Podcast in Death

Following the success of the McNab Lookbook, AJ has done it again. Armed with ChatGPT, an unhealthy amount of free time, and a two-page wiki entry on Eve Dallas's outfits, AJ assembled the Eve Dallas Lookbook — a visual tour through the fashion evolution of New York's most reluctant style icon.

Yes, Eve Dallas. The woman who once owned one gray suit (button missing), a leather jacket, and a couple pairs of jeans. The woman who now has an actual section of red jackets. Because she married Roarke, and that man will not rest until every color on the spectrum hangs in her closet whether she asked for it or not. (Spoiler: She never asked for it.)

AJ built a custom ChatGPT app — the "Eve Dallas Lookbook Studio" — to maintain a consistent model. The AI did its best. We are choosing to be charmed.

The Basics (Naked in Death Era): A worn leather jacket. A gray suit. Possibly the same shirt in both. Pre-Roarke Eve, dressing accordingly.

The Cop Looks: Outfits spanning Witness through Stolen — bronze jackets, copper-soled boots, celadon green (yes it's a color, Tara), and one pair of green boots both hosts are prepared to commit crimes for. Highlights: AI pants perpetually too loose (the hosts take this personally); one outfit that looked like a Disney cast member until AJ fixed it; AI spontaneously adding Eve's badge and handcuffs without being asked (A+); a debate about what a "topper" is (a long suit jacket — Tara was vindicated). Also: Eve owns a SECTION of red jackets. A SECTION.

The Formal Wear: The bronze wedding dress from Immortal. The silver-panel "Leonardo" from Holiday ("Why don't I just go naked and save time?"). The gold column dress from Festive. The black-and-silver skin suit from Reunion that both hosts want immediately. The ombré purple gown from Stolen — THE ONE WITH POCKETS. Sylvia was right. Everything should have pockets.

At-Home Wear: The NYPSD sweatshirt. That's the section.

• New patrons: Welcome to Megan and Mona! (Mona — AJ is sorry it took two episodes. You were there in spirit.)
• Romancing the Shelf crossover: They've read Portrait — scheduling can commence! Except Tara will be in Iowa on both available dates. Iowa is non-negotiable. May or June it is.
• Listener voicemail from Lisa: Lisa argues that Morris paved the way for Roarke — his calm, composed presence gave Eve a template for connecting with a man her own age before Roarke arrived. The hosts found this compelling. Morris is always welcome.

The full PDF lookbook is available to download

This week, AJ and Tara dive into the wild world of reviewing the reviews for Stolen in Death—and wow, people on the internet really said some things. From baffling one-star takes by readers who jumped into book 62 with no context, to deeply confusing three-star “perfect” reviews, this episode is a glorious mix of rage, laughter, and “do people know how books work?” moments.

Along the way, AJ and Tara defend Eve, side-eye bad-faith reviewers, and absolutely lose it over complaints that make no sense—especially the now-iconic “Perfection as always. Three stars.” They also talk about why some readers seemed determined to be mad no matter what, why Stolen in Death worked so well for longtime fans, and why Magdalena getting punched in the face did not exactly inspire much sympathy in this house.

And because the good reviews deserved their flowers, the second half of the episode highlights the readers who got it—including praise for the book’s emotional depth, its satisfying twists, and of course, the incomparable Susan Ericksen, whose narration once again earns the kind of love usually reserved for royalty.

Plus: listener comments from Facebook, theories about the reveal, love for Whitney’s role in the takedown, Roarke’s criminal past, and one very patient dog named Lily waiting for the episode to wrap up after 69 comments.

If you enjoy sharp opinions, chaotic reviewer logic, deep In Death fandom, and AJ and Tara being hilariously real about all of it, this episode is for you.

AJ and Tara dive into Stolen in Death, where a high-end theft turns into something much messier. What starts as a burglary quickly spirals into a case full of greed, lies, and people who want way more than they should.

Eve isn’t buying the story from the start—and she’s right not to.

