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Portrait in Death (In Death #16)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 14,013 ratings · 295 reviews

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 phot...more

Mass Market Paperback, 347 pages

Published February 25th 2003 by Berkley (first published January 2003)

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Best of J.D. Robb

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

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Jun 12, 2012 Ren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Roarke groupies, Eve's die hard fans

Recommended to Ren by: Why? Its Roarke. I must read this!

Shelves: thriller-suspense, science-fiction, ass-kick-heroine, there-are-hot-men, favorite, reviewed, own-and-reread, own-hardcover, wow-fantastic-baby

Re-read Oct, 21st 2011

Contain spoilers (so, yes people!! Continue read this series!)

Portrait in Death is my favorite book of In Death series. Well, I love all In Death books, but my favorite is just a few. And each of that book always have special moment. My favorites include :
- Naked in Death (Roarke and Eve's first meeting at the curch, any readers will not forget about that moment. Really powerful!)
- Vengeance in Death (Roarke's past and well this one have one of my favorite Eve-Roarke's sex...more Re-read Oct, 21st 2011

Contain spoilers (so, yes people!! Continue read this series!)

Portrait in Death is my favorite book of In Death series. Well, I love all In Death books, but my favorite is just a few. And each of that book always have special moment. My favorites include :
- Naked in Death (Roarke and Eve's first meeting at the curch, any readers will not forget about that moment. Really powerful!)
- Vengeance in Death (Roarke's past and well this one have one of my favorite Eve-Roarke's sex scene *grin*),
- Judgment in Death (Roarke jealous and punch Eve's ex lover, Don Webster! Arrr!!)

And then this book =)

Well, the beginning of this book is funny! Eve just celebrated Summerset's vacation, planning to have monkey sex with her irressistable Irish husband (cough2!).But her dream ruined because Summerset cancelled his plan, just because his leg broken (insert evil laugh here!). Then, Eve had case like usual and that when Roarke finally knowing the ugly truth behind his past. To learn about who his real mother. And, boy! How devastated he was when knowing that his real mother never left him and love him deeply, even she's finally killed because of that. Worse is, he almost hurt Eve's feeling in the process. But don't worry, our hero learn from his mistake! That's Roarke we talking about folks! So he goes to Ireland, to reveal more about his past and to meet his family that he think never exist.

There are some surprised near the ending which include Troy Trueheart and his life! And finally Summerset go vacation even he's still limping =P

Special moment of this book? Beside readers will know more about Roarke's past and the truth behind his childhood, we will see he's drunk himself silly in this book *grin*. Grrr, if this book made into movie, maybe I'l die from major nosebleed when watch that scene, just sayin'! =P

As usual, Eve and Roarke are rock together! Even they have problems, when Roarke shut out Eve because he was stressed when know his past, Eve never gave up on him. That's why I love them both and I know readers's reason to love Eve-Roarke are the same with me =)

Note : This book win AAR 2003 for The Best Hero. Well, even without award, we will always know Roarke is one of the best hero ever live on Romancelandia! (donna care if some readers said he's too good to to be true ;P)(less)

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Jan 21, 2008 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, romance

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...more 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.(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 **Manjula** rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

**mild spoilers (plot summary)**

Portrait in Death started out slow. It starts with Eve jumping up and down with joy because her husband's majordomo is going on a 3 week vacation. Yes, that right! Summerset is going back to Ireland for a vacation. Unfortunately, he gets laid up. The cat of all things causes his fall.
Meanwhile, watching Summerset fall has taken ten years off of Roarke's life. He has his hands full juggling his schedule around and taking care of Summerset.
Eve reluctantly takes pers...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10, 2006, mystery

I loved this one. I flew through it when I've been struggling a bit with other books, so that was great too.

Like most of the books in this series, while it has a good solid crime (more of one that some of the last few), it's really about Eve and Roarke's continued learning curve about love and marriage.

