Review: Framed in Death by J. D. Robb

 

A frequent theme in the Eve Dallas series is the wealthy parent, usually the mother, who overindulges every whim of their offspring, usually a son, from early on, and in the here and now of the setting of the read, is a serial killer. Sometimes mother explicitly knows and other times she is an unwitting dupe. Said serial killer has a trust fund that pays out monthly and/or yearly installments of large amounts which gives the killer the freedom to stalk and kill the citizens of New York City. The person dabbles in something, art perhaps, and is not very good at all. When rejected, the person never takes it well that their creative gift, their vision as it were, is just not good at all. Said killer begins to lash out, again and again, in murderous ways designed to prove their own unappreciated greatness and to garner media attention.

 

Such is the case here in this latest installment of this long running series, Framed in Death by J. D. Robb. It is September 1961, and the body has been posed at the door of a basement apartment. Thanks to an on-scene fingerprint scan by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas, she is able to identify the victim as 22-year-old Leesa Culver who worked as a licensed companion. The murdered woman is posed in such a way to resemble the painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermer. A painting that is in The Hague, Netherlands.  

 

She is the first of a string of art themed murders that keep Dallas, Detective Delia Peabody, and the team working hard to stop. As almost always happens, readers know the identity of the killer and much of the why from early on in the read. Catching the killer, and how it is done, is a major point of these reads—not figuring out the case as a reader.

 

As always, there is a major secondary storyline involving Dallas, Roarke, and their friends who have given her the family and support she never knew she needed. The Eve Dallas of this book has come a long way from the woman she first was when she hit NYC and she knows it. She does appreciate that fact even when there are moments that the friendships and the “marriage rules” drive her nuts too.

 

Always entertaining, these books are fast police procedurals with a small dose of romance. A very enjoyable series that I never would have started if not for a push by Lesa Holstine. Thank you again, Lesa. And, by all means, go read her review for this book.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/48jUGkJ

 

Ignored by the famous author and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, on NetGalley for nearly three months prior to publication day earlier this month, I settled in to wait a long time for the Dallas Public Library System to get it. While I was very far back in the print que, I happened to catch the eBook listing within minutes of it going online at OverDrive/Libby and grabbed the 3^rd slot for their one eBook copy. That meant the book came to me last week which was relatively quickly. Especially with the ongoing budget cuts.

 

The next book in the series, Stolen in Death, is currently scheduled for publication in February 2026.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025