The Killing Game (Eve Duncan) [Hardcover]

Iris Johansen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Eve Duncan | Publication Date: September 1, 1999

A merciless killer on the hunt...

An innocent child in his sights...

A woman driven to the edge to stop him...

Iris Johansen, New York Times bestselling author of The Face of Deception and The Ugly Duckling, returns with the most daring, terrifying, and nerve-shattering novel of her career as she takes us inside the twisted mind of a psychopath...and the heart of a woman who refuses to let him win.

The killer knew Eve Duncan all too well. He knew the pain she felt for her murdered daughter, Bonnie, whose body was never found. He knew that as one of the nation's top forensic sculptors she would insist on identifying nine skeletons unearthed on a bluff near Georgia's Talladega Falls. And he knew that she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of believing that one of those skeletons--the one belonging to a young girl--might be Bonnie's.

But that is only the beginning of the killer's sadistic game. Soon the calls begin to come. Sly, insinuating, chilling. Whoever is on the other end of the line is watching. He sees every move Eve makes. He savors her pain. He could strike at any time. But that's not what he wants--not yet.

In a heartbeat, Eve's world is turned upside down. Not even the two tough, powerful, and relentless men who would do anything to keep Eve safe can help her. Charismatic business magnate John Logan and hard-as-nails Atlanta detective Joe Quinn can't go where Eve must go. Because the killer wants her alone, and he'll use his ace in the hole to make sure Eve complies.

Now Eve Duncan must match wits with the most dangerous of psychopaths. A man for whom life and death is no more than a game. A killing game. And he won't stop playing until he's gotten the prize he wants most: Eve's life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Eve Duncan returns as the popular heroine of Iris Johansen's latest suspense thriller, The Killing Game. After the murder of her daughter Bonnie and years of work as a forensic sculptor, Eve had hoped to find some solace in semi-retirement. But when her friend Joe Quinn informs her of the unearthing of multiple bodies, including those of children, Eve cannot resist getting caught up. Those bones may be Bonnie's, and somewhere out there is a dangerous serial murderer. With Joe's loyal help, Eve grimly sets out to find a killer.

Determined to remain objective, Eve begins to reconstruct the face of one of the victims. But the killer wants her to become involved, and manipulates Eve's life like a puppeteer. Terrified of the killer but spurred on by her memories of Bonnie, Eve takes a gamble with her life. She will do whatever the murderer demands: she will be the bait, betting her life for the chance to save others.

As a great suspense novel should, The Killing Game keeps the action and the plot twists coming. Eve's job as a forensic sculptor is the perfect profession for a suspense heroine: she has official access to technical information and the emotional flexibility to react to the drama. Eve's grieving over the loss of Bonnie--and over her romantic complications--helps keep the story complex and appealing. Turn on all of the lights and keep the phone nearby--you won't want to be alone in the dark while reading this one. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

From Publishers Weekly

Johansen is at the top of her game with this sinuous thriller. Emotionally damaged and self-contained forensic sculptor Eve Duncan (The Face of Deception) makes a return appearance, along with her old friend, the cynical, coolly smart cop Joe Quinn. At the start of the book, EveAdevoted to forensic reconstruction since her eight-year-old daughter was murdered in Johansen's previous novel, her body never foundAhas abandoned the day-to-day world for life on a Tahitian island. Eve's tropical exile is interrupted, however, when Joe shows up to tell her that a pile of bodies has been discovered in the Georgia woods, including that of a young girl he believes may be Eve's daughter. Determined to reconstruct the skull and hoping to lay her daughter to rest, Eve returns to the U.S. Her arrival draws the attention of Dom, the psychotic serial killer responsible for the Georgia murders. Random attacks on social outcasts don't produce the rush they once did for Dom, and now he needs to up the ante, by stalking and murdering more prominent people and interacting with his victims before he attacks. Eve, whose story he has long followed in newspaper accounts, becomes his next target. Delaying their confrontation until he feels it will have full impact, he interrupts her reconstruction work, plants doubts in her mind about the details of her daughter's death and threatens to kill a young foundlingAa redheaded girl like her daughterAwhom she befriends. An enthralling cat-and-mouse game ensues, throughout which Johansen maintains perfect pacing, always revealing just enough to keep the reader turning the pages. Aided by smart and realistic dialogue, the suspense holds until the very end. Major ad/promo; BDD audio. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1ST edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739405438
• ISBN-13: 978-0739405437
• ASIN: 0553106244
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,752 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

