J.D. Robb discussion

As much as we love this series, we don't always like EVERY book or storyline. So, what are some of the books you struggled to get through? Were there aspects of the book you liked even though it's not one of your favorites?

Are there books you liked that had another storyline that bugged you? What about it turned you off?

Remember to use the spoiler feature!!!

I'm sorry but I just didn't like Purity in Death. That whole storyline was just hard to take. (view spoiler)[Having people's brains infiltrated by a computer virus, making them go berserk and attack other people violently was unsettling. (hide spoiler)].

However, I did like the scene in Feeney's office. Eve at her finest.

Purity, Fantasy and Innocent are my least favorites. Having said that, Innocent is a mixed bag. I didn't like the storyline of the murders but loved the Dynamics created by Magdelina.

Fantasy in Death is also on my list but Innocent in Death is one of my favorites because of the Magdalena storyline. (view spoiler)[ Have you ever seen the old movie classic The Bad Seed? The murder case is a spin from that film. I saw it many years ago and as soon as I saw how the case was developing, I recalled the movie so it resonated with me. (hide spoiler)]

I still havent' found a storyline I didn't like (I'm reading Witness in Death), however one thing I really, really dislike..... and this pains my say because I love, love, love Roarke.... but I hate how he's always forcing tranquils into Eve.... really don't like it.

I'm not disagreeing with you but what about it bugs you?

I don't think anyone would like drugs shove down their throat. But I can see why Roarke does it. Eve doesn't know when her body needs a break. It's when she's so exhausted that she can't function and fall flat on her face that she rests. Besides their little fights over these things are cute sometimes. :P

Because he forces it into her... he doesn't coax her or anything, just shoves it into her and makes her swallow.... somehow it rubs me the wrong way.

Ame wrote: "Because he forces it into her... he doesn't coax her or anything, just shoves it into her and makes her swallow.... somehow it rubs me the wrong way."

Yes but she does get him back in one of the books and tranqs him, very funny I thought.

I didn't like Fantasy in Death the computer stuff was just too hard for my little mind to grasp. It just didn't seem real. Although, I liked the Magdalana thing in Innocent I had a hard time with the murder portion especially the murderer. I know it happens in this lifetime, but I don't want to read a fiction about it. (How's that for not using a spoiler and not really explaining anything.)

Also, Creation seemed just a little to brutal for me.

I just thought Fantasy was boring! It just felt like a slog to get through.

Fantasy was just toooooo much "fantasy" for me and is probably my least favorite of the series. Trying very hard to avoid spoilers...

I had trouble with "Fantasy" as well, which is a bit odd since I'm very much a sci-fi/ fantasy reader and many of the cyberspace/ futuristic computer tech novels I do like. Not quite sure why I didn't care much for this one, but it's definitely one of the few that is in the 'probably won't re-read' list.

My least faves are:
Ceremony - That is the one with the Satan worshippers. It felt very much like a re-tread of an earlier book she had written under Nora Roberts called Divine Evil.

Visions - This is the one with the psychic. It felt like a phone in. And I had hit my personal 'serial killer with mother issues' wall with the series at that point.

Indulgence - Which I personally thought was a bad rip-off of Seduction In Death.

OTOH, I LOVED Innocent. The confession scene with the killer rates very high on my chilling scale. And the whole Magdalena subplot was simply delicious.

Hey everyone, you don't need to AVOID using spoilers, just use the spoiler feature when you want to go into spoiler details. All you need do is type SPOILER in between these characters:

< spoiler > at the beginning of your spoiler comments
< / spoiler > at the end

Just eliminate all the spaces in front of and at the end of the word spoiler (I had to add them so you could see the illustration). What you end up with is a hidden message like mine above in message #2. If you preface your spoiler message with the name of the book you're talking about, those that haven't yet read it can skip it and all others can elect to view it at will!

Don't hold back...just use the feature to protect our innocents who are still working through the series.

Thanks, all!

Great topic, but awww! I loved Fantasy in Death! I mean, I knew from the very very very very very beginning what had happened, so I was like, "Umm.... how long is it going to take you guys to clue in here?" but I really liked it. Yes, it was a little far out there, but I'm a huge Star Trek fan, so I was cool with that.

My least favorites are Kindred in Death (definitely #1), Ritual in Death, Ceremony in Death, and that stupid Christmas one... Holiday in Death.

I HATE almost anything to do with witchcraft and Satanism; they completely creep me out. So Ritual and Ceremony were not my cup of tea from the onset. I DO like Ceremony in Death for the Eve/Feeney relationship stuff and the introduction of Jamie! (Yay Jamie!) But Ritual in Death was just SAD, from what I remember... (I can't bring myself to listen to it again!) I mean (view spoiler)[this guy and girl have liked each other for a while, and they're FINALLY going to go out, and they're murdered by a Satanic cult? (hide spoiler)] WTF??? How AWFUL is that???

Holiday in Death.... I kinda hate Christmas books, so... yeah, I just really didn't like it. From the whole Santa-killer thing to the killer's motives (I've read it twice, now... HUH? Still don't get the hangup...) to the creepy brother and sister who run the dating service... Blegh. Didn't like it. No thanks. The Peabody/McNab stuff was good though.

