Re-Read: Naked, Reunion and Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Here is my re-read challenge entry :D

When I saw Kristie's comment on the Re-Read Challenge post, I was all surprised and wondered which 4 books she read! I mean, 4 re-reads and she reviewed them all! Then, I followed the link and found out which books she re-read... and all I could do was grinned because we basically did the same thing this month! :D Granted, I read 3 instead of 4 In Death books, but really... Also, what are the odds that out of 30-somethings books, we would read the same ones?!? :D

So here we go:


Naked in Death
published by Berkley in July 1995

Writing as J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts has won new fans with her futuristic series of romantic crime novels. New York police lieutenant Eve Dallas gets involved with Roarke, a suspect in her latest murder case. But passion and seduction have rules all their own...

Genre: Romantic Suspense/futuristic
Series: In Death, Book #1

The Story: In Naked in Death, readers are introduced to Eve Dallas, a female lieutenant in the NYPD. She's dedicated to her job, serving and protecting as well as elucidating homicides and her work is her life. After 10 years on the force, she knows that you cannot save them all - that all you can do is your best... but sometimes, your best is not enough and you can't help but feel the loss and grief.

After a brutal case that ends up with termination, Eve is supposed to go through Testing. Instead, she catches a high profile case - the murder of a senator's granddaughter who also happened to be a licensed companion. However, what's worrisome is the note that comes with the body: One of Six.

During the course of her investigation, one name that keeps turning up is Roarke, the mysterious magnate. Even though she still hasn't cleared him from her suspect list and despite knowing better, Eve can't fight the compelling attraction and ends up getting involved with him...

My Opinion: Like Kristie said, this is the book that started it all. Unless you're new to the community, you must have heard about the In Death series. It's impossible not to. The only question is have you caved and tried it or not?

I've read all of the books and I have to admit that coming back to the beginning is... wow. LOL :) You can see how far the series has gone. Some things have not changed, but Eve's entourage has for sure. It is bizarre to see only a few characters... As fans of the series, you're so used to seeing Peabody, McNab and a slew of secondary characters... but in Naked in Death, it's all kept to a minimum. I have to wonder though if Ms Roberts always intended Charles Monroe to become a recurring character... or he was supposed to be a one-time shot. I mean, kind of weird that Charles would be introduced before Peabody no? :D

Naked in Death is a great book and a great start to the series. I think Ms Roberts did a great job balancing everything: the characters, the world building, the case and the action. You can help but fall under Roarke's charm :) To see such a powerful figure be smitten and besotted, LOL, it's cute :D Also, you can't help but feel respect for Eve. She's the woman you want on your side, in your clan. To her, all that matters is you. Not your past, not the authority, nothing. She'll fight for you even though you've been in the wrong. Definitively someone that deserves respect and admiration and in a way, it's evident why Roarke fell for her.

The case was very interesting and quite provoking I think. It was also perfect to introduce this new world in my opinion and was cleverly used to impart world-building information to the readers. As a result, the world building was done seamlessly... Very clever by Ms Roberts and proof of good writing.

If I have a complaint, it'd be that I did think that the case wrapped up very quickly at the end. There was a catalyst event and then, it snow-balled and everything happened very fast. Although I don't think it took away from the impact of the book.

I don't exactly remember how I felt the first time I read it, but hey, I did go on and read the other books right? So must have been a good feeling :D

My Grade: I'd say B+/A-. It's hard to be objective, knowing what comes next. I think this was a very solid book, a great first book to open the series. Was it my favorite? No. But do I think it's special? Yes, because it'll always be the first book :D


Reunion in Death
published by Berkley in March 2002

At exactly 7:30 P.M., Walter Pettibone arrived home to find more than a hundred friends and family shouting, "Surprise!" It was his birthday. Although he had known about the planned event for weeks, the real surprise was yet to come. At 8:45 P.M., a woman with emerald eyes and red hair handed him a glass of champagne. One sip of birthday bubbly, and he was dead.

The woman's name is Julie Dockport. No one at the party knew who she was. But Detective Eve Dallas remembers her all too well. Eve was personally responsible for Julie's incarceration nearly ten years ago. And now, let out on good behavior, she still has nothing but bad intentions. It appears she wants to meet Dallas again - in a reunion neither will forget...

