A Year of J.D. Robb

[Susan (susayq ~)]

I'll start ch 10 today. I do think it's sweet how Roarke is trying to set Christmas traditions for him and Eve. Makes me love him all the more :)

[Christine]

When I woke up this morning my bookmark was on page 244. Sadly, it was off by about 200 pages. This is what happens when I try to stay awake too long to read. I'm actually only near the end of chapter four.

My favorite line so far came from Peabody when they were watching the security video from the first murder: "But...that's Santa Claus." Poor Peabody.

I just got to the part where Roarke said he wants to get a Christmas tree for their bedroom for them to decorate together. So sweet.

[Kami]

Probably only be able to read another two chapters tonight. I might get five chapters in tomorrow, though. Roarke has to always do everything bigger and better than anyone else. With the huge trees he brought in from Oregon. He keeps lavishing Eve with gifts and they are so wasted on her. She likes her robe though. I wonder what she will get Nadine?

[~Leslie~]

Okay, recovering from minor surgery and I haven't been able to get to B&N to read, so I splurged and bought this. I'll be starting this today.

[Susan (susayq ~)]

Omg!! I'm in the middle of ch 11 and am dying with what Peabody just did! All I could do was cheer LOL I love that McNab is jealous!!!

[Susan (susayq ~)]

Have you noticed that Eve treats Nadine kind of crappy? She's snippy with her and rude and I think Nadine really likes Eve as a person and not just someone to boost her ratings. It's kind of getting to me, especially since she just jumped all over Nadine outside Dr Mira's office and then quickly backtracked and apologized.

[Kami]

Finished chapter 11. That was amazing of Peabody. That guy was nasty.

[Susan (susayq ~)]

I finished this last night. I'm anxious to see what everyone else thinks.

And yep, that guy was NASTY.

[~Leslie~]

I'm on page 179 now. Really liking this one alot so far. McNab jealous is a hoot.

[Dee]

If anyone does audible - the sale right now has 4 in death books avail for 7.95

[Susan (susayq ~)]

that's a good deal!

[Dee]

i thought so...they were all later ones in the series (30 and on), but since i'm up to 17 now, I figure i'll slowly keep buying them and eventually i'll have the whole set

whoops, my post should have said 4 in death books for 7.95 each

[~Leslie~]

Okay, I just finished. I gave it 5 stars. I think this is one of my favorites so far. Is anyone else still reading/listening?

[Christine]

I'm only on chapter ten. I've been having a slow reading month, plus getting ready for one of my sons birthday parties on Saturday. Hopefully, tomorrow after the party I can make better progress. Every book I've read this month has taken me two or three days longer than I think they will. It's totally thrown off my reading challenges!

Go ahead and chat. I'll just stay away from the thread until I'm done.

[Kami]

I'm on chapter 17. I have a birthday party to go to for my son's 6 year old friend tomorrow. Maybe I can finish it tomorrow after the party.

[Sheery]

Oh, I absolutely love this series! I've read them all and started a re-read. Is it all right if I jump in this challenge with you all?

[Susan (susayq ~)]

Sure, Sheery, jump on in here :)

Enjoy the parties, ladies. I'll patiently wait for ya'll to finish ;)

[Lisa Kay]

Just stopping in to say, "Hi!" I'm on Judgment in Death - and all I can say is, "O.M.G! O.M.G.! O.M.G!"



Also, the sale at www.audible.com that Dee talked about is still going on, CDs down to $7.49.

Customer Favorites Sale

In addition, here is info I found helpful: How can I make a purchase without using a credit?

[Sheery]

Thanks Susan! I'll start reading the book and definitely jump in the discussion. This is my favorite series.

[Kami]

I finished it. I didn't really like this one as well as the last one. Scary witches and ritual killings don't faze me but rape murders I find extremely disturbing. I am giving this one three stars.