And finally Kindred in Death. Nuh uh. No. *shakes head* No. Just no. It's funny that a lot of you were bothered by Innocent in Death. Yeah, that one was a bit disturbing, but I figure that, as much as we'd like to not think about it... (view spoiler)[adult psychopaths were probably child psychopaths at some point (hide spoiler)]. Not fun to think about, but I'm sure it's true. But Kindred. I will NOT be rereading it. I mean, rape is hard enough for me to read about, but it was SO VIOLENT and SO GRAPHIC and the scenes went on and on and on and on and I was like, "SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM THIS BOOK!!!" I just can't handle that AT ALL. Especially (view spoiler)[the teenage girl (hide spoiler)]... I'd rather read about ANYTHING other than rape-murders. ANYTHING.

Most of the novellas are just OK, too. Interlude was random (although, yay Darcia!), Eternity was creepy, Ritual was creepy and sad, Chaos was unbelievable and kinda silly... The only one I really really liked was Possession in Death. That one rocked!

In general though, I like the early books better than the later ones. Treachery has been the best one in a while, in my opinion. I freaking love that one!

I've gotten similar feedback before about Kindred in Death being really graphic. It just had such a great ending.

Like you, many of the novellas are just so-so to me but Possession in Death (In Death, #31.5) is a favorite, too.

And of course I tend toward fantasy/urban fantasy and the whole witchcraft/paranormal thing anyway (except for most vampires and all zombies) so some of the In Death novels that bring that into the plot line really appeal to me.

Jonetta wrote: "I've gotten similar feedback before about Kindred in Death being really graphic. It just had such a great ending."

That's true. That's the one where... (view spoiler)[Louise and Charles get married, isn't it (hide spoiler)]?

Sara ♥ wrote: "Jonetta wrote: "I've gotten similar feedback before about Kindred in Death being really graphic. It just had such a great ending."

That's true. That's the one where... [spoilers removed]?"

Yes, but the ending I was talking about (view spoiler)[ was the sting they used to capture the killer. Remember the grandmother that set him up by having him come visit her while her husband was away on a fishing trip? I love the grandmother and her attitude about the whole thing. (hide spoiler)]

Yes! I remember that! She rocked!

Ok, so it seems that I'm the only one who enjoys or more accurately; is fascinated by all the crazy/weird/wacky/creepy cases. I really liked Kindred, Fantasy, Innocence, Indulgence, (and all the rest of it) not despite the plots but because of it. I'm no sadist, and some plots like Kindred and Ritual (there are many others but since these seem to be the popular(not) choices here...) were hard to read but it was also very interesting to read about the completely messed up and creepy psychos.

One thing I didn't like would be some of the novellas ... maybe its hard to do justice to the books in such a short length...

I feel like I should mention that I love Criminal Minds and while I don't enjoy all the sad and tragic stuff in the in death series, I love reading about all the psycho bits. And come on, you have to admit, its absolutely awesome watching Eve do some serious ass-kicking, esp. when the criminals are so unlikable and evil.

As for me, I don't like what happen with Eve and Roarke in Glory of Death. Its hurt my heart when they got fighting for the first time. Even after that Eve finally declare her love to Roarke, each time I re-read that book, I always skip that part, lol!

The second, of course in Innocent in Death

Six wrote: "Ok, so it seems that I'm the only one who enjoys or more accurately; is fascinated by all the crazy/weird/wacky/creepy cases. I really liked Kindred, Fantasy, Innocence, Indulgence, (and all the re..."

Six, with the exception of Fantasy, I LOVED all those you listed. And, I don't miss an episode of Criminal Intent. If you like this kind of stuff, you're going to like or love just about all of the full length books. There are only about 5 I didn't care for. I also feel the same as you about most of the novellas.

Ren wrote: "As for me, I don't like what happen with Eve and Roarke in Glory of Death. Its hurt my heart when they got fighting for the first time. Even after that Eve finally declare her love to Roarke, each ..."

Ren, you don't like to see Eve and Roarke in turmoil, I gather, from the two books you chose. Understandable. I liked them for how they ended:)

Jonetta, you're absolutely right, I love every one of the full length books, and the only reason I don't like the novellas is like I said, because I don't think the length is enough for police procedurals like this one.
I also liked premises like the ones in Fantasy, Origin and Purity mostly because even though they seem far-fetched and unlikely, its pretty interesting (and also scary). Maybe in the really, really distant future...


I've never seen Criminal Intent, but gotta check it out... ;)

Oops! I meant Criminal Minds but I'm also a big fan of the other one.

The three you mentioned that are my least favorite just struck a raw nerve with me and it was the premise (not so with Fantasy). The random, wide spread killing and destruction hurt (I used to live in NY) and cloning just scares me (married to a scientist and his stuff frightens me).

Yup, as creeped out by Criminal Minds as I am, its pretty addictive....

And yes, the random deaths were scary and I can't help but wonder how it would feel to lose someone in that way... Is it worse when its random?? Anyways, I sincerely hope none of those storylines ever come true even in the smallest of ways, but there's just something intriguing about mad scientists and deadly science.

