PORTRAIT IN DEATH, book 16 in J. D. Robb's In Death series, continues the story of Eve Dallas and her homicide cases. This time, the murderer immortalizes their victims through photography, focusing on the young and innocent. It is a sad story, more so than usual, and made even more solemn by a big reveal about Roarke's past. 

With the previous novels, I have been able to hazard an educated guess as to the murderer with a modicum of success. This is not the case with PORTRAIT IN DEATH. Every time I thought I had the killer, Eve would uncover something else that would prove me wrong. While I never judge a mystery based on my ability to solve it, I do love that after so many novels in the series, Ms. Robb still has the power to keep me guessing. 

While every book in the In Death series is about loss in one form or another, PORTRAIT IN DEATH has loss at its core. Everything from the murderer's rationale for the killings to their frame of mind to the secrets of Roarke's past coming to light for the first time deals directly with loss, familial loss in particular. The only sections of the story not dealing with loss are the scenes between Eve and Somerset, always a delight, and which bring with them a much-needed sense of levity to the proceedings. 

PORTRAIT IN DEATH is another strong story in a series of strong stories. Not only does Eve solve yet another tricky murder mystery, but we also get a rare glimpse into Roarke's past and an even rarer look at his softer side. While novels that make up the In Death series are always good, those that help Eve and Roarke lose one more layer of their tough outer shells are particularly special. Such is the case of PORTRAIT IN DEATH.