Body of Lies (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Iris Johansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2002 | Series: Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)

From Iris Johansen, the New York Times bestselling author of The Search and Final Target, comes a taut, fast-paced, and terrifying psychological thriller that pushes the level of suspense to the absolute limit–and beyond. This time forensic sculptor Eve Duncan finds herself matched against a killer who will challenge her skill, test her courage, and threaten her family.

As a forensic sculptor, Eve Duncan deals in death every day of her life. It’s her job. And while it might seem macabre to some, Eve knows from personal experience that her work, giving a face and a name to the victims of violent death, helps bring closure to their families. Now that job is about to put not only her own life on the line...but the lives of everyone close to her.

It begins with a call from a high-ranking government official. He wants Eve to drop everything and come to Baton Rouge to identify the remains of an unknown murder victim. At first, Eve wants nothing to do with the project. She has finally found peace from her own tragic past, living a quiet life in a small lakeside cottage with Atlanta detective Joe Quinn and her adopted daughter, Jane. But a stunning series of seemingly unrelated events is about to upset all that.

Suddenly, Eve’s hard-won new world is turned upside down, and she flees to Baton Rouge to take on the project of identifying the skeleton. Forced to work in secrecy, given only the sketchiest of information, Eve can’t help but wonder if the high-level security that surrounds her is meant to protect her–or imprison her.

She hasn’t even begun work on the reconstruction when the first death occurs. Someone totally ruthless, someone who can strike anywhere at any time, and with seeming immunity, is determined to put a halt to her work. Soon the questions–and the threats to her own life–begin to mount as Eve realizes she has stumbled into the heart of a chilling conspiracy.

There is only one person who can give her the answers she needs. And that is the dead man himself. To survive, Eve must put her life on the line to uncover the deadly secret of his identity and learn the devastating truth buried beneath a body of lies.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Just as there are sculptors who insist they liberate forms imprisoned within marble and granite, Eve Duncan, the strong-willed heroine of Body of Lies, is a forensic sculptor driven by a need to liberate innocence from the shroud of death. Tops in her field, Eve obsesses over recreating the likenesses of faceless, decomposed murder victims, using only their bare skulls as a guide. It's a spooky career that began when Eve's own daughter, Bonnie, vanished and was later discovered, the girl's remains unrecognizable.

In Body of Lies, a killer uncovers a shocking truth about Bonnie, driving a rattled Eve to take a dangerous assignment in the darkest heart of bayou country. There, at the weird behest of a shady senator, Eve rebuilds the visage of the politician's late rival, a challenge that nearly results in her murder, strains her romance with a hard-bitten detective, and uncovers a fantastic global conspiracy over energy profits and much else. Wildly ambitious, Iris Johansen's Body of Lies inspires paranoia about the rich and powerful, though it gets unwieldy when Johansen's action writing and characters don't plausibly sustain the image of a secret society hell-bent on world domination. More effective are her bright supporting characters (especially Eve's Liverpudlian protector, Galen), bursts of descriptive wit, and insights into her wounded but dogged heroine. --Tom Keogh --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is neither the cleverest fictional female detective nor the most original, but the meticulous care she devotes to her profession despite the emotional turmoil in her life makes her highly sympathetic. Here, she is tricked into leaving her adopted daughter, Jane, and cop boyfriend, Joe Quinn, to go to Baton Rouge. An influential senator and a fratricidal psychopath want her to work in a remote bayou to identify a battered skull, which may be all that remains of former senatorial candidate Harold Bentley. Duncan tries to reconstruct the skull's features, but it's hard to focus when someone has just tried to poison you and may be on his way to blow up your family. Duncan and wisecracking Sean Galen, hired by her Atlanta friends to protect her, are soon joined by potbellied reporter Bill Nathan, while in the shadows lurks Jules Hebert, a dangerous man of many disguises. First, Duncan's cook dies, then the cook's son, and then lies and dead bodies begin to pile up as Duncan struggles to finish the reconstruction and forgive Quinn for concealing the truth about her dead daughter, Bonnie. A barely credible anti-environment global conspiracy known only as the Cabal drives villains and good guys alike to violence as the story nears its explosive climax at an ex-president's funeral. Prolific bestselling author Johansen (Final Target) builds suspense by thrusting Duncan simultaneously into the unknown and back into the arms of her family in a romantic thriller whose plot may not stand much probing, but whose humanity keeps the reader rooting for its heroine every step of the way. (Mar. 26)Forecast: Major radio and print advertising and promotion, previewed in every paperback copy of Final Target: the only question here is how high Johansen will climb on the lists.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Random House Large Print (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375431586
• ISBN-13: 978-0739425794
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,400,969 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

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This is one to get from the library, not from the bookstore, April 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Body of Lies (Eve Duncan) (Hardcover)

Though I've normally enjoyed Iris Johansen's books in the past, this one fails to pass muster. The plot is rather far-fetched (3-4 persons out to illuminate and destroy a secret society comprised of world leaders) but it could have worked if the writing was more vivid/emotional/passionate. In actuality, the writing was flat and emotionless; Eve resembles more a bitter and sarcastic has-been, than the smart, sassy, and intelligent character she portrayed in her previous books. For instance, when a helpful FBI agent was killed in a car bombing, "Eve turned and looked at the burning car. Poor Jennings..." and then "Eve nodded numbly. She was so stunned...." "Poor Jennings" to "stunned" was quite a reach. You'll probably want to read it because of the past characters you've come to know (Eve, Quinn, Logan, Jane, and Galen), but save yourself the [money] and check it out of the library.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced thriller to compliment series, April 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Body of Lies (Eve Duncan) (Hardcover)

This book is a very quick read with enough action to keep you interested. I do not believe this should be your first book in the series. The returning characters are not developed enough for the first time reader (knowing them prior helps), but the book still stands alone. Eve seems strong and passionate, while sometimes unaffected and Joe becomes more interesting with his warrior side. Some of the story seems a little far fetched and very convenient for the timing, but it isn't impossible and will make you think of the goings on in the world. In addition, Galen (my favorite reoccurring character) is back in this novel to add danger, intrigue, and even some comic relief.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars please give her some writing lessons!, December 17, 2004

By 

Elizabeth Kider "book 'listener" (philadelphia, pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Body of Lies (Eve Duncan) (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked the plot. But PLEASE! The writing! Ms Johansen is supposed to be a WRITER! The heroes don't just sigh, they constantly "draw a deep sigh" (every time they get which is a lot!) Question: Why does Eve often (too often!) "moisten her lips"? Does she suffer from some unknown disease? Why does she or Joe or Galen or everybody else never "look" but "gaze" - and frequently(!!!) "OVER the SHOULDER"? And how many times can Joe just appear and stand in the doorway? English is not my native language, but I love and respect it. Ms Johansen apparently, does not. Is the rule number one in writing not to repeat the same word twice in a row? Ms Johansen, did you know that? I love to read, but this book is not a "good reading". I am sorry