6 freaking stars!



One of the best stories in this series.

Where do I begin? This story brought tears to my eyes on many scenes and I'm in wonder of how J.D. Robb still does it... Is it maybe because after so many books I came to care for these characters so much as if they are actual people I know? But what about "Crack"? He's just a built, random black bouncer in a Club, barely someone you pay attention. But J.D. Robb pierced my heart with his loss.

What about Baxter and Trueheart? The finale had these two implicated in a dangerous situation and I think my heart was beating in the same tempo with the sirens that were chasing after the vilain.

And what about the vilain himself? I was left speechless with the way Eve handled him in the end, so delicately which can only be described as humanly.

Eve has come a lot of way past the cold, anti-social, anti-human person she was in the beginning of the series. Oh, she's still driven and dedicated to the office, but I can't help but think that it's mostly because of her relationship with Roarke but other people in her life helped as well, Peabody and Nadine and Dr. Mira...

And what went through with Roarke and his personal revelations was heart wrenching to watch and Eve being first a wife and then a cop, left me in awe of them....

Loved this one so much! I thought I knew who the villain was but ended up being surprised. The case/mystery aside, I loved the growth between Eve and Roarke. This was a really emotional one and I loved seeing Roarke open up more (even though he didn't want to at first). The way they both fumbled around with their relationship and not being sure how to react to things was so realistic for this couple.

5 stars

4*
14/80. I do enjoy these In Death books, bit of guilty pleasure! This was a good, fun, twisty, busy little crime thriller, one of the better ones to date.

n  I wouldn’t advertise that if I were you…n

Poor soul. The killer, I mean. Yes, it was really sad to discover who and why the killer killed! Even Eve was almost touched!

Where I was touched is Rourke’s reunion with his family!!! I actually cried! I was considering planting a cherry tree on my balcony!!

I was also chewing my nail when Truheart was in danger! And to read about Baxter’s distress!!! WOW!!!

Another winner here!!!

This one made me upset with Roarke a bit, but I enjoyed how everything played out well.

4,5⭐

This is the 16th book in the In Death series.

It is August 2059 and it is hot in the city. Eve catches a case where a killer kidnaps, kills and then photographs young college students. And while Eve is busily off tracking down a serial killer, Roarke learns a devastating truth about his past.

JD Robb continues to march on with her crazily addicting series featuring the tough as nails bitch cop, Eve Dallas and her seriously delicious billionaire husband Roarke.

The mystery/slash police procedure in this book is pretty standard fare for this series. By now the character of Eve and her methods are very much established. For those who've read the other 15 book in the series, the solving of this crime and the motives behind it are quite familiar and truthfully break no new ground.

However, I am compelled to give this installment five stars for several reasons:

1)I thought she did a great job of making the victims extremely sympathetic. As I was reading, I actually felt sorry that these kids were dead. She painted a picture of people who were very vital while alive. Maybe it was because of their ages, but I think she took pains moreseo in this installment than in previous ones to capture this.

2) Great use of recurring characters. Trueheart! goes undercover and the ending is bite your nails suspenseful. Also, Crack makes an incredibly memorable appearance in this one.

3) Humor. The recurring theme of Peabody injecting information about her love life with McNabb and Eve's reactions are priceless. And i enjoy Eve's interaction with the temperamental photographer Hastings.

4) Eve and Summerset have a Moment. I continue to enjoy the rather prickly respect/hate relationship these two have. I also like that Robb doesn't have them suddenly liking each other in a flash of understanding. I also love that there is the likelihood that this will never happen. But these two both love Roarke so they have some common ground and they meet on that ground every so often. This installment had some excellent meeting of the minds between these two.

But most of all, the part that made this book for me was

5) Roarke learning about his past. All along in this series, we've been watching as Eve learned dribs and drabs about her past. She's been remembering her horrific childhood in bits and pieces. But there has never been a real mystery about Roarke. The only thing he's tried to keep from her has been some parts of his own criminal past. But out of the blue he learns something and it is a biggie. The scenes where he first finds out, his reaction to finding out and his interactions with Eve upon finding out are absolute stand-outs. And once again we are confronted with the fact that Roarke is a stone killer. Loved his interrogation techniques when he goes back to Dublin to find out the real truth.

Highly recommended.

A serial killer is photographing his victims as though they were models after their deaths & sending their pictures to the local news station. Eve Dallas has the case & as always she will use everything at her disposable, including her husband, to find the killer & 'stand for the dead'.

One of my favorite books out of the series so far because of what Rourke discovers about his past. It was emotional and touched me. I also loved how Dallas and Summerset reacted to Rourke's discovery and how they handeled it.

Suspense 4.5 stars / Romance 4 stars

I quote my dear friend Ann Lou: it was a sad read. The victims were so young, so innocent. It broke my heart.
As always brilliantly solved by Eve. This woman is my idol!

Romance was a big part of this story. Roarke learned about his real mother. I didn't like how he pushed Eve away, but I somehow got why he did it. He was cruel to his wife. Eve was again a cleverer one in their relationship, I adored her.

