Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (1995)
294 pages
Series: In Death #1
Goodreads Summary: It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing-passion.
When a senator’s daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she’d been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washing-ton politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve’s growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome… and the leading suspect in the investigation.
I picked up this book because I was looking for something light to read and Sabrina from About Happy Books mentioned it as one of her favorite series. I’d never read anything by Nora Roberts and this was more of a mystery series so I thought it’d be a fun read. All I knew going in was that it was about a female police officer and her husband.
Once I read the synopsis and started the book I realized it was also somewhat science fiction because it’s set in the future. Also, in the first book, Eve and Roarke haven’t met and certainly aren’t married. But my knowing they marry later on in the series wasn’t exactly a spoiler as it’s obvious he’s the main male character and they’ll end up together.
As far as readability and entertainment value, this book is perfect if you’re looking for light, escapist reading. I liked the extra element the futuristic setting added and it made it more interesting than if I chose to read a novel set in present day. The book also had a bit of a formulaic feel to it, almost like I was watching one of those hour long cop shows, which is nice when you want something familiar.
However my biggest problem with the book was the portrayal of the two main characters. I’ve seen several people claiming that Eve is a strong heroine but I couldn’t agree with that. Yes, she’s a police officer who is physically strong and capable of protecting herself. But she’s also emotionally closed off from people, doesn’t let others in, has problems sleeping, and doesn’t seem to want any help overcoming her traumatic past. Plus she lets Roarke bully her and doesn’t stand up for herself when he ignores her wishes.
And many tout Roarke as the perfect guy who’s so charming and romantic but I found him to be inconsiderate and abusive. He tells Eve what to do and, if she refuses, uses physical force to make her do what he wants, often under the guise of it being what’s best for her. In one scene they’re about to become intimate and Eve pulls back, saying, “This isn’t going to happen.” ”The hell it isn’t,” he says back. A few sentences later, Eve observes that he’s unlike the men who negotiate when they want something. Instead, he just takes what he wants.
In another scene he commands her to sit down and “in a sudden fury, he [takes] her shoulders, [and pushes] her into a chair.” Later, he offers her a drink but she refuses because she’s on duty. He cuts her off with a “vicious eruption” and commands her to, “Drink, goddamn it, or I’ll pour it into you.”
And on two occasions he lets himself into her apartment building without her permission. He even indicates that he’s explored her apartment but didn’t go into her bedroom and his decision was based on “not so much respect for her privacy as it was the challenge she presented that provoked him to discover her from the woman alone rather than her surroundings.”
So it was scenes and dialogue like that which put me off both characters, Roarke for treating Eve so badly and Eve for just letting him do it. I don’t know how they end up falling in love or how so many readers claim Roarke is romantic and the perfect guy. Just because he’s rich and handsome doesn’t mean he should be able to get away with all that he does.
I finished the book hoping it’d get better or there would be some explanation for all the things I disliked. Unfortunately that didn’t happen and while I liked solving the mystery behind the crimes, I wasn’t sad when the book ended. I don’t plan on reading any further in the series (the 35th book was recently released) because it’s just not for me.
I wanted to like this book though and was hoping to discover a nice series that I could turn to when I wanted some light reading that would be familiar and episodic. Can you recommend any series like this? Which series have truly strong, assertive heroines and men who treat them with respect?
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