky to have them [parents], and my brothers, my sisters, all the rest. I know they'll listen, that's the thing. But not having that, having to make yourself out of what gets dumped on you, creating your life out of that ... it's not artificial. It's as real as it gets."

Memory in Death by J.D.Robb
Book #22
A very solid installment in the series. It's days before Christmas--Eve and Roarke's second one together--and Eve is visited by a 'ghost' from her past. Okay, not exactly a ghost, but someone she hasn't thought of in decades. Trudy Lombard was Eve's first foster mother after being found dazed, bloodied and unidentified in an alley in Dallas, Texas at the age of eight. Far from motherly, Trudy was strict and cruel to Eve, causing even more damage to Eve's sense of worth and overall emotional well being. After shocking Eve with her presence in her office, Trudy tries to blackmail Roarke with exposing Eve's past to the media. When Eve decides to visit Trudy's hotel to put her in her place, she finds Trudy on the floor of her own hotel room, beaten to death. For the first time ever, Eve feels indifferent one of her homicide victims and struggles with this for the entire case. Eventually she comes to terms with it all and of course, solves the murder. The nature of this murder and the crime investigation was appropriately presented and connected to Eve's present stage in life--finding love and a home. Merry Christmas, Eve.

Haunted in Death by J.D. Robb
Book #22.5
In this novella, Eve is investigating the death of a business man who is the grandson of a club owner who was romantically linked to a female rock star legend who mysteriously disappeared eighty-five years ago. The club is apparently haunted by the ghost of this rock star, which has everyone but Eve believing in the supernatural.

This novella was just ok--it wasn't awful, but I found it rather dry and uneventful. It didn't even feel as if any serious investigating was taking place and then all of a sudden the killer practically announced his or her guilt to Eve.

SERIES DISCUSSION:
By a stroke of luck, I was at the point in this series that had me reading Origin in Death and Memory in Death in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas--which was the same time frame in the stories! I couldn't have planned that if I tried!

One theme that recurred in the two holiday themed novels--Origin and Memory In Death is Eve's natural struggle with concepts of home and belonging. With that comes Eve's attempts to figure out how to "do" holidays--the gifts, the gatherings, the proper things to do or say. It's both comical and endearing to watch her come into this new phase in her life in which there are other people for her to consider aside from herself. The best part is how she accepts Roarke as her family and her home at his side--wherever he is.

I think this is a valuable message to all of us during the holiday season--that no matter your past, present or future, home is where you hang your heart.

Happy Holidays!

What message(s) of family, if any, are you getting from this series? 

In Death Series Reading Challenge November 2011

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

It's that time again to share which In Death books we've read this month. I'm in the middle of reading Origin In Death [Book #22] and was so close to finishing it tonight while it was still November, but a girl scout meeting with my youngest and precalc homework with my eldest took priority over reading so that's not happening. How about you? Did you read an In Death book this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
... not this month.

SERIES DISCUSSION:
It's Thanksgiving during the time frame of Origin in Death and Eve and Roarke will be hosting their first "familial" holiday dinner in their home. At the point I'm up to in the book, Eve and Roarke have been fumbling over how to actually carry out such an foreign feat--the guest list, what to serve, etc..  It's actually quite charming how awkward and clumsy they are when they discuss possible plans. So I was imagining guests arriving at their home for Thanksgiving dinner and wondered what people would possibly bring?

What would you bring to Thanksgiving dinner at Eve and Roarke's?

I would bring homemade pumpkin pie with a crust made from real butter and the filling from fresh pumpkin puree, sweetened with pure Canadian maple syrup. I would hope that my gesture of making something from scratch in the age of the AutoChef would show the depth of my thankfulness for being invited to their home and included in their holiday dinner.

In Death Series Reading Challenge October 2011

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

It's that time again to share which In Death books we've read this month. I'm currently reading Origin In Death [Book #20], but don't think I'll finish by tomorrow night. Hopefully others have had a more successful month!

