J.D. Robb discussion
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Portrait in Death
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Portrait In Death Buddy Read - June 2017
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Sandra
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rated it 5 stars
Jun 10, 2017 05:49PM
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There is and will never be another Roarke.
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Baxter & Trueheart have made a good team...share your thoughts on Trueheart being taken, Baxter's reaction & action, and the way Trueheart managed to let Eve & the others know what was happening even though he was drugged.
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Wow - doesn't that say it all!?
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There is and will never be another Roarke."
Lovely and bittersweet.
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There were quite a few fine moments in this story and this is one of my favorites. Loved it every time.
Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Summerset's accident near the beginning seemed to be the catalyst for several things that followed. Let's talk about it and how it affected other characters - and the character relationship develop..."Poor Summerset!
I really loved how Eve thought he did it deliberately just to spite her, lol!
Some of my favorite scenes in this book were of Eve being able to identify with Summerset over Roarke's overprotectiveness.
Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Share your thoughts on the case in Portrait. What worked, what didn't? Did you figure it out before the killer was revealed? ."For me it was one of the weaker investigations. There seemed to be a lot of rehashing of the evidence and it was easy to guess the killer by process of elimination.
That said, I really enjoyed the climax with Trueheart being taken and the race to save him.
Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Speaking of character relationship development, Eve & Nadine exchange words early on in this one and Eve has Nadine taken in. Nadine says something to Eve about "thought we were friends". Thoughts ..."Eve can be brusk with Nadine sometimes, but this time, I think it was warranted. Nadine wasn't being cooperative at the scene and she realized it when she was at the precinct. I think that Eve and Nadine handled it well overall.
Lauren wrote: "Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Speaking of character relationship development, Eve & Nadine exchange words early on in this one and Eve has Nadine taken in. Nadine says something to Eve about ..."Just to add on to that Lauren. Sometimes Nadine needs to know that Eve is a cop. All good and well that's she's your friends and that she's getting the photos sent to her but I think she needed to be reminded it's not just about friendship. That being said. Nadine was thinking about the bigger picture: the story , the scoop etc , whereas Eve was micking through the the bin Wrong time all round I think
I've always felt that this was one of the cases that could have been closed earlier. But Eve was off because Roarke was off. Every time she got a tread , which I always felt was the thread that would lead to closure , Eve was pulled away by personal life . Not a bad or good think , it just shows that she's human and that life sometimes take over.
Michelle wrote: "I've always felt that this was one of the cases that could have been closed earlier. But Eve was off because Roarke was off. Every time she got a tread , which I always felt was the thread that wou..."I agree with you about Eve but I don't think the case is too drawn out. There are a lot of roadblocks with this one and not just Roarke. She can't get into the medical records. Gerald isn't using his real name when working as the bartender, etc. Even when Eve goes home, she doesn't miss too much time at work.
On the Eve & Roarke front. Eve doesn't let her personal life impede an investigation too often, but when she and Roarke are off in their personal life, it slows her down because she can't concentrate and connect the dots as easily. (We will see it again, shortly, in a future book, when she gets off balance because of her personal relationship with Roarke.
It is funny how she can deal with Roarke pushing himself into her investigations, even going over her head, easier than she can deal with something off outside of work. I think that is because she is still unsure of personal relationships whereas with work related issues she knows a good argument will get them back on the right track.
I was reading some of the reviews and came across an interesting question:Eve knows who the killer is and where he lives, so why did the need the unhelpful neighbor to describe him for the police artist? Couldn't she have gotten his photo ID from the DMV or some other agency that has photo identification?
I wondered about that as well. Maybe because she was off in her personal life?? She didn't think it through in those lines.
They had his name but he wasn't using that name. There is more than one Gerald Stevenson in the city. The neighbor knows what he looks like but she couldn't believe that the Gerry that she knows could be a murderer.Also, Gerald left the apartment that he lived in near the parking garage and moved into his "studio" that is under the name Steve Audrey. He isn't on their radar until he takes Truehart and the neighbor gives the information to get his picture.
Sharon wrote: "They had his name but he wasn't using that name. There is more than one Gerald Stevenson in the city. The neighbor knows what he looks like but she couldn't believe that the Gerry that she knows co..."They had his address and that, together with his real name, is enough to get a DMV photo. It did not matter that he changed his name.
Lauren wrote: "Sharon wrote: "They had his name but he wasn't using that name. There is more than one Gerald Stevenson in the city. The neighbor knows what he looks like but she couldn't believe that the Gerry th..."This didn't bother me at all. He has technical skills and my guess if you believe that no one can find anything about Roarke's history this is plausible.
Roarke has ease most of his history and if you are computer smart you can error your computer history but not you paper history
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Love Brian calling Eve Lt. Darlin'!
Roarke asks Brian to go with him to pay a visit to Grogin. Brian says "so this is why you came without your cop..." Roarke says "one of the reasons...we interview differently." Roake is wondering what will happen if he has to tell Eve that he killed Grogin. The whole scene with Grogin is intense.
