Rating: 
Summary: Great introduction to the "In Death" Series
Review: The first book in the series, Naked in Death, introduces the detective Eve Dallas. Juggleing her personal and work life Eve is involved with a heavy and complex murder mystery while trying to push away the love of her life, Roarke. I also read Betrayal of Death which was another great book by Roberts.
Rating:
Summary: Dallas's "Death" Debut
Review: The mystery genre is no stranger to continuing series. As always, it is always best to start with Book 1. "Naked in Death" marks the debut of the NYPD detective Eve Dallas. J.D. Robb (though the book covers now proudly proclaim that best-selling author Nora Roberts is the name behind the pseudonym) takes readers into the near, but quite different, future. There is a ban on handguns, prostitution is legal, and (perhaps most disturbingly) coffee is very hard to come by. But no need to worry in 2058, there is still plenty of mayhem and murder. The "In Death" series is billed as "romantic/suspense" and soon our hard-nosed heroine finds herself tracking down a serial killer and, less successfully so, fending off a lady killer - and one of the primary suspects - the charmingly confident billionaire, Roarke. For those readers (myself included) who might be put off that this is written by a romance author, there is no real need to worry. While there is some steaminess in the bedroom, it takes a secondary role to the mystery/suspense part. However, one minor issue I had (and perhaps this is a holdover from the romance genre) was Eve Dallas's duality - she is a tough, competent, hard boiled cop but all too often seems to be saved (and easily seduced) by Roarke. It would have been nice if this otherwise independent woman was not so prone to having the "white knight" ride to the rescue time and time again. Nevertheless, "Naked in Death" satisfied my need for a quick and entertaining read. I plan on continuing onto the next novel, "Glory In Death." Just a warning for those new to "In Death" series, avoid reading the critical blurbs at the front of this book as they contain some plot "spoilers" for novels later in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Another Good Read
Review: Really good mystery story. Easy to read sicence fiction written by Nora Roberts under the name of J D Robb. I reccomend it to all Nora Roberts fans as well as all mystery fans.
Rating:
Summary: An addicting series from the get-go
Review: With NAKED IN DEATH, author J.D. Robb (better known to the world as Nora Roberts) introduces tough-as-nails New York City Homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas. A serial killer announces his intent via a note left at a grisly murder scene: one of six. It is Eve's job to stop this madman from achieving his ultimate goal. Her prime suspect for the first murder? Roarke, an Irish multimillionaire who was the first victim's date the night she was killed. True to fashion in the romantic-suspense genre, Eve is mysteriously drawn to Roarke the instant she lays eyes on him -- in a computer-generated photo, no less. Roarke is equally captivated by the determined detective -- to the extent that he keeps a button that fell from her suit jacket during their first meeting. Can these two strong-willed people find their way to each other and solve the case? The answer is a resoundingly obvious yes, but the way their relationship is born and plays out is infinitely satisfying. These two are constantly in the public eye, Roarke for his business dealings and social whirl, and Eve for the prominence of her cases, and it is interesting to see how they manage their relationship. Eve has her dark side, too, in that she has vague memories of an extremely sadistic, drunken, abusive father. Her unwillingness to let anyone into that part of her life is matched by Roarke's determination to not be shut out. Perhaps not to other readers, but to me, the murderer practically jumped off the pages the second I encountered his character. The fact that the mystery was so obvious despite the feeling I got that Robb was trying to keep readers in suspense was offset by the sheer imagination of the world Eve lives in. Yes, she's a cop trying to solve a series of murders -- but she's a cop trying to solve a series of murders in the year 2058. This little twist opens up a whole new sense of wonder: at how much is different yet how much remains the same. Little things, or seemingly little things, have changed, making the world vastly different: cars have vertical lift, humans live much longer due to the invention of the cancer vaccine, real coffee is hard to come by due to the destruction of the tropical forests, the basics of crime forensics are exceptionally advanced, and people have colonized other planets. Still, so much remains the same, including the unending capacity for human cruelty and the intricacies of man-woman relationships. The world of Eve Dallas was a fascinating place to visit, and I have quickly become addicted to this series. Highly recommended for Nora Roberts fans as well as romantic suspense fans and even people just looking for something slightly different than what they normally read.
Rating: 
Summary: Not half bad - but not half good either
Review: With so much going for it, I wanted to believe this book was better then it was. The writing is competent, the characterizations sharp, the future world rang true and the mystery was involved. Yet, after the first couple of chapters, I had to force myself to turn the pages. This is a gritty "real-life" kind of mystery with lots of gorey descriptions and profanity. The romance is very background to the story and has almost no development. The characters actually only meet a handful of times during the story and most of their time together involves sex. The mystery wansn't bad, but I found it hard to get past the unbelievableness of Roarke as a suspect. I mean this guy is the richest man in the Universe which should have made him untouchable, plus he has no real connection to the murders. To make matters worse, we find out at the very beginning of the book that he is not the murder, so the edge that should have been their is missing and our brillant heroine comes off as a giant dope for suspecting him. I guess, I was expecting more tension, with all kinds of subtle clues being dropped that it is him, while the heorine is torn by her attraction to him and her fear that she will be his next victim. Hey that sounds like a good plot, maybe I'll go write it. This is a good book to pick up from the local book trader.
