In Death Books In Order

Publication Order of In Death Books

Publication Order of In Death Short Stories/Novellas

Naked in Death was the first of J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series, published in 1995. It wasn’t much of a hit back then, though received acclaim from the Gothic Journal. The term they used was “a unique blend of hardcore police drama, science fiction and passionate romance”. That is one heck of a review to receive for a first book. The Paperback Forum was far less romantic in its review, as they simply labeled the book “a fantastic new detective series”. Still, it said a lot.

Naked in Death centered on an NYPD Lieutenant by the name Eve Dallas. The story of this book takes place in the year 2058—not too distant a future—in NYC.

Because Naked in Death was somewhat popular, seven other books of the In Death series were spawned. The story of Eve Dallas was well worth the read—and worth telling across various other books. Not only does Eve Dallas have a fierce, fierce heart, she also has strength and the utmost integrity. Her increasingly mushrooming relationship with Roarke, a man of mystifying fellow, is also a big talking point.

The other books of the series are Glory in Death, Immortal in Death, Rapture in Death, Ceremony in Death, Vengeance in Death, Holiday in Death and Conspiracy in Death. All these books captivated the first audience to be introduced to it. Eve Dallas’ story was one to follow. Other characters regularly featured in the books include Captain Ryan Feeney, Dr Charlotte Mira, Detective Delia Peabody and Detective Ian McNab.

So who is J.D. Robb? Well, she’s Nora Roberts, of course. J.D. Robb is her nom de plume which she used for this series as she and Berkley (one of her publishers) decided to publish the works so that they have no relation to Nora Roberts and her storytelling style. So, though we know it is the same person, this series is essentially the work of a completely different author.

The J.D. Robb nom de plume was created out of necessity and a willingness to give readers something different than what they had already seen from Nora Roberts. Nora Roberts’ books were approaching a century in 1995 (when Naked in Death debuted). There was a need to do something different. She had written tons of books and even had an excess of titles and was still writing more. Readers had already associated Nora Roberts with one style of romantic suspense. J.D Robb was going to give them another style of romantic suspense and to the casual fans (who didn’t look at the author’s photo for some reason), she would be another hot, new author. J.D. was derived from Jason and Dan, Ms. Robert’s sons, while Robb is just a short form of her name.

J.D. Robb’s In Death series, as the author herself put it, was created to give readers romantic suspense with a twist. The good thing with this 2058 near-future setting is that the author had the freedom to create her own world—to set up an environment and culture that she saw would be typical of that time. Without a doubt, technology and things like that will have stepped up and suited the era. The people, according to J.D. Robb, would remain more or less the same. After all, human emotions and nature do not change. Everything we feel now, be it love, hatred, fear, anger, happiness, courage, jealousy, etc, we will still feel then.

Fans who follow the series will be the first to tell you how thrilling and captivating the storytelling has been. There have been family stories and there have been storyline trilogies. A relationship that starts in one book does not necessarily end there. Most will go on into the next book and probably the one after that. This keeps the audience interested and coming back for more.

She says it herself; she had the inclination to develop her characters across the series rather than taking one storyline and wrapping it all up in one book. After all, the characters are interesting and they have so much to offer in terms of back story and all their traits. Why rush the story’s flow. With each book comes not only awe-inspiring and exhilarating crime fiction or mystery, for that matter (which is essentially the backbone of the story), there is also an in-depth look at the characters. They go through their own troubles, their trials and tribulations, they change, they grow, relationships develop, etc. Eve and Roarke have given the author an incredible platform on which to build her story, book from book and to explore with various life events.

As a result of this pragmatism and experimentation, J.D. Robb has seen her books make the list of New York Times Bestseller time and time again. The In Death books have gained such popularity among fans that were she a different person, she would have been a pain the side of Nora Roberts. The books are highly enjoyable and because Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb fans have a huge appetite for the books, they became a huge success. Eve Dallas and the mysterious and charismatic Roarke will keep you coming back for more.

It hardly matters if it is Nora Roberts you are reading or if it is J.D. Robb. You will be delighted. You will enjoy your romantic suspense married with crime and mystery regardless. The In Death book series takes you into the near future and stimulates all your emotions with aplomb like only J.D. Robb can.

The series did not stop at the seventh book, however.

5 Responses to “In Death”

1. Stevie Ferris: 3 months ago

   I have listened up to the 30 in the series. LOVE TEHM and especially Susan Erickson – her personality she gives the different characters is awesome – love that. I never really did like the books after listening to 29 audios tried them but not a fan. Read other authors but love Susan Erickson as a voice.

   Reply
2. Ethel Mae Townsend: 1 year ago

   I own all of the In Death books and just love them. Twice now I have read all of them and fixing to do it again. Long time til September when her next one comes out. I just finished my first Nora Robert’s book and can’t wait to buy another one

   Reply
3. Barb Holmes: 1 year ago

   My husband and I have been fans of the In Death series for a long time. This fall, we started “binge listening” as we love Susan Erickson bringing life to the characters! We are currently in the “40’s” for book number and have enjoyed going thru them again!
   Thank you for the entertainment

   Reply
4. Betty Henning: 1 year ago

   I have read all of her books, and I love them. I am handicapped and spend a lot of time reading and I can say she is my favorite author. My son gave me her 1st book and that was all it took I have read all the rest. She is great.

   Reply
5. Pauline Olivieri: 2 years ago

   I started reading the In Death Series in July 2021 and now on Book #15 – Purity in Death.
   Really captivating series, love these . Books, can’t seem to put them down.
   Great writing continue the good work.

   Reply