This time it's Roarke's past that comes up to bite them, and boy is it a biggie, as pretty much everything he thought he knew about himself gets turned upside down. He doesn't handle it well, shut...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Darla Stokes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I nearly didn't re-read this one. I'd started it a couple of weeks ago, then stopped when I realized I hadn't re-read Purity in Death yet. I wasn't looking forward to picking this one up again because all I remembered of it was that I didn't think the killer's plan made sense.

But I picked it up and resumed reading anyway.

I'd forgotten all the good stuff in this book. I didn't forget that it happened--I just forgot that it was in this book. The big thing is, of course, that Roarke finds out that...more I nearly didn't re-read this one. I'd started it a couple of weeks ago, then stopped when I realized I hadn't re-read Purity in Death yet. I wasn't looking forward to picking this one up again because all I remembered of it was that I didn't think the killer's plan made sense.

But I picked it up and resumed reading anyway.

I'd forgotten all the good stuff in this book. I didn't forget that it happened--I just forgot that it was in this book. The big thing is, of course, that Roarke finds out that his mother wasn't the cruel, heartless Meg Roarke who abandoned him, but rather a sweet and loving young woman who was killed by his father when she tried to leave. Roarke does not handle the information well, and locks himself in his home office (violating his edict of no locked doors from Judgment in Death), refusing to talk to either Eve or Summerset.

Before that, however, Summerset was supposed to be going on vacation, but he falls down the stairs, tripped by the cat, and breaks his leg. It's almost as rough on Roarke as it is on Summerset, because Summerset is his surrogate father. So when Roarke's emotions get in the way, it's up to Eve to smooth things over with the nurse Roarke hired so Summerset can recuperate at home. Roarke and Summerset's feelings for each other are the clearest we've seen them, even more so than in Vengeance. It's especially clear in the private conversations between Eve and Summerset.

The mystery plot starts with a young woman's body being discovered in a dumpster, and a statement sent to reporter Nadine Furst saying that he's captured her "light," with accompanying photographs. The whole gang gets called in on this one, even including Baxter and his new trainee, Trueheart. Some of the clues lead Eve to temperamental photographer Hastings, who's the source of much of the comic relief. I hope we see him again eventually.

The mystery itself was better than I'd remembered, but my attention was mostly on Roarke's revelation and its effect on him and on his relationships. His reactions were very realistic, and fit well with the character we've gotten to know over the past 18 books. This is something he can't fix, he can't buy or steal, and he can't go back in time and change anything. It made him much more human than previous books did.

The personal crisis not only changes Roarke's understanding of his past, it also prompts growth in their marriage. The realistic portrayal of marriage as a work in progress rather than as a static state or an end result is one of my favorite things about this series, and this book excels at it.

The conclusion of the mystery was tense and emotional. My only complaint was that **** spoiler**** it was never explained why the killer had decided on a specific number of "lights" he needed to collect. **** Seems like a little thing, but it left me with an unsatisfied feeling that was the only thing I'd remembered specifically from this book, so it's worth mentioning.(less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourite-series, strong-female-characters

Another great installment in Eve's story. All the things that make it a wonderful series are here: Eve's relentless commitment to stand for the dead and bring killers to justice, her continuously expanding love story with Roarke, her battles with Summerset.

This time out we learn something about Roarke's past as he goes through something traumatic, and his and Eve's bumbling clumsy attemtps to be good spouses - the "marriage rules" as Eve calls them - are sweet and poignant and endearing and make...more

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May 25, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 2 of 5 stars

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

We’re back (or is that forward) in futuristic New York in the 16th installment of Nora Robert’s In Death series written under her pseudo name, J.D. Robb.

Eve is ecstatic that Summerset is finally going to take a vacation and will be out of her hair and the house for three glorious weeks when he trips over the cat and breaks his leg causing him to postpone his trip. And while Roarke is getting him all squared away Eve catches a case.