Genre: Romantic suspense/futuristic
Series: In Death, Book #16 (counting novellas in anthologies)

The Story: In Reunion in Death, Eve is pitted against an old enemy, Julianna Dunn - a woman Eve helped arrest almost 10 years ago. Julianna was released on good behavior and has revived her old M.O. - killing rich, middle-aged man with a drink peppered with cyanide. However, she's no longer after the money... This time, it's a game of wit against Eve Dallas, the female cop who put her behind bars... and the ultimate prize is to take away the life of Eve's husband.

My Opinion: Quite frankly, Reunion in Death will forever hold a special place for me, because it was the first In Death book I've read in English! Ah the joy!! See, I originally discovered the In Death books in French... and in French, they don't bother putting Ms Roberts' pseudonym, J.D. Robb, on the cover. So I kept looking for Ms Roberts In Death books in the romance section under Nora Roberts and just couldn't find them!! No, I never thought of looking in the mystery section - hey, I was still a newbie at the time! Then, one day, I was in a convenience store and stumbled across Reunion in Death. Read the synopsis, thought it sounded a bit familiar and finally realized what it was! Hallelujah! LOL :)

Reunion in Death is definitively an interesting read. I think it showcases very well why Ms Roberts is such a popular author. It's not just the story and the writing, but mainly, it's all about her characters and their dynamics. It's just fun to see Eve's interaction with her entourage. The way she reacts every times Peabody alludes to her sex life with McNab, LOL :) Or how she's uncomfortable meeting Peabody's parents. Eve's entourage is larger now, but it doesn't mean she's become a people's person. She still the socially inept cop we met at the beginning. Of course, some of her priorities have shifted and her life has changed, but at the core, I'd say Eve Dallas is still the same woman, the same cop than at the beginning. The woman might have matured and grown, but her values and personality haven't.

Seeing Eve and Roarke celebrate their one-year marriage anniversary was sweet. It's also rewarding, because we see Eve and Roarke working so hard at marriage. It's no like most romance where we see the H/H fall in love, get their HEA. No, in the In Death series, we get to witness Eve and Roarke WIP marriage :D One of the best moment is when Roarke gives her two gift and she's all like: "Two gifts? Shit, I only have one! Nobody told me it's two gifts!" LOL.

The case itself is interesting. It didn't take long for Eve to realize who the murderer was... but figuring out the motives and catching up to her did... and I think that's one of the most interesting part in the In Death series. The work these people do seems very real. Legwork, interviewing witnesses, knocking on neighbors' doors. It seems to me all this normal work is often forgone in regular romantic suspense... because we don't have time for it. Authors are too busy developing their characters and relationships to focus on it. Also seeing Eve's mind figure things out is really a beautiful process :P

I'd say this one is worth a re-read. It's a great bland of everything that makes this series a success: an interesting case, good humor and good relationship.

My Grade: A-.


Portrait in Death
published by Berkley in March 2003

After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Dumpster on Delancey Street. 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 she asn,t a model. And the photos were taken after she had been murdered.

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

Genre: Romantic Suspense/futuristic
Series: In Death, Book #18 (including novellas in anthologies)

The Story: The blurb is a bit misleading in my opinion. It's not women only, but men as well. Those who seem to shine, have a vitality around them.

So this time, Eve is pitted against a killer that murders students to take picture of them, to capture their light eternally. While Eve is chasing the murderer, Roarke makes a discovery about his past that rocks his world... and for the first time in their marriage, pushes Eve away.

My Opinion: Many readers like this one because of what happens to Roarke... for the first time, we get a shaken Roarke - not just from his discovery but also Summerset's accident. Me, I completely forgot that Roarke's discovery about his mother happened in this book ^_^; LOL. The reason why I picked Portrait in Death was because of the ending and Trueheart. I heart Trueheart!! He's sooo cute and I do wish we'll get more of him in the future book! LOL :)

In Reunion in Death, I talked about the dynamics and characters' interactions... While that is a strength of the series, another factor that contributes in making this series so strong is the cases... Or actually, the different types of cases Eve gets. Ms Roberts really play with them - sometimes we know who the villain is from the start, sometimes, it's a serial killer other time, it's one murder... I think that this line really says it all when it comes to this book's case:

Sometimes, you do the job, you close the case, but the door just doesn't shut for you. I guess this is going to be one of those. Roarke was right. He's just pathetic. It's easier when they're vicious or greedy or just downright evil. Pathetic leaves the door open a crack.

