When Nora Roberts writes as J.D. Robb, she gives something truly special to her readers.
They are billed as sci-fi in some stores but really only in setting (2050s) and some technical devices (stunners, Auto Chefs, flying cars, supercomputers). The rest is just so character-driven that they could occur anywhere.
True, some books in the series are more predictable than others. Also, some are definitely more gruesome and relentless. However, the characters (especially the central core of Dallas, Roarke, Peabody, and Mavis) are complex, loveable, and real. You care about what happens to them. There...