Nora Roberts as J. D Robb

Nora Roberts as J. D. Robb

Nora Roberts writes a series about a New York homicide lieutenant, starting in 1058 and currently in 2061, under the name of J. D. Robb. The series came out in 1995, a time when thrillers, murder mysteries, and such didn’t get much notice if written by women. The books are graphically violent and not for the squeamish. Eve Dallas, the main character, was allowed to be born solely to make money for her parents by selling her in prostitution when old enough. Her father repeatedly raped her until she stabbed him to death after he broke her arm when eight-years-old.

Found in an alley, she couldn’t remember those first eight years of her life, though nightmares plague her. On a case where a father stabs his young daughter to death and where she meets her future husband, Roarke, another abused child who survived to make himself someone worthwhile, she remembers the details and future books include her learning to deal with her past along with whatever murderer(s) each book showcases.

Fascinating Characters

Eve has a small circle of friends who evolve in the early books and stay throughout the series. Her interactions with them and her husband are what keep me reading. Her best friend was a former grifter who becomes a famous singing star. Eve’s protégée becomes her partner and a good friend. She has a father figure in the captain of the Electronics Division (computers) and other friends develop, interestingly, through her work contacts. The only ongoing characters Roarke brings in are his house manager and, less so, his administrative assistant. Later, he finds family in Ireland, who add conflict and pulls to the heartstrings.

The Villains

Nora Roberts has a gift for dialogue and making each character unique—except for the villains. Most of them are stereotypical—deranged with either overly entitled or horrific backgrounds. The plots don’t usually keep me turning the pages—I don’t really care who did it—I care about how the characters react, grow, and change.

Ghost Writers

The last four books have had no changes to speak of in the characters, though the last, Brotherhood in Death, gave a deeper look into one of the ongoing secondary characters, which was good, and had more sympathetic, human villains. I think at times Nora Roberts employs ghost writers for these books. There are voice changes—a difference in how the writing sounds and presents the story—and what is called continuity mistakes—one book said a button Roarke carries as a talisman came off Eve’s black coat when it was clearly stated in earlier books that it came from a gray suit.

Ms. Roberts writes two of these books a year plus all the other stories published under her name, which I’ll talk about in the next post. Sorry, I don’t care how efficient a person is, that’s impossible for one writer without sacrificing quality. I think this series started suffering from lack of attention, though I also see improvement in the last two books and hope it continues.