Rating: 
Summary: Let's Give it 6 Stars!!
Review: 1st let me say, I would not start the series with this book. The dynamics between the characters has evolved and I really found alot of the pleasure I received from this to be the development more so than the storyline, althoug that was great too!!!Roarke and Sumerset's parental relationship really show in this one, and we find out a deep dark secret about Summerset that I never expected, and to beat all, it is one he shares with Eve!! Eve finally reciprocates, albeit a little reluctantly for everything Roarke has done in the past for her. She becomes the one to take care of him and help him w/his family. Almost no Whitney. No Tibble, a surprise sad meeting with Crack. Mainly an Eve, Roarke & Summerset. Great new character is added, he's a cranky ugly male version of Eve. Have to read it!!! If have not started this series, and don't want to miss the nuances of the characters, start from the beginning, or you will not appreciate them as much!!! Definately a keeper!! Too many surprises to tell you about and don't want to ruin it for you.
Rating:
Summary: I was wrong! (WAS "Love the characters, where's the heart?)
Review: I don't know what to say about this book. I love the characters, and I enjoy the continued growth in Eve's acceptance of her role as friend and wife. (In my mind, the "mystery" is always secondary to the continuing saga of Roarke and Eve!) I also enjoyed the attempt to make Roarke more "real" and less the typical "beautiful-and-rich-ex-bad-boy-with-a-heart". But I couldn't help but feel that Nora Robert's heart wasn't in this one. Eve and Roarke, Peabody and McNab, Mavis and Nadine and Feeney - they're all there, but they seem 2-dimensional and the conversations seemed forced and stilted. If I wasn't already so attached to the characters, I'd probably have given the book a 3-star rating, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I truly enjoyed it anyway.
***I did a re-read of the entire series recently, and I have to recant my previous negative comments. The secondary characters didn't get as much focus, but I now think it had more to do with giving us a much-more-human Roarke, than any lack of "heart" by the author. I think I'd grown accumstomed to Eve's brusque and heated personality, so as she swapped roles with Roarke (nurturing him, with him pushing her away), I originally felt it was missing "heat". On a second read, though, I found plenty of heart in Roarke's family revelations and Eve's stepping into the nurturing role.
Rating:
Summary: J.D Robb's Fans will enjoy spending more time "In Death"
Review: "Portait in Death" is the lastest offering by J.D. Robb and this is one of her better books. Unlike of book in this series, Ms. Robb spending most of her time focusing on Eve and Roarke. It was really great to see more of Roarke's background. It gave readers a better understanding of his character and its also allow the character to develop. I'm sorry that I waited so long to read "Portait in Death" because it is great!
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling and Poignant! A Riveting Read!
Review: Well, what is there to say about the incomparable Nora Roberts, writing here as J.D. Robb, except for WOW! This woman continues to amaze me, creating one utterly enchanting novel after another, so I think, "surely she can't top this one". After reading and loving every book in the "In Death" series, I picked up "Portrait in Death" with very high expectations, and fell in love with Eve, Roarke and everyone else all over again! What a fantastic novel! "Portrait in Death" contains a thrilling and compelling mystery along with some of the most absorbing and well-written character development that we have seen to date in this series. And, of course, it's really our fascination with the characters that keeps us coming back to this series over and over again, and does "Portrait in Death" ever deliver! The story takes place during the sweltering hot summer of 2059, and Robb skillfully creates a sense of time and place so that readers feel as if they themselves are there, more than 55 years in the future. And when a bright young college student is murdered and thrown in a recycler like so much trash, the tenacious Lieutenant Eve Dallas is, once again, determined to stand for the dead and find the killer. But perhaps most disturbing about this particular case, is that prior to the discovery of the body, a package of photos of the murdered girl were sent to Eve's friend, Nadine Furst, a well-known TV reporter. It's clear that the killer photographed the victim for some time before her death, without her knowledge, and it's also clear that in the final, perfect picture, the girl is already dead. The killer wants Nadine's help in showing his glorious work and the miraculous final outcome of that work to the world, but the killer will have to deal with Lieutenant Dallas if that work is to be finished. Fueled by the surety that her killer won't wait long to strike again, Eve launches into another fascinating investigation, ably assisted by her faithful aide Peabody and her usual team including EDD's Captain Feeny and Detective McNab. All of these recurring secondary characters continue to amuse and intrigue me with their ever-evolving relationship dynamics, though in "Portrait in Death" the spotlight falls undeniably on Eve and her super-sexy, ultra-rich husband Roarke. As is clear from my description of him, Roarke is every woman's fantasy man, a role that has always made him seem a bit larger than life and a bit too perfect to be human. But in "Portrait in Death", we discover a whole new, much more human side of Roarke, which was absolutely wonderful to explore. Indeed, the most compelling thread in this expertly woven tale begins when Roarke discovers a shocking and long-kept secret about his parentage, which knocks his feet right out from under him. Confused, guilty, and in great emotional turmoil, Roarke deals with the whole situation unbelievably badly. So Eve finds herself in unfamiliar territory. In previous books, it has always been Roarke taking care of Eve, but now it is up to Eve to make things better for Roarke and help him get his feet back on solid ground. And I was completely captivated watching Eve, for perhaps the first time ever, put her work aside for the sake of her husband. Eve really comes through as a wife in "Portrait in Death" and it was a beautiful thing to see. We all know that Eve is a fantastic Lieutenant, and it's always a pleasure to watch her work her way through a case and see justice served, but in this book, we discover that Eve is also a fantastic wife. Eve's sensitivity and tact in dealing with Roarke's situation amazed me, and this insightful and touching storyline made "Portrait in Death" an enormously rewarding read. Robb seamlessly mixes the emotional tale of Roarke's newly discovered background with Eve's suspenseful pursuit of a killer to create one magnificent novel. I loved every moment of "Portrait in Death" and I just can't praise it enough. "Portrait in Death" gets my whole-hearted recommendation, though I hasten to add that readers will get far more out of this novel if they have already read the rest of the series. And it's not that newcomers won't be able to follow the story, it's just that the events of previous books make Eve's development as a person and Roarke's newfound humanity incredibly gratifying to those who've been with them from the start, an element that just won't be appreciated by first time readers. Nonetheless, "Portrait in Death" is a superb novel, sure to be enjoyed by each and every reader. So don't hesitate, buy this captivating book today!
