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: 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 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: 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.

In Death Reading Challenge: July 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.

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. 

PLEASE NOTE: I wanted to make sure I got July's challenge post up in July, but I can't stay awake a moment longer, so I will come back and edit this post tomorrow to include a mini review of the book I read this month and a series discussion question. Please come back! 

BOOK REVIEW:
Divided In Death 
Book 19

To be posted tomorrow morning..


SERIES DISCUSSION: 

To be posted tomorrow morning.. 

In Death Series Reading Challenge: June 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.

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:
None! My pattern has become to read an In Death book every other month as opposed to every month and well, turns out June is one of the other months. So many books, so little time...

SERIES DISCUSSION: 
If you were planning some girl time with Eve, what would you do together?

I think I would suggest working out together and chatting about her latest case--as long as it wasn't too gruesome. Maybe a run through the elaborate gardens of Eve and Roarke's estate.I picture paths that wind through the landscape.Then maybe some laps in the pool before laying out on the sunny patio in the most comfortable lounge chaises ever, sipping the most delicious frozen drinks you could imagine. Then I'd wake up an hour later not even remembering falling asleep.And then I'd realize I just dreamed up the whole thing.;)

REVIEW: The First Cut by Dianne Emley

E The First Cut by Dianne Emley is the May book selection for the Authors by the Alphabet online book club for the author last name beginning with the letter 'E.'

The First Cut is the first book in the crime fiction thriller series featuring female police officer and single mother Nan Vining of the Pasadena Police Department. The story begins with Vining returning to the precinct for work after a leave of absence she required to recover physically and mentally from a brutal attack while in the line of duty that nearly took her life months earlier. Within minutes of entering the precinct, Vining is recruited to investigate the heinous murder of Frankie Lynde, a young, beautiful female cop with the LA Police Department whose naked and brutalized body is found dumped in an arroyo in Pasadena. While some of her fellow officers think this crime may hit too close to home for Vining, she views this case as the perfect opportunity to prove to her colleagues--and more importantly to herself, that she's ready and able to get back in the game.

To complicate Vining's return to work, she secretly suffers anxiety attacks whenever she enters unfamiliar houses. Sometimes these anxiety attacks manifest themselves in the form of hearing voices from both Frankie Lynde and T.B. Mann-- the name Vining and her teenage daughter have given to Vining's unknown attacker "The Bad Man" who remains at large.

The First Cut starts out a bit slow introducing the primary and secondary characters, establishing the crime scene and other information, all the while without any strong character developments or progress in the plot itself. Eventually, though, the pace picks up and the book quickly transforms into a very intense police procedural for a disturbing set of crimes that left me turning the pages as fast as I could just to make sure justice was served.

This book's strength is definitely in the thoroughness of the police investigation and the specific procedurals as well as in the grim and disturbing profile of the murderer and his accomplice. Revisiting the events that led up to the murder of LAPD officer Frankie Lynde and witnessing the perpetrator initiate a new crime against a new victim was both disturbing and suspenseful. The weakness of the book, however, is that I felt Officer Nan Vining's character was short changed in the development area. Yes, we learn about her attack by T.B. Mann and how it still affects her, we learn about her relationship with her daughter and bit about a male colleague with whom she used to be involved and we also learn what a competent and intuitive cop she is--all of which invites the reader to empathize with and route for Vining's success. Which happens for the most part, yet I feel like we could have and should have gotten more intimately involved with Vining's character to really know and connect with her. Since this is the first book in a series, I imagine Vining's character develops more in the subsequent stories making her character and her stories even more compelling.

I gave The First Cut three stars on goodreads for "I like it." The series shows great promise and I intend to read the rest of the books in the Nan Vining series.

GRADE: B-

For links to other reviews and the Q&A among the book club members, visit Paula's blog HERE.

If you're interested in joining the Authors by the Alphabet Book Club, visit Paula's blog at the SIGN UP post. All are welcome and participation is flexible. Come join the fun! :)

In Death Series Reading Challenge: May 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!

The winner of the quarterly challenge prize is ...

Natalie! 