Different shades of grey. The villain is so often evil in romantic suspense novels. However, in life...

So yes, I enjoyed this one because Ms Roberts mixed it up when it came to the case. It was also a heart-breaking case, all that youth gone to waste. The ending was very exciting. However, the resolution of the case was a bit fast, in my opinion. Not as tidy as it could be... Also, the case was overshadowed by the personal conflict of the characters in this one.

I loved Eve taking care of Roarke, slipping him something. Eve and Summerset actually ganging up to take care of their beloved :D Also, I think that we got a more personal glimpse of Summerset and Roarke's relationship and that is so rare.

My Grade: B. Good and solid, but not my favorite.


It's hard for me to remember my feelings the first time I've read these books. Especially if I haven't reviewed them. Mainly, because it's been so long ago, they are so many and they kind of blur into another. Mostly though, I enjoyed them all... Each time, Ms Roberts delivers a very solid installment with solid writing, great characters and interesting cases. Some books are more interesting than others, true... but overall, they're all quite enjoyable.

For those who hesitate to try the series because of the huge backlist, I'd say give it a try, seriously. They're very easy to read and very compelling. I mean, I planned on re-reading one and ended up reading 3 in 2 days... I'm sure it was the same for Kristie. Once you start reading them, they're hard to put down :D

Reviews: Shadow Dance by Susan Andersen and Stray by Rachel Vincent

I know, I promised some reviews... and it never really happened ^^; At least, on the other hand, I've been reading a lot, so I guess it kinds of make up for it... no? I'll have lots of books to review when I'm in a reading slump :P Anyway, I'm still going to take the easy way out tonight and review these:


Shadow Dance by Susan Andersen: DNF
published by Harpercollins Canada in 2002

What Lurks in the Dark Shadows of the Heart?

Most men who see Amanda Charles dance worship her from afar. But one "admirer" is getting too close to the glamorous showgirl...perilously close.The looks, style, and grace that make Amanda sparkle on stage have now made her something else: the target of a serial killer.

Detective Tristan MacLaughlin has drawn the case that is pulling him deep into a world of pageantry and dazzle -- and closer to the stunning, violet-eyed beauty who keeps her secrets and emotions locked tightly inside. Tristan never thought he’d be bewitched by Amanda’s charms, never though he’d care. And he never imagined that by wanting her, by trying to protect her, he’d place her in the gravest danger of all.

Why did I get this book? Because I usually enjoy Susan Andersen's book... Truth be told though, I've often picked up this book, but put it back... I guess this is like exam with multiple choices: first instinct is always the best... should have left it on the shelf ^^;

My impressions: I've only got through the first couple of chapters... It just didn't do it for me... I liked Tristan enough, but my biggest problem was the heroine, Amanda... She just annoyed me so much, always jumping to wrong conclusions. Actually, both characters have the habit of thinking the worst of each other and that creates unnecessary trouble. So yeah, got annoyed by Amanda... then, I read the ending and I just figured it wasn't worth reading, because Amanda wasn't getting any better... ^^;


Stray by Rachel Vincent: DNF

published by Mira in June 2007

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back…for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I''m no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—''cause I got claws, and I''m not afraid to use them...

Why did I get this book? Because it sounded good, the cover is nice and I usually enjoy Mira books. I picked it up as soon as I got home from the trip from Toronto, but then put it down before reading the first page... not a good sign. Then, I picked it up again because Kris enjoyed it.

My impressions: Again, I got annoyed by the heroine... Faythe is tough and has an attitude and I guess she's strong too... the problem is that she's 23 y.o. and her "rebellion" comes off as immature and selfish to me. Seriously, she's annoyed at her father and brother's over-protectiveness and I understand that... but there's danger out there... aiming at her... and she just doesn't care as long as she can have her own life... Sorry, but man... these ppl are your family and they care about you... and for her just to get stubborn... She just clung too much to her independence, not caring about anyone else than herself... It really bothered me :( Also, all the sexual innuendos ^^; You guys know me... I like the one woman/one man relationship... and so all the attraction btw her and the other guys was just one more thing I disliked ^^;

Kris seemed to have enjoyed this book well enough... so I guess that all this is just me and if what I said above doesn't bother you usually, you'll probably enjoy the book :D I know that from the author's website, it seems that this is going to be a series...

