J.D. Robb discussion

For those of you who have undertaken this read/reread of the series with me, can you believe we're one book away from being current with the series?!! It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago when we embarked on this journey. And yet, in the latter part of September, we'll buddy read Obsession - almost finishing it in time for the new release, Devoted In Death. This has been so much fun. Thanks to all who have participated. Please feel free to join in our discussion anytime.

Character List: (in spoilers to save space)
(view spoiler)[Eve Dallas: Lieutenant and homicide detective for the NYPSD. Married to Roarke.
Roarke: Billionaire. Married to Eve.
Detective Delia Peabody: Eve's partner and McNab's cohab
Detective Ian McNab: EDD detective under Feeney and Peabody's cohab
Capt. Ryan Feeney: Head of EDD and Eve's former partner and trainer.
Commander Jack Whitney: Eve's boss, commander of NYPSD
Dr. Li Morris: Chief medical examiner for New York City
Dr. Charlotte Mira: NYPSD profiler and psychologist, think of herself as surrogate mother to Eve
Dennis Mira: Dr. Mira's husband
Detective David Baxter: Partnered with Troy Trueheart and in Eve's squad
Detective Jenkinson: Homicide detective in Eve's squad
Detective Sanchez: Homicide detective in Eve's squad
Detective Carmichael: Homicide detective in Eve's squad
Detective Reineke: Detective in Eve's squad
Detective Santiago: Detective in Eve's squad.
Officer Troy Trueheart: David Baxter's partner and trainer
Nadine Furst: Ace reporter for Channel 75 and host of NOW, Eve's friend.
Dick (Dickie) Berenski: Chief forensic lab tech
Galahad: Eve and Roarke's cat
Richard Troy: Eve's father
Stella: Eve's mother.
Belle (Bella): Mavis and Leonardo's daughter.
Mavis Freestone: Music phenom, married to Leonardo and Eve's best friend. Mother of Bella.
Harrison Tibble: Chief of police.
Leonardo: Renowned fashion designer married to Mavis and father of Bella.
Summerset: Roarke's majordomo, his surrogate father.
Leanore Bastwick: Murder victim, a high-powered defense attorney.
Cecil Haversham: Leanora's admin.
Chance Warren: Leanora's client.
Zane Quirk: Leanora's client.
Jess Barrow: Leanora's client and the musician Eve put in prison back in Rapture in Death.
Kyung Beaverton: NYPSD media liaison.
S. T. Fitzhugh: Leanore's former partner who was murdered in Rapture in Death.
Aaron Stern: Leanore's partner.
Carolina Dowd: Stern's administrative assistant.
Ursa Harvo: Forensic tech who specializes in fibers and hair.
Cher Reo: Assistant prosecuting attorney.
Dr. Garnet DeWinter: Forensic anthropologist.
Morgan Larkin: One of Eve's fans, a 40-year old mother of an 8-year old boy. Thrice divorced.
Ledo: Funkhead who Eve dealt with in Conspiracy in Death. He was a drug dealer she once used as an informant.
Hilly Decker: One of Eve's fans, a paralegal.
Mrs. Missenelli: Hilly's neighbor.
Officer Morales: Female police officer on scene.
Misty Polinsky: Ledo's neighbor.
Detective Yancy: NYPSD sketch artist.
Dawson: Head of the sweeper team.
Lottie Roebuck: CSU
Jen Kobechek: Handwriting expert.
Carmine Atelli: Runs Gametown in the underground.
Mason Tobias: One of Eve's fans, a dishwasher/delivery person for a diner.
Roland Tobias: Mason's father.
Milton Whepp: One of Eve's fans, a criminology instructor.
Dirk Hastings: Photographer from Portrait in Death.
Matilda Zebler: Dirk's girlfriend, a supermodel.
Gina Tortelli: Detective in Roth's squad.
Teresa Tortelli: Gina's mother.
Hilda Farmer: Former police officer.
Jamie Lingstrom: Feeney's godson and Roarke's protégé.
Savannah Bocco: Witness.
Thea Rossi: Witness and Savannah's friend.
Nick Bocco: Savannah's father.
Ivanna Liski: Friend of Summerset's from his past.
Loreen Messner: Court bailiff. (hide spoiler)]

Lieutenant Eve Dallas walks the thin line between love and hate in the latest thriller from #1 New York Times bestseller J. D. Robb....Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She - with her billionaire husband - is getting accustomed to being an object of attention, of gossip, of speculation.
But now Eve has become the object of one person's obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her again and again. An aggressive defense attorney who's sparred with Eve in the courtroom is the first victim, but she isn't the last. The messages left for Eve at the crime scenes chill her and turn her stomach. It doesn't get much more personal than this - and Eve refuses to hand the investigation over to anyone else. With a murderer reading meaning into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate - and dangerous - psychological dance.

And eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her "true and loyal friend." And in time, idols always fall....

Thank you, Sandra, for leading this buddy read of the series! What a commitment.

It has truly been a pleasure! I've enjoyed discussing the books with everyone who participated along the way. And I really enjoyed experiencing the entire series on audio this time through...it's the best way to go! :)

I have really enjoyed rereading this series with everyone. thank you sandra

Thank you Sandra. This journey has not only had great discussions but has brought new friends into my life. I'm not even going to talk about new authors and books. I truly can't believe that we are almost current. When we start it seemed so far off but we are here!!!!!

Congrats to all of us that's been here from the beginning.

I can't believe we are almost at the end. Thanks for allowing me to participate. Like you I went through this series on audio except for the novellas. I hear so much that I missed or forgot when I read the first time through.

I really appreciate all the insight from everyone who participates in the discussions.

