My March reading log was mostly JD Robb books. I had one other one, that I finished because I was halfway through it and figured why not. But.
The reason my reading log is mostly JD Robb is because one of my goals this year was to re-read the In Death series. Not all of it, but to finish at least the first 10 books. OF the 50 or so books and short stories, I’ve read probably 25 of them. Aside from the first 8 or so, they weren’t in order. My grandmother loves Nora Roberts/JD Robb, so she has most of them, in print, or on audio, so I have been working through them. Also, I drove a lot in March, so I had plenty of time to audiobook them.
Naked in Death – JD Robb
The first of the In Death series, I’m especially fond of this one. Lieutenant Eve Dallas, of the New York Police and Security Deposit is investigating a murder of a licensed companion. Not just any LC, but the granddaughter of a prominent conservative politician. And while she’s doing that, the killer is offing other victims, she’s remembering her past, and the wealthiest man alive has taken an interest in her.
I never cared for Nora Robert’s books, the romance in them is too sappy. But I love the In Death books. They strike the right balance between romance novel and police procedural. The world is fantastic. Set in 2058, guns are banned, most foods are made of soy or veggies, prostitution is legal, cars and fly, and most people eat via AutoChef.
This book has an interesting plotline, and introduces a fascinating cast of characters that keep coming back. I have read it several times and still enjoy it.
Glory in Death – JD Robb
In this book Eve deals with the murders of women who have had their throats slashed. She quickly pieces together how all the murders are linked, but has trouble tracking down the murderer until the end.
I didn’t like this as much as Naked in Death, but I did enjoy it. This books explores the relationships Eve has built with the other characters in the books, and we get to see Eve struggle with friendships and relationships.
What I didn’t like as well was the murderer, and how she investigated the murders for most of the books. A lot of the books is built on possible suspects that turn out to be innocent, and we’re usually introduced to the murderer early on, although we don’t know it. In this one, Eve just seems unnecessarily dense, and the connection she makes to figure out the murderer really feels like something that should have been revealed sooner in the way they were doing research.
Immortal in Death – JD Robb
This one is an interesting novel, and really puts Eve’s best friend, Mavis, into the spotlight, as well as introducing us to Mavis’s serious boyfriend: Leonardo. Leonardo is an up and coming designer, who’s had both a working and sleeping relationship with Pandora, a bitchy top model. When Pandora is found beaten to death in Leonardo’s working area, Mavis is framed, and Eve’s neutrality is called into question.
This is actually a really awesome book, nearly as good as the first. In addition to the violent deaths, there’s a new illegal drug that makes you look great, but will kill you with 5 years of use; and Eve and Roarke are getting married. So there’s a lot of threads to tie together. And, we get a good look at my favorite character: Peabody! She was briefly introduced in the previous book, but we see more of her here.
Rapture in Death – JD Robb
Of the first 8 books of the In Death series, this is my least favorite. The premise is interesting. People who would never consider suicide are killing themselves, all while being happy and dying with smiles on their faces. The people who are dying have no connections, other than self termination and the smile.
The problem I had is the villain of this one, the murderer, sort of popped out at the end. Eve doesn’t figure it out until she’s talking to the murderer and in the same room. She’s following dead ends and red herrings, until the answer quite comfortably falls into her lap. Of course, it nearly kills her in the process, but that didn’t do it for me.
Ceremony in Death – JD Robb
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, I really like it because it has a supernatural angle, and on the other, the satanists were over the top. And, it was pretty clear from the start who the murderer was, but Eve just didn’t bother to focus on that. It was chasing dead ends and seeing if Peabody would be superstitious or not.
Autumn Bones – Jacqueline Carey
The second in Carey’s Agent of Hel series, I struggled to finish this one. I don’t know why I don’t love this series, but the first was fun, and this one was kind of a slog. In the book, Daisy has to deal not only with her budding romance with Sinclair, but with Sinclair’s sister. I don’t know why this book lost me, but even the beginning (involving an orgy brought on by a satyr in rut), couldn’t hold me.
And, like many books these days, Daisy is caught between multiple guys: Sinclair, the friendly Jamacian, Cody, the werewolf policeman, and Stefen, the eternally undead, but not a zombie. It’s pretty obvious that Daisy, a half demon hellspawn, isn’t going to end up with the human, so I hate the love triangle.