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month below. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
None from me this month...

SERIES DISCUSSION:

I always find it sad when characters make a reference to something that all children should know and Eve just draws a blank. That she missed out on anything and everything simple and happy that a child should experience. In the book I'm reading now--Origin In Death, Eve drew a blank when a reference was made to the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme and a few scenes later when Peabody referred to Barbie dolls. That Eve doesn't know common nursery rhymes is heartbreaking enough because she never had a loving, attentive adult teach them to her, but to also not be familiar with Barbie dolls suggests that not only did she not have toys, but that she probably never saw the inside of a toy store nor did she ever watch television of kids' shows because otherwise she would have seen commercials for the dolls at some point. Instances like these throughout the series are sad reminders of just how much Eve was deprived of love and any form of a childhood whatsoever.

What toy from your childhood stands out the most in your memory? Either one you had or one you always wanted?

Some classics from my childhood are Barbie dolls [I had a tent camping set, but always wanted the RV or airplane play set], Baby Alive [battery operated doll with a motorized mouth that "ate" baby food and soiled its diaper]. I always wanted an EZ Bake oven and Lite Brite. Finally got to play with those when I became I mom and got them for my own daughters. ;)

In Death Series Reading Challenge: September 2011

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:


Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:

Survivor In Death by J.D. Robb
In Death series, Book 20
Published 2005

Survivor In Death is one of the most intense and terrifying installment in the series thus far. In this book, nine year old Nixie Swisher is the sole survivor in death after her mother, father, brother, her best friend and the family domesticate are murdered in their beds while they sleep, practically right before her eyes. The only reason Nixie was spared is because she snuck out of bed in the middle of night for a soda and then hid when she figured out there were intruders in her home. The murders are carried out swiftly and silently with military precision and speed, leaving no evidence behind as they attempted to erase this loving family. Lieutenant Eve Dallas spares nothing at keeping Nixie safe, knowing whoever is responsible for these horrendous murders isn't going to stop until Nixie is found and killed. Nixie is clearly left quite traumatized not only by her incredible grief and loss, but also by the horrific scene of blood and gruesome deaths right before her eyes. Although the circumstances are a bit different, Eve and Roarke are reminded of their own childhood traumas through what Nixie is experiencing now. So while Eve and her team do whatever it takes to hunt these murderers down, she and Roarke are also doing whatever it takes to help Nixie and each other as they revisit their own childhoods that still haunt them.

Survivor In Death starts out with an intense murder scene and doesn't let go of that intensity until the very end. The sadness and grief, and consequently the compassion between characters, are as intense as the suspense and terror in this book, making it one of the most exceptional books in this series so far. The murderers are cold, calculating and brutal in the abuse, terror and death they inflict on their victims. While the crimes in this story are horrific, and the grief and confusion of this poor child are heart wrenching, the amount of sensitivity, love and compassion that is shared among the characters are what hold this story--and the survivors-- together.

SERIES DISCUSSION TOPIC:


Eve and Roarke do a lot of personal reflection in this book as they watch over Nixie. They see themselves in her as they reflect on their own childhood losses and all the blood, the death, the abandonment and loneliness they felt as children and what they still deal with as adults. They reflect on the love, comfort and closeness that makes up a healthy, loving family and they wonder in their own ways if that's something they could or would ever experience.

My discussion question is whether you think Eve and Roarke will ever start a family of their own and have a baby.

Readers of this series have told me that they have heard that Nora Roberts has said [talk about here say!] that the day Eve is pregnant or has a baby the series is over. I don't know about you, but if this series ever comes to an end--and it has to some day, right?-- I couldn't think of a better way to end it than with Eve and Roarke having a baby of their own. Yeah, yeah, Eve flips out over anything having to do with pregnant women, babies or children, but I could totally see Eve and Roarke figuring out parenthood together.


CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY WINNER!