Nadine contacts Eve because s...more Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

We’re back (or is that forward) in futuristic New York in the 16th installment of Nora Robert’s In Death series written under her pseudo name, J.D. Robb.

Eve is ecstatic that Summerset is finally going to take a vacation and will be out of her hair and the house for three glorious weeks when he trips over the cat and breaks his leg causing him to postpone his trip. And while Roarke is getting him all squared away Eve catches a case.

Nadine contacts Eve because she was sent a note from the killer along with pictures the killer took. The first picture was taken before the victim was killed without the victim’s knowledge and the second picture was taken after the murder, one where the killer posed the victim just as he wanted her. The info that was given to Nadine leads them to a recycler across from where the victim, a young college student, works. But the killer isn’t done as he has more pictures to take to finish his masterpiece and it’s up to Eve to figure out how to stop him.

While Eve is in the middle of her investigation and Summerset is laid up, Roarke gets some world-altering news of his own. The mother that he remembers leaving him wasn’t his mother at all and that his father murdered his real mom who actually loved him. He has no idea what to do with this news and tries his best to push Eve away and deal with all his feelings on his own.

There was a lot going on in this book. I was never bored and the storylines kept me interested, but for some reason the book was just OK to me, not really sure why.

I thought the killer was interesting, but completely sick. I can’t even look at a dead fish so I can’t imagine killing someone and then taking their picture postmortem.

I found Roarke’s personal woes to be really entertaining (not in a happy way, but in a what will happen next totally engrossed kind of way) and I just wanted to see more. He was an idiot for not including his wife in what was going on though; he had to know she’d find out eventually. It was interesting to see Roarke and Eve with Roarke’s new family knowing that neither of them have ever had that and had no idea what to do.

It was great to see Trueheart again and I was screaming in my head “NO!!!” when he was taken as the killer’s last victim even though I knew he’d be saved. He is just so sweet and innocent it’s hard not to like him and I really hope he gets a girlfriend of his own in the future installments of the series.

I wish there was more of Peabody and McNab’s relationship in this one and hey….Eve never did ask Roarke if he had any rentals for them.

http://openbooksociety.com/article/po...(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Kim Lim rated it 4 of 5 stars

- Solid 4.5
- The killer is trying to capture the light within a person, hoping it would immortalize them! The victim's light are so bright that the killer does not want it to ever be put out before it gets immortalized in a portrait 1st
- Dallas told Peabody to study for the detective’s exam; she is ready to take it soon. McNab helps Peabody prepare & let her know that her only weakness is self-confidence, so stop doubting herself & second guessing & she will be ok
- Roarke went to mee...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, reviewed, romance

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

Young vibrant adults are being murdered for their “light” and the murderer is reflecting it in pictures of these dead youths. Eve sorts through the clues hoping to find and stop the killer. Meanwhile, Roarke has some really touching and emotional revelations about his mother.

To date she has written 42 books in the series, with one more expected to be released in February of 2012. These are crime drama, suspense and romance because they focus on the case Eve is curren...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Dana added it

Nadine Furst, news reporter and ally of Eve Dallas has received the pictures of a beautiful young person posed when dead. Dallas finds the body in a dumpster. Eve is now on the trail of a murderer who believes he can capture his victim's images. He is a perfectionist and every detail of the crime seems to be perfected. The murderer observes and records his victims every move until he can own and record their image for one last time.

Eve is ecstatic that Somerset, the butler she loves to hate but...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Author seems to be getting better with each new Eve Dallas!

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...more

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Mar 06, 2010 Evangeline rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 28, 2011 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, romance

WOW! I totally love this particular book in the ID series; it was like reading two stories in one. The main plot alone may not have been the highlight of my overflowing adoration for this book, for J.D. Robb, because the idea of taking someone’s life in order to preserve it was just plain bull (of course insanity is what the main story was all about anyway), but the strong storytelling and the emotional subplots were undeniably difficult to disregard. I’ve finally able to confirm to myself that...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Amy A rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-death-series

I really liked this entry in the In Death series. I'm amazed that even 16 (? at this point) books into the series and Robb still manages to interest me with the characters and the storyline. This time Eve is on the hunt for a killer who sends "death portraits" of his victims just before the bodies are discovered.