[Christine]

I finally finished it! I don't know if how long it took me to read this one and how busy and tired I've been affected my enjoyment of the book or not, but something was just lacking in this one for me. I enjoyed Peabody and McNabb, but I found Eve getting on my nerves several times throughout the book. At the same time, it was interesting to see her being so uncomfortable with the "family" she's created for herself and watching her try to maneuver through was is clearly unfamiliar water for her. I liked it when Peabody tore into Eve when Eve questioned her bringing an LC as a date. Like Peabody, I assumed Eve was speaking as a police officer and superior and it didn't occur to me that she was speaking as a friend. But it was nice to see that Peabody can and will stand her ground with Eve when she feels it's necessary.
I liked the growing interplay between McNabb and Peabody, and hope to see more of them in future books.

Back to Eve. The hard edge is all part of her persona, but it's starting to wear a little thin in some places. For example, with Summerset. I know they will never be best of friends, and that deep down they do have a weird grudging respect (I guess) for one another. But Eve's constantly telling him "bite me" and other clever gems is starting to get old for me. They are the two most important people in Roarke's life, and it's obvious Summerset actually has grown to care for her, so it would be nice to see her soften her attitude toward him just a little bit. I'd be fine with the biting comments if there were occasional moments of camaraderie.

And she is crappy to Nadine. I *think* she likes Nadine as a friend, but I'm not really sure from the way their scenes together are written. Is Eve just so set in her ways of mistrusting reporters and treating them like scum that she can't break old habits? Is some of it that she doesn't want to be seen as playing favorites? Or she just likes sparring with Nadine and thinks Nadine can take it?

While it was a little irritating to see Eve constantly jumping to the wrong conclusions about people or approaching personal relationships the wrong way, it was good to see her realize her mistakes (or the mistakes of others) and try to figure out what to do next. But I do hope some of that hard edge softens, at least with the circle of people who have become close to her.

Finally, while I love romance and I like a good sex scene as much as the next person (maybe more than some), I really don't need three and four sex scenes between Eve and Roarke in a single book. Yeah, he's filthy rich, he's hot, he always seems to know just the right thing to say and do, but there is never a time where one of them just isn't in the mood tonight?

I also really could have done without the incest storyline.

I enjoyed the book, just not as much as some others. And we never got to see them exchange gifts on Christmas! What did she get Peabody? What did Peabody get her? Inquiring minds want to know. I wonder if it's in the short/novella that came between this one and the next books, Midnight in Death. Has anyone read that yet?

[~Leslie~]

Christine, I was thinking about some of your comments because I liked this one better than the last one. It's interesting to read your thoughts on it.

For me, Eve was less annoying than in the last one. She's so awkward in her relationships and I loved how she was trying to buy presents for everyone. Peabody actually annoyed me more in this one - I thought she was too quick to jump all over Eve.
Eve still has so many things to work out because she was born into such a terrible situation and never experienced proper bonding. I think she's not always a likeable character and that's to be expected. She reminds me of people I have counseled in the past. So prickly and yet so vulnerable underneath.
I agree with you about her relationship with Nadine. That one is harder to figure out. She's soft with Mavis but it's like she's not sure what to do with Nadine. And I've always had problems with the relationship with Summerset. It's like she enjoys calling him names and stuff.
I enjoyed this mystery more. It seemed more straightforward. I thought the incest angle was necessary because it showed how she is still vulnerable to issues from her past - issues of power and control.
And I agree about the sex issue - but I think it must be difficult when you have a married couple as your main characters. And Rourke is almost too perfect for words!
I really enjoyed reading your comments. And I do wonder about the christmas presents!

[Dee]

i've read Midnight in Death, but its been a while...so i don't remember a lot of the details sorry ;)

[~Leslie~]

I just picked up "Midnight in Death" and it does look like it takes place during this christmas season. Looks like a good short story. I'm excited to read it.

[Susan (susayq ~)]

I read Midnight in Death...yes you find out what Eve got Peabody and what Roarke got her (at least one of the gifts)

And Christine, it's like you were scoping out my mind....I agree with EVERYTHING you said about this book! Eve grated my nerves so badly with her treatment of Nadine and Peabody...I also thought she was speaking as her superior and not her friend.