Grogin to Roarke: "How'd you climb out of hell, Paddy?"
Roarke to Grogin: "Wrong Roarke."
Share your thoughts on this part of the story. Did Roarke go too far with Grogin with his method of "interviewing" him or not? Would Eve accept his method of interviewing in this case?
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Don't think Roarke went to far with Grogin. He needed answers and Grogin had them, but Grogin needed some incentive to give up those answers. Think Eve would handle this kind of "interviewing" far better than killing. I mean really, Roarke just broke Grogin's finger and threw some threats (promises) at Grogin. It wasn't that bad.
I agree with Rae . This is after all the true Roarke. He might be a business man now but he came from the slums of Dublin. You can take the man out of the slums but not the slums out of the man. I also loved that she took Roarke with to notify Buckley about his sister. That whole scene was so heart wrenching. It also shows you the compassion of Eve,it's not often that it's displayed. We know that she has compassion as we the reader are following her thoughts but her we got to see it.
I'm sure Roarke could have done more to Grogin than just break his finger. But I think he realized he'd come to far in his life to kill an old man and did want to blow up Eve's life in being arrested for murder since he'd come so far in overcoming his background.
He already owned half the Universe according to Eve. He would lose that had he killed Grogin.
I agree with everyone that Roarke could have done a lost worse than break Grogin's finger or threaten his life. He is a different person now that Eve is in his life, but he still acknowledges his capacity for going to far and restrains himself.
Because he don't have universe that's why he and he look
Because he does own half the universe and he is in love with Eve and didn't want to disappoint her that's the only reason he didn't kill him. If he was on his own he would've killed him and buried it so no one would ever find out he he had kill someone.
Rae wrote: "Don't think Roarke went to far with Grogin. He needed answers and Grogin had them, but Grogin needed some incentive to give up those answers. Think Eve would handle this kind of "interviewing" far..."
I don't think Roarke went to far. He is dealing with the issues the way Grogin expected. Well, I think Grogin expected worse actually. Also, in the back of his head I'm sure he heard Eve's voice. No matter how much he wanted blood he never wants to disappoint "his wife"...I love how that term upsets Eve. It is like his aunt said to Eve you can influence what Roarke does. (Paraphrasing because I don't have my kindle today.)
Michelle wrote: "I agree with Rae . This is after all the true Roarke. He might be a business man now but he came from the slums of Dublin. You can take the man out of the slums but not the slums out of the man. ..."
I love that Eve took Roarke with her to tell Crack. I also love how Roarke wanted to step in but Eve understood his pain and allowed him to lash out at her. This incident will bring them closer in the end.
Mara wrote: "He already owned half the Universe according to Eve. He would lose that had he killed Grogin."I wonder if that is true. Roarke is so good at covering his tracks and changing what authorities know about him. I believe he is more concerned about Eve's disappointment than anything material.
Sharon, Probably true. Though he fought years to keep his past life out the hands of the authorities.
Had he killed Grogin, he would have blown everyone's persception of him would be blown out of the water. He wouldn't be able to face his friends, especially Eve and Summerset.
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I wonder if that is true. Roarke is so good at covering his tracks and changing what aut..."
I agree...Roarke's concern is for Eve - always. He never wants to disappoint her or appear less in her eyes, I think. I don't think he cares what the public thinks one way or the other.
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Loved the candy scene between Eve & Peabody when Peabody walks into Eve's office just as Eve is about to eat the last bite of real dark chocolate...Eve crams it in her mouth! lol Peabody says something to her about being evil or something to that effect. Love the growing banter between these two.
Sharon wrote: "Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Summerset's accident near the beginning seemed to be the catalyst for several things that followed. Let's talk about it and how it affected other characters - an..."Sharon, you made observations that expressed things I haven't gotten to yet. Just finished reading and logged on right away. A real 5-star read for me, too.
Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "I love the scene where Eve confronts Summerset about what happened to Roarke's father. For Summerset to confess the truth to Eve was HUGE in my eyes - it's a truth even Roarke does not know. And - ..."Sandra, I also felt secretly rewarded about this knowledge that Eve winkled out of Summerset.
This is one of my favorites in the series so far. My reader's blood pressure (imaginary me) went through the roof when I saw where Trueheart was when he was singled out. Until the end of the book, I thought we'd get word that the last dose of Tranq (or whatever) had him slipping away from the coma.
Sandra you asked about Peabody. I love how Eve put her forward for the exam and then informed her about it. I also liked how she (Eve ) sees herself as a trainer not a teacher. As for Peabody and McNab moving in together. I'm so happy for them. McNab being injured on the job I think brought their feeling for each other to the forefront. ( like how Eve was still watching him for any signs of side effects from his injuries) we know that McNab loves Peabody. It's the next step for them in the relationship.
