Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller (Eve Duncan Series) [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Iris Johansen (Author), Jennifer VanDyck (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2009 | Series: Eve Duncan Series (Book 9)

All it takes is one drop of blood... When a Georgia senator’s daughter is found murdered, and her body drained of blood, Eve enters the world of a serial murderer — a twisted psychopath whose name is on Eve’s shortlist of killers who might know something about her missing daughter, Bonnie. To whet a killer’s appetite... But when Eve receives a terrifying calling card in the form of a single goblet of blood, she knows the taunting is over...and the games have begun. As Eve and the killer engage in a dance of death, Eve has no choice but to call upon those she loves and trusts the most — Joe Quinn and Jane MacGuire — even if it means putting them in the path of someone whose bloodlust cannot be quenched. And draw Eve Duncan into his web.... Eve believes this psychotic mind holds the answers to the questions that have tormented her for years. And she’ll do almost anything to get these answers. Like a spider hunting his prey, this killer will wait for the perfect moment to strike — the moment when Eve least expects it. And when she has the most to lose...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Johansen's latest Eve Duncan forensics thriller features an all-too-mortal vampire. Fresh off a multiple child homicide case (Quicksand), Eve discovers a blood-stained goblet in her refrigerator. The goblet closely resembles one found with the bloodless body of Nancy Jo Norris, a U.S. senator's 19-year-old daughter, the victim of a wannabe Dracula who ultimately thirsts for Eve. In a paranormal twist, Joe Quinn, Eve's FBI love interest, appears to have contracted psychic powers from Megan Blair, introduced in Pandora's Daughter, and can now see dead people—Nancy Jo and Eve's daughter, Bonnie, to be exact. The ghosts guide the search for the serial sucker, complete with corny gothic monologues. Johansen risks alienating some readers as the series slips deeper into the supernatural, but diehards will be pleased Eve at last finds some peace in her ever-growing bond with Joe. 500,000 first printing.(Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“You’ll want to keep the lights on while reading!”—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Blood Game

 “Johansen is becoming a master of the macabre and paranormal thriller, and her latest riveting Eve Duncan tale has it all, from ghosts and secret cults to supernatural avengers.” —Booklist on Blood Game

“Readers won’t soon forget either the enigmatic hero or the monstrous villain. This one’s chilling to the bone!”—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Deadlock

“Johansen’s knack for delivering robust action and commanding characters kicks into high gear.”—Booklist on Dark Summer

“Action-packed, adrenaline-fueled…will keep [you] eagerly turning the pages.”—Publishers Weekly on Quicksand

“Keeping the tension high and the pace relentless, prolific and compelling Johansen adds depth to her popular characters as she continues this suspenseful series.”—Booklist on Quicksand

“Bestselling author Johansen captivates readers with her latest suspense thriller…the suspense escalates toward an explosive conclusion.”—Library Journal on Pandora’s Daughter

“An exhilarating thriller…suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”—Booklist on Pandora’s Daughter

“A fast-paced, non-stop, clever plot in which Johansen mixes political intrigue, murder, and suspense.”—USA Today on The Face of Deception
 

“thrill ride…Action, romance, castles, bomb plots and booby-trapped hideaway in snowbound Idaho—what more could Johansen fans want?”—Publishers Weekly on Countdown
 

“Intriguing suspense…her new tale will please both fans and new converts.”—Booklist on Blind Alley
 

“Thoroughly gripping and with a number of shocking plot twists…packed all the right elements into this latest work: intriguing characters; creepy, crazy villain; a variety of exotic locations.”
—New York Post on The Search

 

 

 

 

 

 

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged; Unabridged edition (October 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423329333
• ISBN-13: 978-1423329336
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,072,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Iris Johansen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pandora's Daughter, Stalemate, Killer Dreams, On the Run, and many more. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining story with vampiric overtones, August 1, 2009

By 

S. Stinson "book lover" (Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller (Eve Duncan Forensics Thrillers) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

BLOOD GAMES: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller by Iris Johansen is a nice diversion from her regular fare, mixing suspense, the occult, and a touch of vampiric overtones.