Sixteenth in the In Death futuristic romantic suspense series revolving around a detective and police procedurals. Portrait in Death is set in late summer of 2059 in New York City. The focus involves an "immortal" nutjob.

In 2004, Portrait in Death won the All About Romance Annual Reader Poll for Best Hero AND Best Alternate Reality Romance and was nominated for the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Paranormal Romance. In 2003, it won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Futuristic Romance.

My Take
Homey, romantic, and fun with a heavy dose of sadness when Roarke learns about his mother. It's also part of his series arc, as he learns to meld loving someone with his own ambitions.

I love that Delancey Street is a sociable neighborhood. Reminds me of the movie I so adore, Crossing Delancey. I do feel for the shopkeepers and for the dumpster guy. They want their dumpsters to work and verbally abuse the city when they don't. Meanwhile, the sanitation guy notes that vandals are always screwing with them or the dumpster isn't being used properly. Yep, there's justification on both sides.

One thing that always cracks me up is the non-information that Dallas hands out to everyone. Why anyone bothers to ask, I dunno.

Eve Dallas is, well, not a mystery, but so abrasive, which can be attributed to her childhood. It's so much fun and a bit heartbreaking to "watch" her and Roarke's relationship progress. It's also part of Dallas' series arc, and she takes a major step forward as she realizes she no longer likes being alone.

Dr Mira is one of those islands of calm. I do love Robb's descriptions of her wardrobe — working and casual — and her thoughts about Eve. Peabody makes a nice foil to Eve. Her rationalizations on dieting work for me! Ooh, Detective "Hornydog" Baxter discovers he's getting old, lol. ThenRobb gets her digs in on those who can't, teach.

There's more fun (that goes throughout the series) with Dallas being so embarrassed by Roarke's wealth, so naturally Robb puts her in embarrassing situations, lol. I had to laugh at the reactions of Rachel's fellow students and all their d*r*a*m*a. As for Hoop, lololol, poor boy is befuddled by Rachel's reactions. But I did feel for him later on. Although, um, his reaction to being a licensed companion was another crack-up. Hastings! Lol, Hastings is yet another crack-up. He hates everyone and isn't afraid to show it. He gets on really well with Eve!

Going from the fun to the horrible, reading the killer's thoughts is so incredibly creepy!! Which makes this a third person global subjective point-of-view from the perspective of a number of characters, including, ahem, the killer. That scene with Trueheart at the end? Jesus. The tension was horrible!!

More creepy is Roarke learning the truth about his past. One bright spot?? He learns he's a year younger than he thought.

Whoa, we learn a lot more about Crack than I'd've thought. Dang. I definitely cried.

Ah, geez, as horrific as the reasoning is for murdering all these people, I still felt sorry for the killer. And so clueless . . .

Oh, yeah, there's plenty of action in a combination of story-driven and character-driven with plenty of snark. Ya gotta love it, lol.

The Story
After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Delancey street dumpster. Just hours before, the news station had mysteriously received a portfolio of professional portraits of the woman. The photos seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for any pretty young woman starting a modeling career. Except that she wasn't a model. And that these photos were taken after she had been murdered.

Now Dallas is on the trail of a killer who's a perfectionist and an artist. He carefully observes and records his victims' every move. And he has a mission: to own every beautiful young person's innocence, to capture their youth and vitality — in one fateful shot . . .

The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is her gorgeous, supportive, excessively wealthy husband whose hands are God-given in so many ways. Galahad is their pudge of a cat. Summerset is Roarke's major domo. PA Spence, of the "mommy" voice, is hired to nurse Summerset.

Dallas' friends include Nadine Furst, the on-air ace reporter for Channel 75. Carter Swan is the Channel 75 attorney who is, ahem, banging Nadine. The very colorful Mavis Freestone is Dallas' best friend and a universe-wide singing sensation. She's pregnant, and she and Leonardo, a fashion designer, are thrilled. Dallas does NOT consider Trina, a stylist, a friend.

Richie had been Dallas' horrible father. Zeke is Peabody's carpenter brother whom we met in n  Loyalty in Deathn, 9.

The New York Police and Security Department (NYPSD)
Officer Delia Peabody is Dallas' aide. Commander Jack Whitney is Dallas' boss. The innocent Officer Troy Trueheart is being mentored by Detective David Baxter. Chief Tibble is in charge of the NYPSD. Dr Li Morris is the chief medical examiner and a friend of Dallas'. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech, who is really good, especially if you bribe him. Officer Feeno caught the Lincoln Center murder. Officer Yancy is an Ident artist.

Captain Ryan Feeney is in charge in the Electronic Detectives Division (EDD). He's also a father figure to Eve and her mentor. Detective Ian McNab is one of his colorful boys, who is in a monogamous relationship with Peabody.

n  

"'. . . we're investigating a homicide, not going off on a man-ogling spree.'

n  

'I like to multitask whenever possible.'"

n

Dr Charlotte Mira is a renowned psychiatrist who is the top profiler for the NYPSD. Judge Marcia B Brigstone signs a warrant.

