Status
Checked out
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Bantam (2003), 480 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. Suspense. HTML:An unidentified skull... A trail of terrifying secrets... And a woman whose talented hands could reveal the shocking truth... As a forensic sculptor, Eve Duncan helps identify the dead from their skulls. Her own daughter murdered and her body never found, the job is Eve's way of coming to terms with her personal nightmare. But more terror lies ahead when she accepts work from billionaire John Logan. Beneath her gifted hands a face emerges from the skull he has given her to reconstruct�??a face no one was ever meant to see. Now Eve is trapped in a frightening web of murder and deceit. Powerful enemies are determined to cover up the truth, and they will make certain that truth goes to the grave...even if Eve gets buried with… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member dd196406
Really good book and first in a series. Excellent suspenseful story with exciting and emotionally-tortured characters. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
LibraryThing member DocWalt10
I come late to reading Iris Johansen, having received some of her books from my sister-in-law. I started with "And Then You Die" and enjoyed it so much, I have now read 6 of her books which has but me behind my reviews.
I really like the Eve Duncan Series of which there are 15 books in the series.
This book is our first look at Eve Duncan. Her daughter, Bonnie, at age seven, was murdered and the man, Ralph Andrew Fraser, was executed without telling where he buried the eleven children's bodies, including Bonnie. Its eight years later and Eve does forensic sculpting and age progression as well as computer and video superimposition, to identify the dead from their skulls, to find the lost ones, as she calls them. She is always looking for Bonnie, hoping when a child's remains are found, it might be Bonnie and she can bring her home. Her best friend & protector is Joe Quinn, 26, who attended Harvard and joined the FBI. He worked the Bonnie Duncan case with the Atlanta P.D. Resigned after the Fraser execution and joined the Atlanta P.D. He is now a lieutenant detective. Unfortunately, her world is about to take a distract turn when John Logan, Billionaire, who owns Logan Computers decides to enter her life. He needs Eve, to uncover a plot of deception, at the highest level of government, involving the White House. There are people who will do what ever it takes, including murder, to ensure what John Logan and Eve Duncan have discovered, will not become known. Money, wit and deception are required to unravel the plot and reveal the truth. It is an excellent, well written book and will not disappoint you.
I really like the Eve Duncan Series of which there are 15 books in the series.
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The Face of Deception is the first book, published Oct 1998 and the 15th book was published Oct 2012. I currently own five of the series and hope to own them all. This book is our first look at Eve Duncan. Her daughter, Bonnie, at age seven, was murdered and the man, Ralph Andrew Fraser, was executed without telling where he buried the eleven children's bodies, including Bonnie. Its eight years later and Eve does forensic sculpting and age progression as well as computer and video superimposition, to identify the dead from their skulls, to find the lost ones, as she calls them. She is always looking for Bonnie, hoping when a child's remains are found, it might be Bonnie and she can bring her home. Her best friend & protector is Joe Quinn, 26, who attended Harvard and joined the FBI. He worked the Bonnie Duncan case with the Atlanta P.D. Resigned after the Fraser execution and joined the Atlanta P.D. He is now a lieutenant detective. Unfortunately, her world is about to take a distract turn when John Logan, Billionaire, who owns Logan Computers decides to enter her life. He needs Eve, to uncover a plot of deception, at the highest level of government, involving the White House. There are people who will do what ever it takes, including murder, to ensure what John Logan and Eve Duncan have discovered, will not become known. Money, wit and deception are required to unravel the plot and reveal the truth. It is an excellent, well written book and will not disappoint you.
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LibraryThing member LibraryOMidas
Eve Duncan is the best forensic sculptor in the country. John Logan has a skull that needs a face, and the importance is so vast that he won't settle for anyone other than Eve to work on it. It doesn't take long before Eve realizes that she is in way over her head, and she's not sure that Logan is
Another great book by Iris Johansen, I have yet to read one that I didn't like. She is definitely one of my favorite authors.
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really doing what's in her best interest. When she finishes however, the truth becomes so unbelievable that she will either see it go to the right people or she will see it to her grave. Another great book by Iris Johansen, I have yet to read one that I didn't like. She is definitely one of my favorite authors.
