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Quick answer: If you love Eve Dallas, try Naked in Death, Postmortem, One for the Money, The Surgeon, A Is for Alibi and The Caves of Steel. These books share tough, smart investigators, long series and a mix of crime and character.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is the heroine of J.D. Robb's In Death series, a New York police officer in the mid-21st century who works murders with her partner and a wealthy husband named Roarke. Readers love the mix of futuristic detail, crime puzzles and slow-burning romance. These 15 books capture parts of that mix: strong female investigators, futuristic mysteries and long series with recurring casts.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked in Death | J.D. Robb | Adult | the first in the series |
| Immortal in Death | J.D. Robb | Adult | series readers |
| Divided in Death | J.D. Robb | Adult | readers who want a thriller |
| Postmortem | Patricia Cornwell | Adult | readers who like forensics |
| One for the Money | Janet Evanovich | Adult | readers who want humor |
| The Surgeon | Tess Gerritsen | Adult | readers who want a tough female detective |
| A Is for Alibi | Sue Grafton | Adult | readers who like classic PIs |
| The Caves of Steel | Isaac Asimov | Adult | readers who like futuristic cases |
| Altered Carbon | Richard K. Morgan | Adult | older sci-fi readers |
| Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch | Adult | readers who like urban fantasy |
| Magic Bites | Ilona Andrews | Adult | readers who like fantasy action |
| Storm Front | Jim Butcher | Adult | readers who like fantasy detectives |
| Dead Until Dark | Charlaine Harris | Adult | readers who like paranormal mysteries |
| Silent in the Grave | Deanna Raybourn | Adult | readers who like historical mysteries |
| The Bone Collector | Jeffery Deaver | Adult | readers who like forensics |
1. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
The first Eve Dallas novel, in which she hunts a killer and meets Roarke. Start here if you have not read the series.
Best for: the first in the series.
2. Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
Eve investigates the murder of a model. A good example of the series' mix of mystery and romance.
Best for: series readers.
3. Divided in Death by J.D. Robb
A dangerous case from Eve's past returns. Fast and tense.
Best for: readers who want a thriller.
4. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta is drawn into a series of killings in Richmond. A forensics-heavy classic.
Best for: readers who like forensics.
5. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum becomes a bounty hunter in New Jersey. Funny, fast and full of romance.
Best for: readers who want humor.
6. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Detective Jane Rizzoli hunts a killer in Boston. The first Rizzoli & Isles novel.
Best for: readers who want a tough female detective.
7. A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
Private detective Kinsey Millhone looks into a murder conviction. The first of the alphabet series.
Best for: readers who like classic PIs.
8. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
Detective Elijah Baley and robot R. Daneel Olivaw investigate a murder in a future New York. A classic science-fiction mystery.
Best for: readers who like futuristic cases.
9. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
Takeshi Kovacs is revived in a new body to solve a murder. Violent and inventive cyberpunk.
Best for: older sci-fi readers.
10. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Constable Peter Grant joins the London police unit that deals with magic. Funny and quick.
Best for: readers who like urban fantasy.
11. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Kate Daniels, a mercenary, investigates a murder in a magical Atlanta. Fast and spirited.
Best for: readers who like fantasy action.
12. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden, a wizard and private eye in Chicago, takes on a double murder. Witty and fast.
Best for: readers who like fantasy detectives.
13. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Waitress Sookie Stackhouse meets a vampire and gets pulled into murder. Light and flirty.
Best for: readers who like paranormal mysteries.
14. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Lady Julia Grey investigates her husband's death with the mysterious Nicholas Brisbane. Victorian, witty and romantic.
Best for: readers who like historical mysteries.
15. The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver
A paralyzed forensic expert and a young cop track a killer. Twisty and detailed.
Best for: readers who like forensics.
How to Choose
To stay in Eve Dallas's world, read the early In Death books in order. For similar police procedurals, start with Postmortem or The Surgeon. For futuristic crime, choose The Caves of Steel or Altered Carbon. For fun, pick One for the Money. A simple plan is to read one novel from each series and keep going with the one you like. Most of these include violence and some romance. If you like audiobooks, the In Death series is popular on audio, and many listeners follow it for years. Reading order matters for the relationships, so start with Naked in Death.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eve Dallas?
She is the main character in J.D. Robb's In Death series, a New York police lieutenant in the mid-21st century.
Who is J.D. Robb?
It is a pen name of Nora Roberts, who writes romance under her own name.
Do I need to read In Death in order?
It helps, because the relationships build over time, but each book solves its own case.
How many In Death books are there?
There are more than 50 novels and novellas in the series.
Is the series science fiction?
It is a police procedural set in the future, with gadgets and a New York of 2058 or later.
Is there much romance?
Yes. Eve and Roarke's relationship develops across the series, with some steamy scenes.