It’s hard to believe that after 60 In Death novels, J.D. Robb’s storytelling keeps getting better.

“Death was his art” is how Framed in Death begins, as the first chapter describes the murder of a licensed companion by the artist who hires her to model for him. The artist furnishes a complete wardrobe for the painting he wants to do. Then he paints for a few hours, strangles her, and poses her body to replicate a painting – “Girl with a Pearl Earring” at the home of  Opal & Roger Whittier, owners of the Charles Street Gallery.

Within the next two days, police discover two more companions, posing in costume to replicate two additional well-known paintings. As with the first, the second and third corpses are dressed in perfectly copied clothing depicted in the original paintings. Forensics provide no clues for Detectives Dallas and Peabody. The investigation is challenging as the team tries to find the source of the costumes and other pieces of evidence gathered from the postured bodies and the scenes created by the killer.

The quality of the clothing and other items used to replicate the paintings’ scenes leads Det. Dallas to determine the killer is wealthy, as they discover the items are custom-made in various countries. Securing the cooperation from firms in other locales proves difficult. Consulting with Dr. Mira advances Dallas’ formation of the killer’s strengths and weaknesses.

As the investigation continues, the personal side of life with Dallas and Roark is visited. A housewarming for Mavis, Leonardo, Peabody, and McNab shows off all the details of the renovations for the two couples. Catching up with the familiar characters provides a nice break from the intensity of the investigation.

Ms Robb conceives a masterful account of tracking down the killer through complicated methods that make for a compelling and fascinating account. Framed in Death is an intense case for Detectives Dallas and Peabody to solve, and it makes for a suspenseful read.