Concealed in Death by J D Robb Provides a Masterclass

  


By Kate Phillips

   

As a reader, I always love finding books that appeal to me. As a writer, I am twice as pleased when the authors also provide masterclasses within their books.

        Masterclasses take place when performance artists and musicians work one-on-one with students. Writers don't generally have this option, but I have found some books to be masterclasses for characters, backstories, plots, settings, voice, and/or creativity.

 

        How many pages could you fill describing only one day for a novel? And keep readers not just interested, but engrossed? JD Robb surpassed any guess I would have made in her latest book, Concealed in Death.

        First, the parameters of a day need to be set: From morning until bedtime or 24 hours?

From mid-morning when the scene of the murders was first discovered until bedtime, the action filled 134 pages. Recounting the entire 24 hours, over 150.

To be clear, I did not take notice of the page count while reading this book. The investigation was moving too quickly. This is a bestselling page-turner after all. But once I finished and realized the entire novel took place in three and a half days, I went back to look at this master storyteller's timeline.

The second bedtime happened on page 248. The second 24 hours ended about page 289—although a case could be made that they ended on page 304 as we are never given exact times.

Bedtime number three occurred on page 366. And the novel ends at dinner time the next day on page 402.

Making this timeline work takes real craftsmanship. Dialogue is a given in a novel, but what keeps readers engaged in this series is attention to details—murder is a messy business—and the constant action: not only visiting crime scenes and the police station as well as tracking down leads, but also seeing the city—lights, pickpockets, car accidents and all—while characters are walking, driving, or traveling on public transport. Even when in her office, lead character New York City Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas is setting up the murder board, working on and/or slapping her computer, or replaying the crimes in her mind searching for clues.

The author always takes time to ground her work in reality. Her main characters have delicious meals described in detail as well as have sex, sleep, dream, shower, and dress. The plot still moves along as Dallas is usually, but not always discussing the latest case with her billionaire husband, Roarke, at these times.

Because the action is non-stop, I tend to read JD Robb's books in one sitting. Dallas always moves fast when it comes to tracking down killers. She knows her job. This is the 38^th novel in JD Robb's In Death series after all. 

Dallas has a supporting cast that makes this possible including her aforementioned husband, her partner, Delia Peabody, the detectives working in her division and other professionals from medical examiners to computer geeks.

For an overview of the In Death series, see my post "Reads for Writers: JD Robb/Nora Roberts" dated October 22, 2012. And yes, I only recommend reading the books in order so you can see the growth in the characters and their relationships which makes this whole series a masterclass. WARNING: Please note these books contain violence and adult themes.

Time flies in JD Robb's books, but in a grounded, high action, well written way.

 

Can you create a day that takes you 134 to 150 pages to describe?

 

 

Summer Reads

By Kate Phillips

 

As a reader, I always love finding books that appeal to me. As a writer, I am twice as pleased when the authors also provide Masterclasses within their books.

        Masterclasses take place when performance artists and musicians work one-on-one with students. Writers don't generally have this option, but I have found some books to be Masterclasses for characters, backstories, plots, settings, voice, and/or creativity.

       

When summer arrives, I want to read some lighter stories. But I still want to read Masterclass-level books as my writer side wants to continue learning about great characters, strong plots, and good writing.

The most popular post I have written is about JD Robb's In Death series. (See post dated October 22.) If you enjoyed these books, you will probably enjoy Suzanne Enoch's Samantha Jellicoe series. It is not as gritty and graphic, but still well done.

While Nora Roberts as JD Robb has written close to 40 books,the Samantha Jellicoe series is only four books—Flirting with Danger, Don't Look Down, Billionaires Prefer Blondes, and A Touch of Minx—a perfect amount for a vacation week.

Like the In Depth series, the male lead, Richard Addison, is a brilliant and wealthy business man, but has no criminal past. Unlike the In Death series, the female lead, Samantha Jellicoe, is not a police lieutenant, but the world's best cat burglar. In both series, people are murdered, crimes need to be solved, and love will win out although there are many obstacles and humorous situations along the way.

        As a writer, I love how these complex characters react when they meet, interact as they get involved in each other's lives, and transform to solve the many dilemmas in the multi-layered plots.