Review: White Mountain by Dinah McCall

One week + 2 days = 9 days

That's the number of days I haven't stepped into a bookstore. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to remain away from a bookstore. I keep reading this review and that review and I keep going: Oh, this book sounds good and that book too. Ah well, we'll see I guess...

I'm trying to watch the Australian Open, but man... I keep getting unlucky and missing it. The good news tho is that Lleyton Hewitt made it to the 2nd round. Let see how it goes today. He's playing a Canadian - so what should I do? Be all patriotic or root for Lleyton?

Anyway, onto the review :D

White Mountain by Dinah McCall: 4/5
published in April 2002 (Mira-Harlequin)

Frank Walton is an old man, suffering of cancer. Because the end is near, he goes back to Brighton Beach, the little Russia in New York where he grew up to reminisce his childhood. Unfortunately for him, Russia has sent one of their best, but retired, KGB agent -Vasili Rostov- to bring him back to Russia. However, the incident ends up with the death of Walton. Not wanting to go back to his country empty hands, Rostov goes to Braden, Montana - specifically the Abbott House - where Walton lived with 6 other old men.

Meanwhile, in New York, Walton's body has been discovered. However, what's astonishing, as well as intriguing, is that Walton's fingerprints match the ones of a scientist that died more than 30 years ago in a plane crash. This attracts the attention of the FBI which sends their agent, Jack Dolan to Montana to investigate.

In Montana, Isabella Abbott has just buried her father, Sammuel Abbot, and is worried about her Uncle Frank. When she learns of his death, she is quite devastated... Uncle Frank murdered, her father dying from a heart attack... Coincidence? Then, she looks at her remaining uncles: David, Thomas, Jasper, John and Rufus - all old men now who have seen her grown up and helped her father to raise her after her mother died in childbirth. They all lived together at Abbott House, some being botanist, archeologist, so on and others being her father's colleagues at the fertility clinic... but how much does she really know?

Series: none
Genre: contemporary romantic suspense

Review: I almost got all of Dinah McCall's books and White Mountain was one of the rare one I was missing... So I bought it. In addition, I was really intrigued by the whole fingerprints belonging to someone's already dead. However, I never thought this book would turn out this way - a very pleasant surprise.

Characters - See, I've always been weak for old men in real life and in books. Strong or gentle, most of them tug at my heart. So my heart gave out a lot when Frank Walton died. Anyway, I really liked the old men :P As for the main characters, Isabella and Jack, well I did enjoy them a lot :D Isabella has a strong core inside, but she's not overtly strong and tough and it's totally understandable in this situation. She's just lost two persons she cared for a lot and realized that eventually, one by one, her other uncles would leave her too. As for Jack, he's a FBI agent. A bit battered and a bit down, but I wouldn't say his near break-down. He went to Abbott House undercover and credits for him for not wanting to build relationship on lies. Anyway, I liked them and they didn't annoy me at all, but I'd say that there's some depth missing. Ms Sala didn't have time to flesh them out as it should, because she had so much going on...

Story & Writing: well, it's no secret that I love Ms Sala's style/writing... So I won't comment on that aspect. Okay, maybe I'll just say that I like Ms Sala's pacing and her writing is always smooth. As for the story, it was quite interesting. There wasn't too much "threads" so it wasn't hard to follow. What I liked was the idea behind the intrigue was really good and it was well told. The only thing is perhaps the ending seems a bit too easy - I mean, would Jack really recognizes the KBG agent from a picture that was shown during his training at Quantico, of course it's plausible... but this moment is key to leading to the ending and I thought there could have been many other ways, perhaps more interesting.

The Cover - I like... it also keep in style with the other covers of her books published with Mira-Harlequin.

Am I keeping this book? Yes :D It's a good book plus, I want to complete my collection of her books.

Anything else? Not related to White Mountain... but Dinah McCall's next book is The Survivors. Anyone knows when it's coming out? It was first scheduled for April 2006, but I didn't find it anywhere. Then, Chapters online said January 2007, but it's not available for order... Amazon says March 2007 or perhaps April... Meanwhile, the author's website hasn't been updated for a while. Sigh.

Another gloomy week-end

Hey ppl, wassup?

