Erickson's narration has the strikingly confident acting chops of a charismatic lead actor in a great long-running television series. She knows and inhabits her cast of characters decisively, while carefully mining the little diamonds of growth and change that Robb seeds into these stories.

From Dallas' driven, prickly authority, to Roarke's potent charm, to Peabody's nerdy earnestness, and the handful of unique, well-drawn secondary characters, the cast here is entertainingly diverse but hasn't grown too large for listeners to catch on quickly to who's who. And kudos to Ericksen for making it easy by capturing each voice clearly, and using finely tuned pace and timing to bring out all the wit, blood-chilling suspense, and sizzling romance in Robb's storytelling.

Great villains are also a trademark of this series. The bad guy here is a master manipulator, a chameleon who slips and slides through the city, killing with a cruelty that shakes Dallas to her core. Ericksen gives him a guileless menace that rings terrifyingly true. Watch for a terrific 90 degree twist near the end that provides that perfect combination of thrill and 'a-ha!' to round out this plot.

Robb's In Death series is, like all the great police procedurals, built on rich character development. Dallas is sexy, acerbic, absolutely tenacious, and destined to rub people the wrong way. Roarke is drop-dead gorgeous, filthy rich, and utterly in love with his wife. This is partnership as the ultimate romantic relationship, and a crime-fighting team that's unstoppable.

In July 2009 The New Yorker magazine featured a long overdue profile of the immensely successful Nora Roberts (a.k.a. J. D. Robb). So if you're a first-time listener coming to see what all the fuss is about, the In Death series is about to become your favorite new way to kick back and enjoy a great story well told. Nancy Carter