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LibraryThing member kysmom02
This is the first book featuring Eve Duncan, and the only one that I hadn't read. I don't usually start in the middle, but it just happened, and then I didn't go back to catch up. Well, now that I've done it, I'm actually disappointed! I had hoped that I'd learn more about what happened to Bonnie,
This is the book that introduces John Logan and Eve. John conned Eve into helping him identify a skull and wound up getting her into a big mess instead. But, they worked together and with the help of Joe Quinn, Eve's long time friend, they manage to escape. There wasn't much romance in this book, at least not as much as others, but it didn't seem to matter.
I love this author, and love this series. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book coming out later this year, and then another in 2010. Her books read fast for me, but still give me something to ponder and look forward to. She always leaves me wanting more. I enjoyed this story and am glad that I picked it up, but it's not my favorite.
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other than what's been hinted at or talked around in all of the novels. This book wasn't about Bonnie at all.This is the book that introduces John Logan and Eve. John conned Eve into helping him identify a skull and wound up getting her into a big mess instead. But, they worked together and with the help of Joe Quinn, Eve's long time friend, they manage to escape. There wasn't much romance in this book, at least not as much as others, but it didn't seem to matter.
I love this author, and love this series. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book coming out later this year, and then another in 2010. Her books read fast for me, but still give me something to ponder and look forward to. She always leaves me wanting more. I enjoyed this story and am glad that I picked it up, but it's not my favorite.
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LibraryThing member caro488
Johansen, Iris, The Face of Deception, Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor, works in secret to rebuild the face from a skull- who really resembles the still living(supposedly) president. Deception goes to the highest levels. N Eve's life is in danger.
LibraryThing member jepeters333
Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is talked into reconstructing a skull which turns out to be the President of the US
LibraryThing member onyx95
Surviving the disappearance and probable murder of her daughter gave drive to Eve Duncan. The need to keep busy and her own tragedy gave Eve a perspective that some of her collogues in the professional field of forensic sculptor didn’t have. Being the best in the field caught the attention of
Book 1 ….. With all these cop or forensic type shows and books out now, it is difficult to come up with a new idea. This may not be a completely new idea, but it is sure done well. Quickly jumping into the action and the characters lives. Each of these characters come through great, especially John Logan - he reminds me a little of another Eve’s man (Roarke - and that is a good thing). Actually really liked Eve’s reluctance to help at first, not every heroine is made to jump in the middle of things. I anticipate the relationship with Logan and the growth of Eve’s character the most when I read the next book, The Killing Games.
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wealthy businessman John Logan when he received information about a skull that he desperately needed confirmation on the identity of. Utilizing every resource to persuade Eve to help him, Logan and Eve finally confirmed the identity of the victim only to find themselves targeted to be the next victim on the list. Book 1 ….. With all these cop or forensic type shows and books out now, it is difficult to come up with a new idea. This may not be a completely new idea, but it is sure done well. Quickly jumping into the action and the characters lives. Each of these characters come through great, especially John Logan - he reminds me a little of another Eve’s man (Roarke - and that is a good thing). Actually really liked Eve’s reluctance to help at first, not every heroine is made to jump in the middle of things. I anticipate the relationship with Logan and the growth of Eve’s character the most when I read the next book, The Killing Games.
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LibraryThing member bobp0303
her stuff is all 'popcorn books', but hey, I'm reading them :) :)
LibraryThing member carolian35
The best thing about this book was the plot and that wasn't really all that great. I found the characters very shallow, stereotypical and cardboard. I was interested in the forensic sculptor aspect but Eve Duncan just gets on my nerves - mentally she is just all over the place, she is very
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self-centered and the whole relationship with Joe Quinn just intensifies these aspects. I'm afraid I have no empathy for her at all. I cannot believe that there are 10 other books about her but I guess there are many readers out there who like her. Show Less
LibraryThing member npl
When her daughter's killer is executed without revealing the location of her child's bones, the final shreds of Eve Duncan's life disintegrate. Eve rebuilds her life by devoting herself to giving faces back to The Lost Ones, children whose bones have been discovered but whose identities are lost.