Rating:
Summary: Role Reversals
Review: Hints of Spoilers (Caution) By far this has got to be one of my favorite book of the series. Nora Roberts is a wonderful writer, but as the series dragged on, there too many characters introduced and Dallas's neurotic "snits" became tedius and childish. One of the reasons I loved this book so much was the role reversals of the characters. Summerset acts like Eve, Eve matures as a wife and acts like Roarke, and Roarke--well he's kind of locked in his own world of pain that we have never seen before. In addition, Nora Roberts trimmed down her cast so that the story didn't bog down with all their side stories. I've been getting tired of the Peabody-McNabb, Louisa-LC, Mavis-Leonardo, Mira, and Trina side stories. This time the murder plot and Roarke dealing with the past were the central points in the book. It was great. I cried several times through the book about Roarke's situation and whenever Eve had to deal with grieving parents. The murder mystery was great too, I didn't know who the killer was until the end. The way Nora Roberts described the turmoil and emotions in this far surpassed her previous books. She dealt with the relationship of Roarke and Eve in such a way that it feels like a real marriage of emotions, and not some 2 dimensional rich guy whose perfect and always protecting his neurotic wife. I also liked the teaming of Eve and Summerset. It was wonderful to see them mature enough to team up against something they had in common. SPOILER SPOILER: The nature of Patrick Roarke's death and Summerset's involvement was a surprise. I guess somehow subconsciously it seemed right. I'm curious about Roarke's knowledge or suspicions of this. If Eve suspected, then Roarke should have too. Eve was such a great character in this book. For once she wasn't just locked into this one mold of determination to find the killer. She was aware about her wifely duties and shuffled her work life to deal with her personal life. I also enjoyed the introduction of Hastings as well. He kind of a carbon copy of other characters that have been introduced here and there in the series, where the character is cranky and tempermental, but has a great raport with either Roarke or Eve. I'm looking forward to seeing future interactions with Roarke's blood relations now. Roarke's first name will have to remain a mystery though. I'm assuming his mother would definetly name him on the birth certificate. I would highly recommend this book. This ranks as my favorite book of the series, above Naked In Death and Glory In Death.
Rating:
Summary: J.D Robb's Fans will enjoy spending more time "In Death"
Review: "Portait in Death" is the lastest offering by J.D. Robb and this is one of her better books. Unlike of book in this series, Ms. Robb spending most of her time focusing on Eve and Roarke. It was really great to see more of Roarke's background. It gave readers a better understanding of his character and its also allow the character to develop. I'm sorry that I waited so long to read "Portait in Death" because it is great!
Rating: 
Summary: Eve Dallas fans will enjoy this book
Review: If you're a fan of the Eve Dallas series, you'll really enjoy this book. If you haven't kept up with the series, however, you will probably notice gaps in the story. The murder mystery was fascinating as always. And a surprise from Roarke's past and the path he took because of it were both interesting and moving. Very well written.
Rating:
Summary: Author seems to be getting better with each new Eve Dallas!
Review: If our count is correct, this is the 16th Homicide Lt. Eve Dallas murder mystery by the prolific Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb. While it sticks pretty close to the form of the other entries in the series -- including the futuristic setting in the year 2059; fellow cop associates Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Trueheart; and husband and billionaire Roarke -- the writing just seems to be reaching new levels, if our reader reaction (and a few tears along the way) is any indication. In addition to the serial killer Eve is hot to track down, in a side story, Roarke learns the true identity and story behind his real mother back in Ireland and the horrible fate she met at a young age. The scenes in which he re-visited Eire were moving and poignant, creating a welcome contrast to the young people being offed in Gotham City by apparently a photographer (i.e., "imager", maybe already a better title!?") who, while not brutal, is probably mad. No need to reveal more of the fine story -- the plot is entertaining til the end even though we have the insider's view and knowledge as we admire Eve's steady but slick dissection of clues. That we can conjure up some of the same sympathy Eve does toward the killer once he's caught says something about both our leading lady and the human condition. As usual, Robb's stories are satisfying, but we feel the writing skills gain more edge and emotion as we proceed. Not bad for some 16 books into a series, many others of which have long since gone stale. We were lucky to unearth a hardback copy of "Portrait" and hope that the future novels in the set will follow suit -- enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: not quite a masterpiece
Review: It's a good premise, and to have Roarke be the focus was a good twist. And yet there's no fast-paced action, no 'you deserve to get lcked away'. Overall, a very somber book, and whileI think it's a better read than Seduction in Death, I really don't like reading the killer's thoughts. It's always more interesting seeing the killer from Eve's point of view.
Rating:
Summary: A Dip Into the Truth
Review: I have to say, without a doubt, the best part about Portrait is finding out more about our favorite husband, Roarke. The insights into his past were entertaining and just on the edge of frustrating because we want to know more, more more! The case had a nice twist at the end, I was honestly surprised at the killer. In true, J. D. Robb fashion, the story unweaved itself at an easy pace and had plenty of extras to keep you interested further.
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