Podcast in Death

Thirty years after Naked in Death first hit shelves (and after 300+ podcast episodes), Podcast in Deaeth returns to the book that started it all. Is it everything we remembered? Does Roarke still sweep us off our feet? Did we discover new layers after reading the entire series?
But perhaps most importantly, we now believe there needs to be:
Justice for Sharon de Blass!!
📖 Going back to Naked in Death with 60+ books worth of perspective

❤️ First impressions of baby Eve, baby Roarke, and why they're both so different from who they become

☕ Why coffee might actually be the greatest love language in the series

🐈 The glorious first appearance of Galahad, who immediately begins stealing the show

🕵️ Looking at the book's surprisingly deep themes of trauma, survival, and found family

🏛️ Why Naked in Death was political from page one (and always has been)

😂 AJ and Tara accidentally spend an alarming amount of time discussing how awkward Sharon's trip to Mexico with Roarke must have been

📞 AJ discovers Roarke committed the ultimate crime... calling Eve at midnight

🎯 Commander Whitney reminds everyone why he's always been one of the best characters in the series

📚 A fresh appreciation for Nora Roberts' long-game storytelling and character growth

✨ Revisiting the origins of Eve and Roarke's relationship with completely new eyes.
✨ Realizing that many of Eve's "later-book quirks" actually make perfect sense when viewed through the lens of her trauma.
✨ Watching Galahad literally save the day... and earn Tara's Commendation.
✨ Charles Monroe continues proving that he's one of the MVPs of the entire series.
✨ AJ develops an unexpected campaign for Justice for Sharon, while Tara wonders if Roarke accidentally traumatized her simply by not sleeping with her.
(We promise this somehow becomes an actual conversation.)
🏅 Tara: Galahad (because heroes deserve recognition... and somebody still owes him caviar.)
🏅 AJ: Charles Monroe, whose memory—and sister's safe deposit box—ultimately cracks the case.
We're not leaving Naked in Death just yet...
Next time, AJ and Tara dive into one of everyone's favorite traditions:
⭐ Reviewing the reviews of Naked in Death.
Prepare yourselves. The internet has opinions.
📞 Leave us a voicemail or text: 205-4-ROARKE (205-476-2753)
💻 Join the discussion at InDeath.net
❤️ Support the show on Patreon for bonus content and early access.
As always...
Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time!

Apparently if you don't like Eve Dallas doing her job, there's only one logical solution:
Go complain to Commander Whitney.
This week we're celebrating the long, glorious tradition of politicians, billionaires, dirty cops, diplomats, federal agents, grieving relatives, and professional whiners marching straight up the chain of command because Lieutenant Dallas dared to investigate them.
Spoiler alert:
It almost never works.
Senator Gerald DeBlass kicking off the series by proving hypocrisy is an Olympic sport.
The many, many people who discover that complaining about Eve usually just makes her investigate you harder.
Officer Ellen Bowers weaponizing the complaint system (and why Conspiracy in Death remains one of our favorite books).
Leo Fortney, Nile Renquist, Renee Oberman, Gina McEnroy, Quinn Sparrow, and an entire parade of people convinced they're more important than the investigation.
Whitney's unbelievable patience while sitting through endless "I'd like to speak to your manager" meetings.
The satisfying moments when complainers discover Eve was right all along.
AJ and Tara repeatedly stop to remind everyone exactly which characters absolutely suck.
Tara campaigns for the legal right to backhand rude suspects (purely hypothetically... mostly).
Roarke continues being the husband everyone deserves by escorting obnoxious guests directly out the front door.
We discover that chronic complainers are apparently just another recurring villain in the In Death universe.
Next Episode: Naked in Death.
Six years after our original review, we're returning to Book #1 with fresh eyes, new perspectives, and plenty of observations we completely missed the first time.
It should be a lot of fun.

Just in time for the Fourth of July, AJ and Tara celebrate America's favorite pastime: Fireworks but also explosions, namely, all the things that have exploded in the In Death series.
And wow... there have been a lot of explosions.
From car bombs and exploding robots to suicide vests, hotel bombings, military attacks, and enough boomers to make a bomb squad nervous, AJ and Tara dive into the surprisingly extensive history of things going very wrong in Eve Dallas's vicinity.
Along the way, they discover:
💥 Which In Death novel deserves the prestigious title of Boomiest Book in the Series
💥 How many jackets Eve has sacrificed to the explosion gods
💥 Why Madison Square Garden may actually be cursed
💥 Just how many bombs Roarke has personally disarmed over the years
💥 Whether Eve has experienced more explosions in three years than most people do in a lifetime
The conversation takes a trip through Vengeance in Death, Conspiracy in Death, Loyalty in Death, Leverage in Death, Bonded in Death, and several other books where Nora apparently decided that murder simply wasn't dramatic enough.
Meanwhile, AJ and Tara revisit memorable moments like:
Peabody accidentally becoming responsible for a bomb in Rapture in Death
The exploding robot that claimed one of Eve's jackets
The heartbreaking losses in Loyalty in Death
Roarke repeatedly proving he could probably run the Bomb Disposal Unit if he got bored being a billionaire
The realization that explosions seem to follow Eve around with alarming dedication
Listener favorite Lisa Davis returns with another SpeakPipe message, leading AJ and Tara down a rabbit hole of strange birthday coincidences and ex-spouse astrology.
AJ also introduces her newest project: Canon of Nora, a community-built wiki dedicated to the entire Nora Roberts universe. With more than 300 Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb books to catalog, AJ has apparently decided that sleep is optional.
If you've ever wished there was one place to find information on every Nora book, character, family, and series, this may be the project for you.
So grab your sparklers, keep the bomb squad on speed dial, and join us for an episode that proves one thing:
In the In Death universe, fireworks don't just happen on the Fourth of July.
Podcast Business