Natalie and I live about six miles from each other with a Barnes & Noble conveniently smack in the middle between our houses. We figured this out a couple of weeks after "meeting" online when she joined the In Death challenge over a year ago. I think Natalie and I will meet at our local B&N one evening so I can treat her to a book or a coffee and scone. :)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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 May 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. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BOOK REVIEW:

Remember When by Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb

This month, I read Remember When which is a collection of two connected stories, originally published in 2003?. Part One is a Nora Robert romantic suspense story and Part Two is a J.D. Robb In Death story falling at book #17.5 in the series. Coincidentally, both stories were recently reissued in 2010 in separate mass market paperbacks respectively titled "Hot Rocks" and "Big Jack."

The first story, Hot Rocks, is a contemporary romantic suspense story featuring Laine Tavish, the daughter of professional thief and con man, Big Jack. Laine Tavis has worked hard to make a clean life for herself as an antiques dealer in a quaint town in Maryland. Her efforts for good a life are instantly jeopardized when a multimillion dollar diamond heist that her father is involved in starts to go south, bringing stolen diamonds and murder to her door. It also brings private investigator Max Gannon, which isn't such a bad thing as Laine and Max fall in love while trying to recover the diamonds before someone else is murdered.

The suspense and mystery in this story was really great and meshed really well with the romance between Laine and Max. It's obvious that there's attraction and interest between the two and Max asks Laine out to dinner when they meet for the first time. Although the love between them develops over a short period of time, their romance is tender and their happily ever after convincing and believable. How does Nora do that?

The second story in Remember When is an In Death series short story called Big Jack that takes place about 50 years after Hot Rocks. Lt. Eve Dallas and her homicide team are investigating a murder that occurs in the apartment of Samantha Gannon, granddaughter of Laine Tavish and Max Gannon and great granddaughter of the infamous diamond thief Big Jack from the previous story. Samantha Gannon has written a book about the diamond heist in which her family was so closely involved and is away on a book tour when her apartment is ransacked and her friend and house sitter is found murdered. It appears that someone is after Samantha in order to find a pouch of diamonds that was never recovered more than 50 years ago and will stop at nothing--including murder-- to get them.

The murderer in Big Jack was fairly easy to identify, but it was exciting nonetheless to follow the sequence of events that led Eve and her team to solve the case and take down the murderer. Nothing too consequential in the relationships or personal lives of the cast, other than Peabody adjusting to life with her new badge.

I really enjoyed reading Remember When and sampling Nora Roberts' two story telling voices side by side. Whether writing a contemporary romantic suspense as Nora Roberts or futuristic crime fiction as J.D. Robb, the author's talent developing relationships between her characters with natural and engaging dialogue is definitely one of her biggest strengths. Roberts is also adept at tightly weaving personal stories within a suspenseful crime fiction plot, rendering the entire story arc wholly believable and of course, enjoyable.

GRADE: B+

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SERIES DISCUSSION:
I loved how this book is comprised of two stories from slightly different genres, but whose story arcs and characters are still connected. It's such a unique book, I think.

Can anyone think of any other author who has written a book or books like this?

In Death Series Reading Challenge: April 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!

I just starting reading my In Death book for April today, so it looks like I'm going to miss this month by a couple of days. 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.

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 April 2011, you must have read four In Death books between January 1, 2011 and April 30, 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!

SERIES DISCUSSION:
I'm short on ideas for a discussion topic this month. I'm afraid to bring up anything that may be spoiler-ish in nature to any readers who are still in the early stages of the series. Here's a fun question:

Do you think the cat Galahad favors Eve or Roarke? 

I think Galahad favors Eve--he knows when she needs comforting and knows she's a sucker for handing over food from her plate!

CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY:
As promised, I am going to do a little giveaway for the participants in this challenge. One randomly selected winner will receive their choice of a US $5 gift card to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Amazon, B&N or the purchase of a US $5 book from The Book Depository. To qualify for the giveaway, you must do or have done the following:

1. Be signed up for the In Death Reading Challenge in this post HERE either with Mr.Linky or in the comments if you do not have your own blog.
2. Have read FOUR In Death novels between January 1, 2011 and April 30, 2011.
3. Have documented the In Death novels you have read for the challenge by:

Maintaining a running list somewhere on your blog
OR
Posting reviews or commentary on your blog
OR
Having notified me which book(s) you read in comments on any of the In Death Challenge posts
OR
Any combination of the above.

