Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Review: Blind Alley by Iris Johansen

*Synopsis and Cover from Goodreads
Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling author of Firestorm, Iris Johansen, returns with a psychological thriller so terrifying, so relentlessly paced, it won’t leave you time to catch your breath before the next shock comes. A forensic sculptor is locked in a deadly duel with a serial killer determined to destroy her—one life at a time.

Eve Duncan’s job is to put a face on the faceless victims of violent crimes. Her work not only comforts their survivors—but helps catch their killers. But there is another, more personal reason that Eve Duncan is driven to do the kind of work she does—a dark nightmare from a past she can never bury. And as she works on the skull of a newly discovered victim, that past is about to return all over again.

The victim is a Jane Doe found murdered, her face erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed her wasn’t just trying to hide her identity. The plan was far more horrifying. For as the face forms under Eve’s skilled hands, she is about to get the shock of her life. The victim is someone she knows all too well. Someone who isn’t dead. Yet.

Instantly Eve’s peaceful life is shattered. The sanctuary of the lakeside cottage she shares with Atlanta detective Joe Quinn and their adopted daughter Jane has been invaded by a killer who’s sent the grimmest of threats: the face of his next victim. To stop him, Eve must put her own life in the balance and question everything and everyone she trusts. Not even Quinn can go where Eve must go this time.

As the trail of faceless bodies leads to a chilling revelation, Eve finds herself trying to catch a master murderer whose grisly work is a testament to a mind warped by perversion and revenge. Now she must pit her skills against his in a showdown where the stakes are life itself—and where the unbearable cost of failure will make Eve’s own murder seem like a mercy killing.
Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon 

My Review: 3 Up to Snuff
I am a huge fan of the Eve Duncan series, and I have read just about every book in the series. Granted out of order, but I have read them. What I love about the series is the consistency. The consistency of the characters, the action, suspense and the over all ride. But I am sad to say that I did not find this book very consistent. 

Oh, it was consistent in the fact that it delivered suspense and an all around decent ride. The thing that had me seething was the inconsistency with the characters. Being a huge fan and all I kind of make it a point to know the main characters, Joe Quinn and Eve Duncan pretty well. You see they are two of my favorite all time characters. Especially Joe. Joe is this kick butt ex-SEAL, ex-FBI agent, now detective who doesn't take crap from anyone and will do anything to protect his family. But in this book he was not portrayed this way. Instead he took a back seat while another man came in and protected his family, sitting idly by while a mad man threatened his family. This is not the Joe I know. And this bugged me to no end. 

Now I understand that the author was trying to tell the story of one of the secondary characters, and I love the fact that she did. However, I did not like the fact that she changed one of the most essential characters in the series. Now please don't think I am author bashing because I'm not. I love Iris Johansen and the entire Eve Duncan series. But the way this book was written just really grated on my nerves. 

That aside. I did enjoy the story. Jane is not a character that has been focused on in the series and it was nice to get a glimpse into what made her tick. There was a good story to be told with suspense lurking around every corner. However I did miss the action that is usually found in an Eve Duncan book. I found the action in this book to be slightly disappointing. With their only being two real action scenes.

If you have not read many Eve Duncan books then I highly recommend this book. It is a good book to get your feet wet. If however, you have read quite a few of them then I feel I must warn you as it is not the typical Eve Duncan story, as it is really not about her.
"Devouring worlds, one book and recipe at a time."

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