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: show@podcastindeath.com
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.