The Death Mask

Eve Duncan #31

by Iris Johansen

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen comes a new thriller starring Eve Duncan as she races against time to protect her beloved family from a merciless killer.
  
World-renowned forensic sculptor Eve Duncan’s skills frequently make her a target. And in this epic adventure, they make her the first choice to create an Egyptian death mask for a nefarious potential client. But Eve cannot be bought, not for all the riches in a gold mine. Her would-be employer soon realizes that he must threaten the lives of those she holds dear to procure Eve’s services and force her to travel to Africa to mold the priceless mask.

Eve knows that her husband, Joe Quinn, is out there somewhere, searching tirelessly for a way to help. Joe has back-up from Alex Dominic, a mercenary for hire, but nothing will make it easier to set his emotions aside in order to navigate the impenetrable jungle and mastermind a breathtaking escape.

Against an unpredictable enemy, Eve and Joe must each focus on their own unique abilities to get out alive. The future of their love and their family depends upon it.
 

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Thriller Suspense, Audiobook, Adult

371 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her 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 lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eve Duncan is back on a new suspense thriller dealing with another reconstruction and a host of truly awful villains who aren’t above killing whole villages of innocent people. Eve just wanted to spend time with her husband Joe and her son Michael after being away from them so long. But being a forensic sculptor their always someone who will exploit her talent. So when she refuses both to do a reconstruction on a death mask of an ancient queen the villains of this tale Caldwell and the crazy delusional Zakira kidnap Eve and Joe’s son Michael! Once again Eve is under the gun but this time so is her son Michael! Joe is breathing fire and is getting help from mercenary Alex Dominic and the young model/ surgeon Celine both who have dealt with Caldwell and the awful things he’s done. This is a steady paced storyline with great characters new and old. With a surprise appearance of the amazing Catherine Ling and the dangerous Caleb!! Loved it. I’ve read Iris Johansen books for years! And her Eve Duncan series is still one of my favorite. Until next time Luv’s😉💋

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always loved this author, and Eve Duncan, but this series has started disappointing me. The whole international angle and the ancient history parts just aren't as exciting as the original Eve at the beginning of the series. I also feel like that character development has become stilted. There is a lot of talk about Jane's daughter, Cira, but she never actually makes a showing in the book. There just seems to be several hanging points that leave me feeling dissatisfied.

Thank you to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heinous character has discovered a valuable tomb in Africa and wants forensic sculptor Even Duncan to make the death mask for the woman whose tomb it is. He has chosen beautiful Bostonian Celine to serve as the model for it and enlists evil characters to “persuade” both women to participate. It is up to Eve’s husband, detective Joe Quinn and Alex Dominic, a wealthy mercenary, to save them and all they hold dear.

For me, this was a poor choice. I should not have picked up a novel that was the 31st in a series, knowing nothing about it. However, I did want to read something by a new to me author and Iris Johansen is a prolific and popular writer. I wasn’t familiar with the characters, their relationships, or their histories. The synopsis did not provide a lot of information and because of that, I realized it was not a book that I would typically select.

As the book progressed, I did learn some things about the repeating characters, but still had a lot of questions about them.

This will be a welcome addition for fans of this series. There is action, excitement, adventure, kick ass female characters. There are also some extremely despicable players who were a turn off for me. There will be a big audience for this book, but unfortunately, I am just not it.

Bullies who seek retribution for people who insult them not my thing. Seeing enough of that in real life right now. Not fond of characters

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPub for the DRC.

[Beth Bishop · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish the book. The writing is trite and too repetitive .There's a big error when Eve takes Caldwell's call with her husband listening on the line. She leaves him a noteas if he hadn't heard the demands. Joe & Eve would've talked more. She wouldn't have left him a note and would've told him she was doing what Caldwell demanded.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

Ridiculous novel about the usual insane billionaire deciding that Eve Duncan is the only person in the world wit the skills to put together an Egyptian death mask for him.

My eyes started to hurt from all the rolling.

[Derek Thorslund · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible book. The dialog is inane. The villains are cartoonish. The plot is lame.

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of the Eve Duncan series but it’s slowly losing me. I wish every story did not have to go back to ancient times. Plus Iris over uses the term “bull shit” so many times I could start keeping count. The author is known for writing strong, female characters (which I am all for) but sometimes it’s to the point they are making reckless decisions. I miss the Eve Duncan from earlier in the series.

[Drw · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know if ridiculous, incredulous, or nonsensical is the best way to describe this latest entry in the long-running Eve Duncan series of books?

And the discontinuity errors - how many can one book have:

Celine can sniff out bad guys and take them down on the street but goes willing off with Dominic even though he actually never tells her who he is until after she's gone off with him.