Along the way: a suspicious number of people at the same street fair, rich people behaving badly, Peabody quietly knowing things, and Eve doing what she does best—cutting through the nonsense.

Also discussed: pockets (or lack thereof), questionable alibis, and why nothing about this case adds up.

We made it to 300 episodes of Podcast in Death and this week we’re celebrating the only way we know how: with a nearly 3 Hour podcast episode featuring chaos, laughter, behind-the-scenes nonsense, and some of our favorite moments from the last 100 episodes.

AJ and Tara kick things off by reflecting on how wild it is to hit this milestone after nearly six years of podcasting. Then it’s time to dive into a special anniversary compilation featuring clips from episodes 201 through 299 — including some moments listeners already love, some requested favorites, and some things that never made it into the regular episodes at all.

This episode includes:

• pre-show conversations and intro outtakes

• favorite guest moments (Dana talking about her March Madness "In Death" game, Maurine, Heidi, Quincey, Melissa, Author Cathy Wiley, Lisa, and the Amazing Susan Ericksen)

• off-topic tangents and random rants

• memorable discussions from book episodes

• a collection of “reviewing the reviews” moments

• and, naturally, a whole lot of delightful nonsense

There’s talk of Tara’s ongoing battle with words, a moment of panic involving Lily, strong opinions about who should or should not play Roarke, random food nostalgia, and all the weird little side conversations that make this show what it is.

It’s funny, messy, nostalgic, and very Podcast in Death.

Thank you for listening, laughing, and hanging out with us for 300 episodes. Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or you just found us recently, we’re so glad you’re here.

With Tara tied up in theater chaos and no guest this week, AJ pulls a lost gem out of the Patreon vault: a previously unposted Briefing Room discussion that turned into a passionate, fascinating conversation about AI, art, fandom, and who we’re really mad at when technology changes the creative landscape.

AJ and Tara dig into the backlash against AI-generated images, including the controversy around Turn the Page Bookstore hopping on a ChatGPT trend and getting piled on for it. From fanfiction to Canva to 3D character renders to AI-generated romance novels flooding Amazon, this episode asks the big question: are people getting mad at the wrong people?

It’s a lively, opinionated, and very real discussion about creativity, adaptation, ethics, and the future of art in an AI world. And because this is still Podcast in Death, there’s also a fun little detour into Tara’s latest theater adventures, including Pride and Prejudice, too many lines, and the unexpected joys of playing Mrs. Bennet.

Also in this episode:
AJ teases next week’s 300th episode celebration, featuring favorite moments from the last 100 episodes, plus some clips listeners have never heard before.

Come for the AI debate, stay for the theater talk, and get ready for a big milestone next week.

AJ’s flying solo this week (Tara’s off doing theater heroics), but Listener Lisa Davis jumps in for a fun deep-dive that starts as transportation moments in the In Death series… and gleefully turns into a full-on fandom hangout.

We talk all the best cars/jet copters/elevators/glides scenes—the kind where characters are trapped together long enough for feelings, snark, and iconic dialogue to happen. Highlights include those quiet Eve/Roarke “soft moment in transit” scenes, plus elevator energy (because Eve + forced social interaction = comedy).

Then: the important stuff. Like In Death tech we want in real life, especially the legendary drying tube (wet towels? absolutely not). Also: Lisa’s fave books (Treachery in Death gets major love), fave non-Eve/Roarke character picks, and rapid-fire nonsense including Monopoly piece loyalty and the eternal question: is a hot dog a sandwich?

We’re also officially on the road to Episode 300, and AJ wants to do a Transportation Moments Part 2—so send your favorite scenes!

Email: [email protected]
Voicemail/Text: (205) 476-2753 (“205-4-ROARKE”)

AJ and Tara do something wildly on-brand: they review the reviews of Connections in Death… and discover the internet has exactly two settings: “ghostwriter conspiracy” and “I am personally offended that other people enjoyed a book.”

If you’ve ever read a one-star rant and thought, “This person needs to log off and drink some water,” congratulations—this episode is your support group.

