I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Portrait in Death
by
J.D. Robb
science fiction, detective mystery, police procedural, romantic suspense in a Kindle edition that was published by Berkley on February 25, 2003 and has 372 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Indulgence in Death, Treachery in Death, Kindred in Death, The Other Side, New York to Dallas, Unquiet, Celebrity in Death, Delusion in Death, Calculated in Death, Thankless in Death, Mirror, Mirror, Festive in Death, Obsession in Death, Betrayal in Death, "Wonderment in Death", "Possession in Death", Down the Rabbit Hole, "Midnight in Death", Devoted in Death, Brotherhood in Death, Apprentice in Death, Echoes in Death, Secrets in Death, Dark in Death, Leverage in Death, "Interlude in Death", Vendetta in Death, Golden in Death, Faithless in Death, Naked in Death, Glory in Death, Immortal in Death, Rapture in Death, Ceremony in Death, Vengeance in Death, , Loyalty in Death, Witness in Death, Judgment in Death, Seduction in Death, Reunion in Death, Holiday in Death, Purity in Death, Imitation in Death, Divided in Death, Visions in Death, Desperation in Death, Abandoned in Death, Creation in Death, Survivor in Death, Concealed in Death, Origin in Death
Sixteenth in the In Death futuristic romantic suspense series revolving around a detective and police procedurals. Portrait in Death is set in late summer of 2059 in New York City. The focus involves an “immortal” nutjob.
In 2004, Portrait in Death won the All About Romance Annual Reader Poll for Best Hero AND Best Alternate Reality Romance and was nominated for the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Paranormal Romance. In 2003, it won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Futuristic Romance.
My Take
Homey, romantic, and fun with a heavy dose of sadness when Roarke learns about his mother. It’s also part of his series arc, as he learns to meld loving someone with his own ambitions.
I love that Delancey Street is a sociable neighborhood. Reminds me of the movie I so adore, Crossing Delancey. I do feel for the shopkeepers and for the dumpster guy. They want their dumpsters to work and verbally abuse the city when they don’t. Meanwhile, the sanitation guy notes that vandals are always screwing with them or the dumpster isn’t being used properly. Yep, there’s justification on both sides.
One thing that always cracks me up is the non-information that Dallas hands out to everyone. Why anyone bothers to ask, I dunno.
Eve Dallas is, well, not a mystery, but so abrasive, which can be attributed to her childhood. It’s so much fun and a bit heartbreaking to “watch” her and Roarke’s relationship progress. It’s also part of Dallas’ series arc, and she takes a major step forward as she realizes she no longer likes being alone.
Dr Mira is one of those islands of calm. I do love Robb’s descriptions of her wardrobe — working and casual — and her thoughts about Eve. Peabody makes a nice foil to Eve. Her rationalizations on dieting work for me! Ooh, Detective “Hornydog” Baxter discovers he’s getting old, lol. ThenRobb gets her digs in on those who can’t, teach.
There’s more fun (that goes throughout the series) with Dallas being so embarrassed by Roarke’s wealth, so naturally Robb puts her in embarrassing situations, lol. I had to laugh at the reactions of Rachel’s fellow students and all their d*r*a*m*a. As for Hoop, lololol, poor boy is befuddled by Rachel’s reactions. But I did feel for him later on. Although, um, his reaction to being a licensed companion was another crack-up. Hastings! Lol, Hastings is yet another crack-up. He hates everyone and isn’t afraid to show it. He gets on really well with Eve!
Going from the fun to the horrible, reading the killer’s thoughts is so incredibly creepy!! Which makes this a third person global subjective point-of-view from the perspective of a number of characters, including, ahem, the killer. That scene with Trueheart at the end? Jesus. The tension was horrible!!
More creepy is Roarke learning the truth about his past. One bright spot?? He learns he’s a year younger than he thought.
Whoa, we learn a lot more about Crack than I’d’ve thought. Dang. I definitely cried.
Ah, geez, as horrific as the reasoning is for murdering all these people, I still felt sorry for the killer. And so clueless . . .
Oh, yeah, there’s plenty of action in a combination of story-driven and character-driven with plenty of snark. Ya gotta love it, lol.
The Story
After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Delancey street dumpster. 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 that she wasn’t a model. And that these photos were taken after she had been murdered.
Now Dallas 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 person’s innocence, to capture their youth and vitality — in one fateful shot . . .
The Characters
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in charge of Homicide at Cop Central. Roarke is her gorgeous, supportive, excessively wealthy husband whose hands are God-given in so many ways. Galahad is their pudge of a cat. Summerset is Roarke’s major domo. PA Spence, of the “mommy” voice, is hired to nurse Summerset.
Dallas’ friends include Nadine Furst, the on-air ace reporter for Channel 75. Carter Swan is the Channel 75 attorney who is, ahem, banging Nadine. The very colorful Mavis Freestone is Dallas’ best friend and a universe-wide singing sensation. She’s pregnant, and she and Leonardo, a fashion designer, are thrilled. Dallas does NOT consider Trina, a stylist, a friend.
Richie had been Dallas’ horrible father. Zeke is Peabody’s carpenter brother whom we met in Loyalty in Death, 9.
The New York Police and Security Department (NYPSD)
Officer Delia Peabody is Dallas’ aide. Commander Jack Whitney is Dallas’ boss. The innocent Officer Troy Trueheart is being mentored by Detective David Baxter. Chief Tibble is in charge of the NYPSD. Dr Li Morris is the chief medical examiner and a friend of Dallas’. Dick Berenski is the chief lab tech, who is really good, especially if you bribe him. Officer Feeno caught the Lincoln Center murder. Officer Yancy is an Ident artist.
