Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb

The first in the In Death series by J.D. Robb was first published in 1995 and the plot reads like it was taken out of our current headlines.  Set in 2058, the story is about Lieutenant Eve Dallas, a New York cop, who is gritty and hard and is fighting for justice for all it’s worth.  What is it worth?

An upscale prostitute Sharon DeBlass has been murdered in the 20^th century way.  With a handgun (they use lasers now) and with venomous intent.  Sharon isn’t just any prostitute; she is the granddaughter of Senator DeBlass who thinks he is as moral as they come.  But is he?

Roarke, wealthy entrepreneur extraordinaire, is smart and savvy and is a suspect in the case.  He has an eye for Eve who tries to go by the book, but can he get past her defenses and her past?

I have been meaning to read this series for years and got an opportunity to listen to the book on CD, read by Susan Ericksen.  Ms. Ericksen does a convincing job with each of the characters.  To me, the plot felt mainstream and I didn’t find anything new there, but then the book was written over a decade ago and may have been a new market to some.  The romance between Roarke and Eve was okay to bring depth to Eve’s character, but it wasn’t one of the better romances that I have read.  Let’s hope they get better in the later books of the series.  The story does contain violence and talks about rape, incest, and child abuse, so be prepared for that.

Overall I found the story to be fairly interesting, but not outstanding.  In fact, I guessed the murderer pretty early in the story.  If you like gritty police procedurals with suspense and romance mixed in, this one is for you.

In Death Series

   1. Naked in Death (1995)
   2. Glory in Death (1995)
   3. Immortal in Death (1996)
   4. Rapture in Death (1996)
   5. Ceremony In Death (1997)
   6. Vengeance in Death (1997)
   7. Holiday in Death (1998)
   7.5. Midnight in Death (1998)
   8. Conspiracy in Death (1999)
   9. Loyalty in Death (1999)
   10. Witness in Death (2000)
   11. Judgment in Death (2000)
   12. Betrayal in Death (2001)
   12.5. Interlude in Death (2001)
   13. Seduction in Death (2001)
   14. Reunion In Death (2002)
   15. Purity in Death (2002)
   16. Portrait in Death (2003)
   17. Imitation in Death (2003)
   17.25. Remember When (2003) (with Nora Roberts)
   17.5. Big Jack (2010)
   18. Divided in Death (2004)
   19. Visions in Death (2004)
   20. Survivor in Death (2005)
   21. Origin in Death (2005)
   22. Memory in Death (2006)
   22.5. Haunted in Death (2006)
   23. Born in Death (2006)
   24. Innocent in Death (2007)
   24.5. Eternity in Death (2007)
   25. Creation in Death (2007)
   26. Strangers in Death (2008)
   27. Salvation In Death (2008)
   27.5. Ritual in Death (2008)
   28. Promises in Death (2009)
   29. Kindred in Death (2009)
   29.5. Missing In Death (2009)
   30. Fantasy in Death (2010)
   31. Indulgence in Death (2010)
   31.5. Possession in Death (2012)
   32. Treachery in Death (2011)
   33. New York to Dallas (2011)
   33.5. Chaos in Death (2013)
   34. Celebrity in Death (2012)
   35. Delusion in Death (2012)
   36. Calculated in Death (2013)
   37. Thankless in Death (2013)
   37.5. Taken in Death (2013)
   38. Concealed in Death (2014)
   39. Festive in Death (2014)
   40. Obsession in Death (2015)
   41. Devoted in Death (2015)
   41.5. Wonderment in Death (2016)
   42. Brotherhood in Death (2016)
   43. Apprentice in Death (2016)
   44. Echoes in Death (2017)
   45. Secrets in Death (2017)
   46. Dark in Death (2018)
   47. Leverage in Death (2018)
   48. Connections in Death (2019)
   49. Vendetta in Death (2019)
   50. Golden In Death (2020)
   51. Shadows in Death (2020)
   52. Faithless in Death (2021)
   53. Forgotten In Death (2021)
   54. Abandoned in Death (2022)
   55. Desperation in Death (2022)
   56. Encore in Death (2023)
   57. Payback in Death (2023)
   58. Random in Death (2024)
   59. Passions in Death (2024)