You really want to know? Weather is again crap... it's been raining and raining and raining... I'm surprised nothing has flod yet. At this point, I almost wish for snow... (not slush, just white snow). In addition, it's been cold... so all I've been really wanting to do is snuggle in my blankets to stay warm... and then, I fall asleep... must be hibernation hitting me.

So, so, so... what did I read over the week-end? 2 books:

Still Lake by Anne Stuart: 3.5/5

20-something years ago, Thomas Griffin was accused of murdering 3 teenage girls and sent in jail. He knows that he hasn't killed 2 of them, but isn't sure about the third girl... All he remembers is arguing with her because she's been sleeping with another guy and waking up with blood all over him. Luckily for Griffin, he got out on a technility after 5 years. Now a successful lawyer, he wants to know what happened and return to Colby, Vermont.

Sophie is finally going to realize her dreams: opening a bed-and-breakfast in a little and quiet town. Ever since her father died, Sophie has been raising her half-sister, Marty. Now 17 y.o., Marty has been getting in trouble constantly. In addition, Sophie's mother hasn't been well after her battle against breast cancer and Alzheimer. However, the new neighbor might just ruin everything ...

First, I'll say that I did enjoy the book, but I also thought that it didn't go deep enough and I guess, not much happened. I mean, Griffin didn't really investigate the murders... He was almost handed the answer. Actually, he didn't realize who was the killer till the last minute, it was Sohpie's mom who figured it out. I mean, his whole point was to find the killer, but he didn't do much. I can understand his reluctance to go into the town and he got distracted by Sophie, but he could have done much more. If Sophie and Marty hasn't been targeted by the killer, he would've never found out who the killer was.

As for the love story, well it happened pretty fast. Sophie and Griffin are attracted to each other and they don't really know why, they don't really like each other and they are constantly fighting, but they keep going back for more. What I dislike is that it seemed they didn't have time to get to know each other. In addition, Sophie annoyed me a tiny bit... She was very fast to jump to conclusion and think bad of Griffin, even not knowing that he was accused of the murders in the past. I mean, if she knew he was a possible murderer, what would she have done? Does she treat everyone the same way? I hope not.

The only interesting secondary character was Sophie's mom, Grace. I thought that Marty's story was a bit dull... I mean, I've read better teenager love story as side story in books.

So conclusion, I think that the book would have been better... but it was still enjoyable.

Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe: 4.25/5

Theresa Nichols is a dragon, a real one: scales, tail and fire breath and all. She's been a dragon for the past 200 years, unable to change into human form. In addition, she's the assistant guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth (Mona) and must protect it at every cost. So ever since she and Justine had relocated to New York, Theresa has been hiding, depending on Justine for food. The problem is that Justine is gone on a honeymoon and is starving. In addition, Zeke - her cybersex partner- has been wanting to see her and has given her an ultimatum... Either she shows up for their date or he'll move on. So what is a dragon to do in that kind of situation?

Zeke Siccardi is an EX- dragon slayer, big emphasis on the EX. 180 years ago, he was the one who plotted the Cleansing in which most dragons were eliminated. However, the Cleansing was also a reality check for him and it changed him... so he's been trying to suppress his slayer instincts, take a non-violence path, become a vegetarian and etc. Now, Zeke specializes in finding missing person and he's been given the task to find Theresa Nichols. He has found a Theresa Nichols, now all he has to do is confirm that it's the right one.

This novel is as crazy as the previous one, but I thought it was better. I think I enjoyed it more. I really liked Theresa and Zeke's characters... I guess I found that Justine and Derek were a bit dull. Also, there was a lot of Becca in this book and she's really awesome. So let see, let me try to be a bit coherent here. In order to go on a date with Zeke, Theresa makes a deal with Satan... Of course, in exchange, Satan demands Mona. By having Mona and not using her, Satan wants to prove to Iris, previous Guardian, that he loves her. Back to Theresa, she has an old enemy after her life as well as Zeke's old team of slayers. The writing is basically all over the place, but you don't have a boring moment at all. If you liked Date me, Baby, One more Time, you'll probably enjoy this one as well.

The next book will be Becca's.


I've also started reading Venetia by Georgette Heyer, but I'm having a bit of a hard time because of the way it's written - not used to it.

By the way:

GOOD LUCK KRISTIE ON YOUR FIRST DAY AT YOUR NEW JOB

Hope everything goes well, the job is good and the co-workers, nice.

Let us know how it goes :D