So glad you all decided to take this journey with me...With each book, I looked forward to hearing your thoughts on characters, plots, villains. And yes, Michelle, a special thanks & congrats to all of you who stayed onboard for the entire series buddy read. Thank you!!

After festive I'm ready for a really intense Eve read. This promise to be one.

Hope so, Michelle! I loved the character interaction in Festive, but the case was just so/so for me.

I think I'll be starting this one next week. Has anyone else started it yet?

I'm waiting fog he group to start. I don't like reading it ahead of the group and its more fun if a few of us start together.

I think I can start by the first of the week, Michelle.

Sounds good to me. I've got a busy weekend and some finishing off of other books.

This sounds like great fun. I have the book. I've not done a "buddy read" - any particular guidelines?

Other than using the spoiler feature for comments until Sandra designates it as a spoiler zone, no other guidelines. Looks like she's starting the buddy read next week, along with Michelle, which is when they'll start posting reflections/comments.

Welcome Mdy! Always glad to have a new member join. Very friendly and all PoV appreciated. Just be open minded and join the fun. It'll be a few days more before I'll be starting.

Welcome Mdy. It will be fun discussing the book with you.

Mdy wrote: "This sounds like great fun. I have the book. I've not done a "buddy read" - any particular guidelines?"

Welcome aboard, Mdy! Buddy Reading is fun...I think you'll enjoy it. We just read the book & then come back in here to post comments & discuss. It's always so much fun to hear other's thoughts on these books. I plan to read Obsession this coming week - so, hopefully, if others are ready by next weekend - we'll discuss the book here.

Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "Mdy wrote: "This sounds like great fun. I have the book. I've not done a "buddy read" - any particular guidelines?"

Welcome aboard, Mdy! Buddy Reading is fun...I think you'll enjoy it. We just r..."

Thank you - I'm looking forward to reading the book and hearing what others have to say!

When are we starting the read?

I hope to start by Tuesday...Wed. at the latest.

Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "I hope to start by Tuesday...Wed. at the latest."

Sounds good!

Sound good to me as well.

I really enjoyed this one. It was an interesting twist in the story and a chance for Eve to think about the people around her.

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I really enjoyed this one. It was an interesting twist in the story and a chance for Eve to think about the people around her."

I really enjoyed it too. I am all about a re-read with this story. It was that good IMO.

Good to hear you both enjoyed it. This is my first "new" In Death read in a long, long time. Looking forward to it!

So good to see I'm not the only newbie to this story. I'm also really looking forward to this one.

You're not, Michelle. I decided to hold this book to read with our buddy reads. Happy to discover it with you! :)

# Hugh grin on my face #

Sandra and Michelle, you may put this in your top favorites. I can't wait to see what everyone thinks.

WooHoo Sbyrd! Now I'm really excited about reading it...it must be excellent! :)

Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "WooHoo Sbyrd! Now I'm really excited about reading it...it must be excellent! :)"

Sandra, it is. It of course has the humor and characters we love. But the case in this was was really good too. I loved how it unfolded.

I started today on the drive home.

Yay...another first timer to join us!

While most fans are reading Devoted, I started Obsession today. Another intriguing start...seems our Eve has a fan, but not the type she wants.

Roarke when he's angry or something upsets him - a sight to behold! And Eve telling him she don't think she could live without him. Love these scenes between them.

What are your thoughts after reading the message the killer leaves for Eve? Any ideas at all at this point who the killer might be?

Okay. That's it. I'm starting now.

Yay Michelle. I thought you had already started. I like to discuss as I read if possible. Everything I mentioned happened in the beginning so you'll know very quickly what I'm referring to.

It just sounded too intriguing. Especially Roarke being upset.

And I know what you mean Sandra. I'm the same. That's why I waited for everyone.

Honestly? This was one of those stories where I was absolutely clueless about the identity of the killer. Didn't even know the gender. I had to closely follow the investigation.

Did anyone remember the book where the first victim, Leanore Bastwick, appeared?

I had trouble remembering that. I remembered Eve thinking that the office of the woman lawyer was on an opposite end from the men, but I don't remember which book and it didn't ring with the actual case, which I thought was a much earlier book than that. I haven't gone back and dug through the others yet to try and find ut.

I remembered her last name immediately! I'll put it in a spoiler for you and others who may want to figure it out on your own.

(view spoiler)[Rapture in Death (hide spoiler)]

I finished this yesterday. And loved it. The action, the characters, the story all worked for me (with one thing bothering me at the end as I looked back and wondered why a certain avenue of investigation wasn't pursued - or at least not mentioned).

I loved the scene when Eve came home after she caught the murder - and was late for an event. This one caught her hard.

Also loved her reactions too reading her "fan" mail.

This one starts with the killer's point of view. I've come to the realization that I like this approach. Something about knowing the killer's thinking side by side with the investigation heightens my tension.

Does this work/not work for anyone else?

Penni wrote: "I finished this yesterday. And loved it. The action, the characters, the story all worked for me (with one thing bothering me at the end as I looked back and wondered why a certain avenue of inves..."

What was that thing that bugged you?

Oh my word. Penni you are ahead of us?! Now really will jump in lol

Michelle wrote: "Oh my word. Penni you are ahead of us?! Now really will jump in lol"

I know. Don't faint. I'm ahead of my other buddy read group also. I keep checking to make sure hell has not really frozen over lol.

I was supposed to listen to another one before this one, but it wasn't loaded on my ipod as I thought it was on my trip this past weekend. But this one was. So, a bit of a detour lol.

Penni wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Oh my word. Penni you are ahead of us?! Now really will jump in lol"

I know. Don't faint. I'm ahead of my other buddy read group also. I keep checking to make sure hell has n..."


Lol. Enjoy being ahead.