I’ve just finished reading J. D. Robb’s Kindred in Death, no. 29 of the In Death series. A remarkable achievement, these 29 books. (There’s a 30^th out in hardcover, but I’m a paperback kind of gal.) The plots are intricate and diabolical, which I like. But the real heart of the series is the love affair between Detective Eve Dallas and her husband Roark. They are both wounded souls, intense, driven, and of course sexy. Their finding each other, feeling their way to an emotional intimacy neither has shared before, digging deeper into love and commitment is what has kept me reading through all these books (29!). The only other series of books I’ve read from # 1 to the last is Patrick O’Brian’s nautical novels featuring Jack Aubrey and Steven Maturin (Russell Crowe played Aubrey in the movie Master and Commander). O’Brian is a remarkable writer. But this is about J. D. Robb. Secondary characters Peabody and McNab have a thing going too and they’re good characters. The young woman who plays Zoey on Nurse Jackie is who I think of as Peabody whenever I’m playing Cast the Movie. Great wry humor.

As a writer, I’ve also profited from observing how Robb does it. Especially her love scenes. And they are love scenes, not sex scenes. Yeah, they’re having sex, but it’s emotional and lovely and you don’t have to know where anyone’s hands are at any particular moment, for the most part. Not too much information, and I bet you know what I mean. Pacing is perfect. Plotting is perfect. Characterization is really good. Just how good? One day when I was feeling maudlin, I imagined how truly awful it would be if either Roark or Eve were to die and leave the other bereft. Broke my heart thinking of their grief. Well, I was maudlin that day.

Oh. Another series I’ve almost read all of is J. R. Ward’s Brotherhood series about really noble, sexy, civilized vampires.

One more point. The last few of the In Death novels have been less wonderful to me because the relationship between Eve and Roark seems stalled. Not working through anymore anguished marital crises, not evolving. Just a loving, though very interesting, marriage. Not that I would wish any anguish on my buddies Eve and Roark.