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364th out of 850 books
—
1,046 voters
Blind Alley (Eve Duncan #5)
ONE OBSESSED KILLER ...
ONE DEADLY TRAP ...
ONE WOMAN'S DARKEST NIGHTMARE ...
Her job is to put a face on the victims of violent crimes. But as forensic sculptor Eve Duncan works on the skull of a newly discovered victim, she's about to get the shock of her life. The murdered Jane Doe's face has been erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed her wasn't trying to hide her...more
ONE DEADLY TRAP ...
ONE WOMAN'S DARKEST NIGHTMARE ...
Her job is to put a face on the victims of violent crimes. But as forensic sculptor Eve Duncan works on the skull of a newly discovered victim, she's about to get the shock of her life. The murdered Jane Doe's face has been erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed her wasn't trying to hide her...more
Paperback, 370 pages
Published
March 29th 2005
by Bantam
(first published 2004)
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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....more
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....more
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...more
The victim is a Jane Doe found murdered, her face erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed...more
This is the third Eve Duncan book I've read. While I read it just as fast as the others I didn't think I enjoyed it quite as much.
I don't think the problem was entirely that the focus was on her adopted daughter Jane, but it just didn't captivate me I the same way. I liked it okay - not saying I didn't; it was just different.
This one was set several years after the others; Jane is 17, a licensed driver, thinking about the direction her life will take - and having nightmares that may or may not...more
I don't think the problem was entirely that the focus was on her adopted daughter Jane, but it just didn't captivate me I the same way. I liked it okay - not saying I didn't; it was just different.
This one was set several years after the others; Jane is 17, a licensed driver, thinking about the direction her life will take - and having nightmares that may or may not...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
May 08, 2011
Phani Tholeti
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teen and beginners
Shelves:
teenage
A 17 year old who is worse risk taker than a pro-gambler, and is yet mature than both her around-30 yr old foster parents. A mature teenager is fine, but a super-teen?? This is more in the Hardy boys/Nancy Drew lines. And why even call it a "forensic" mystery? All the forensics that was seen in the entire story is just two facial reconstructions, which could have been just anything else, maybe photos dropped at the crime scene would have served as well, the forensic part was kind of forced into...more
Dec 26, 2011
Cj W
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
suspense-thriller
Eve Duncan. She's lost a child. Not just lost, but the daughter was taken from her, kidnapped. And has never been found, and for any Mother, that is the most horrifying thing to ever imagine.
She finds ways to deal with her pain.
She becomes a forensic artist.
Using clay and skill to give faceless victims, their faces back. Giving hope to the victims survivors, and bringing the wrongdoer to justice.
She also has taken in a teenager. One who's past is fraught with despair and neglect. She has com...more
She finds ways to deal with her pain.
She becomes a forensic artist.
Using clay and skill to give faceless victims, their faces back. Giving hope to the victims survivors, and bringing the wrongdoer to justice.
She also has taken in a teenager. One who's past is fraught with despair and neglect. She has com...more
Jul 25, 2011
Leann
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All Johansen and Eve Duncan Fans, Mystry fans
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Iris Johansen entered the room. She was breathless. She was troubled. That was obvious to Josette, who sat on the couch listening to a book. She removed her headphones. She moistened her lips.
"Hi Iris. How's it going?"
"Oh, I've been so worried to death about you," she said.
"Why?" Josette frowned.
"I'm just so worried," Iris said. "To death!"
"Don't be, I'm fine," Josette said. She moistened her lips. "I was just reading. You know, I often like to read. Please don't be worried. I hate it when you w...more
"Hi Iris. How's it going?"
"Oh, I've been so worried to death about you," she said.
"Why?" Josette frowned.
"I'm just so worried," Iris said. "To death!"
