Customer Reviews

The Face of Deception

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

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...

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

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

Remember when Hostess ran a recent add campaign where tubby swimmers and old ladies were preyed upon because they looked like Cup-Cakes and Twinkies? After which the poor sharks and bears (understandably disappointed) were left feeling unsatisfied because they were expecting yummy Hostess treats and got fat chicks who can't dress instead.

*clears throat*

Yeah, well, after reading FACE OF DECEPTION, I feel for those bears and sharks now. While Johansen's book started off interesting enough--admittedly showing real potential in the beginning--Eve Duncan was at best a second rate Kay Scarpetta, Eve Dallas, Stephanie Plum. She whines... a lot. Whining takes up a good 30% of the story so be prepared. Of course, when she's not whining, she's caressing her skeletons, giving them names and...'homes' (don't ask). And if that wasn't bad enough, (and that's pretty bad) there's also her touching love story that 'WASN'T', her inability to deal with anything she doesn't want to hear, and her annoying habit of relating EVERYTHING to her dead daughter Bonnie. If it hadn't been for a few intriguing plot twists, I doubt I would have finished the book at all. Which, looking back, might have been the lesser of the two evils since the ending was so... I don't know... wrong? Unresolved? And I couldn't help but feel a little GYPPED.

My recommendation? Read this book ONLY if you have enough money to also buy THE KILLING GAME as well. Otherwise, like me, you're going to be searching for 'missing pages' and 'hidden chapters' that your sure MUST be there SOMEWHERE because no NO ONE would end a book this badly and still get five star reviews.

Plot implausible. Whiney main character spends most of the book telling the love interest to "get out of here, I'm working." Why would anyone be interested in this cranky woman? I give Iris one star for what could be an interesting character, a forensic sculptor, but I'll never know because I don't plan to read another.

Iris Johansen has jumped into the arena of ludicrous conspiracy theories with a novel that constitutes neither a thriller or romantic suspense. It's just plain nutty, going beyond the realm of credibility into something that had me exclaiming out loud in disbelief. Common sense tells one that nothing in her plot could ever happen in real life. I know it's fiction, but unless it's science fiction, I like a little dose of reality in a plot. I sure didn't get any in this book. I used to be a big fan of Ms. Johansen, but her last three books have really strained my fondness for her writing. Suffice it to say I'll be spending my money elsewhere from now on.

Iris Johansen is the master (mistress?) of suspense. And this book does not disappoint. You think you know where the plot is going, and then suddenly, she throws you for a loop that leads to a wild ride . . .and an unbelievable ending. So she may take a few liberties with plausability, but that's part of the fun. This is the first book in a trilogy that is worth reading in its entirety. If you like her other books, you'll like this one as well.

This was one of the finest books I've ever read. Not only did it have a strong female lead, but the story was interesting and the plot had basis. It also inspired me to look into forensic sculpting as a career. I have read four of Iris Johansen's books (The Ugly Duckling, Long After Midnight, And Then You Die, and The Face of Deception)and I'm always looking for more because they are the first books I've read where the female isn't a screaming or simpering idiot.

I have read all of Ms. Johansen's books and was anxiously awaiting the arrival of this one! As I started reading it I was intrigued but shortly became confused. I felt I was missing a large part of the story, like I came in at the middle. The character of Eve Duncan was not developed to its fullest and left many unanswered questions (i.e., her relationship with Joe Quinn). As a suspense novel it kept my attention for awhile, however, it was very easy to put down! As a romance novel, I am still waiting! The author's note stated that there will be another Eve Duncan book. Hopefully this one will fill in all the blanks. However, I'll borrow that copy instead of buying it or better yet it should be given out a an "Oops, we forgot to include these chapters!"

This was the first book I read by Iris Johansen. Basically becasue all of her previous books were romance novles and I prefer the mystery/suspense/thriller. This book not only grabed me hook, line, and sinker but also marked me a fan of Iris Johansen's. This book is GREAT if you are into John Sanford, Tami Hoag, Patricia Cornwell, and Thomas William Simpson. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in a few hours. Afterwards I checked when her next book would be available, "The Killing Game". I now own all of Iris Johansen's mysteries and I can't wait for her future ones.

I don't like to say what the stories about or give too much into the details, becasue for me that ruins it, but I will tell you that if you enjoy page-turners, action, unbelieveable twists and turns, suspense, excelent detail but not too much to where your reading what the character's "long flowing hair" looks like in five pages worth of reading. This read is a good one and you will be hooked into buying the following books, The Killing Game and The Search. They're great too!