In this episode:

• The Great “Nora Didn’t Write This” Debate, featuring: people saying it with their whole chest (and zero proof).

• Tara’s escalating rage at reviews that treat opinions like courtroom evidence.

• A first-time reader who jumps into a long-running series and then complains it feels like… a long-running series.

• The “made-up slang” meltdown (go zoner, flop, scratch, link… aka: welcome to the future, bestie).

• AJ pulls out ChatGPT-style analysis to compare writing voice and basically says, “Sit down, Brenda.”

• Geography & realism arguments about NYC that ignore the whole “future + post-war world” part. Minor detail!

• The Exclamation Point Apocalypse: one reviewer burns through a lifetime supply of !!!!!!!

• Extremely specific outrage over a single phrase: “banged Roarke like a hammer” (we are not okay).

• A brief detour into why criminals are… not masterminds (true crime brain rot included).

• Unexpected bonding over "The Cult of Nora": if you must join a cult, at least pick one with cozy bookstores and baked goods.

Vibe check: hilarious, ranty, and deeply cathartic—like reading Goodreads with your funniest friend who will absolutely fight strangers in the comments (respectfully…-ish).

🎧 Listen if you love: bookish chaos, character loyalty, hot takes, and AJ & Tara being your unfiltered inner monologue.

(And yes… AJ did write a review. Can you spot it?)

Episode 296 is our Connections in Death recap, aka: Eve Dallas vs. the legalized torture of socializing… in fancy shoes. We kick off with AJ plotting a future “pre-intro bullshit” montage for episode 300.

Highlights / chaos inventory:

• The cocktail party from hell: Eve is mentally drafting a war-crimes tribunal for whoever invented skinny heels, while Roarke is like, “Darling… breathe.” Also: Nadine’s Oscar = potential blunt-force weapon, and Eve is not wrong.

• The “NYPSD has a band???” revelation: Eve learns her coworkers have hobbies and talents like she’s discovering fire.

• Theme call: Family — the real kind, the found kind, and the “gang keeps insisting it’s family” kind.

• Eve’s rare murder-free day: beach run, dojo, target practice, and… extremely thorough married cardio. Good for her. (Suspiciously good for her.)

• Monday’s “body” that isn’t a body: broken neck + knife = nope, it’s an accident, and Eve solves it with… an apple.

• Roarke hires Rochelle for Anddiden, because he’s basically building a whole rehab empire while Eve’s trying not to stab a stiletto into her own soul.

• Then the book yanks the rug: Rochelle’s brother Lyle is staged to look like an OD… except Eve spots the pressure-syringe mark and it’s game on.

• Banger HQ / Underground grossness: everyone is terrible, the crime is messy, and the criminals remain aggressively stupid.

• Cohen & Eldena: disbarred-lawyer slimeball uses Eldena's name, charges her rent in the building she owns, and we all collectively wish for his downfall.

• Raid time: homemade boomerangs, chaos everywhere, Eve’s magic coat saves her life, Peabody gets dragged by a naked guy mid-sex (because of course), and Roarke regrets only punching one idiot once.

• Wrap: arrests stack like a Jenga tower, Lyle’s redemption matters, and the ending lands on An Dídean and a memorial that finally lifts Eve’s rage-sad a notch.

Also: AJ & Tara are collecting your favorite moments for episode 300 — you have multiple ways to message them, so no excuses.

Episode 295 is another “Review the Reviews” adventure—where AJ and Tara dive into reader reactions to Leverage in Death and discover (again) that some people leave one-star reviews like it’s an extreme sport.

We kick off with a real-world reminder that criminals can be spectacularly dumb (yes, someone basically left a calling card), then jump straight into the Pretentious Reviewer Olympics: the folks who start on Book 48, complain about the existence of coffee and profanity, and seem personally offended that a long-running series… is still itself. We also tackle the discourse around that tasteless joke (you know the one), plus the eternal debate: is the Eve/Roarke fight contrived drama or believable couple nonsense?

