Although Framed in Death by J.D. Robb can be read without having read previous books in the “In Death” series, there are minor storyline continuations from previous books. It certainly makes the story more enjoyable if readers have followed the characters and the changes in their personal lives. However, as a police procedural, Framed in Death works without having read the earlier books. The murders and crimes are wrapped up in this one.

“Death was his art.” When an artist begins to kill licensed street sexual companions, they are posed as if they were in a masterpiece from the past, and left in front of a home of an art gallery owner. For several days, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, are awakened early to arrive at the site where a body was posed. It’s frustrating for Dallas who is determined to provide “Justice to the victims and those who mourned them”.

Clues indicate the artist has access to a great deal of money. The costumes the victims wear, a clue on a body, are expensive. But, Eve and Peabody can’t get cooperation from sources until they have warrants. Dallas’ team at the New York Police and Security Department have so many threads to follow. They combine interviews with witnesses and friends, with legwork and paperwork, until everything breaks at once. It won’t be easy to bring the artist to justice.

Despite all the details of the investigation, J.D. Robb’s Framed in Death is a fast-paced, intriguing story that covers just a few days. Robb excels at storytelling while including personal details about her characters, including the ongoing love story of Eve and her husband, Roarke. It’s another accomplished story from a master.

J.D. Robb’s website is https://jdrobb.com/

Framed in Death by J.D. Robb. St. Martin’s, 2025. 368p.

FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent a galley through NetGalley, with no expectations of a positive review.