Podcast in Death

AJ and Tara discuss Dark in Death by J.D. Robb, where Nora Roberts delivers a not-so-subtle warning to obsessive fans: Don't be like the killer!This 2018 release is clearly Nora addressing fans who:Accuse her of having a ghostwriterDemand characters hook up on their timelineComplain about the word f*ckTell her how to write her own booksThe hosts LOVED this clap-back disguised as a mystery novel.Victims: Three women killed according to murders in author Blaine Delano's mystery seriesKiller: Annalise Smith, a failed writer who believes Delano "stole" her manuscript and wants to rewrite the books so "the villain wins"The Ballroom Scene: Eve and Roarke slow dance before sex, and Eve reveals: "No one ever made me the reason before him."Vending Machine Battle: Eve accidentally charges Detective Hargrove's account with violations while fighting a machine for Pepsi. Poor Hargrove!Sampson the Puppy: A mini-horse-sized dog with "terrifying crazy love" meets Eve, who commands him to sit/stay like the alpha she is.Fabric Store Horror: Eve describes a craft store like a haunted house while Peabody nearly melts down over Egyptian cotton.Felicity LaMarc: The intended fourth victim is a former counterintelligence agent who elbows the killer in the face and breaks a mirror. Icon behavior.Commendations:Jake Kincaid (AJ): Nadine's rock star boyfriend who helps sketch the killer and is basically Rourke's cloneFelicity LaMarc (Tara): Absolute badass who didn't need rescuingNadine Furst (Secondary): Journalistic integrity on full displayOther Highlights:McNabb's Mexico vacation paid off: "We had lots and lots of sex!"Roarke reveals he contemplated stealing some emeralds just weeks before meeting EveRoarke buys Eve a 16-acre farm in Nebraska (not small!)Galahad is furious Eve smells like dogPodcast Business:Welcome Ann who discovered the podcast months ago and binged all 287 episodes at 1.5x speed(?) Her daughter introduced her to In Death at age 7 by buying her "Remember When."Next Week: Christmas special!After That: Review the Reviews for New Year'sFuture Episode: Nicknames in the In Death seriesEmail: [email protected]: 205-4ROARKESocial: Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, TikTokLeave us a 5-star review to help other fans find the show!

In this week’s episode, AJ and Tara embrace chaos, caffeine, and questionable Google Sheet scripts as they attempt something completely new: Cards Against In Death — our homemade, wildly unofficial, definitely ridiculous In Death-themed version of Cards Against Humanity.Tara showed up technically at work (muted meeting, webcam off, priorities firmly in place), AJ threw together a game at 11:30pm the night before, and together they dove headfirst into a half-hour of absolute nonsense that somehow still made perfect sense in the In Death universe. We discover Tibbles’ secret Urban Wars codename. (It might be Galahad. Honestly? It works.)Eve bribes Dickhead… and no one is surprised by the method.Mira’s Excellent Legs™ become a therapeutic tool.Rourke contemplates tech breakthroughs powered by soy dogs.The bullpen’s betting pools escalate into utter stupidity.Feeney’s computer crashes because… of course it does.And the recurring answer of the episode: “Meat. Both kinds.” It haunts us. It defines us. It is Podcast in Death lore now.Listeners, you're welcome.Chaotic energy from the jumpTruly unhinged prompt/answer combosAJ desperately trying to keep the spreadsheet aliveTara discovering prompts in real timeA surprisingly sweet moment involving Dennis MiraThe dawning realization that we absolutely need a live version where YOU submit cardsThis is one of our shortest episodes in a while, but it’s packed with laughs, references only In Death fans will understand, and moments that made us cackle out loud.We also hear from:Kimberly, our newest Patron (Detective Level—thank you!!)Sarah, who got her patron mug and immediately filled it with Seattle’s Best because Eve’s blend remains tragically unavailableLeah, whose listener questions inspired an entire episodeSarah (again!), who sent us a pair of purple boots that Eve would absolutely wear… zipper mechanics asidePlus:A discussion about futuristic crime tech (because Nora keeps predicting the future), some talk about upcoming episodes, and plans for future guests when Tara is unavailable… or in a meeting again.Send us:New black-card promptsNew white-card answersAnything absolutely bonkers that fits the In Death worldWe WILL do a Round Two — and probably a live version.💬 Email: [email protected]📞 Call/Text: 205-476-2753 (that’s 205-4-Rourke)📱 Find us on social: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky — just search Podcast in Death.If you want to be a guest (or know someone who should be), reach out!

