Treachery In Death

After more than 30 installments of this series over a span of 16 years, it’s difficult to keep coming up with superlative adjectives to describe the magnificence of this body of work by Nora Roberts, who writes this series under the well-known pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

Riveting, witty, smart, amazing, captivating, and spectacular are just a few words that describe the books that chronicle the marriage of Roarke and Eve because there are so many things that make these books so totally irresistible.

First, there is Roarke.

Roarke is the quintessential romance hero. He’s breathtakingly handsome, the kind of hunk that woman fantasize about at first glance. He’s the richest man in the universe. He’s successful, smart, and can do just about anything perfectly. He’s powerful, strong (in every way) and capable. Men respect him, women want him, and everyone (but Eve) is in awe of him. He can suavely work a swanky cocktail part or take care of thugs in a stinking alley.

Eve is an engaging heroine, strong enough to be considered one of the top and toughest homicide detectives in New York City. Her tenaciousness and ability to stop the most badass of the bad guys gets Eve her share of awe and respect. She doesn’t realize her own beauty or appeal and has a difficult time understanding the lure of social events and the obsession with wealth and material possessions. Roarke, and his world, often baffles her, but she is totally devoted to him. As he is to her.

Not only has Ms. Robb/Roberts created a perfect couple, whose banter is quick-witted, refreshing and just fun to read (and whose sex scenes are steamy and passionate), but she’s surrounded them with a vast cast of friends and co-workers who come alive on every page. She pulls the reader in completely, making them a part of the world she has created in the future. Despite the fact that the stories are set 50 years or so in the future, it’s not like reading science fiction. It simple allows Ms. Robb/Roberts to have a bit of fun with some “inventions” that make life interesting.

For example, Eve comes home to the massive mansion she shares with Roarke (that also baffles her but she’s getting used to it) and asks the home computer to locate her husband. She’s told he is on the terrace, “main level, rear, section two.”

“We have sections?” she replies.

In Treachery In Death, Peabody stumbles into a dangerous situation when she overhears two corrupt cops talking. With Eve’s help, they work to stop the crooked cops.

The investigation is intense and intriguing and the personalities are all present. The personal moments between Roarke and Eve are enough to satisfy the most romantic souls; they aren’t the epitome of a romance couple for nothing.

Perhaps the biggest coup is that these books appeal to such a broad range of readers: the most stringent romance readers devour them, but those who usually shun the genre will become hooked as well.