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She isolates herself in her work, allowing only her mother and her best friend Joe Quinn of the Atlanta Police Department into her life. Eight years later, Eve has become a nationally known forensic sculptor. With a mixture of lies and money, billionaire John Logan persuades Eve to reconstruct the face of an adult skull. Despite her initial resistance and desire to limit her involvement, Eve becomes entangled in and threatened by a conspiracy to control the Presidency of the United States. Revealing the truth is the only way to set herself, and those she loves, free. The 2008 release of Quicksand marked the seventh novel in the Eve Duncan series. Show Less
LibraryThing member bearlyr
Eve Duncan is one the most interesting characters I've been introduced to in literature. She is charismatic, driven, adventurous, daring... she's everything you could want in a main character. Then there's the plot, solve a crime through reconstructive science put a face to a nameless skull. What
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is the face being reconstructed is never meant to be identified? What if others would kill to keep a secret? Read the book and find out! Show Less
LibraryThing member Darrol
This is a well written book, and one cares about the characters. However, the premise is a little unlikely. But Johansen pulls it off without the over the top explanations that muddy the narrative of some unlikely scenarios.
LibraryThing member Melayla
It was written well enough to be easily readable but I found the plot over the top and the main character of the ridiculous type that is annoying. Kind of the smart woman who acts so stupidly and everyone adores/loves her but there isn't a reason shown for it. Although now that I think about it, I
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don't think any of the characters weren't written especially well - no nuance Show Less
LibraryThing member jguidry
Apparently, the Eve Duncan series is not for me. This is my second book in the series, and I didn't like it much better than the first one I read. The premise of the story was really interesting and had lots of potential. I thought Johansen did a decent job of explaining the forensics work without
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boring me. My problem with this series seems to be the female characters. They annoy me greatly. I don't mind Eve's backstory, but somewhere along the way she became a stereotype. Show Less
LibraryThing member shannon.dolgos
In this book, we are introduced to Eve Duncan as she clings to her sanity (or not) as the alleged murderer of her daughter is put to death, and with his death all hopes of finding her beloved Bonnie disappear.
Flash forward, to a new Eve, and Eve on a mission to find the lost, and maybe her Bonnie,
Enter John Logan, who seduces her with a job that she can't refuse...only he's not quite truthful on who he believes the skull actually is. Eve doesn't trust Logan, but his monies could help her bring more lost ones home, so she accepts the job.
This job is more than it seems, and everyone involved or close to the those involved is now the center of a very dangerous and deadly nightmare. Exactly, who does this skull belong to?
Flash forward, to a new Eve, and Eve on a mission to find the lost, and maybe her Bonnie,
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and return them home as she rebuilds skulls and finds their identities (think Temperance/Angela from Bones). She lives a lonely life with her mother, Sandra, and remains close friends with Joe Quinn, her protector and savior in times of pain. There is a chemistry there, but it is unrequited. Joe is married to another, and neither admits to anything beyond friendship...Enter John Logan, who seduces her with a job that she can't refuse...only he's not quite truthful on who he believes the skull actually is. Eve doesn't trust Logan, but his monies could help her bring more lost ones home, so she accepts the job.
This job is more than it seems, and everyone involved or close to the those involved is now the center of a very dangerous and deadly nightmare. Exactly, who does this skull belong to?
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LibraryThing member amuskopf
surprised me how much i liked this one. Good suspense and surprises
LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
This was my first Eve Duncan mystery, but I'm really looking forward to others. There were moments where I wished for just a bit more depth of character in the people around Eve, but on the whole, I really enjoyed this work and it was an easy escape to fall into. The plot and characters also felt
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fairly believable--and considering the premise, I think that's impressive in and of itself. I'm sorry I didn't start with the beginning of the series, but then, this was a nice intro., so I'd certainly recommend it regardless. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mike_B
The story is good, but I struggled a bit with believability some points.