I really liked how back-to-the-basics this book was. We didn't know who the murderer was so it was something we had to puzzle out with Eve from the beginning and she didn't get to rely...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Minh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

While the mystery in this latest installment in the 'In Death' series was interesting, it was Roarke's sub-plot which kept me interested throughout this novel.

Roarke seems to have just appeared as this incredibly sexy all powerful man, who (sadly for us) is madly in love with his wife and luckily, happens to be super skilled with computers and all forms of criminal activity. This novel was a nice glimpse into his past to give Roarke just that little bit more backstory.

In the novel Roarke disco...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Laine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, j-d-robb-nora-roberts, romance-why-did-i-read-this, mystery-suspense

This was very interesting. I love taking pictures of people, of places and things that mean dear to me. And to read about how the light takes a soul it really got me. And also how people can really lose it when their brain gets pushed to hard. This book kind of makes you want to do a reality check on yourself, making sure everything is alright in the noggin'. I especially loved the last few pages. The parts of Trueheart and all the cops in New York. Many of those cops you can tell didn't know wh...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nora-roberts-re-reads, romance-mystery-scifi-thriller

Once again we have people being murdered that in no way deserve it. The brighter and better they are, the more at risk. This book saddened me in this respect, but as a mystery, it is first rate. The murderer is not revealed until the end. Trueheart and Crack get cameo performances, Roarke is blasted with information from the past that shakes his world and almost harms his marriage, Somerset trips over Galahad, and all the other characters we have grown to know and love get some view time. All in...more

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Feb 05, 2010 Mandy Beyers rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this installment of the continuing adventures of Eve and Roarke (ha!), Lt. Eve Dallas finds herself searching for a photographer killing young college students and "imaging" them directly after death. Her friend and sometime ally, Nadine, at Channel 75 is sent notes and photos of each victim (some before they are even found). As they are drawn deeper into the mind of the killer with each note, each body, Eve must unravel the threads linking the victims and their killer, before she loses one o...more

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Jul 07, 2010 (Kelly)~DemonLover~ Oakes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-detective-suspense, romantic-suspense, serial-killers

Oh how I love me some Roarke and Eve.
This book was no exception, Nora Roberts delivers as always.
I don't want to give too much away, but here goes:

Eve's day starts off PERFECT. Somerset is leaving for 2 weeks and she is overjoyed. Somerset free for a whole 2 weeks! After stuffing herself with breakfast and starting her day with a smile, it all comes to a shattering halt.

Somerset's plans are derailed, all hell breaks loose and another sick psycho has killed again. All in a days work, Eve would sa...more

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Feb 28, 2010 William Bentrim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Portrait in Death by J. D. Robb

The not too distant future is the setting for Lt. Eve Dallas and her adventures. The entire series I have read so far is focused on homicide and the mystery that surrounds each murder. The image portrayal of each victim leads Dallas on a nasty chase through the August heat of NY. Her husband Roarke, discovers some answers to a mystery he didn’t realize existed.

Nora Roberts’ work as J.D. Robb is always entertaining. There is no mental stretching or need for persona...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this series! I honestly am not fan of Nora Roberts other writing styles but these books are great murder mysteries.
Set in a future that isn’t so unbelievable that you can’t relate, LT Eve Dallas, her husband Roarke, DT Peabody & the rest of the gang are amazing characters. You truly believe that they exist somewhere in another version of Earth & I personally can’t wait to see what they are going to get themselves into next.
I never tire of this series as Roberts conti...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audible, audiobook, read-feb-2010

Another enjoyable foray into the world of the future with Eve, Roarke and their friends.