Looks like I completely forgot to draw a winner for last month's challenge giveaway. Any participants who kept up with the challenge and read four books from April 1 through August 31, 2011 were eligible for my little prize giveaway. Picking the winner was a total no-brainer this time because there was only ONE person eligible.

Congrats, ELENEA! You're the lucky winner!

Contact me at my email address in my blog profile and let me know your prize of choice. US $5 gift card to Starbucks, dunkin donuts, amazon, B&N or another online bookstore that allows electronic gift cards.

Since participation has been kind of low lately for the challenge, I'm going to discontinue the giveaways.  But keep reading those In Death books! Last one to catch up with Nora is a rotten egg!  Haha! j/k

In Death Series Reading Challenge August 2011

Oops! I promised vacation pictures, but would you look at that? It's the last day of August already which means I have to give this month's In Death Challenge post priority. It'll drive me nuts if the August post went up in September.

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE
and join the fun!

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and enter in the Mr. Linky below along with your name so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily.

If you're just keeping a running list of the books as you read them, grab the link to your list post and enter in the Mr. Linky so we can recognize your success this month.

If you're reading or rereading without documenting it on your blog, let me know in the comments which book(s) you read in this month. This will also help me keep track of who's eligible for the challenge giveaway this month!

REMINDER: In order to be eligible for the challenge giveaway in August 2011, you must have read four In Death books between April 1, 2011 and August 31, 2011 and have documented that you have either on your own blog, on goodreads [please leave a link to your profile if we're not already friends there] or you can let us know what you read here in the comments of the monthly In Death Reading Challenge posts. See below for giveaway details!

BOOK REVIEW:
I never got around to posting my mini review for this one in last month's challenge post, so I'm doing it here. This book is probably among one of my favorites in the series at this point.

Divided In Death by J.D. Robb
Divided In Death brought some new and unusual stresses to Eve and Roarke's lives. First, the murder investigation becomes a personal one because the prime suspect for a double murder is Reva Ewing--one of Roarke's top security employees who also happens to be the beloved daughter of Caro who is Roarke's executive secretary. Then the stress level is kicked up even more so when Roarke inadvertently uncovers some startling information about Eve's tragic and abusive childhood situation. The revelation is horrendous, and of course Roarke wants justice--or is it revenge?-- for the travesty, yet Eve decides to "let it go." This becomes a source of heat between them, and I don't mean the good kind. It adds fuel to this already stressful time for them, but you know it only brings them closer in the end. The intensity of the friction between Eve and Roarke and the complexity of the murder investigation that hits so close to home makes Divided In Death a winner for me.

Visions In Death by J.D. Robb
In this story, Eve and her team are investigating a serial murderer who is killing women of a specific profile, removing her eyes and displaying her naked with nothing but a red ribbon around her neck. A woman with a psychic gift comes to Eve with information because she has had very graphic visions of the murders and hopes to help. Of course, this is a difficult avenue for Eve's logical and scientific mind, but she handles it well. Someone on her team takes a really bad hit at one point in the novel, and while I felt confident that the author would not let this character die, I have to admit it was quite stressful to read. It was comforting to see the friends come together to support each other and reach out to the injured during this difficult time. There was also an unexpected twist of sorts in the murder plot that I enjoyed. It's good when a crime fiction author can surprise or stump her readers after twenty something books.

SERIES DISCUSSION:
I think I enjoy the progress of the friendship between Eve and Peabody most out of all the relationships in this series. Professionally, Peabody is learning from having Eve--the city's best cop, as her mentor. Personally, Eve is discovering the joys and complications of having friends in her life. While Peabody isn't the only one in Eve's ever expanding circle of loved ones, the fact that they work and socialize together really strengthens their relationship. Plus they have some of the most entertaining conversations!

Which relationships do you enjoy most in this series? 


CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY:

Did anyone read four In Death books between May and August 2011? Let me know.