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Digital audiobook read by Laurel Lefkow
First in a series starring Eve Duncan, a forensic sculptor, whose job it is to create a likeness based on skulls retrieved from crime scenes. She particularly passionate about “finding” images of children, as her own daughter, Bonnie, was kidnapped and
There are plenty of twists and turns and plenty of action as Eve moves from crisis to disaster to being chased and having her mother in danger. Political intrigue and power-hungry people with evil intentions further muddy the waters. Then Johansen throws in a romantic tension, with a push/pull attraction between Logan and Eve that just didn’t ring true for me. Plus, I wanted more about the forensics.
It held my attention and kept me reading – but I’ve already forgotten it.
Laurel Lefkow did a good job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and differentiates the characters enough so as to avoid confusion.
First in a series starring Eve Duncan, a forensic sculptor, whose job it is to create a likeness based on skulls retrieved from crime scenes. She particularly passionate about “finding” images of children, as her own daughter, Bonnie, was kidnapped and
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presumed murdered a few years before the beginning of this novel. But now she’s been asked by billionaire John Logan to work for him for two weeks, and an extremely high salary, plus an equally large donation to Eve’s favorite charity. The identity of the person whose skull she is given stuns Eve and explains why so many people are obviously trying to stop her and Logan from discovering and revealing the truth. There are plenty of twists and turns and plenty of action as Eve moves from crisis to disaster to being chased and having her mother in danger. Political intrigue and power-hungry people with evil intentions further muddy the waters. Then Johansen throws in a romantic tension, with a push/pull attraction between Logan and Eve that just didn’t ring true for me. Plus, I wanted more about the forensics.
It held my attention and kept me reading – but I’ve already forgotten it.
Laurel Lefkow did a good job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and differentiates the characters enough so as to avoid confusion.
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LibraryThing member onlyfiction
I can't believe the plot of this book. I would classify it as fantasy. It even has supernatural elements, with Eve hallucinating all the time and talking to the ghost of her dead daughter. The “hero” instantly irked me, and I wanted the heroine to shoot the bastard. Since all books have a
Eve perseveres despite a challenging life. Her grief over losing her daughter inspires her to identify the skulls of missing and unidentified children. As the book progresses, she becomes a doormat… I hate it when books do that. Instead of arguing with the surrounding men, she bows down to them when they say boo. She keeps talking about how she’s standing up to them, but she’s not.
The villain is a cartoon character. He is so terrible it’s laughable. He committed a violent act on a minor character who had no significance to the story. A book should not include violence against women if it doesn't contribute to the plot or character development.
The plot and reasons make little sense. This could be science fiction. The reason behind everything is… politics! In order to prevent a republican from winning, someone wants a different candidate to win an election because the current one is an imposter. There is also the JFK conspiracy that isn’t. I dislike books that bombard you with heavy-handed politics. I wouldn’t have touched this book if I had known it contained so much political nonsense. A warning in the book blurb could prevent wasted time.
The book is ideal for someone who wants an easy yet engaging read. As an avid reader seeking immersion in a story, I'd steer clear of this book.
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formula, they end up sleeping together (fortunately at the end and off-page). The forced relationship/attraction is also something I dislike. The main character in any book must have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone they meet. Not all single people need a partner for intimacy.Eve perseveres despite a challenging life. Her grief over losing her daughter inspires her to identify the skulls of missing and unidentified children. As the book progresses, she becomes a doormat… I hate it when books do that. Instead of arguing with the surrounding men, she bows down to them when they say boo. She keeps talking about how she’s standing up to them, but she’s not.
The villain is a cartoon character. He is so terrible it’s laughable. He committed a violent act on a minor character who had no significance to the story. A book should not include violence against women if it doesn't contribute to the plot or character development.
The plot and reasons make little sense. This could be science fiction. The reason behind everything is… politics! In order to prevent a republican from winning, someone wants a different candidate to win an election because the current one is an imposter. There is also the JFK conspiracy that isn’t. I dislike books that bombard you with heavy-handed politics. I wouldn’t have touched this book if I had known it contained so much political nonsense. A warning in the book blurb could prevent wasted time.
The book is ideal for someone who wants an easy yet engaging read. As an avid reader seeking immersion in a story, I'd steer clear of this book.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1998-10-06
ISBN
9780553898231