Naked in Death is the first in the series of 26 novels, with the 27th slated for release September 2013.
JDRobb is the author of the series, also known as author Nora Roberts.
I will try to summarize starting with the first novel, but not give too much away, in case you're interested in reading them.
The beginning year : 2058
Technology as envisioned by JD Robb -
Droids with human characteristics that can be programmed to cook, clean, man office desks, physically fight and wrestle, watch over children and the elderly, teach, bartend, waiters and waitresses and even be programmed for sex.
There are also droid animals - dogs, cats and birds.
AutoVehicles that can fly and zip around, but also be driven like normal cars and buses
AutoChefs that can deliver home-cooked meals and coffee, although real coffee is rare and for the rich, so most people get by with a soy product.
Tobacco is also a restricted substance, but real tobacco is hard to come by and like coffee, is only affordable to the rich.
The lack of real coffee and tobacco is due to the depletion of rain forests and climate change.
Also, real food, such as steak and eggs and sugar and even potatoes is expensive, so there are Soydogs, SoyFries, powdered eggs and vitamin enriched soy juice.
Links that are a modernized video cell phone that can hold and transfer data besides making calls.
Memo Cubes are modern, electronic Post-Its, without the sticky paper.
Skids are high-tech sneakers that can float above ground and there are skateboards that hover a few inches above ground instead of on wheels.
HoloRooms are like Star Trek Holo Decks and owned by the wealthy, and can be programmed for interactive vacations at the beach, street scenes for training in fighting techniques, or rescue missions, or jogging along a path, or dining in a mountain chalet, etc.
HoloGlasses provide 3-D life-like scenarios, similar to the HoloRooms, but worn on the head.
Space flight is common, and again for the rich, and there are vacation planets and even a prison planet for dangerous criminals.
Plane travel by jets is faster than fast compared to 2013 flight.
Stunners have replaced guns and can be programmed from stun to kill.
Guns were banned after the Urban Wars, which was a global uprising that brought destruction and death, and led to underground militias and corruption.
Main Characters :
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is a New York Homicide Detective.
Eve has a past.
She was a little girl abandoned by her mother and abused by her father.
She was found at 8 years old wandering Dallas, Texas covered in blood and with a broken arm and bruises.
She couldn't remember her name, so the police in Dallas named her Eve Dallas from the first woman mentioned in the Bible and the city she was found.
Roarke is a wealthy businessman who dabbled in less than legal businesses, besides legal enterprises.
Roarke grew up poor and on the streets in Dublin, Ireland.
He was also abused as a child, but he fought his way out with the help of Summerset, and through less than legal beginnings, he branched out to legal and moved to New York and set up an empire.
Summerset is Roarke's butler, but much more.
He's also the bane of Eve's existence.
Mavis Freestone is a successful singer, who was once a grifter until she was busted by then Officer Eve Dallas.
Mavis remains a loyal friend to Eve throughout the series.
Captain Ryan Feeney took Eve under his wing when she first joined the NYPD, and he groomed her, which allowed her to make Detective.
Feeney is a surrogate father-figure to Eve and runs the IT Division of the NYPD.
Commander Jack Whitney Commander of the entire NYPD
Dr. Charlotte Mira is the NYPD psyche evaluator who helps in profiling killers and counselor. She is a surrogate mother and good friend to Eve Dallas.
Officer Delia Peabody is a green cop when she first meets Lt. Dallas, and they become good friends and eventually partners. Lt. Dallas takes Peabody under her wing and grooms her for Detective.
Detective Ian McNab works under Feeney in IT and is the love interest of Peabody, giving her the pet name "She-body".
Ian and Peabody bring much comical relief and humor to the series.
Nadine Furst is a reporter and close friend to Eve and often helps Eve with cases and the media.
Charles Monroe is a Licensed Companion or LC and he's also a good friend to Eve and Roarke, and he often adds to the humor.
Naked in Death plot summary
Lt. Dallas is assigned the task of finding the killer of a woman murdered by an antique Smith and Wesson but the investigation is sensitive because the dead woman is the granddaughter of a well-known and respected Senator.
The Senator is a right-wing politician and his deceased granddaughter was a Licensed Companion or prostitute.
Prostitution is legal in 2058, but licenses must be obtained and regularly renewed.
Guns are illegal, except for registered collectors with permits and licenses.
The case has the highest priority, but Lt. Dallas must tread carefully due to the political ramifications.
Sharon DeBlass, the Senator's granddaughter, had an evening meeting with multi-billionaire and business magnate, Roarke, who is also a certified and licensed antique gun collector.
Roarke, of Roarke Industries, becomes the top suspect on the short list, and it is through the investigation of Sharon DeBlass's murder that Lt. Dallas first meets Roarke.
Senator DeBlass is a leading member of the Conservative Party and is working on legislation banning prostitution and legalizing fire arms - The Morality Bill.
All leads point to Roarke, since he has the identical weapon used in the murder, no alibi
and an appointment with the victim the night of her murder.
A second murder is discovered while Eve is questioning Roarke at his home and he surprises her with dinner. She had paid him a visit to confiscate the Smith and Wesson for testing.
Even though all leads point to Roarke, Lt. Dallas doesn't believe that he's the killer.
The second murder victim leads to a third, and it is quickly decided that there is a Serial Killer in New York targeting LCs.
Lt. Dallas meets Charles Monroe, a Licensed Companion, because he is also on the list of suspects, but after meeting Charles, she cancels him off. He aids in the investigation and flirts with Lt. Dallas and remains a strong character throughout the series.
Roarke has a hidden and protected room with a high tech illegal computer.
He trusts Eve, which is very rare and highly unusual, since Roarke and his butler Summerset despise the police due to past experiences in Ireland and this sets the stage for Eve's continual animosity, mostly humorous over time, with Summerset.
Roarke also has a shooting room and he allows Eve to shoot actual guns, to gain an understanding of antique weaponry.
Eventually, Lt. Dallas crosses the strict line of her code and uses Roarke and his illegal equipment to help find the killer.
This begins Roarke's becoming a Citizen Consultant, and starts the romantic relationship between Roarke and Eve, both of which continue and are a basis throughout the series.
Lt. Dallas doesn't believe that the second and third murders are related to Senator DeBlass's granddaughter, regardless of the evidence.
Lt. Dallas ultimately becomes the killer's target because she's uncovered more than she bargained for and could cause several powerful people to fall.
The series heats up in the second in the series with romance and murder.
In Death series by JD Robb :
Naked in Death, July 1995
Glory in Death, December 1995
Immortal in Death, July 1996
Rapture in Death, October 1996
Ceremony in Death, May 1997
Vengeance in Death, October 1997
Holiday in Death, June 1998
Conspiracy in Death, April 1999
Loyalty in Death, October 1999
Witness in Death, March 2000
Judgment in Death, September 2000
Betrayal in Death, March 2001
Seduction in Death, September 2001
Reunion in Death, March 2002
Purity in Death, September 2002
Portrait in Death, March 2003
Imitation in Death, September 2003
Divided in Death, January 2004
Visions in Death, August 2004
Survivor in Death, February 2005
Origin in Death, July 2005
Memory in Death, January 2006
Born in Death, November 2006
Innocent in Death, February 2007
Creation in Death, November 2007
Strangers in Death, February 2008
Salvation in Death, November 2008
Promises in Death, February 2009
Kindred in Death, November 2009
Fantasy in Death, February 2010
Indulgence in Death, November 2010
Treachery in Death, February 2011
New York to Dallas, September 2011
Celebrity in Death, February 2012
Delusion in Death, September 2012
Calculated in Death, February 2013
Thankless in Death, September 2013