How is it Celine can take out the bad guys but not Rashid if she actually wants to leave the hotel

Joe is on the call with Eve when Crawford calls after kidnapping Michael but then she writes him a note saying she has to do it this way - when he just heard her tell Crawford what she's going to do

Why do you need a live model for Eve to make a mask. Eve works from bones. Even killing Celine wouldn't help Eve - because it takes a long time to get all the skin and muscle and fat away from a skull. Just makes absolutely no sense.

And, on and on and on it goes with disconnected plot points, hyper-ventilating dialogue, super-duper stupidity levels from both good guys and bad guys alike.

And, I have to blame it all on myself - I've commented before about how ridiculous the Iris Johansen books' have gotten - yet, every year or two I come back falsely believing that somehow this new entry will take the series back to the solid ground it once stood on.

This book may finally finally have killed my foolish hope.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure, but I suspect that book #31 using our heroine, Eve Duncan, has hit its end….this current book left this reader stalled. The entire storyline was way to far fetched for this reader, the horrific madman, Eve being the ONLY one to make the mask, way to wordy about threats and I barely finished the book. Not this authors finest hour (I truly enjoyed others from this author). Enjoy?

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several of the Eve Duncan novels and found them to be interesting and compelling. The Death Mask has an intriguing plot line, but I found the action and reactions tended toward the melodramatic and the dialogue a little stilted. The villains are combinations of Simon Legree and Jack the Ripper. The plot twists are predictable, and the climax seemed a little thin. Still in all it would probably make a good movie.

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming back to this series and these characters feels like a warm hug... even though there is a lot of suspense and disasters. These characters feel like home since I have been reading them so long. It was great to see so many of the characters I know and love in this book and how their lives are progressing. The formula was about the same as the other books in the series, but we had some new characters and love interests added in this time. This series never lets me down.

[Pam Kovalic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eve Duncan returns as a forensic sculptor - this time she is asked to sculpt a death mask of an Egyptian queen. She is not going to do the job, instead wanting to spend some much needed time with her husband and son. But then the ruthless people behind the ask kidnap her son, forcing to take on the job. We are introduced to a new character, Celine. She is a surgical resident who was raised to take care of herself. She is also involved with the death mask, as she has been chosen by the criminals to be the model for the face of the queen. For fans of the Eve Duncan series, this will be a welcome read. I have always enjoyed the series but I must admit this one was not my favorite. It was all a little too predictable. The story moves along at a good pace and it kept me interested, but not to the extent that the series usually grabs me. I give the book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book is set for publication on June 24, 2025.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very exciting!

I absolutely loved the plot in this one and found myself very worried for our characters.

There's a romantic storyline that definitely works and these characters need their own books in the future.

I did find myself a bit nonplussed by Michael. I mean, I understand who he is and why he is that way, but he also speaks like he should be a 65 year old tenured college professor wearing tweeds and smoking a pipe. He should still sound more like...a kid?

But definitely a good and exciting read!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio- I think this was an all time low- really awful writing, sorry, not sure if this reader doesn’t contribute to that ☹️
As much as I have loved these characters over this whole series the writing has just really gone down hill and too simple as well as predictable 😔

[Michele McManious · Rating 4 out of 5]

the past few of the series have been pretty bad but this one made up for it. really loved this one probably one of the best in the series. Although I don't like the fact that it is always we gotta protect Eve no matter what to the point even the young son is obsessed with it.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eager to spend time with her son Michael, who is returning home from school, Eve initially declines her request to create an Egyptian death mask. However, those who want her to make the mask pressure her into taking the job, which she initially resists. This task becomes even more urgent when Michael’s life is threatened. Meanwhile, Eve is concerned for her husband, Joe, who is away, but when danger approaches both Eve and their son Michael, he frantically searches for them.

I have been a fan of this series since its inception. While some of the stories are quite far-fetched, I still enjoy the dynamic between Eve, Joe, Michael, and their daughter Jane. I also enjoy the spinoff series, so when I read any of the newer books, I feel like I’m returning home.

I would love to see where the story takes us next, especially now that Jane has a daughter of her own. Additionally, I appreciate the fact that Michael is still a young boy, as I believe this contributes to the series’ potential for many future stories.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Death Mask by Iris Johansen brings the tension, the danger, and just enough of the uncanny to keep you on edge.

This time, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is pulled into a case wrapped in ancient secrets and modern murder. When a mysterious skull turns up, one tied to a deadly legend, Eve's expertise might be the key to unlocking a truth someone is willing to kill for. It’s twisty, fast-paced, and peppered with that signature Johansen mix of science, suspense, and just a touch of the supernatural.