"Don't be, I'm fine," Josette said. She moistened her lips. "I was just reading. You know, I often like to read. Please don't be worried. I hate it when you w...more
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Iris Johansen's "Blind Alley" is the 24th book in her series featuring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan, but it's the first one I've read. Duncan basically works for the police, who bring her bodies that are unrecognizable due to decay. Her job is to "reconstruct" the faces of the victims, so that the police can have a picture to work with. Apparently, this is an actual forensic science. In "Blind Alley", Eve's husband (a cop, of course) recruits her to reconstruct a body in a case he's working on....more
This is the first Iris Johansen novel I've ever read. The story was okay but felt this author lacked something? Couldn't quite put my finger on it.
From back cover:
"Her job is to put a face on the victims of violent crimes. But as forensic sculptor Eve Duncan works on the skull of a newly discovered victim, she's about to get the shock of her life. The murdered Jane Doe's face has been erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed her wasn't trying to hide her identity. The plan is far more horri...more
From back cover:
"Her job is to put a face on the victims of violent crimes. But as forensic sculptor Eve Duncan works on the skull of a newly discovered victim, she's about to get the shock of her life. The murdered Jane Doe's face has been erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed her wasn't trying to hide her identity. The plan is far more horri...more
Characters are completely unrealistic. The plot is full of holes and also completely unrealistic. And the most annoying part of this is that the author seems to think, or pretends, that the story and characters are perfectly plausible.
I would not recommend this book.
I would not recommend this book.
I checked this book out at the library and after adding it to my currently reading shelf I checked out the reviews. I was a little worried after reading the reviews that it was going to be a bad book. Since I already had it, I thought I would give it a try. I actually enjoyed this book. It hints at reincarnation which I don't believe in. There are some unrealistic events in the book which ruined the book for some people but I looked at it as good entertainment. I enjoyed the story and the charac...more
I’m definitely a thriller buff so while reading the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen I just could not get enough! In Blind Alley forensic sculptor Eve pieces together an older murder from the first book of the series. The deceased has a strange resemblance to Eve’s adopted daughter, Jane, and within a few days of uncovering the mystery behind the murder, our sculptor is tipped off to another murder in which the dead also looks like her kin. Eve finds herself throughout the rest of the book att...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
With the exception of the fact that I should have read this book before I read Countdown (which continues the story of Cira) this was a good story. This book begins the tale of Cira, a female Roman slave, and a man's obsession with her (even though she's dead). The bigger deal is that Eve's adopted daughter is "dreaming" about her and is a target for a serial killer because she's a Cira look-a-like. And of course the ending is really not and ending as it continues on in Countdown.
I really liked the book and the plot. What keeps me from giving it a higher rating is the fact that Jane is only 17 years old. Had I been reading a young adult novel I would have been more accepting of her age, plus then maybe Trevor would have been made younger too. As it was the whole "chemistry connection" they fought the whole time was not something I like in an adult novel between a 17 and 30 year old person. Aside from that, for most of the book I was able to ignore her age and in my own m...more
I have always enjoyed reading Iris Johansen's work. In particular, her Eve Duncan series. However, I found Blind Alley to be lacking the punch that her earlier works exhibited. As an avid reader, I am all for using the imagination a little when the story is captivating, but this teetered on the realm of too far fetched. However, the story was just captivating enough to hold the reader from beginning to end but I fear that the average person might be left as I was: unsatisfied.
A friend gave me this to read while I was travelling around europe b/c I only had 1 book left to read & I wanted it for the ride home. I found her writing almost unbearable to read. I didn't like the way she told a story. So I found it quite difficult to get into it. He gave me this one and the next in the series to get through. I did, but ONLY b/c i had nothing else to read with me on the planes and trains. I don't recommend this author.
I have come to realize that I must leave enough time to read her books as it is just to hard to put it down once I start.
This one was interesting as usual, I havent read too many of the Eve Duncan series so I havent formed an attachment to some of the characters. so far I am not a huge fan of Joe, I find him wimpy so I am hoping in reading more of the series find out why Eve sticks with him. i do like jane though and this story mostly involves her.
This one was interesting as usual, I havent read too many of the Eve Duncan series so I havent formed an attachment to some of the characters. so far I am not a huge fan of Joe, I find him wimpy so I am hoping in reading more of the series find out why Eve sticks with him. i do like jane though and this story mostly involves her.
i didn't like this book until trevor stepped into the picture, i found the relationship between jane and her adoptive parents very.. mellow, boring.. old-fashioned i guess. i dont like it when authors make teenagers so mature because it makes it seem as if they don't know how to write a character of that age properly.. anyway, the book needed a spark and that spark was trevor. it was actually a pretty good book and i recommend it.