Delancey Street
Waldo Remke is an angry grocer. Shelley is Waldo's daughter. Mintz and Costello are fellow shopkeepers. Larry Poole is the city sanitation worker at whom they're angry. Rachel Howard is studying to be a teacher at Columbia and works the local 24/7. Madinga Jones also works at the 24/7. Melissa Howard is Rachel's younger sister.

Roarke Industries
Caro is Roarke's invaluable administrative assistant. Tibbons is involved.

Dochas is . . .
. . . the women's shelter Roarke built. Dr Louise Dimatto, another friend, gives her time there while she continues working the Canal Street Clinic. The Irish Moira O'Bannion is the head crisis counselor Louise poached.

Columbia University
Imaging is an elective class taught by Professor Leeane Browning. Browning is in a relationship with Angela Brightstar, an artist, who owns Brightstar Gallery. Rodney is their droid butler. Monty is a doorman at the Browning-Brightstar's building. Randa and Charlene "Charlie", a drama major, are Rachel's dramatic friends. Jackson "Hoop" Hooper is a TA who's fascinated by Rachel.

Kenby Sulu, a.k.a. Twinkletoes, was a bright dancer studying at Julliard and working at the Lincoln Center as an usher. Lily, a choreographer, and Chang Sulu, an engineer, are Kenby's loving parents. Maxville Drury is an ad executive at Fines and Cox — who knows how annoying those ad blimps are, lol. He's dating Loo Macabe, a shoe designer.

Alicia Dilbert is studying for her medical degree and is interning at the East Side Health Center. Wilson Buckley, a.k.a. Crack, is her brother who owns the Down and Dirty, a sex and music club where Dallas had her hen party.

Hastings Portography is . . .
. . . a photography studio and store owned by the genius but irascible Dirk Hastings, a portographer. Why he can't simply be a photographer, I don't know. Lucia runs the store side of things. Dingo Wilkens, a.k.a. Robert Lewis Wilkens, is his latest assistant. (Loose, Brick, and Jazz are Dingo's friends and they frequent The Spot, a club.) Tourmaline is a freelance artist's model — ya can't help but enjoy her attitude, lol. Liza Blue is a freelance hair and enhancement consultant. Ivan is her unsuspecting boyfriend. The Morelli-Desoto wedding is critical.

Catstevens is another photographer. Elsa Ramerez is a photographer's assistant on a shoot. Kehys is a framing business in Helsinki.

Make the Scene is a . . .
. . . data club that targets a younger crowd. Steve Audrey, Shirllee, and Mitz are some of the bartenders. Patrons include Marley and Diego Feliciano, who works at his uncle's Mexican restaurant, Hola, and really thinks he's all that.

Rico is one of the toughs outside the Canal Street Clinic. Mrs Ernestine Macnamara is a 106-year-old witness who drives her van once a week to St Ignatious. Marian is her sister. Billy Johnson is part of the shift at the parking garage Mrs Macnamara uses. Manny Johnson is his cousin and also works there. The Leprechaun is a fake Irish pub. Hospital patients include Darryn Joy, Marilyn Kobowski, Corrine Steveson, and Lawrence T. Kettering. Gerald Stevenson had been Corrine's son. Jessie and Mark Fryburn are/had been Corrine's neighbor. Famous photographers include Ansel Adams, Jimmy Olsen, Henri Javert, and Matthew Brady.

Ireland
The Penny Pig is the pub Roarke and his friends used to hang out at. Now it's owned by Brian Kelly, one of those friends, and he's asking after Lieutenant Darling, lol. Johnny is one of Brian's employees. Mister O'Leary has/had? a shop where Roarke used to help himself. Mick had been one of those boyhood friends (n  Betrayal in Deathn, 12).

Brian remembers a couple of Patrick Roarke's mates — Donal Grogin and Jimmy Bennigan.

Tulla is . . .
. . . the village where Roarke's maternal relatives live. Sinead Lannigan is Siobhan's twin sister. Siobhan Margaret Brody had been Roarke's mother. Robbie is Sinead's farmer husband. Liam is one of Sinead and Robbie's kids. Ned is Sinead's brother who works with Robbie. Ned is married to either Mary Katherine or Ailish. Fergus is another brother who works in his wife's family's restaurant. Roarke thinks her name is Meghan.

Patrick Michael Roarke had been Roarke's abusive father. The abusive Meg Roarke had been Patrick's real wife.

The Cover and Title
The cover is dark, as befits this story. It has a black background on top and bottom, although there is a deep yellow band at the top acting as the background for an info blurb in black. Immediately below this band is the author's true name "writing as" her pseudonym with the title at the bottom, all in white. The not-quite central graphic is looking from one room with tall, arched windows that appear to be stained glass, probably due to the orange and yellow lights illuminating the windows opposite this room. I'm not sure what the central vertical "fountain" is about, but it does draw the eye.

The title is what it's all about, that incredible Portrait in Death.