Along the way, we celebrate the things that actually make this book fun—character moments, Bella + Eve scenes, Whitney’s best “go home, I’ll handle it” energy, and the Oscar chatter that sends certain reviewers into orbit. Tara also confesses her weakness for terrible short-form drama clips, and yes… Tara says “hot whoopie” out loud, which is now part of the canon.

Listener mail includes an Elevator Encounters callback (the frying-pan-arrest woman is from Framed in Death) and a fantastic suggestion for a future episode: Eve’s legendary rants. Plus, AJ talks transcripts—making the show searchable on the website—because we’re building an In Death internet empire one document at a time.

We’re five episodes away from 300… and plotting accordingly.

AJ and Tara needed a topic right now, so they did what any responsible adults would do: panic-text each other, crowdsource the fandom, and then deep-dive into the most chaotic “In Death” micro-genre of all time—the Elevator Encounter.

Turns out, elevators in New York, 2061 are basically:

1. foreplay chambers

2. think tanks

3. nightmare boxes full of strangers who want to talk to you about movies
   …and Eve Dallas is spiritually allergic to all of it.

• Peabody & McNab’s elevator “we’ll arrest each other after” moment (romance trope + city ordinance violations = true love)

• Eve going feral in a public elevator… and Roarke being Roarke (and yes, the stolen sex-toy detail is still weird)

• Somerset vs. Eve: “Take the elevator.” Eve: “I would rather perish out of spite.”

• Roarke casually clearing the elevator like it’s nothing while Eve insists she enjoys having a pissing match with a machine

• Peabody & McNab fighting, making up, and getting caught mid-grope (Eve: “there goes my appetite”)

• Origin in Death: a ticking-clock escape + a screaming baby + Eve and Roarke arguing about who has to HOLD THE BABY while they’re about to die

• “You look just like Marlo Durn.” Eve, trapped in Oscar talk hell, being mistaken for… herself (but movie version)

• Dark in Death: Eve meets a tinfoil-hat conspiracy guy and immediately chooses STAIRS

• ALSO Dark in Death: the infamous flying dwarf / creepy garden gnome attack, complete with “boobies!” and the bullpen going full trauma-care mode

• Lying Liars Unite: a random elevator group therapy session about exes who lie like breathing

• Fruicki’s undercover stink strategy (“Do you bathe in piss?”) and Eve’s immediate refusal to share air with him

• Cromwell’s elevator blubber-fest: “What’s his problem?” “Love.”

• Murder Face: Eve jokes about arresting someone for “murder face,” and suddenly every cop in the elevator has a personal brand of murder-face analysis

• Jenkinson’s tie crimes in a small enclosed elevator space (Eve’s corneas may never recover)

• AJ’s Vegas story: two extremely drunk guys, a Michael Jackson show, and the wise decision to wait for the next elevator

• Tara’s elite catchphrase moment: “Words are hard.” (and they were, in fact, hard)

• Surprise sports talk, delivered with maximum confidence and minimum accuracy (“the sports are really going at it”)

• AJ reflects on turning 60 and how 59 feels real but 60 sounds like a fake age people made up as a prank

• A voicemail from Sky, who uses every second of voicemail time like it’s an Olympic sport

• Listener Sally not understanding how Earthquakes could be part of "California Casual"

• Huge thanks to Beverly for upgrading to an annual Detective-level Patreon membership (AJ is working on new trading cards!)

• Reminder: the show is no longer on TikTok (terms of service gave AJ the ick), but you can still find them elsewhere.

Did we miss a legendary elevator moment? Send it in and we’ll happily do Elevator Encounters Part 2—because the only thing more dangerous than homicide is a confined space with strangers and a conversation starter.

Contact:

• Email: [email protected]

• Voicemail: 205-476-2753 (aka 205-4ROARKE)

• Website SpeakPipe: podcastindeath.com → Contact Us

• Socials: Instagram + BlueSky + Facebook group