Can I just ask why is it that Trueheart is always the one to have something happen to him on an op?! He really needs him mojo seen to. This is like the third time he's had something happen to him. Yes I know last time it was a case of bad timing and it happened as he was coming off duty. But still I'm getting worried for him . Here's me hoping that Baxter will help in that department.
Michelle wrote: "Sandra you asked about Peabody. I love how Eve put her forward for the exam and then informed her about it. I also liked how she (Eve ) sees herself as a trainer not a teacher. As for Peabody and..."
I think Nora/JD has a crush on Truehart and likes to work him into the stories. Getting hurt gets everyone anxious and worried about him and keeps him on the readers' minds. Also he is still young and probably moving ahead faster than many officers because Eve has a soft spot for him. He is learning but I'm sure Baxter will steer him down a safer road. I hope1 That's my opinion why he gets hurt anyway.
I love David Baxter. I think he's a HOOT and a very good cop. I wish J.D. would give us a peek into his background and tell us how & why he became a cop.I'd love to see Nadine give him a run for his money. LOL!!!!! Now that would be total HOOT!!!!
Peabody and Trueheart are surrogate little siblings to Eve.
Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Character Relationship Development is HUGE in Portrait bringing about some heartbreaking & heart-touching moments. Share some of your favorite moments and tell us why you feel they are important to..."For me, this book was all about character development. First, we see that Roarke actually is human and was so destroyed about what he was finding out that he shut out Eve. This part of the story really got to me. How Eve is still unsure subconsciously about him loving her. Immediately when he locks her out of his office, she assumes he doesn't love her anymore.
Next, the relationship between Eve and Summerset is explored further. They are starting to trust each other a bit I think. They pretend to not be able to stand each other but I really think there is a bond growing. We also saw a bit more into Summerset's and Roarke's relationship. I probably missed something in the earlier books but I didn't think Roarke had lived with Summerset at a young age.
Eve and Peabody continue to get closer in this book. I love how Peabody knows Eve doesn't want to hear about her and McNab so she continues to comment about it driving Eve nuts. But, of course, when Roarke is in Ireland, Eve wants Peabody there with her.
The murder investigation, for me, wasn't as exciting (until the end of course) as in other books so this one was all about the relationships.
Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "One of my favorite passages: Alone, he grieved for a woman he'd never know, and ached for the only one he'd ever love." There is and will never be another Roarke."
That was definitely one of my favorites too. Definitely a tissue grabber...
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Summerset is a father-figure to Roarke having saved him off the streets. Love how Summerset called Eve on the house link and said something about "something's wrong with Roarke. Find him and fix it!" Eve and Summerset share a love for Roarke and both know the other would do anything for him.
I love the Peabody and McNab stories. I think it will be so much fun to watch them as they move in together.I'm also really glad that Eve put Peabody up for taking the detective exam. A thought crossed my mind that if Peabody becomes a detective, will she stop being Eve's aide? I hope not. I love the two of them working a case together.
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The answer to your question is in future books! Won't spoil it for you! lol
Great comments Karen. And I agree with what you said. It's always great to see someone as human. And also how that humanity can manifest. I always found it interesting that Roarke always want Eve to share yet he goes beyond what she does when shutting him out. He now only shut the door on Eve but completely shuts. Her. Out. I was also happy that at the end he does realize what he did. How far Eve has also come that when they do talk she really tells him why and what. 6 months ago in there re.atipnship she wouldn't have been able to. I also loved that Summerset use of words. To Roarke it was " something must be done". ( in Seduction in death , when Eve was on suspension and had her world crushed) To Eve it's " fix it". I can just imagine he's body language and facial expression with it. ( on a side note : I always have the imagine of Alfred, the animated Batman butler as Summerset in these moments. Why is it so difficult to find the right actor to play these characters ?! )
I also loved her talk with Feeney. Him encouraging her to go after her man. I don't think anybody else would have been able to get her to follow her man.
Karen ♐ wrote: "I love the Peabody and McNab stories. I think it will be so much fun to watch them as they move in together.I'm also really glad that Eve put Peabody up for taking the detective exam. A thought c..."
As Sandra says. Keep reading.
But her an McNab? Finally she find someone to love and be loved by. They really make a cute couple.
Mara wrote: "I love David Baxter. I think he's a HOOT and a very good cop. I wish J.D. would give us a peek into his background and tell us how & why he became a cop.I'd love to see Nadine give him a run for ..."
Best suggestion ever Mara. Now if only Nora Roberts can be influenced by our suggestions. Lol.
I often thought, especially with the later books the series has the potential of so many spin offs . Or just a hell of a lot of prequels.
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Also love when Feeney calls Eve "Kid" - he's the only one who does that.
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I'm also really glad that Eve put Peabody up for taking the detective e..."
And yet interesting that she still hasn't told him the truth about her & Charles! When Eve asks her why she doesn't explain it, she says because that would give him the "hand". lol