Pretty simple. Read four In Death books between January and April 2011, leave me proof, and voila! You're in the drawing.

I'll select a winner at the end of next week! Good luck.

In Death Series Reading Challenge: March 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!

After missing three months of the challenge, I finally read an In Death book this month! I don't know what happened that I couldn't get into the mood to pick it up before, but once I sat down and read the first couple of chapters, as usual, it was tough to put down. I hope this is the beginning of a new groove and I keep up with a monthly read from here on in.

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 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 April 2011, you must have read four In Death books between January 1, 2011 and April 30, 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.

BOOK REVIEW:


Imitation In Death by J.D. Robb
Book 19

In this installment, Eve and her team are on the hunt for a murderer who is choosing his victims so that he imitates the madness and methods of famous serial killers from the past, including Jack the Ripper, the Boston Strangler and more. The only lead he leaves behind is a note on each victim addressed personally to Dallas. By tracing the source of this high end and illegal, un-recycled stationary, Eve has a shortlist of suspects to investigate.

I found this murder plot fairly interesting. Obviously not because the crimes were so unique--they're copy cat murders, after all, but I found it interesting to learn so much about the different suspects personal lives in the process of the investigation. Each suspect had very unsubstantial alibis that led Dallas to investigate further in their lifestyles to try to verify their whereabouts during the times of the crimes, catching the suspects and their family members in all sorts of lies. Which of course, led to some very interesting other revelations about their personal lives and potential motives for murder. I wasn't exactly sure who the killer was for most of the book, but my gut instinct proved correct in the end.

As always, I enjoyed the personal components to the story as Eve's relationships with her colleagues and friends and of course, her marriage to Roarke continue to evolve. I know I've mentioned it before, but I really adore the rapport between Eve and Peabody and how well they know each other. Peabody isn't as timid at pointing out Dallas' shortcomings, either.

For example, in one scene, Dallas tells Peabody that they will be returning to the U.N. to speak with one of the suspects who happens to be a very powerful politician who did not appreciate being questioned for murder. So much so that he filed a complaint against Dallas to her superiors.

     "We're going back to the U.N., to Renquist, and not risking federal imprisonment?"
     "We're going back to apologize, grovel, and eat massive portions of crow."
     "You don't know how to to do those things." Peabody looked mournful. "We're going to the pen."

LOL!

I also continue to get a kick out of Eve's uneasiness regarding anything outside of NYC. Eve and Roarke are in New L.A. researching an older murder case with the same MO as her current case in New York and Eve finds herself outside her comfort zone in such a sunny, laid back city such as New L.A.

      "Can't figure out why anybody lives out here," she said. "Just because they've had the big one doesn't mean there's not another big one just waiting to flatten them."
      "Nice breeze though," Roarke commented. "And they've certainly battled back he smog and noise pollution."
      "Whole place feels like a vid, you know? Or a VR program. Too much peachy, pinky, white. Too many healthy bodies with perfect smiling faces on thop of them. Creeps me."
      "And I just don't think you ought to have palm trees waving around in the middle of a city. It's just not right."
      "This should please you then. The building you want appears to be suitably shabby and unkempt, and the locals seem to be satisfactorily shady."
       She sat up, stifled a yawn, and looked around.
      Only about half the streetlights were working, and the building itself was dead dark. Some of the windows were riot-barred, others boarded. Several people skulked and slithered around in the shadows, and in one she spotted an illegals deal winding up.
      "This is more like it." Cheered, she stepped out of the car. "This thing got full security?"
      "It's loaded." He put the top up, engaged the locks and deflectors.
      "Her flop was on the third floor. Might as well poke around since we're here."
      "It's always a pleasure to poke around in a condemned building where someone might stab, bludgeon, or blast us at any moment."
     "You've got your kind of fun, I've got mine." She scanned the area, selected her target. "Yo, asshole!"

