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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
GOOD, BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE SECOND......., April 29, 2005
I started with A Killing Game, which I believe to be the second in the Eve Duncan series...not realizing there was a prequel. This is the first of the series, and readers are introduced to Eve Duncan--forensic sculptor extraordinaire. She is struggling to accept the death of her daughter Bonnie at the hands of a serial killer. It is a struggle for Eve because her "work" is to bring the dead to "life" enough for them to be identified and brought home to their loved ones; while coming to the grips with the knowledge that her very own Bonnie may never be able to do the same. In this tale, Eve has been sought out by John Logan, a handsome billionaire businessman. He needs Eve to reconstruct a mysterious skull. Although Eve specializes on children, John makes her an offer that the cannot refuse..and she is drawn into a web of deceit and intrigue with stakes so high that Eve at first finds all impossible to believe. Deception and murder revolving around the Oval Office? And the perpetrators themselves are above reproach, which means that no one can be trusted.....
A decent mystery and suspense novel, I just found this intro to Eve Duncan disappointing. I found the main character annoying at best, and just never found myself unable to put the book down. However, this author redeemed herself in my eyes in book 2 (The Killing Game), so I will continue on with the series.
DYB
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I was happily surprised..., January 24, 2003
The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen is a book that keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat. The book is about a Forensic sculptor whose daughter was kidnapped & murdered. She is trying to get on with her life when a very wealthy man asks for her help in re-constructing a face. But with the money he is offering and his status in society (similar to Bill Gates), there must be a catch...and there is. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens from there. I don't want to spoil anything. But as I mentioned above, it's a really suspenseful book. Time flies as you're reading it. I haven't read Ms. Johansen before, I'm likely to come back to her. I guess there is another stoy featuring this character, Eve Duncan, I'll be sure to check that out. It's not only the suspense that makes this a great book. First, it's a good subject, and written well. Many times writers have a great idea, but doesn't come to fruition. Ms. Johansen does it with finess. Second, the characters are very likable & believable. A definite plus. Lastly, the book is written at a satisfying pace. Not too long, or too short. Perfect. Which is also rare. The Face of Deception actually would make a good movie...
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fleshing out the bones of a fine thriller ... !, June 19, 2006
Eve Duncan, the finest forensic sculptor in the world, just can't seem to get past the grief of losing her daughter to a serial killer who was executed without disclosing the location of the body. As a method of dealing with her own psychological issues, she has chosen to help other parents find closure to their grief over the loss of a child by focusing her extraordinary skills on the identification of children's remains. Billionaire John Logan is a man who is used to having things the way he wants and working with nothing and nobody but the best. So when Eve initially refuses his request for her help in identifying a mystery skull, he turns the screws of manipulative persuasion by promising to make an obscenely large donation to her favourite children's charity. Of course, Eve cannot find it in herself to deny the children such an incredible gift and the game is afoot!
When Joe Quinn, Eve's long-time detective friend and confidante, digs a little more deeply into Logan's affairs, he and Eve become convinced that Logan fancies himself on the trail of yet another hair-brained JFK conspiracy theory and that he believes the skull, rather than resting in Arlington Cemetery where it ought to be, is Kennedy's. But as she applies all of her skills, art, science and technique to the rebuilding of the face that belonged to the skull, she discovers that the truth is far more horrifying and sinister than she could possibly have imagined. Logan, Quinn, Duncan, their families and their staffs are all in danger for their lives as a cabal that reaches to the highest levels of the government will do whatever it takes to cover up the truth of the skull's identity!
I don't think Johansen will ever pretend that "The Face of Deception" is literature but you can be sure it's a fine heaping helping of page-turning brain candy that will keep you mesmerized from first to last. Plot aside, she has presented us with a strong female and a strong male lead that produce plenty of sparks when they're rubbed up against one another. Conflict, sarcasm, warmth, incipient romance, tension, wit, confusion and intelligent conversation - it's all there in abundance! Johansen even takes an occasional breather from action and provides some fine descriptive and atmospheric writing along the way!
As Eve is such an incredibly strong-willed, intelligent lady, I would criticize Johansen for making far too much out of the fact that the daughter's body was never found and allowing it to play on Duncan's psyche in such an overwhelming, never-ending and almost debilitating fashion. But, without giving any of the details away, the ending does seem to suggest that she has at long last come to grips with it and is willing to let her daughter rest at peace. Small, small criticism indeed for a fine thriller that leaves plenty of room for a sequel to come with return appearances for both Quinn and Logan. Hip hip hooray!
Paul Weiss
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