Captain Ryan Feeney is in charge in the Electronic Detectives Division (EDD). He’s also a father figure to Eve and her mentor. Detective Ian McNab is one of his colorful boys, who is in a monogamous relationship with Peabody.
“‘. . . we’re investigating a homicide, not going off on a man-ogling spree.’
‘I like to multitask whenever possible.'”
Dr Charlotte Mira is a renowned psychiatrist who is the top profiler for the NYPSD. Judge Marcia B Brigstone signs a warrant.
Delancey Street
Waldo Remke is an angry grocer. Shelley is Waldo’s daughter. Mintz and Costello are fellow shopkeepers. Larry Poole is the city sanitation worker at whom they’re angry. Rachel Howard is studying to be a teacher at Columbia and works the local 24/7. Madinga Jones also works at the 24/7. Melissa Howard is Rachel’s younger sister.
Roarke Industries
Caro is Roarke’s invaluable administrative assistant. Tibbons is involved.
Dochas is . . .
. . . the women’s shelter Roarke built. Dr Louise Dimatto, another friend, gives her time there while she continues working the Canal Street Clinic. The Irish Moira O’Bannion is the head crisis counselor Louise poached.
Columbia University
Imaging is an elective class taught by Professor Leeane Browning. Browning is in a relationship with Angela Brightstar, an artist, who owns Brightstar Gallery. Rodney is their droid butler. Monty is a doorman at the Browning-Brightstar’s building. Randa and Charlene “Charlie“, a drama major, are Rachel’s dramatic friends. Jackson “Hoop” Hooper is a TA who’s fascinated by Rachel.
Kenby Sulu, a.k.a. Twinkletoes, was a bright dancer studying at Julliard and working at the Lincoln Center as an usher. Lily, a choreographer, and Chang Sulu, an engineer, are Kenby’s loving parents. Maxville Drury is an ad executive at Fines and Cox — who knows how annoying those ad blimps are, lol. He’s dating Loo Macabe, a shoe designer.
Alicia Dilbert is studying for her medical degree and is interning at the East Side Health Center. Wilson Buckley, a.k.a. Crack, is her brother who owns the Down and Dirty, a sex and music club where Dallas had her hen party.
Hastings Portography is . . .
. . . a photography studio and store owned by the genius but irascible Dirk Hastings, a portographer. Why he can’t simply be a photographer, I don’t know. Lucia runs the store side of things. Dingo Wilkens, a.k.a. Robert Lewis Wilkens, is his latest assistant. (Loose, Brick, and Jazz are Dingo’s friends and they frequent The Spot, a club.) Tourmaline is a freelance artist’s model — ya can’t help but enjoy her attitude, lol. Liza Blue is a freelance hair and enhancement consultant. Ivan is her unsuspecting boyfriend. The Morelli-Desoto wedding is critical.
Catstevens is another photographer. Elsa Ramerez is a photographer’s assistant on a shoot. Kehys is a framing business in Helsinki.
Make the Scene is a . . .
. . . data club that targets a younger crowd. Steve Audrey, Shirllee, and Mitz are some of the bartenders. Patrons include Marley and Diego Feliciano, who works at his uncle’s Mexican restaurant, Hola, and really thinks he’s all that.
Rico is one of the toughs outside the Canal Street Clinic. Mrs Ernestine Macnamara is a 106-year-old witness who drives her van once a week to St Ignatious. Marian is her sister. Billy Johnson is part of the shift at the parking garage Mrs Macnamara uses. Manny Johnson is his cousin and also works there. The Leprechaun is a fake Irish pub. Hospital patients include Darryn Joy, Marilyn Kobowski, Corrine Steveson, and Lawrence T. Kettering. Gerald Stevenson had been Corrine’s son. Jessie and Mark Fryburn are/had been Corrine’s neighbor. Famous photographers include Ansel Adams, Jimmy Olsen, Henri Javert, and Matthew Brady.
Ireland
The Penny Pig is the pub Roarke and his friends used to hang out at. Now it’s owned by Brian Kelly, one of those friends, and he’s asking after Lieutenant Darling, lol. Johnny is one of Brian’s employees. Mister O’Leary has/had? a shop where Roarke used to help himself. Mick had been one of those boyhood friends (Betrayal in Death, 12).
Brian remembers a couple of Patrick Roarke’s mates — Donal Grogin and Jimmy Bennigan.
Tulla is . . .
. . . the village where Roarke’s maternal relatives live. Sinead Lannigan is Siobhan’s twin sister. Siobhan Margaret Brody had been Roarke’s mother. Robbie is Sinead’s farmer husband. Liam is one of Sinead and Robbie’s kids. Ned is Sinead’s brother who works with Robbie. Ned is married to either Mary Katherine or Ailish. Fergus is another brother who works in his wife’s family’s restaurant. Roarke thinks her name is Meghan.
Patrick Michael Roarke had been Roarke’s abusive father. The abusive Meg Roarke had been Patrick’s real wife.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark, as befits this story. It has a black background on top and bottom, although there is a deep yellow band at the top acting as the background for an info blurb in black. Immediately below this band is the author’s true name “writing as” her pseudonym with the title at the bottom, all in white. The not-quite central graphic is looking from one room with tall, arched windows that appear to be stained glass, probably due to the orange and yellow lights illuminating the windows opposite this room. I’m not sure what the central vertical “fountain” is about, but it does draw the eye.
The title is what it’s all about, that incredible Portrait in Death.