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Killing Game is a real killer!, May 16, 2000

By 

Betty R. Folsom - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Killing Game: A Novel (Eve Duncan) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read all of Iris Johansen's books and have enjoyed every one of them. In THE KILLING GAME, she has surpassed all the others. The reader's attention is caught in the first few pages and gripped tightly throughout the remainder of the book. I resented any interruption while "buried" in this book. Johansen allows the reader wider access to Eve Duncan's thought processes and "roller-coaster" emotions as she continues her search for the remains of her daughter, Bonnie, with the assistance and support of her loyal friends, John Logan and Joe Quinn. Quinn's relationship with Duncan is heated up a notch, which makes the characters even more realistic. The addition to the cast of characters of street-wise, tenacious little Jane MacGuire, crusty, reclusive Sarah Parker, and lovable Monty is icing on the cake. This is a MUST READ for Johansen fans!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling roller coaster ride!, June 3, 2002

By 

"ophelia0526" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Killing Game: A Novel (Eve Duncan) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book deserved 5 stars but I deducted one star because I like "The Face of Deception" and "The Search" better (the 1st and 3rd of this series). The book continues from "The Face of Deception" where Eve, a forensic sculptor is residing in a private island with its owner Logan, attempting to stay away from the media and other disturbances due to her last adventure from the previous novel. However, she ended her temporary tranquil lifestyle and went back to Georgia when her best friend Quinn (a cop) comes across several skeletal remains, one of those a girl. That girl could be Eve's daughter Bonnie, who was killed almost 10 years ago by a serial killer and whose body was never found. Bonnie's killer was executed 10 years ago, but Eve has been receiving calls from someone who claimed he was Bonnie's killer and had eluded capture all these years. Eve's quest to find Bonnie and her attempt to save another child had left her no choice but to fall into the killer's gameplan. With the help of Quinn, Logan, and new friend Sarah along with her search and rescue dog Monty, Eve tries to work through the killer's lies and traps and at the same time win the inner struggle with herself. The ending was twisted and I was shocked at the identity of the killer.

In this book, the love conflict between Eve, Logan, and Quinn was resolved. Quinn's revelation on his feelings for Eve was very moving and touching. Eve also realized the depth of her emotions for Quinn. What a great couple! Through this sequel, the author explained more about their history and how they deserved each other so much.

The author shows Eve on a more personal level(compared to The Face of Deception): her quest to find her daughter, her outlook of life, and finding new things to live for. It makes her heroine more vulnerable and human.

Overall great thriller. Fast paced read. Can't wait for more character development in later novels of this series.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fast read, June 9, 2000

By 

C. Lacher "armchaircritic" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Killing Game (Eve Duncan) (Hardcover)

This book is perfect for waiting in line for the ferry or killing time at the airport. It doesn't take a whole lot of concentration and the plot is interesting enough to keep your attention.

While the title implies some pretty gritty stuff, it turns out this is more of a suspenseful romance novel than a grim murder mystery. Although the heroine is being hunted by while hunting for a serial killer, there aren't tremendously gruesome and gratuituous descriptions of the killings which is a relief.

The plot is moved along primarily through the use of dialogue which makes for fast and easy reading. And while there aren't a whole lot of surprises in here (I mean does Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis ever actually die in their movies?), the ending was a nice little twist and Johansen does a good job of defining characters deftly with minimum words.

Not a deep book by any means, but a decent and quick read.