Classic Eve. I love it. :)


BOOK DISCUSSION:

I'm lacking creativity for our discussion topic this month, so I'm going back to the old AutoChef thing. I'm still stumped by how it all works. Having a "stocked" AutoChef is frequently mentioned. Exactly how does one stock their AutoChef? With fresh ingredients? Fully prepared meals that are fresh? Or frozen? Also, I'm under the impression that AutoChef's aren't that big. I suppose there could be different sized units--small ones for your office that maybe just have coffee and maybe a snack or two. Like a mini vending machine, right? Okay, fine. But what about the ones that produce freshly prepared full course meals? Those AutoChefs have to be pretty big in size, right? It stores and cooks the stuff. Or not if you order salad. How do they even know what dishes are available in there? How does this thing work?! Anyone else wonder obsess about this?


Don't forget to link up and thanks for keeping up with the challenge! :)

In Death Series Reading Challenge Post: February 2011

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year no matter where you are in the series. See the sign up post HERE to join the fun!

I am failing miserably at this challenge this year. I am at slump in this series and I don't know why. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with the series, but more to do with a recent interest in exploring other genres. In any case, I'd better get back on track next with this challenge next month or else it'll just get harder to pick up momentum again.

I hope you did better than I this month. Please share what you've read.

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 April 2011, you must have read four In Death books between January 1, 2011 and April 30, 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.

BOOK DISCUSSION:
I think maybe everyone has read enough books in the series to have come across someone stealing Eve's personal stash of candy in her office. She's started to hide her candy bars, but the thief is still managing to steal her candy.

Who do you think is the candy thief?

If you definitely know who it is because it has been revealed in later books, please don't spoil it. Speculations only!!! Thanks! :)

I have no idea who it might be.

I don't think it's Peabody. She already begs for Eve to share whenever she eats candy in front of her. I don't think Peabody is so gluttonous to steal and eat Eve's stash behind her back, too.

Feeney seems too obvious a choice.

It would be funny if it were Roarke, but he's supposed to be too busy buying and selling and owning half the world to be sneaking into Eve's office when she's not there to steal her candy.

Summerset would do it just to piss her off, but again... showing up at Eve's office for any reason would be beneath him.

Nadine? Nah.
McNab? Maybe.
Commander Whitney!? That would be funny.
Dr. Mira? That would be even funnier!

Who else could it be?


BOOK REVIEW:
None.

In Death Series Reading Challenge Post: January 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!

I just realized today that I never pulled a winner for the December challenge giveaway! There were three participants who read four or more In Death books from September to December 2010: Lori, Maija and Sarah. I used random.org to select a winner and the winner is.....

Sarah! :)

Congrats! I'll be sending you an email so we can work out your prize.

The next giveaway will be at the end of April. To be qualified for the giveaway, you must read at least four In Death books between January and April, 2011. You need to post a review or keep a list somewhere on your blog as you read the books. If you don't have a blog, you need to leave a comment in the monthly end of the month round-up posts I make here on my blog stating which book(s) you read. Most of all, though, have fun reading this series!

As for me, I've fallen a bit behind schedule. I didn't read an In Death book in December or January. I'm sure once I get the urge to pick one up, I'll find my groove again.

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.

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 April 2011, you must have read four In Death books between January 1, 2011 and April 30, 2011 and have documented that you have either on your own blog or on my blog within the comments of the monthly In Death Reading Challenge posts.

BOOK DISCUSSION:
I think it's pretty safe to say we are all thoroughly enjoying this series and have grown very fond of the characters. So much so that when we pick up the next book, it's like visiting with friends. But chances are there are some things about the series that bug you now and then.

Series pet peeves?

I have two.

One. I think Roarke's role as civilian consultant on almost every single one of Eve's cases lately has become utterly ridiculous. Not only do I find it farfetched that the NYPSD would allow it, but I'm starting to think it would go against Eve's nature as well. Although who am I to think the latter when I'm not the one writing Eve's character. Also, I think he'd be kind of busy buying and selling and managing half the private world like he does and not realistically have the time to stay up all night hacking systems to get Eve data she needs to crack a case? Or to drive her to places so that he can break into them for her. This kind of Roarke interference is starting to lose some credibility with me.

Two. Roarke ought to be putting in a little bit more effort beyond commanding Eve 'go over' immediately upon entry.

Your turn. Do you have any pet peeves? If so, spill.