Happy Anniversary to us! 🎉
For our sixth anniversary episode, we did what any responsible podcasters would do: showed up with absolutely no plan and started talking.
What followed was a trip down memory lane as AJ and Tara revisited some of their favorite Podcast in Death moments from the last six years. From the nerve-wracking first time reaching out to audiobook legend Susan Ericksen, to beloved guest appearances, to the episodes that somehow turned discussions about gift rooms, truck nuts, and laundry machines into comedy gold, this episode is a celebration of everything that makes this podcast so much fun.
The story behind getting Susan Ericksen on the podcast for the very first time
How Tara went from guest host to permanent fixture after Episode 7
Favorite guest appearances, including discussions with listeners, authors, and fellow podcasters
Why "We Review the Reviews" remains one of the most entertaining things they do
The joy of talking about murder, friendship, character growth, and occasionally truck nuts
A look back at some of the funniest and most memorable moments from the show
AJ's surprise trivia game featuring ridiculous out-of-context quotes from past episodes
"They're Both Dicks: The End"
The infamous gift room discussion
White elephant gifts in the In Death universe
Summerset vs. Eve debates
Roarke's occasional bouts of dickishness
Why Barney was, in fact, a dick
The luxury of having a washing machine in your apartment
"Get that woman some birthday cake!"
Mostly, though, this episode is about gratitude. Six years ago Podcast in Death was just an idea. Today it's a thriving community of readers, listeners, and friends who love talking about these books almost as much as Eve loves coffee and Roarke loves Eve.
Thank you to everyone who has listened, emailed, commented, joined us live, disagreed with us, laughed with us, and helped make Podcast in Death what it is.
Here's to the next six years. 🥂📚💀
Because apparently there's still plenty of murder left to discuss.

This week on Podcast in Death, AJ and Tara tackle a topic they openly admit they know almost nothing about: astrology. Which, naturally, makes it the perfect Podcast in Death episode. 😂
Armed with questionable expertise, several internet rabbit holes, and a surprising amount of AI-generated research, they attempt to answer one of the most important questions in the In Death universe:
✨ What are Eve and Roarke's zodiac signs? ✨
The only canon clues? Peabody proudly declares herself a Sagittarius, and Roarke vaguely claims he was born in early October. From there, all bets are off.
Along the way, AJ and Tara debate:
Why Peabody being a Sagittarius actually makes a frightening amount of sense

Whether Roarke is truly a Libra... or secretly a textbook Scorpio

Why Eve Dallas might be the most Aries person to ever Aries

Which signs fit (and absolutely do not fit) Eve's personality

Whether Mavis is basically a walking Leo stereotype

Astrological compatibility between Eve, Roarke, Peabody, and the rest of the gang

How deep down the astrology rabbit hole two non-astrologers can fall before things get weird

The discussion quickly turns into a spirited mix of literary analysis, character psychology, and complete speculation—and honestly, that's half the fun.
Also in this episode:
❤️ AJ shares the difficult news of saying goodbye to Lily after nearly fifteen years, and talks about the compassionate in-home veterinary service that helped make her final day peaceful and comfortable.
📚 Listener Anne sends in some fantastic future episode ideas, including review-the-reviews episodes, headcanon deep dives, and exploring possible connections between the In Death universe and Nora Roberts' other series.
🔍 AJ introduces his brand-new project, FindANora.com, a tool designed to help readers discover their next Nora Roberts book based on themes, genres, settings, and moods. (Because sometimes you need a Nora recommendation and Emily can't be available 24/7.)
And finally, AJ and Tara discuss the upcoming sixth anniversary of Podcast in Death and the show's eventual move to an every-other-week schedule.
So grab your birth chart, your murder board, and maybe a glass of whatever they're serving at the Aquarius Bar, because this week we're putting the entire In Death cast under the astrological microscope.
What sign do YOU think Eve Dallas is? 🌟