This week, we took on a topic that absolutely demanded visuals… which is hilarious, because you’re listening on Spotify.But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.In this episode, we take a deep dive into Ian McNabb’s truly unhinged wardrobe across the entire In Death series. AJ put together an actual McNabb Look Book PDF (yes, really) using every outfit description Nora Roberts ever threw at us — neon pants, zigzag jackets, plaid air boots, the legendary orange tux, ALL of it.Tara reacts to each outfit in real time, and while you can absolutely enjoy the audio version… trust us, you’re going to want the visuals for this one.📄 Download the McNabb Look Book PDF here: http://podcastindeath.s3.amazonaws.com/IanMcnab_LookBook.pdf🎥 Want to WATCH the full video episode?Find it on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145185704⁠McNabb’s Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer “collections,” because yes — he is a man who owns collections.The many lives of the air boot (now available in every color known to science).Why Nora Roberts was clearly entertaining herself while writing these outfits.How AJ accidentally became McNabb’s digital stylist.Tara discovering that… wait… are these outfits actually good??ChatGPT diagnosing McNabb as a flamboyant futuristic maximalist and being 100% correct.The fuchsia vest + Christmas green jumpsuit combo that defies physics.The surprisingly classy full-periwinkle ensemble.Chili pepper pants. Chili pepper shirt. Chili pepper EVERYTHING.Roarke’s custom tartan air boots, which McNabb apparently treats like sacred relics.The orange tux that would give Eve Dallas temporary color-induced trauma.Tara accidentally smelling phantom pizza and derailing the show.A deep philosophical debate about toeless air-sneaks.AJ referencing a Porky Pig cartoon for reasons that are still unclear.Both hosts admitting they have no idea what McNabb actually looks like anymore.Since Spotify sadly cannot beam the outfits directly into your brain, make sure to:Download the McNabb Look Book PDF — seriously, it makes everything funnier: http://podcastindeath.s3.amazonaws.com/IanMcnab_LookBook.pdfCheck out the video episode on Patreon if you want the full “fashion show chaos” experience: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145185704Whether you’re here for the neon, the nostalgia, or the strangeness of McNabb’s entire aesthetic… this episode is a ride. Enjoy!

This episode kicks off with the spectacle of male-centric one-star reviews, a fascinating ecosystem where disgruntled dudes, some of which are "Authors" with deeply mediocre Goodreads ratings who feel uniquely qualified to mansplain crime fiction to Nora Roberts. From there, we descend into the wonderfully unhinged world of two, three, and four star reviews, one of which gives us a whole list of "Things that happen in Every In Death Book," including how Roarke gives Eve “Meat, both kinds" Followed by a review that mentions how there's always a possibility of “Meaty Juicy Goodness,” to which AJ couldn't help herself and like Michael Scott ("The Office") just had to say: "That's what she said".Fortunately, the show and our faith in Author Humanity is fully restored by Allison Brennan and Silver James, who remind us what thoughtful, enthusiastic, competent reviews look like.Also: we take a moment to celebrate the release of our 2026 Podcast in Death Calendar, now available in our Merch Store (https://podcast-in-death-merch.printify.me/), because scheduling your life is always easier with a little futuristic homicide energy. And finally, because it wouldn’t be an episode without a delightful derailment, AJ closes things out with a completely unexpected family recipe drop featuring roast, tomato sauce, and green olives—proving once again that anything can happen on this show.Enjoy!

This week, listener Leah sends us a harmless little list of questions… and we immediately blow it up into a 2+ hour episode that is pure fun. Honestly, she should’ve known (but maybe she did).AJ threatens anyone who dares steal her rock-music-marketing-podcast idea, Tara passionately confesses her honey-mustard devotion, and we spiral into condiment debates (Salsa is declared a California condiment). There are Disney detours, Karaoke debates and Mavis gets a hypothetical purse dog.A flawless episode full of nonsense, tangents, and unhinged enthusiasm. Perfect.