Rating: 
Summary: An intriguing premise and a great protagonist
Review: The first book of the "...In Death" series is great. The whole series is wonderful. Well crafted with a sharp cast of characters and plots that are thick and scenes that are tense. These are page turners, and "Naked In Death" is sure to get you hooked. The premise may detour some readers, but don't let it. Yes, it is set in 2058, but it is not Sci-Fi. It's barely the future at all! There are some nifty gadgets, sure, but they are not so far-fetched as to be unrelatable. Robb does an excellent job of creating a past (our future) for her characters and their country. Very believable and interesting. Legalized prostitution? Kinda. A gun ban? Yep. Wealth and Politics? Some things never change. See what happens when you mix them all together. Eve Dallas is a tough detective and an intriguing protagonist. You'll laugh, I promise, and you'll be sucked into the story from the first murder.
Rating:
Summary: Futuristic mystery with a cool, competent heroine.
Review: This book, the first in J. D. Robb's "In Death" series, is a futuristic mystery set in New York and featuring police lieutenant Eve Dallas. "Naked in Death" grabbed my attention from the first page and didn't let go until the last. This series is addictive. Our detective, Eve, is tough, focused, and just too cool for words. She's a fascinating character; she has some real human weaknesses and vulnerabilities, but she also has an awesome amount of will and determination. She made the book for me. This book is action-packed and inventive -- and sexy! The main suspect/love interest, Roarke, is a wonderful foil to Eve, with his sensuality, charm, and equally strong will; he's also very, very hot. The sexual tension between these two just sizzles off the page. My only gripe about the writing: I didn't like the way the author keeps switching pov's in the same scene. One minute we're seeing through the eyes of one character, a few sentences later through another. I found it slightly disorienting. But that's a minor complaint. It certainly didn't stop me from reading -- and loving -- the entire series!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Beginning to A Great Series
Review: Naked in Death is the first of several titles in this terrific series and I highly recommend you read the books in order. (If not, it can get confusing trying to understand progressive storylines and relationships.) Set in the not too distant future, the main character Eve Dallas is a tough NY city cop investigating the murder of a female licensed companion (prostitution is now legalized). Complicating her investigation, is her growing attraction to the prime murder suspect - the enigmatic, handsome billionaire Roarke. The book has something for everyone: murder mystery and action, romance and a healthy dose of comedy thrown in to keep things from getting too heavy. Robb's fleshing out of vivid and likeable secondary characters adds to the book's appeal. Makes for great beach reading and you'll want to continue the series to learn more about what happens next to Ms. Dallas and company.
Rating:
Summary: Freshly Invigorating
Review: This being the first book I've read of Nora Roberts under the name J.D. Robb, and I'm happy to say I'm thoroughly impressed. I'm generally a Nora Roberts fan, though I admit I've found some of her books somewhat sappy. Not so in this case. It was a perfect blend of mystery and romance, with a few quirks thrown in. Being set in the future, Miss Roberts did a fine job of excercising that fascinating imagination of hers. Bravo!
Rating: 
Summary: Eve needs a backbone
Review: The main character of this book is a spineless whimp who continually throughout the book says things she doesn't mean, acts stupidly and unprofessionally and then lies about it. Roarke is an arrogant, presumptuous jerk and would be an OK hero if someone would take him down a peg. Eve is not the one to do it, as every time she says something, he overrules her (even in her choice of beverages) and she lets him do it. This would be OK, if that is the way her character was written. Instead, the author claims she is a strong-willed, independent professional woman who knows her own mind. THEN WHY DOESN'T SHE ACT LIKE IT? Why does she keep letting Rourke overrule her? Even in simple matters like eating dinner or what to drink (he does this, twice with the beverages). The author should either have Eve be a woman who likes to be submissive and not care about her career or stop having her actions so out of character. She sleeps with a suspect in a murder investigation (sounds like something my self-destructive sister would do) and then lies to her police chief by claiming he's been taken off the list of suspects. HELLO? Can we say incredibly unprofessional, risky, and not to mention, STUPID? She'd only known the man a week. The only thing that gets this book it's two star rating from me is the author's interesting vision of the future and flow of writing. Otherwise, she needs to choose different attributes for Eve. They don't mesh with her behavior. Very annoying to read.
|
