Rating:  -
After Fatal Tide I swore I would never read another of her books, but then this got such good reviews, so I decided to give it a try. It was nice to see Joe and Eve but the story was about Jane, and teens are really not that interesting, especially not her burgeoning sexuality, and attraction for a con man she lambastes at every turn. Trevor the likeable but unpredictable villain is sure to be back, as the author quite proudly tells us to look forward to the next book in 2005. If it is anything like this one, give it a miss.
There is no hero, no villain, and the whole nonsense with Eve mourning her dead daughter and never being able to forgive Joe for wanting to give her closure is too repetitive. These characters are like robots which lurch in response to stimuli. The whole engine running on the fuel of a serial killer killing women around the world who look like Jane is just too unbelievable and really not that interesting. The whole novel was strung together episodically like a soap opera. Really dull. The ending was delivered with the sequel in mind and thus cheats people reading for so many pages. Get it out of the library if you must, but otherwise, save your money and time.
Rating:  -
Jane MacGuire, the streetwise kid, first mentioned in "The Killing Game" is now 17 years old but Jane has never had the privilege of leading the life of a "normal" child due to the fact that she, through no choice of her own, has had to endure the cruel realities of the world by living on the streets of Atlanta and experiencing more than a child her age should ever have to endure until Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn give her the love and home life she's never had.
Jane has been recently been having nightmares she doesn't understand about a woman who died. What Jane doesn't know is that there a madman, by the name of Aldo, who is out there killing and mutilating any woman with her particular facial features and now Jane is next on his list. But why? Jane discovers that the woman she's been dreaming about really existed 2,000 years ago and her name was is "Cira" and she happens to look exactly like Jane. Aldo feels he must kill Jane because of his hatred of "Cira" whom he believes destroyed his life by taking away his father's love.
Jane grows weary of being surrounded by security; not being able to live her life as she chooses and decides with the help of Eve and Joe, along with conman, Mark Trevor who is more than he seems to set up a trap to draw out this madman and get him before he kills again. Unbeknowth to all, Aldo has a plan of his own which now threatens the people Jane holds dearest. The clock is ticking as Jane has now run out of time and is now living her nightmare.
"Blind Alley" was a wonderful novel filled with suspense, drama and mystery with many twists and turns that made it a fantastic reading experience.
As indicated in the author's closing note, Jane's story will continue and we shall hopefully find out if she has psychic powers or is in fact the reincarnated "Cira" as well as what is in store for Jane and the mysterious Mark Trevor. Can' wait!!!
Rating: -
Cira. A name, a woman, an obsession. Someone is killing women who resemble this beautiful actress who died over 2,000 years ago during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and every clue ends up in a blind alley. Iris Johansen brings back forensic sculptor Eve Duncan for a non-stop thriller as the path of a serial killer leads right to her front door.
When I discovered Iris Johansen several years ago, I quickly read all of her books and was particularly fascinated by the ones involving Eve Duncan. She had lost her seven-year-old daughter to a serial killer and the child's body was never recovered. As a result, she had almost unbearable difficulty dealing with the tragedy. So Eve dedicated her life to "bringing home" unidentified victims by recreating their likeness through sculpture. Each person who she is able to give back to his or her family brings a little more closure to Eve's own grief.
From captivating descriptions of the culture and times prior to the devastation of Mount Vesuvius, to the delightful characterization of Eve's adopted daughter, Jane, Johansen once again comes up with just the right combination of story, suspense, romance and values.
Oh, for a teenager like Jane! Eve and her husband, Detective Joe Quinn, adopted the streetwise little handful seven years ago and she has grown into a beautiful young woman who appreciates everything and doesn't wallow in the misery of her lost childhood. Of course, with her sense of responsibility, there is also a need for independence, and Jane does not hesitate to make decisions based on her own strong moral code --- even if it will cause her parents to fret a bit.
With customary ease, Johansen takes an obsessive killer, dedicated police, a mysterious champion, various archeologists and dramatic settings, and molds them all together to "bring home" another bestseller.
--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. In addition to this site, Maggie reviews for www.womenonwriting.com. To contact her, e-mail Magster2@cox.net.
Rating:  -
I love all of Iris Johansen's novels- this was no exception.
I initially read this book because my favorite characters are Eve and Joe and their interaction. However I think the jacket of the book was very misleading. I was expecting this book to be about Eve. It was not. Eve was a secondary character and Joe was hardly in it all. It was all about Jane. The book description never even mentioned Jane.
Do not get me wrong it was still a great book and I would have read it anyway. But I was hoping it was going to deal more with Eve and her opening up to Joe more about Bonnie and other issues. I thought Iris Johansen was going to deal with a lot of lose ends from Body of Evidence. None were resolved. For these reasons I was very disappointed.
On the good side, I love Jane and her interaction with Trevor. They definitely leave it open for another great book where I hope Iris Johansen continues on the course with these two characters. I still hope Iris Johansen will truly dedicate another book to Eve and Joe. But we will see.
Rating:  -
I've read several of this author's books, and they're enjoyable. There's a common thread. A strong female character takes on unreasonable personal responsibility to capture the maniac villain, acting like a damn fool every step of the way. In this case, it's a 17-year-old who thinks it is her personal responsibility to protect the trained adults ... and they go along with it, even though reluctantly. If author Johansen cut out the breast-beating and the discussions about how it's the girl's responsibility to keep the adults safe, it would make a good short story.
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