Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb

Concealed in Death (2014) (Piatkus)
J.D. Robb a.k.a. Nora Roberts
Grade: B
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: library
In Death: (1) Naked in Death ... (34) Celebrity in Death, (35) Delusion in Death, (38) Concealed in Death

Romance RBC 2014: A book with a cop/PI heroine 

When Roarke ceremoniously takes the first swing in demolishing a run-down building he’s got plans for, he’s hoping it will be the start of a successful venture. What he doesn’t expect to find is two carefully wrapped bundles of plastic, containing the bodies of two teenage girls who have been buried behind a false wall for fifteen years. A more thorough inspection of the building is thus only natural, eventually bringing to light an even dozen bodies.

This case hits hard to home for Lieutenant Eve Dallas. The building used to be a sanctuary for delinquents and teenagers who had nowhere else to go. This stark reminder of her own time in-and-out of foster homes only pushes her harder to find the killer, revealing an elaborate cover-up that has left far too many families wondering whether their daughters are still alive, for too long.

Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb

Delusion in Death (2012) (Piatkus)

J.D. Robb a.k.a. Nora Roberts

Grade: B

Genre: romantic suspense

Sex scenes: mild

Source: library 

In Death: (1) Naked in Death ... (34) Celebrity in Death, (35) Delusion in Death 

It began as another normal night at In the Rocks: colleagues winding down after work and friends catching up over drinks. Yet, in the space of twelve minutes, eighty-three people are dead. When Lieutenant Eve Dallas arrives on scene, she is greeted with one of the worst sights of her career. A powerful hallucinogenic was released onsite, causing headaches and murderously violent behaviour where the roles of victim and perpetrator were inextricably intertwined, death a curse and prayer to all its targets as they mindlessly plundered without mercy, using whatever items were handy.

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Naked in Death (1995) (Piatkus)
J.D. Robb a.k.a. Nora Roberts
Grade: A+
Genre: romantic suspense / futuristic / crime
Sex scenes: hot
Source: own 
In Death: (1) Naked in Death, ... (35) Celebrity in Death

It’s something of a novelty to go back to read the first In Death book when I’ve just read book thirty-seven (review coming soon), the latest in the series. The writing style is unmistakeably darker, Eve and Roarke are shells of the people we now know them to be and there are none of the bonds with the recurring and secondary characters we know and love – that said, I love it and in a strange way, miss it.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

Bared to You (2012)
Sylvia Day
Grade: B+
Genre: erotica
Sex scenes: beyond scorching. Possibly more sex than I've ever read in a single novel
Source: own / NetGalley
Crossfire: (1) Bared to You

BE WARNED: Bared to You has more sex than even I was expecting. I didn’t count, but I’m hazarding a guess that there’s more sex and more orgasms than Fifty Shades of Grey. I was reminded of Ms Reisz’s writing with regard to the unapologetically intense nature of the sex (though nowhere near as heavy on the bdsm) and the sex in Bared to You was (IMO) more powerfully written than Fifty Shades of Grey (not difficult and review coming soon, I promise). Expect in this review: spoilers, unashamedly crude, lurid details and excerpts from scenes that will get you hot and bothered. It might get squicky. Read on at your peril.

The Witness by Nora Roberts

The Witness (2012)

Nora Roberts

Grade: B+

Genre: romantic suspense

Sex scenes: mild

Source: library

I generally try to read NR's new releases when they come out, but I haven't read the last three or four newest romantic suspenses. Not sure why, but I've tended to steer towards the contemporaries and In Death books in preference to the romantic suspenses. When I saw The Witness at the library, I knew that if I didn’t grab it then and there, the waiting list would be a mile long by the time I decided I wanted to read it.

Abigail Lowery didn't always go by that name. She's had numerous aliases since the day of her seventeenth birthday and has been on the run ever since. Abigail was born Elizabeth Fitch and at sixteen years old, she finally decided she was long overdue her teenage rebellion. Dr Susan Fitch is not your regular, loving parent and not used to being disobeyed. Elizabeth was conceived by donor after extensive research into the health, intellect, family history etc of possible donors and Elizabeth's own life has been similarly monitored and controlled. Her mother dictates what she eats, what she wears and her future career path as well as everything else in between. Elizabeth is exceptionally bright with an eidetic memory (more commonly known as photographic, though this description is inaccurate) and has already completed pre-med at Harvard and will be starting her med programme come September.

Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts

Sweet Revenge (1988)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A+
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: eBay

Whenever I've finished reading a good book, I'll often feel (depending on the book, of course; amongst other things) happy at the ending, sad that it's over and excited to read it again. All of these are usually with a grin on my face, accompanied by some undignified squealing. Having just literally finished Sweet Revenge in the last five minutes (I read this in the middle of February - this is how long it takes me to get from writing the review to posting it) I'm feeling all these things but most of all, energised and exhilerated. Sweet Revenge is a book to have you smiling, laughing, crying (I teared up a few times; I've yet to find a book that makes me cry) and on-the-edge-of-your-seat deep in the action. Some people might find the concept rather hard to believe or just plain ridiculous, but I think that NR's magical storytelling makes you forget all that and just accept the plot for what it is: utterly brilliant.

Celebrity in Death by J. D. Robb / Nora Roberts

Celebrity in Death (2012)
J. D. Robb a.k.a. Nora Roberts
Grade: B
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: hot for NR, but mild for In Death - not very clear if you're not a regular Roberts reader, I know, but this is just how I'm used to thinking of them now.
Source: library
In Death: (1) Naked in Death

It was cute. Not amazing, but cute. I realise that I've used this word to initially describe a lot of the pitiful number of reviews I've actually written, but cute is the first word to come to mind here. I realised that I haven't actually written any reviews for March. Of course, it would help if I had actually read any books in March, and I'm pretty sure that this is my first, so I thought it would be nice to have some down before March is over.

The Icove case (Creation in Death) was one of Eve's biggest. Nadine Furst, well-known face of Channel 75 and one of the few Eve can call her friends, even when she's hounding her for an exclusive interview or new information about a case, wrote a book about the Icoves, father and son who were cloning people or something. I forget. That book has been adapted for the big screen because even in 2060, the public still love a good murder mystery and excitement.