I listened to this on audio and have to say I love the reader. She does magnificent Irish accents - it's like music to listen to her. She also does a great job with the differing voices - I know from the voice pretty much who is speaking.

Now on to the actual book. I think this one concentrates more on the characters and personal goings-on than on the crime and solving it. The usual mystery is there, but it re...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Jane Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: murder-mystery

I have a great love for J.D. Robb's In Death series as I have an unexplainable affinity for murder, mystery, witty banter and profanity. Portrait in Death dissected Roarke's relationship with his father and his relationship with Eve. What I like the most in the In Death series is Delia Peabody and her affable, sensitive nature.

The murder itself was mind-boggling as I also strained to determine who the killer was. Nothing is more alluring to me as a murder mystery that leaves the killer's identit...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Brianne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was one of the better books in the series. I was not able to figure out the mystery until the end, and the person chosen as the last victim was a surprise with a twist. I loved the personal side of this book - Roarke finds out some world shaking news and the fallout and events that span from that lead to a lot of development with Eve and Roarke. There are a lot of times where we see the characters personal lives' come through in this book more so than in some of the others.

there w...more

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May 07, 2011 Malin rated it 4 of 5 stars

A young woman is found murdered and stuffed in a dumpster. Star reporter Nadine Furst has been sent photos of the victim, and clashes with Lt. Eve Dallas when it comes to reporting on the crime. There are a number of photos of the victim, obviously taken before the crime was committed, without the girl being aware she was being stalked. There are photos of the dead girl, posed, as in a portrait, after her death. None of the victim's friends or family can help determine a motive, and then a secon...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Ben Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the 16th book in the In Death series there are currently 47. The book is based in the summer of 2059 in New York City. The main character Eve, a police lieutenant is informed of a case in the beginning of the book. The victim of the case is a young girl who seems to have no enemies in the world. While she is working on the case her husband learns some news about his past that distracts him enough that he withdraws from his family. His name is Roarke and during her investigation Eve noti...more This is the 16th book in the In Death series there are currently 47. The book is based in the summer of 2059 in New York City. The main character Eve, a police lieutenant is informed of a case in the beginning of the book. The victim of the case is a young girl who seems to have no enemies in the world. While she is working on the case her husband learns some news about his past that distracts him enough that he withdraws from his family. His name is Roarke and during her investigation Eve notices herself missing her husbands help especially after the suspect kills a second person. As time goes by Roarke becomes more and more distracted by this news and is determined to get answers to his questions. There is a third victim in the case however before she is found Roarke heads off to Ireland to search for the answers he wants and Eve follows him. When they return to New York City from Ireland they begin to work together on the case. Before they have time to get to the killer he takes someone that they know...

Anyone who likes CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones, NCIS, or any other crime shows would probably like this book. Just because there is 47 books in the series doesn’t mean you have to read them in order. If you like being able to pick up a random book just as you would watch a random crime show on T.V. then you’ll probably like this series. The following books plot doesn’t follow the previous ones as most series of books do. Anyone who enjoys trying to piece together a mystery or crime on your own or while your reading then you would go right along with this book. Also if you like not knowing what’s coming up or being on your toes any book in this crime series would probably be good for you.

I did enjoy this book mostly because I like crime shows. I enjoy waiting till the end to see who did it even if you’ve already made a guess in your head. I also liked the fact that the book is similar to that of a T.V. show in that you don’t have to read the books in order to have a complete understanding of whats going on. However you may not know the characters as well and their background like I found out while I was reading this book.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Vidhi Chheda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-death-series

When in the last book I found out Mavis was pregnant... I was excited.. I am dying to see eve and roarke with the baby.