[Kami]

I read Midnight in Death too. I want to know what Eve got for Nadine. I don't know what her deal with Nadine is either. I liked Peabody a lot in this one and I thought McNabb was really sweet offering to sleep on her couch because he was worried about her. I thought the storyline of Simon was really disturbing and I felt really sorry for Piper.

[~Leslie~]

One of the things that bothers me about this series, is that it always feels like she overlooks something pretty basic. Even though the salon had alot to do with the clients and Simon was the one who handled her first suspect, she never investigated them at all. That seems like pretty basic police work.
And I also felt very sorry for Piper. There was definitely a power differential in that relationship. That's always the problem with incestuous relationships, even if they are between consenting adults.

[Christine]

I have to agree that it seems like Eve often misses doing some basic police work that would have pointed to the suspect, or in the end it's much to coincidental how she finally does solve it. I usually figure out who the bad guy is pretty early on, too. But I enjoy the relationships between the other characters, so I can let some of the failings on the police procedure slide. Although I still don't know how she gets away with remaining lead on cases that involve people she has intimate ties with.

I did like seeing Eve struggle with how to interact with her friends. It's clear she's not sure how to approach these relationships and it's great to see that she realizes the value of these relationships and wants to at least try to figure out how to interact with them. I think he difficulty with these interactions accounts for the misunderstanding between Eve and Peabody. Eve never said or did anything to make it clear that she considers Peabody a friend (because she doesn't really know how), so it was natural Peabody would react they way they did. But I do like that Eve and Peabody did hash it out instead of just letting it fester. So now they have a better sense of where they stand.

I'm still mixed on her relationship with Nadine. Does she consider her a friend? Does she need to? You can interact with people who you like and respect on a professional level without ever going so far as to call them "friend".

As for Eve and Roarke, I love the little romantic moments between them. When he tells her to take a soother for that headache that she doesn't want him to know about and when she sneaks into the library to see if there are any books by Yeats that he doesn't have. For me, those moments convey the depth and power of their relationship. I don't need the 'she orgasmed as soon as he entered her'. And I can't stand my husband reading over my shoulder when I'm working on the computer. I certainly wouldn't want him nuzzling my neck and trying to undress me when I'm working. I'd be smacking his hands and telling him to leave me alone I need to get this done. Perhaps I'm just not as romantic. You could argue that in this book he was trying to take her mind off the nature of the murders and help keep her nightmares at bay, but it's happened in almost every book. They end up in his office, in front of his fancy computer, with her trying to work and him trying to get lucky. And he usually does get lucky. I guess some of the sex scenes just seem a little unrealistic to me in the way they play out. I could do without most of them, as long as I still get those sweet little romantic moments I mentioned first.


I agree about Piper. She seemed like a victim to me. If she was really alright with her relationship with her brother, then why has she been in therapy "forever". Clearly, she's under his thumb.

I also thought it was interesting in the hospital that the nurses and doctor always referred to her as "Patient Piper".

[~Leslie~]

I never figure out who did it, I guess that's why I like to have the police procedures so clear. It doesn't stop me from liking these books, however. I heard someone else say this and I think it's true for me as well - I am harder on romantic suspense than any other genre. But I agree - I like the characters so much, it's all good!

[Dee]

i can kind of understand the whole Eve/Peabody thing - I mean, Eve is still her superior - friend or not, and so she has to make sure that she doesn't do anything that could potentially be seen as favoritism...and often, at least in my experience, that results in the person coming down harder on the person than they would to anyone else

[Christine]

It's almost time for Conspiracy in Death. I'm hoping to squeeze in the short Midnight in Death before we get to this one. There's just too much to read and not enough hours in the day. I guess that's better than having a lot of time with nothing to read. Now that would be awful.

[Susan (susayq ~)]

I read it last month. It was a fast read :)

[~Leslie~]

I read it also last month. Good, quick read. I'm looking forward to this one. It's nice to know that you will like what you are reading:=}

[Christine]

Two more days! I'm hoping to finish my current read just in time for Eve and Roarke!

