J.D. Robb discussion

Eve Dallas tracks a couple whose passion is fueled by cold brutalityin the newest crime thriller from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Obsession in Death and Festive in Death.

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve . . .

Character List
(view spoiler)[Eve Dallas: NYPSD lieutenant and homicide detective, married to Roarke.
Roarke: Billionaire. Married to Eve.
Detective Delia Peabody: Eve's partner and Ian McNab's cohab.
Detective Ian McNab: EDD detective and Peabody's cohab.
Capt. Ryan Feeney: Head of EDD. Eve's former partner and trainer.
Dr. Li Morris: New York City chief medical examiner.
Dr. Charlotte Mira: NYPSD psychologist and profiler. She's Eve's surrogate mother.
Commander Jack Whitney: Eve's boss.
Detective David Baxter: On Eve's squad. He's Troy Trueheart's trainer.
Officer Troy Trueheart: Baxter's partner and trainee.
Detective Jenkinson: On Eve's squad.
Detective Carmichael: On Eve's squad.
Detective Santiago: On Eve's squad.
Officer Carmichael: Assigned to Eve's squad.
Dr. Garnet DeWinter: Forensic anthropologist, has a daughter, Miranda.
Summerset: Roarke's majordomo, his surrogate father.
Galahad: Eve and Roarke's cat.
Ella-Loo Parsens: Petty thief who, coupled with her lover, Darryl, graduated to serial killing. They have a daughter, Darra.
Darryl Roy James: Petty thief who, coupled with his lover, Ella-Loo, graduated to serial killing. He served hard time in a penitentiary.
Dorian Kuper: Murder victim. First cellist with the Metropolitan Opera company and teacher at Julliard.
Mina McKensie: Dorian's mother.
Ethan Chamberlin: Mina's lover, a musical conductor.
Maeve: Dorian's droid.
Tina R. Denton: Referred to as "Earnest Tina" by Dorian and his friends. Woman who was doggedly keeping up with Dorian. She was composing an opera.
Ellysa Tesh: Violinist in the Metropolitan Opera company.
Drew Henry Havers: Horror writer and resident near where Dorian was abducted.
Carl Zweck: FBI agent.
Francine Lupine: Pleasantville, New Jersey detective investigating one of the murders.
Theo Barron: Musician in the Metropolitan Opera company.
Samuel Deeks: Musician in the Metropolitan Opera company.
Noah Paston: Suspected murder victim of Ella-Loo and Darryl, in Missouri. He disappeared while walking home through back roads.
Ava Enderson: Suspected murder victim of Ella-Loo and Darryl. Her broken down car was discovered two miles from the inn she was trying to reach.
Jacob Fastbinder: Suspected murder victim of Ella-Loo and Darryl.
Jayla Campbell: Current victim of Ella-Loo and Darryl.
Kari Whittaker: Jayla's roommate.
Mattio Diaz: Jayla's boyfriend.
Luke Tripp: Jayla's neighbor.
William T. Banner: Deputy sheriff from Silby Pond, Arkansas.
Melvin Little: Suspected murder victim of Ella-Loo and Darryl, in Arkansas.
Lucius Mondale: Silby Pond chief of police and Banner's boss.
Robert Jansen: First victim of Elly-Loo and Darryl.
Wayne Potter: Missing person in NY that might be a victim of Ella-Loo and Darryl. He disappeared while camping in Kentucky.
Reed Mulligan: Abducted in NY by Ella-Loo and Darryl.
Jackie Mulligan: Reed's mother.
Benj Fribbet: Reed's band mate.
Bubba Dorran: Owner of Bubba's Body Shop, Towing and Pies. Married to Maizie and father of their son, Jimbo.
Maizie Dorran: Married to Bubba and Jimbo's mother.
James (Jimbo) Dorran: Bubba and Maizie's son who works in the family business.
Cher Reo: APA.
Porter: Medical examiner under Morris.
Samuel Zed: John Doe whose body was found in the Hudson River.
(hide spoiler)]

I can't wait.

This sounds really good.

Sounds very interesting. Kind of like Bonnie and Clyde dynamics.

More like Natural Born Killers!

Jonetta wrote: "More like Natural Born Killers!"

That was my initial thought too. Just wonder how she will play out the killers. Some we here more from than others. I also wonder how the characters are after Obsession. Pretty intense ending.

Never seen that one! :o

Don't. It's seriously twisted. Stars Juliette Lewis, Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey, Jr.

I hope Eve and Roarke get to take their much deserved vacation first!
It sounds like we have another exciting round coming up.

Lol I'll skip that movie then.

This one sounds creepy but great! I didn't like Natural Born Killers but I'll take this book.

At least in this story, you know Eve's gonna get them:)

Greatly anticipating this book, never seen Natural Born Killers

NBK is one of the most depraved films I've ever watched. It was tough to take.

We now have a cover.
http://www.penguin.c...b/9780399170881

Rachael wrote: "We now have a cover.
http://www.penguin.c...b/9780399170881"

Link doesn't work but the cover is shown in the topic header.

I wasn't able to pull up the link.

Mislinking of it.
http://www.penguin.com/book/devoted-i...

Michael wrote: "I just got an email from Amazon about Devoted in Death inviting me to preorder the ebook. I usually do that, but the last couple of Nora books have been really expensive on preorder, like twelve bu..."