Forensic pathologist Eve Duncan lost her daughter, Bonnie, years ago to a serial killer, never knowing where he buried her. Kevin Jelak, the serial killer, was never caught, yet is still enamored with Duncan. Tied up with a mystical 14th century cult, Jelak fancies himself some sort of god-like man, needing "kills" in order to complete his "resurrection." He sets his sites on Eve because he believes strong women like her enhance his powers.

While a bit of a departure from Johansen's other novels, it's an entertaining and interesting diversion for anyone interested in vampiric thrillers.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Over the Top, August 4, 2009

By 

Irishman65 "irishman65" (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller (Eve Duncan Forensics Thrillers) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Eve Duncan is one of Johansen's strongest characters who has a touch of mystery/paranormal because of her connection to her deceased daughter Bonnie. One of the best features of these novels has been the realism her partner Joe Quinn brings to the novels to maintain a balance between real and surreal. While I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship from perfection to some obstacles; Joe is changed in a fundamental way that essentially changes how the reader relates to the character. While I felt the dialogue worked, I was bothered by the departure from the plot elements that make the Eve Duncan books work such as leaving the sculpting of a lost child unresolved, something the character would normally not tolerate. A minor character, Norris became more realistic to me than Quinn or Caleb. I wish Johanson had written a quasi-vampire paranormal novel with new characters rather than evolve the Eve Duncan series this way. All that being said, the writing held me at the end and the beginning and I like how their adopted daughter Jane has progressed as a character. I'm hoping for a more realistic approach to the next entry in this series but you need to read this one to follow along.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It's Not About Eve...., August 11, 2009

By 

E. A. Montgomery (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller (Eve Duncan Forensics Thrillers) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I've been a fan of the Eve Duncan series, but the last few books began to lose me. This one finished me off. If you weren't interested in the slant the books have taken since Stalemate, there is nothing here to change your mind. However, if Pandora's Daughter and Quicksand appealed to you, you'll be happy indeed. Blood Game fully embraces paranormal, bringing psychics to the forefront. There isn't much romance in Blood Game, nor much of Eve unless she's being used as a conduit to bring in a cameo appearance. Just about everyone who has touched the series either shows up, is alluded to, or makes a phone call in to mention another character.

It's frustrating, since the series was once grounded in realism and the effect of grief on Eve and her relationships. The focus of Blood Game is more on the serial killer du jour and having Joe Quinn experience paranormal events. A surprising number of characters make walk on appearances, so many that by the time Eve tells one she senses "we've not seen the last of you yet" and another tells her "you know he never had Bonnie" it's not a surprise, but a threat. This series will not resolve. It has strayed too far from a grieving mother and her lost daughter to be reclaimed. Bonnie being found would be pointless by now, Eve understanding how Bonnie's murder changed her and embracing her mission to help other families with a clear eye isn't going to happen.

Blood Game begins with conflict between Eve and Joe that has no weight. As soon as the conflict arises, we're assured over and over that Joe won't ever leave Eve. The serial killer who is obsessed with Eve (and at this point one wonders if there is a TMZ for serial killers that tracks her every move and broadcasts it for their obsession) runs around longing for her and killing other people in a cry for attention and without a great deal of logic. (His lack of logic is somewhat tied to the paranormal elements of Blood Game, which wants to have it's vampires and stake them too.) He's crazy, he wants to kill Eve, he didn't kill Bonnie, (surely that's not a spoiler at this point in the series) and the skull Eve is reconstructing shows up for only a few scant pages, without any resolution or connection to the plot at hand. I don't know the word for the emerging genre where the romance is primarily between the female lead and a crazed killer, but Blood Games fits firmly in it. There is no real suspense, nor romance, but a great deal of stalking and plenty of dead young women.