        I am also recommending two books by Pauline Baird Jones. They have radically different writing styles which fascinates me.

        The Last Enemy is the first in a trilogy, but this one is by far my favorite. The plot: Romance writer Dani Gwynne witnessed a murder and is placed under protective custody. However, the protective custody is not as safe as promised. Marshal Matthew Kirby and his team are determined to find out what happened that left three US Marshals dead and the witness missing. They learn not to underestimate a romance writer hunted by a hit man who is leaving them a trail of gruesome crime scenes.

        Dani makes excellent use of her plotting skills and, with help from fellow writers, fans, and Internet friends, saves herself time and again until the Marshals catch up. But can they stop the hit man or can Dani only trust herself?

        On a much lighter note, The Spy Who Kissed Me is a funny murder mystery. My favorite lines on page 7 introduce the main character and narrator:

Isobel. Picture someone petite, fragile, and blonde, done in soft pastels, lusciously formed—and you'll know how I don't look.

        Isobel Stanley, Stan to her friends, writes children's books about the antics of a cockroach which her mother considers tacky. Stan also plays the organ and gets roped into covering for the regular organist at a church function. Lost in her thoughts on her way home, she takes a wrong turn, witnesses a shooting, and then a dashing young man dives into her open sun roof. What's a girl to do next?

        I admire the author's numerous funny turns of phrases—highly creative.

What beach books do you enjoy?

 

 

JD Robb / Nora Roberts

By Kate Phillips    

As a reader, I always love finding books that appeal to me. As a writer, I am twice as pleased when the authors also provide Masterclasses for me within their books.

            Masterclasses take place when performance artists or musicians work one-on-one with students. Writers don't generally have this option, but I have found some books to be Masterclasses for characters, dialogue, backstories, plots, settings, and/or voice.

 

 

            Nora Roberts as JD Robb provides a Masterclass in writing a series where the two leads, Eve and Roarke, aren't only memorable as a tough, attractive homicide lieutenant and a gorgeous, brilliant, and occasionally ruthless billionaire, but also for their backstories which aren't even completely revealed through the 35th book. Yes, there are 35 books in this series, plus a few novellas, and it's still going strong.
 

            The plotting is top notch. In each book, Eve and Roarke, along with co-workers, friends, and relatives, catch criminals and murderers.
 

The series works so well because the author also gave both leads very complicated, emotional, stark, scary, and overwhelming childhoods so there is plenty of conflict within and between them. This also influences how they do their jobs and deal with plot twists springing from their dark pasts. (PLEASE NOTE: These books contain adult situations, language, and graphic violence.)
 

            The author set this series about 50 years in the future with helpful robots, AutoChefs that provide delicious meals with the ease of microwaves in both homes and cars—and some of these cars can hover over traffic accidents and "fly" to get to crime scenes faster. All of this technology makes life easier, mostly.
 

            In another twist, the main characters get married early on. The marriage is sometimes another layer of conflict as Eve and Roarke occasionally fight and feel the need for distance, but they also acknowledge the strength and security this bond gives them. Their dialogue takes on various undertones depending on their moods which anyone in a long-term relationship will recognize.
 

            The supporting cast has grown wonderfully as the series progressed. These characters provide a great deal of humor to books that have very dark sides. Murder isn't neat or easy in these books, but all the characters have personalities, backstories, and lives outside the crimes which enhance the plots and keep readers waiting impatiently for the next installment.

         

 

 

 

 

I am narrowing down Nora Roberts' vast successes to her Stars of Mithra series—Hidden Star, Captive Star, and Secret Star. These books are an excellent way to learn about longer-term plotting as the conflict and action, which centers around one long weekend from the viewpoints of three best friends, has to last through three books.
 

As in most books, some characters are privy to information that others are not, but the information (in this case, two intertwined crimes) affects everyone because of the choices the first best friend makes. Each of the other two main characters then takes action based on her personality traits and strengths which add depth to the books. The men they run from, run into, hire, are suspected by, and fall in love with also have strengths, knowledge, and backgrounds to add their own spins on the various situations they find themselves in.
 

            The dialogue is well done, witty, and at times filled with outrageous lies. As romances, happy endings are guaranteed, but this plot keeps readers engaged until the very end.

  

What authors have provided Masterclasses for you?