In this series each book further unfold eve and roarke's story.. And man are the perfect together! With am Mavis being pregnant I couldn't wait to know If further in the series eve gets pregnant. That would be completely iced. Her getting used to being pregnant and the way she will deal with it. i cudnt wait for her to be a mother as she is already such a mumma bear to peabody....more

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Jan 16, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book #7 of 2011

The reader, along with Roarke and Eve, get to learn a little bit more about Roarke's past in this book. Some things he's never known, some questions answered that had never been. It wasn't necessarily the focus of the book, but then, I like the personal relationships just as much if not more than the police procedural. I think we also see him grow a little. Eve lives with her past through her nightmares and her profession, and confronts it on a regular basis. She's learned she's g...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Kjen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, re-read

Possibly my favorite In Death...but it is so hard to choose. I. Love. Them. All! Eve landing in the field of cows (you're telling me) and Roarke's reaction to her (you must really love me) and Roarke's Aunt's reaction to all of it...priceless! Possibly my favorite scene...but it is so hard to choose. There. Are. So. Many! The case really is secondary in Portrait which is not a problem for me. Loved the advice and counsel that Eve got from Feeney, Mavis, and Mira during Roarke's "breaking of the...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I seem to enjoy all of the J.D. Robb "In Death" series. She is prolific in this series and my wish was to read them in order but have found that it is really not necessary. She builds her characters in each and every book in this series. These are fast paced murder mysteries with the main character a female police detective in the future- a terrible childhood did not destroy her but instead made her strong and yet vulnerable at times as well-an interesting mix. In this book more of her husbands'...more

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Readers of Kindle...: Portrait in Death #16	1	4	Feb 08, 2012 10:56am
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About J.D. Robb

aka Nora Roberts

Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A. She was the youngest of the five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sophomore year...more aka Nora Roberts

Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A. She was the youngest of the five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sophomore year in high school, she transferred to a local public school, where she met Ronald Aufdem-Brinke, her future first husband.

In Augusy 17, 1968, as soon as she had graduated from High School, Eleanor married, against her parents' wishes. The marriage settled in Keedysville, Maryland. Her husband worked at his father's sheet-metal business before joining her parents in their lighting company. While, she worked briefly as a legal secretary. "I could type fast but couldn't spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever," she says now. After their sons, Dan and Jason, were born she stayed home. Calling this her "Earth Mother" years, she spent much of her time doing crafts, including ceramics and sewing her children's clothes. The marriage ended separating, and they obtained the divorce in January 1985.

In February 1979, a blizzard in forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate. During the now famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981 as Nora Roberts, a shortened form of her birth name Eleanor Marie Robertson, because she assumed that all authors had pen names.

Eleanor wrote under the pseudonym Jill March a story for a magazine titled "Melodies of Love".

Eleanor met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Her husband owns and operates a bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland called "Turn the Page Books". Since that time, they've expanded their home, traveled the world.

In 1992, she decided adopted other pseudonym so to publish a futuristic-suspense novels, she first decided to use the pseudonym D.J. MacGregor, but she discovered that this pseudonym was used by another author. In 1995, her first "In Death" serial novel was published under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, the initials "J.D." were taken from her sons, Jason and Dan, while "Robb" is a shortened form of Roberts.

Eleanor has also been known as Sara Hardesty, because when the "Born In" series was released in U.K. it carried that name instead of Nora Roberts. She has since changed publishers.

Eleanor has been plagiarized by another best-selling romance writer, Janet Dailey. The practice came to light after a reader read Nora Roberts' "Sweet Revenge" and Janet Dailey's "Notorious" back-to-back; she noticed several similarities and posted the comparable passages on the Internet. Calling the plagiarism "mind rape," Eleanor sued Janet Daily. In 1997, Janet, admitted to repeatedly plagiarizing from Nora Roberts' work, and that both "Aspen Gold" and "Notorious" lifted heavily from Nora Roberts's work. Both of those novels were pulled from print after Janet's admission. She acknowledged the plagiarism and blamed it on a psychological disorder. In a settlement, Janet paid Eleanor an undisclosed sum, which Eleanor donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America.

A founding member of the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A.), she was the first inductee in the organization's Hall of Fame. She also is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. (less)

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Portrait in Death (In Death #16)

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