OMG, as much as I like reading about this freaky stuff, please God, don't let anyone develop cloning!!! Imagine meeting someone in the street who looks exactly like you.... So weird....Since you seem to feel the same way, maybe you can get your scientist to only do the really boring science stuff. Like .... (what?) rocks maybe?? I was always most bored during Geology and hard to think of crazy rock technology....

See? You get the paradoxes of the cloning situation!! I get brain cramps just thinking about it.

Unfortunately, my husband's area of specialty is infectious diseases and I know more about bugs/bacteria/viruses than I ever wanted to know:) And, it involves a lot of work with DNA so I get a snoot full of that, too!

Ren wrote: "As for me, I don't like what happen with Eve and Roarke in Glory of Death. Its hurt my heart when they got fighting for the first time. Even after that Eve finally declare her love to Roarke, each time I re-read that book, I always skip that part, lol!"

That's hilarious! Sometimes if I'm looking for something to listen to for just a few minutes, I bust out Glory and listen to just those two scenes... the one where Roarke gives Eve the diamond and the scene in his office later, when she "gives up". Freaking love those parts! Just listened to the second part earlier this week!

It's not so much that I like to hear them fighting (okay, yes I do. I love a great argument!), but I love that their relationship is realistic and that they go through hard times, only to come out stronger for it in the end. Plus, in that one, Eve needed the push to really examine her feelings, I think.

Well, then we're just gonna have to hope really hard that he(and others) cure AIDS or Ebola and leave the cloning to fiction

Six wrote: "Well, then we're just gonna have to hope really hard that he(and others) cure AIDS or Ebola and leave the cloning to fiction"

So agree! My husband's patent related to work with a cure for ALS. There's a scientist in Germany who has done some amazing work.

My husband is frightened of ebola. Apparently, he's seen it and was blown away by its characteristics.

Although I loved the interaction with Eve and crew in Immortal I did not like the crime stuff in Immortal. Although, I know that is the way cops act I hated how Eve went after Jerry Fitzgerald. I also have such a hatred for drugs and it tore me apart to see how Bradford addicted Jerry to the drug.

Wow Jonetta, I am forced to take a communicable disease class every year at work...and those have made me germaphobe (sp) I can't imagine living with someone who does this for a living. As for cloning, they have cloned animals so not such a stretch to humans, just too freaky to think about

And there you go....waaaaay to freaky to think about:)

I'm gonna have to try and figuring out which book it was now but there was one I couldn't enjoy because eve couldn't figure out part of what was going on when there was no reason for her to be off her game. I was seriously yelling at the book "oh my gosh right there why can't you see that!" And things like "eve you are so much smarter and better than this" ... It just made me want to put the book down. I don't mind when she is off her game and there is explanation as to why, at least that makes sense. Now I must search for which book it was that I wanted to put down partway through!

Now you've got me curious, Vera. I hope you can remember it!

Me too! It will drive me crazy until you tell us which one :)

Ditto! Do you remember any details?

I know, any part of the storyline and one of us might guess right

I can't remember much about it... Wanna say it was purity or portrait... I might have to go reread parts now... I could be totally off but I'm feeling it was one of those where she should've known more or had a closer hunch then she did. I might get to rereading the whole series and come across it again in a few months lol!

Okay, here are the links to both of those books on Wiki in Death where you'll see a full story synopsis. See if either one jogs your memory....we're dying to know:)

http://www.indeath.net/wikiindeath/in...

http://www.indeath.net/wikiindeath/in...

I'm not sure it was one of those now... Dang it!! I know she had questioned the culprit and usually she has a clue from that and she didn't... Rolled over the case and didnt quite get there... But it was one of the times when it was right there in front of everyone... I read it awhile back but I know it wasn't beginning... Somewhere between conspiracy and survivor... It wasn't one of the ones where there was a personal issue block so I don't think it would've been portrait cause that looks like one she would be distracted with a big roarke issue! That would have an effect on "her game"

Witness? http://www.indeath.net/wikiindeath/in...

Judgment, maybe? Even I figured that one out... http://www.indeath.net/wikiindeath/in...

Imitation? http://www.indeath.net/wikiindeath/in...

Oh oh I think it was judgement where I was yelling at the book. It was a how could you not know cause I know!! Lol usually the books keep me guessing or second guessing but this one was you just know and she should know better! Lol

Glad you solved your mystery!

Coincidentally, I am relistening to Judgment now, and I agree with you still love the book, but it one where I was rolling my eyes because it took so long to figure and that she thought she could control things just because of who the killer is.

Yes totally got this one thanks everyone! Lol now I can focus on reading :)

Yeah, that was the ONE book I figured out. I knew who the killer was the second he appeared on the page! :) I was so proud of myself.... Still a great book, but not the strongest mystery!

I really didn't like Celebrity. It just never seemed like it went anywhere. Felt like a waste of my time when it was over. That is hard for me to say because I LOVE most every book even the ok ones. I can't narrow down my all time fav, but I tend to like the ones where Eve and Roarke hit bumps because it makes for such great drama and really builds there relationship. Possession is def the best novelet.