Portrait in Death

Book 94 of my 2015 Reading Challenge

read from December 27 - 30

Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Book 16 of the In Death series

Summary (via the book jacket)

After a tip from a reporter, Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Dumpster on Delancey Street. Just hours before, the news station had mysteriously received a portfolio of professional portraits of the woman. The photos seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for any pretty young woman starting a modeling career. Except she wasn't a model. And the photos were taken after she had been murdered.

Now Eve is on the trail of a killer who's a perfectionist and an artist. He carefully observes and records his victims' every move. And he has a mission: to own every beautiful young woman's innocence, to capture, their youth and vitality - in one fateful shot...

My Opinion

First, a small note to the marketing department about the blurb above.  Not all of the murderer's victims were women, making the last sentence not exactly true.

As for the book, this series just keeps getting better.  I loved the personal development of the characters; the actual mystery was a distant second (and a reason I insist in every review of this series that they MUST be read in order).

Eve was especially quippy and funny, I liked Hastings as a new character, I loved everyone's banter, and Peabody is coming into her own and sassing Eve.

But the intense revelations about Roarke's past were the star of the show.  Showing his cracks and vulnerability and flipping it so Eve was taking care of him for a change was sweet and added a whole new dynamic to their relationship.

A Few Quotes from the Book

"We begin to die with our first breath. Death is inside us, ticking closer, closer, with every beat of our heart. It is the end no man can escape. Yet we cling to life, we worship it despite its transience. Or perhaps, because of it."

" "She'd be the last to ask [a fashion question]...not that she doesn't always look hot. Especially since somebody with taste's buying her threads these days."

    "I'll remind you to bite me later. Right now, we're going to try to pinpoint and apprehend a serial killer, so maybe we can talk about how cute we all look some other time." "