May Book Club Discussion: JD Robb's "Naked in Death"

[engarde]

You voted and we are reading Naked in Death by JD Robb for the month of May. We will open this thread on the first of the month and participants will have until the end of May to complete the read. You may post comments at any time. Please consider yourself advised that spoilers will be present, but use spoiler bars if there is concern about major spoilers.

And depending on the turn out this Sunday night, we will consider hosting a special end of book discussion night on May 27th so stay tuned.

Hope everyone enjoys getting to know Eve and Roarke! Rrrawr!

[engarde]

Thread is open. Who is up for a little JD Robb?

[cpb73]

I've been discussing Roarke with people. Why do I have a feeling that I'm going to be sucked into this series? Geez.

Also, I am eating dinner and helping one of my children finish up a project while perusing the threads. At a passing glance, I thought the thread title was My Book Club Discussion: JD Robb's Naked In Death. I thought that Eng was laying claim to Roarke pretty early in the ball game .

[wonttorit]

Personally I think you would have to be cold in your grave if you didn't at least admire Roarke. Yeah, he's almost too perfect, but NR writes him so, so well! As I have mentioned to cpb, yes, he's gorgeous, rich, and sexy. But for me, what puts him over the top is his complete devotion to Eve. He studies her! When they had only been together one night, plus had dinner a couple of times, he was already recognizing her moods by watching her face. There is no detail too small for him regarding Eve. He worries about her working herself into exhaustion, he constantly is after her to eat better. He buys (all) her clothes (they just show up in her closet!!), he knows when she's had a nightmare, which is frequently. He totally zeros in on her all the time!

Having said all that, he knows he can't openly hover. She's very willful and determined to be independent. Their similar personalities provide for frequent fireworks. Lucky us!

My personal favorite male in the series is Whitney. He is Eve's Commander. Love those beefy shoulders!

I have a question for any who has read the book. When Eve skipped testing (a required battery of psychological tests after a termination) in order to begin on the DeBlass murder case, Roarke knew about it. He told Eve he had contacts in the department. And, this wasn't the only time he received information via these contacts. To date, these contacts haven't been revealed. Who do you think they are? As it's Roarke, I would believe this contact would be a higher up. I think it's Whitney. I would love to hear anyone's ideas.

Also, I love Feeney!!! What a sweetie! How lucky was Eve to have him for a trainer when she was a rookie. And, throughout the books, he offers some of the most pithy and straight-to-the-heart advice and/or comments of any character. I would love to give him a hug!

I've read all the ID books at least twice. I'm hesitant to reveal how many times I have read Naked and Glory (#2). I'm considering nominating Nora Roberts for sainthood!

PS: You think this is a long post? I'm just getting started!!

[engarde]

Just finished chapter 2. Not sure if we mentioned that the series takes place around 50 years in the future. What differences have you seen already? What do you think of Eve?

[shirleyjo]

I love the futuristic setting of this series! I love the 'links and the memo cubes, and the vehicles that can travel in the air as well as on the ground - oh, and the holo-rooms - and particularly the auto chefs! I know we've touched on the auto chef topic before trying to figure out how it works, etc., but I don't need to know how it works - only that it does and it adds to my delight in this world!

What do I think of Eve? What a fabulous character! She can be a stark raving bitch one minute and full of all-consuming love and compassion in the next The love and compassion part is not seen by everyone; what she endured as a child and how she still suffers for it is heartbreaking, but thank God for putting Roarke in her path! Because of him, we find Eve evolving and changing for the better in her own eyes as well as the eyes of her co-workers and her friends. She found love with Roarke and continues to find it and other emotions as they apply to her world and those she shares it with.

And Roarke? OMG, Roarke. As wont said, it is so fascinating how he studies Eve. He knows when she's had a nightmare - hell, he knows when she's got a headache! When she's hurting he just knows when it calls for sleep or food - or sex! And oh, the sex between those two! We're not talking graphic like J's Ch. 32, but when Robb is finished with a love scene between Eve and Roarke, you'll find your own breath a little quicker! The emotion is phenomenal. Just when and how he says her name will kill you! Great shower scene in Naked, too! Oh, and Roarke is not without his own demons which only affirms the rightness of them as a unit.

Wont, your reference to who might be R's contact in the Department? Hmmm. You could be right about Whitney, although even Feeney crossed my mind.

[wonttorit]

Re: Roarke's Source in Cop Central.

I think Roarke and Feeney have grown close and are true buds, but, I didn't get that they knew each other before Eve. Remember how Feeney jumped down Roarke's throat when he came back from Station Freestar for questioning? Roarke was very upset with Eve and grabbed her by the shirt, he thought she didn't believe him. Feeney was really snarling at him. It isn't shown on page that he knew Whitney, but he seems, IMO, the most likely. There has been a couple of times that Roarke referred to Whitney by his first name and I was surprised at that. And, don't forget Whitney seemed ready to back Eve, again my opinion, in not jumping to put Roarke in a cage.

[shirleyjo]

Cut me some slack, wont! I've only read Naked once and listened to the audio once!

[wonttorit]

Hey, I wasn't barking! Just recounting. I told you, I love Feeney.

Eng: are you asking about differences as in the future NY? I noticed almost no one writes anything onto paper. Everything is keyed into a link, or even more so everything is voice activated. Garbage cans are called recyclers. Even with all the advancements, Eve still has continuous problems with her office computer, and with her car. Even short notes aren't written down, they're recorded into "memos." Another thing I think is amazIng, and I like all the things Shirl mentioned, is the computers can think! Eve runs probabilities on her cases endlessly. She tells the computer what she has as far as evidence, and it gives her a probability percentage on the person she's checking on. I love how she can walk into the shower and call out for the jets to activate at whatever level of force she wants and whatever temperature. And the lights in the bedroom, or any room, she can just call out while still in bed, "Lights, 10%" and they come on! And all this is just the beginning!

As for Eve, I agree with Shirl how great it is she found Roarke, and the same for him. She was supremely damaged from her horrible childhood. Affection was all but eliminated from her soul. Mavis even said to her when Eve first confided in her about Roarke that she had shut down her feelings for such a long time, and Roarke found a way to help her open up. She should be happy about it. Of course he was damaged too, but not as badly. Sometimes I'm surprised at how harsh Eve can come across, but her friends and co-workers obviously see what's inside. Roarke was right, she truly does have an enormous heart. Sigh.

[shirleyjo]

Also, medicines are referred to differently, i.e., you take a "blocker" for a headache or a "soother" for anxiety or stress. Oh, and there's the "wand" for bumps and bruises!