I listened to the audio version of this book. It was a fine thriller with a mystical supernatural edge to it. I think listening to it makes the melodramatic edge to the dialogue a bit worse in that its harder to ignore. My main complaint it is that for all the strength that Eve Duncan is supposed to have, everyone sure walks around her on eggshells like she was ready to have an emotional breakdown at any moment. But then again, this is fairly standard fare in this series, so no worries.
Four words for this book....give.....me.....a.....break! A seventeen year old girl would never be put in the position that Jane puts herself in in this book.
The storyline is far fetched, the plot is ridiculous, the characters are not believable. I am done with Iris Johansen and her Eve Duncan series...at least for the time being.
Now....Let me find something worthwhile and satisfying to read...
The storyline is far fetched, the plot is ridiculous, the characters are not believable. I am done with Iris Johansen and her Eve Duncan series...at least for the time being.
Now....Let me find something worthwhile and satisfying to read...
Only Iris Johansen can get away with writing about re-incarnation in a realistic setting and have me buy-into it. In this novel, the adopted child of Eve Duncan is somehow made target of a serial killer, Aldo. Aldo is ridding the world of the face of a woman he scorns, and has been dead 2,000 years. The story is told through quick dream sequences and quick chapters.
Not great - feel like the book is setting you up for another book. There's a 30 year old character and a 17 year old with a lot of sexual tension. Nothing happens but it doesn't work for me. Amidst the sexual tension is a serial killer who's killing everyone with a likeness of the 17 year old. In addition to all of that is a 2000 year old character named Cira.
One of my absolute favorites of Ms. Johansen's books! I think I own six copies of this book because I love it so much! The main character of Jane is a very strong-willed young woman, much like her adoptive mother, Eve. There is a great mixture of romance and suspense in this novel. It might be a little far-fetched at times to some people, but I LOVE this book!
I mistakenly started reading this author (thought a friend recommended her, but she hadn't really) and will probably not continue. Modern day thriller meets reincarnation? The disconnect was too big for me. Also, Jane seems way older than 17; I thought the dynamic with Trevor was creepy and the the story overall wasn't believable. No thanks
I thought this book was just okay.
It was definitely not my favorite in this series.
I give it a C.
Here is how I rate my books:
A+ - Awesome book - couldn't put it down.
A - Really good book - would read it again and again.
B+ - Good book - would maybe read it again.
B - Good book - wouldn't read it again.
C - Okay book - would definitely never read it again.
F - Worst book EVER.
It was definitely not my favorite in this series.
I give it a C.
Here is how I rate my books:
A+ - Awesome book - couldn't put it down.
A - Really good book - would read it again and again.
B+ - Good book - would maybe read it again.
B - Good book - wouldn't read it again.
C - Okay book - would definitely never read it again.
F - Worst book EVER.
I'm behind on writing my book notes!
Eve is the central character, although that point can be argued. The story actually centers around her daughter Jane who looks like a lot of murdered women. This novel weaves around some antiquities deals with Eve's daughter making ghostly appearances along with a haunting by another 2000 year old woman.
Eve is the central character, although that point can be argued. The story actually centers around her daughter Jane who looks like a lot of murdered women. This novel weaves around some antiquities deals with Eve's daughter making ghostly appearances along with a haunting by another 2000 year old woman.
This book is mainly about Jane MacGuire with Eve and Joe as supporting players. It will stretch your imagination, as ancient times mix with today. A evil monster is killing women who look like Cira, an ancient actress, and removing their faces. Jane MacGuire is almost the spitting image of Cira, and the monster is after her.
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Johansen began writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She had seventeen consecutive New York Times b...more
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Very creative! I loved it!
Now I must ask... what the hell? I like it. I don't know why though. I see the humor, b...more
Nov 10, 2009 07:18pm