It’s almost hard to believe that the In Death Series is as popular now as it was when I bought my first book, Naked in Death. Call me fanatic – or hopefully, just a fan, but with the exception of her latest, that isn’t on the market yet, I have them all. I guess that’s why I decided it was about time to write about them.

Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, takes you on a journey into the future in all of her books in the In Death Series.

The year is 2058.

Imagine this:

You like to walk over to your AutoChef, press a button and within a few minutes, have a fantastic gourmet meal on your table. You’re tired of sitting in traffic, so you just press the vertical lift button on the dashboard of your car and up you go! Maybe you’re too tired to drive home after a long day at work. Engage your autopilot and let the car take you home.

In my opinion, not only is this (and all the books in the In Death series) intriguing because of the story line, but J.D. Robb’s interpretation of the future also makes them fun to read. How I long for AutoChefs!


Now to a bit of the plot of RAPTURE IN DEATH:

Eve Dallas, a homicide Lieutenant, works for the New York Police and Safety Department.

This book begins with Eve on her honeymoon which gets interrupted by the suicide of one of Roarke’s employees. Although Eve is a homicide copy, she happens to be the only cop available on the under-construction resort owned by her husband – the same resort where the suicide takes place.

After returning from her honeymoon, the first case she and her partner, Officer Delia Peabody are given is the suicide of a man who had no apparent reason to take his own life.

Dallas notices a peculiar similarity with the victims and plays a hunch that these are, indeed, murders. She just needs to find out the who, how and why.




J.D. Robb makes her characters believable – not just in what they do in their every day lives but how they talk, act and their points of view on a variety of subjects.

Each character has her (or his) own strengths and weaknesses. Dallas is a tough cop but has recurring vivid nightmares that bring her to tears and cold sweats.

Her partner, Officer Delia Peabody, is a good cop and a free-ager who is constantly hungry.

Roarke is a self-made multi-billionaire whose only weakness is Eve.

Rapture in Death has no let up in action from the very first page to the last. It will quickly draw you in more deeply to the investigation and Eve’s world.

Even while Eve Dallas is investigating murders, she never loses her ability to demonstrate her dry sense of humor. Even though you’ll see much of this throughout the book, one particular situation involves a party Roarke is planning for Mavis, Dallas’ long time friend. Eve tells Roarke he must don a costume and perform a duet on stage with Mavis. Roarke is horrified but Eve keeps up the pretense until she can longer keep a straight face. Then, much to Roarke’s relief, she bursts into a fit of laughter.

Yes, while J. D. Robb writes and excellent book on crime, she also has fun using her imagination for the future.

Another thing I really enjoy about the In Death series is all the twists and turns taken during the story. Just when you think you know who the killer is, you find he isn’t.

Have fun reading this book. You’ll enjoy watching Eve become frustrated and reach for her chocolate stash. (Hmm! I know someone who has her own private chocolate stash!)





Recommended: Yes