Manhattan is filled with galleries and deep-pocketed collectors who can make an artist’s career with a wave of a hand. But one man toils in obscurity, his brilliance unrecognized, while lesser talents bask in the glory he believes should be his. Come tomorrow, he vows, the city will be buzzing about his work.

Indeed, before dawn, Lt. Eve Dallas is speeding toward the home of the two gallery owners whose doorway has been turned into a horrifying crime scene overnight. A lifeless young woman has been elaborately costumed and precisely posed to resemble the model of a long-ago Dutch master, and Dallas plunges into her investigation.

Framed in Death is the sixty-first (61) title in the ongoing …in Death series.  A complete list of titles is available at the Amazon In Death page.

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Framed in Death
Series:  …In Death #61
Author:  J. D. Robb
Published:  September 2, 2025
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
My Rating:  5 stars

Framed in Death by J. D. Robb is perhaps in the top five of my favorites from this series.  Not only for the tense, edge-of-my-seat storyline, which always grabs my imagination, but mainly for the ongoing development of Eve and Roarke’s relationship, and especially for the constantly growing lives of every single regular secondary character of this couple’s crew. 

I loved the joy and pride of Mavis and Leonardo, as well as Peabody and McNab, in their new home that shines through the page as we discover the special touches that make each couple’s (and Bella’s) part of that home unique.  And Bella’s sorta scowl at the mention of her soon-to-be-arriving sibling was just so… big sister knowing she’s going to have to share the spotlight kind of sigh.  I loved that realistic touch.  Small, yes, but it spoke to an author who knows her characters so deeply that even a wee little girl is completely believable. 

I always chuckle at Eve’s perplexity about her suspiciously ever-growing wardrobe/closet, as Roarke is usually in charge of that, but is teaching Eve (in subtle Roarke ways) that what she wears can also be a weapon to be used as intimidation as well.  It’s those little touches, small parts of very human life, that bring me back to this unique world over and over again.

Oh, you thought that you’d get juicy spoiler details here, that’s cute!  Nope, not going to spoil the mystery aspect of Framed in Death.  I will say that this villain is perhaps one of the most insidious for the absolute entitlement of the actions, the crimes that were committed.  Add a few twists that I should have seen coming, and you have a powerful story that kept my attention throughout the story totally focused on these characters.  (I’ve given up on slowly reading an In Death book; I simply block out time to read the entire thing in one setting)

I will not hesitate in saying that Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb is my absolute favorite author, plus two author names and styles wrapped up in one talented writer!  There is not one addition to the ongoing In Death series that I haven’t enjoyed. Of course, there are some titles that didn’t hit the “grab me” level of others, but still, every single entry fully deserves the 5-star rating that I’ve given it. 

I’m going to continue to devour these glimpses into the lives of Eve and Roarke (and their crews) for as long as they are written.  I had read that there is a scenario that would bring this series to a close in a completely believable way.  And I’m honest (and perhaps greedy for more) enough to hope that time is a very distant point in the future.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)