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myrdyr's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book was poorly written and can't believe it has such a high rating on Goodreads.
weaselweader's review against another edition
3.0
Fleshing out the bones of a fine thriller ... !
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
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
cnorbury's review against another edition
4.0
I think this was my first read by Johansen. I regret not having read her books sooner. She's got serious mystery/suspense/thriller chops.
I'm not sure about a forensic sculptor being a longlasting character because her field of expertise seems so limited, but it was interesting to learn a bit about how that job is done and how personally involved (for lack of a better term) Eve Duncan got involved with the skulls she worked on.
The premise was a bit over the top (but I won't divulge here) although it certainly is plausible except for the extreme difficulty of keeping "the secret" secret from everyone in the White House. I'll definitely read another Eve Duncan story before passing judgment on the long-term viability of the series. (Despite there already being a large handful of Eve Duncan books in print. :-) ) Better late than never.
I'm not sure about a forensic sculptor being a longlasting character because her field of expertise seems so limited, but it was interesting to learn a bit about how that job is done and how personally involved (for lack of a better term) Eve Duncan got involved with the skulls she worked on.
The premise was a bit over the top (but I won't divulge here) although it certainly is plausible except for the extreme difficulty of keeping "the secret" secret from everyone in the White House. I'll definitely read another Eve Duncan story before passing judgment on the long-term viability of the series. (Despite there already being a large handful of Eve Duncan books in print. :-) ) Better late than never.
toxicmasquerade's review against another edition
4.0
I decided to read this because I had already read one of her 'Eve Duncan' novels from later in the series. I loved it. So, of course I had to go back to the beginning of the series to see where it all started.
Now, I will admit that it wasn't as good as the first novel I read. But, it was still a great read for me. Yes, the writing is simple. I don't mind that though. It did not make it a terrible novel. I absolutely love Eve's character and I can not wait to start the second in the series to see how she grows.
I have recommended Iris Johansen to a co-worker and she loved her. It you don't mind the simple writing and a simple mystery, she is definitely worth reading. With her writing style, it was a fast read.
Now, I will admit that it wasn't as good as the first novel I read. But, it was still a great read for me. Yes, the writing is simple. I don't mind that though. It did not make it a terrible novel. I absolutely love Eve's character and I can not wait to start the second in the series to see how she grows.
I have recommended Iris Johansen to a co-worker and she loved her. It you don't mind the simple writing and a simple mystery, she is definitely worth reading. With her writing style, it was a fast read.
maggymags's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Audio version. My first read from this author. I liked the story, it moved at a steady pace and kept my interest. Eve....meh! I still have to decide whether I actually like her, at the moment she leaves me cold. I don't like her interaction with Bonnie - a little sappy for my taste and it feels like I am forced to have it tug at my heartstrings. It doesn't. Quinn....also meh! I liked Logan and Margaret. Will see how I feel after book 2 though.
johnnyb1954's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
The premise is ridiculous.
I hate the excessive graphic violence against people
I hate pets being killed
I hate that the good guys, bad guys, and somewhere in between guys are able to tap every phone, follow anybody they want to track, surveil anyone anywhere.
I was sort of interested in seeing how the plot developed and I might have tried to finish this book if it was 300 pages but 424 was just too depressing.
So I read the first 150 and the last 50
I hate the excessive graphic violence against people
I hate pets being killed
I hate that the good guys, bad guys, and somewhere in between guys are able to tap every phone, follow anybody they want to track, surveil anyone anywhere.
I was sort of interested in seeing how the plot developed and I might have tried to finish this book if it was 300 pages but 424 was just too depressing.
So I read the first 150 and the last 50
stephs_bookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This was an amazing book! A thrill ride from start to finish! I'll definitely be continuing this series!
ambercristofaro's review against another edition
4.0
Early Iris Johansen is better than later in my opinion. I keep waiting for more like the early novels.