I've been waiting on the library lately. This time I had to wait a day and it was worth it.

I wait to get the audiobook. I know it is so expensive but I can't help it. Susan Erickson has spoiled me very badly so I save or get as gift from hubby to feed my need.

Ouch!

Michael, does your library offer any if the series in audiobook form? Mine use to, which is how I got started in the series, but now they only off ebook and not the whole series like they use to. I wonder why they took all down except for few recent ones.

I got a message from Amazon about a novella that she will included in the book . The name of the novella is called Wonderment in Death. It won't be out until after Devotion which. I wonder if it will include Devotion like how Possession did or just be new story. I really liked the novellas but some are better than others. I am curious how this one will go. Does it seem like some of the novellas are more paranormal in nature or is it just me?

Sbyrd64 wrote: "I got a message from Amazon about a novella that she will included in the book. The name of the novella is called Wonderment in Death. It won't be out until..."

This is included on our book list. All of the novellas are initially released as part of an anthology. It's also released separately in digital and audio format.

Here's the link to our book list for more info. It also lists the novellas that are later created in omnibus format (in groups of threes). We're hoping that J. D. Robb will create an omnibus in the near future for the last three novellas.

And, yes, the novellas all have a paranormal aspect to the stories.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Is it always the same company that she publishes these novellas? I didn't think they were apart of another book.

Yes, it is. If you look at the book list, you will see the name of the anthology in parenthesis next to the title. The novellas have all been part of an anthology from the series inception.

There was a time you could get the novellas alone on Amazon but I think she took them down a couple years ago.

Amazon just emailed me to say that the release date has been changed to the 15th. :(

We lost a week. Maybe they'll end up changing again like they did with the last book.

JDR confirmed this change on her FB page today.

If you go to JD Robb's website she has an excerpt (the whole first chapter) you can read. I read it and almost wished I hadn't because the wait is killing me.

See, I'll go read it, get all excited and then...wait. *sigh*

So torn:)

Here's the link:)

http://www.jdrobb.com/pdfs/devoted-ch...

I have to agree with Michael on this. I don't like to read a piece then know I still have months to wait. Totally sucks.

I never read excerpts. Bad habit to get into.

Might be worth time to read excerp this close...but I'm dying here. Gotta find a new author...won't be as good as Robb of course.

Sometimes I look by narrator.

Preordering on audible is safe since the cost is 'one credit' whatever the $ cost.

Are we all getting excited yet?

Requested this from my library yesterday, there are 156 people ahead of me! Luckily I checked the large print version, only 11 people ahead of me for that version.

You bet I am! I thought about doing a countdown but then it felt mean:) I'm ready for this book now.

My favorite author and my favorite band have new releases in the same week. It feels like my birthday! :)

For some reason I thought it was coming on the 8th and I had cleared my audio schedule to start it. Imagine my surprise when I opened the audible page and it was still on pre-order!

It was originally the 8th and it was pushed back to the 15th.

Jonetta wrote: "It was originally the 8th and it was pushed back to the 15th."

That explains it!!! Thanks

Ok I seriously I really need this book. I haven't had a lot of new book success lately so this will help put me back on the good book trail. I even got the Liar by Nora from the library but couldn't get thru it. I don't always have success with NR. Has anyone else felt that way?

I think my enjoyment of The Liar was enhanced by the excellent narration. I truly believe it made a difference.

Some of NR's newer stuff can be hit or miss for me but I've loved most of her stuff from the mid-90s through 2010, excluding the Brides Trilogy. But, I've benefited from coming to the party late and trusting my friends with like-minded reading tastes, reading what they've recommended.

Jonetta, I did like the bride trilogy too. I have to say I was late to her as well. I read when I was younger then stopped for whatever reason which I don't know why honestly because I loved a good book. Well I got back into reading about 4 or 5 years ago by a friend who told me about getting audiobooks from the public library and it is how I discovered the in death series and other great books on audio and ebook because she suggested or I browsed and just tried out.

I think the best NR books for me so far have been , , , , (which was included in , and . The bride quartet were good but the last book was my favorite .

The ones I liked but didn't love were , , , , , , , , , and .

My favorite series are:
Gallaghers of Ardmore, Three Sisters Island, Chesapeake Bay Saga, Born In Trilogy (though wasn't crazy about the first book), MacKade Brothers and the Dream Trilogy (not crazy about the first book again).

My favorite standalones:

Jonetta wrote: "My favorite series are:
Gallaghers of Ardmore, Three Sisters Island, Chesapeake Bay Saga, Born In Trilogy (though wasn't crazy about the first book), MacKade Brothers and the Dream Trilogy (not cra..."

I haven't tried those before. I am so wary of her books due to the hit/miss factor. So I feel like I go in cautiously. But JDR I just devour.

Sbyrd wrote: "I haven't tried those before. I am so wary of her books due to the hit/miss factor. So I feel like I go in cautiously. But JDR I just devour. ..."

Gallaghers of Ardmore and Three Sisters Island tend to be very popular favorites. I highly recommend them...still can see Aiden (main character in the first book of Gallaghers) vividly:) *sigh*

Jonetta wrote: "Sbyrd wrote: "I haven't tried those before. I am so wary of her books due to the hit/miss factor. So I feel like I go in cautiously. But JDR I just devour. ..."

Gallaghers of Ardmore and Three Sis..."

I have heard great things. Sounds like I need to check them out.