[Kami]

Oh boy! So excited. This one is about a killer removing people's hearts? But since Eve always gets her man, I'm not worried.

[Susan (susayq ~)]

I'm driving to Louisiana on Friday, but I've got this loaded on my Kindle to take with me. I'm excited to get back to Eve and Roarke.

[~Leslie~]

Susan(susayq, why are you headed to La. and where are you going?

[Kami]

My weekend is turning out to be busy busy busy. Social life interfering with my reading! I probably won't be able to start until Sunday.

[Christine]

Life does get in the way of our books doesn't it? Our five-year-old niece is coming to spend the night, for the first time without her father or grandmother. Should be interesting. (I can only imagine the fights tonight about where everybody's sleeping.) And then tomorrow we're planning a trip to the National Zoo. Hopefully, I'll get a little bit of time to at least start this on Saturday night.

[~Leslie~]

I'm hoping to get over to B&N and start this one sometime today. If not today, then definitely tomorrow. It's so nice to know that I'm going to be reading something I know and love. It's like comfort food!

[Christine]

It is like catching up with old friends isn't it?

[Susan (susayq ~)]

Leslie, I'm heading to New Iberia. It's my home town. My dad is in the hospital so the girls and I are going visit for a week :) We'll get there around 5 this evening, so I'll start reading this tomorrow.

[~Leslie~]

Susan(susayq) I didn't realize you were from here(LA). I hope your dad is okay. Will keep him in my prayers. Where do you live now? I met my husband while we were both at UL-Lafayette. That was back in the early 80's.

And Christine - you are so right! I love reading new series but sometime it is soooo nice to read something that you don't have to work so hard at. You like the people, you'll get a nice mystery, it's all good!

[Susan (susayq ~)]

Leslie wrote: "Susan(susayq) I didn't realize you were from here(LA). I hope your dad is okay. Will keep him in my prayers. Where do you live now? I met my husband while we were both at UL-Lafayette. That was bac..."

Leslie, I attended UL-Lafayette in the late 80s/early 90s :) go Rajun Cajuns! Dad is in a specialized unit at Lafayette General-he fell and broke his neck about 6 weeks ago and he's not doing well. Prayers are definitely needed. I now live in north Alabama, around the Huntsville area.

[~Leslie~]

One of my daughters was headed to Lafayette this weekend but changed her mind. Her best friend is going to school there. You'll appreciate this - I was a bartender at Bisbano's for 4 years and that's where I met my husband!
I'll be praying for your dad. It's great that you are able to come down and spend some time with him.

[Christine]

Susan, my prayers are with your family.


I've just started the book and am only to page 60. What's with Officer Bowers? She seemed almost a little off her rocker to me with her near violent reaction to Eve at the crime scene. More than just professional jealousy.

[Kami]

I started it today and I am on page 105. I don't know about this one, it is starting a little weird. Bowers is odd. She is filled with so much hate.

Harvesting human organs for experimentation? Odd storyline. So far two bodies have been connected, Snooks whose heart was taken and a LC Spindler whose kidneys were taken. They both had money for drugs, more money than they should have had. So they must have sold themselves and had willingly take part in the experimentation and then the surgeon came to collect.

Like I said, I am having a bit of trouble getting into this one. Maybe it will get better farther in.

[Susan (susayq ~)]

thanks, Christine!

I should be starting this one tomorrow. I've gotten a little behind from all the family and hospital visiting.

[~Leslie~]

I'm on page 190. This one is a little different from the others. Much less time spent on Rourke and Eve together. It's just gotten very interesting however. And Bowers is completely nuts.

[Christine]

It's still slow going for me. But I just read the scene (around page 175) where Roarke wants to go out into a blizzard and build a snowman. Only with Eve and Roarke could such a thing be so sweet. And funny. I laughed out loud at Roarke's snowman.

I'm still trying to figure out why the organs are being harvested. Are they being repaired in some way to be used? Is someone just playing Frankenstein? And when will Officer Bowers make her move. I've only been able to read in short snippets, and I think I may be missing some things as a result.