As always, Eve is sharp, determined, and never afraid to chase answers no matter how dark the path. And let’s just say: the villain in this one? Chilling.

💀Ancient legends meet modern forensic drama
🔎Smart, intense, and action-packed
👀A perfect pick for fans of crime thrillers with a little eerie mystery on the side

⚡️Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Iris Johansen for sharing this book with me!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I care about these characters and really love the series, but it's feeling more formulaic than it used to. Additionally, often the conversations and dialogue are very rooted in therapy-speak, which is healthy, but not realistic for every character to speak that way. Also some advancements of relationships feels too forced for happiness and connection. I can suspend a lot of "reality" in books, but this series isn't as exciting or enticing anymore. It was a bit of a struggle to finish this book...sadly. I also didn't get any Jane and Cira, even though they were discussed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to review this book.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Death Mask by Iris Johansen is an Eve Duncan novel. Eve is the heroine of many of Johansen’s novels and is a forensic artists who has the ability to reconstruct a face, in this case, one of a dead mummy. She will then construct a death mask. When first approached about the job, she turned it down as she was expecting her family home for vacation. When a simple request didn’t work, a man name Caldwell gained her acquiescence by kidnapping her eleven-year-old son and holding him as surety. At the same time, an independent contractor living in Africa named, Alex Dominic, is searching his contacts for information on Caldwell, looking to take him down. Dominic had come upon an African village shortly after someone using weapons supplied by Caldwell, had massacred a village, including children. Meanwhile a young woman named Celine Kelly, in Boston, is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant. Turns out she knew how to protect herself and sent him home damaged and angry. You guessed it: Caldwell’s man. How these things will come together is the subject of this book.

This is a very complicated story taking place in the jungles near Egypt, where a long-lost queen’s tomb has been found, and raided, by the same man who massacred the village. He plans to bring Celine to his “temple” and sacrifice her during the ceremonies where the mummy/death mask are revealed. Any number of people think this is a bad idea, including Joe Quinn and their son-in-law, who is a brutal CIA operative. Things got violent when they arrived, as anything near Caldwell tended to. The characters are terrific, many of them reappearing throughout this series. The plot was far-fetched but not unbelievable. It was a riveting read with plenty of violence, plenty of love, and plenty of greed and lust for power.

I was invited to read The Death Mask by Grand Central Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #GradnCentralPublishing #IrisJohansen #TheDeathMask

[Nancy Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been reading the Eve Duncan books from the beginning, and I’ve always liked them, but the storylines of the last couple of books have become so convoluted and just unbelievable. Maybe it’s time to retire Eve? Regardless, I probably will not be reading any more of this series.

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of reading the arc,I decided to listen to this book because I have listened to several other Eve Duncan books and enjoy them tremendously. This is another in the Eve Duncan series, a forensic sculptor,who brings the dead to life through her recreations. Most of the time, she is given a skull and helps police figure out who it is with her sculptures which I have always found so interesting. In this book, there is a chiefdom in Africa and they found a 4000 year old queen buried in a cave. In order to get Eve to come to Africa to make her sculpture, they (the bad guys) kidnap Eve’s son, Michael from his school in Scotland, knowing that she would come. As usual in these stories, we have bad guys who are always after Eve or her family, and we have to wait til they can be taken care of. Intriguing mysteries, good vs evil, and the personality of Eve and her family always make this a fun read.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is similar to other books she has written about death masks, and her being in danger. It was very good though. She always keeps me interested. I gave it a four.

[Jacklyn B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eve is a smart and talented forensic sculptor. She is asked to create a death mask by and when she refused her son is kidnapped. She is forced to travel to Africa to mold a priceless gold mask and her husband Joe is searching for a way to rescue their son…but their enemy is anything but predictable…

I am a fan of this series and was excited to see where Eve would end up next. There is a great sense of adventure and action and suspense throughout this story….and something else really sinister too…

The book dives into ancient Egyptian history and mixes it with modern forensics. Plus some creepy and unsettling tension and a sprinkle of the supernatural too.

I love how this book is full of strong female characters who are smart and strong and can carry their own weight!

✨What To Expect:
🔪Crime Thriller
💪Strong Female Characters
⁉️Suspense & Mystery
🗺️Action & Adventure
🏺Ancient Egyptian History

[Shauna Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting back into the Eve Duncan series. This one was a crazy ride. It starts with Alex trying to save kids in a village that has been raided to Celine fighting for her life, and it doesn't stop there.
I love the relationship that Eve and Joe have with each other and all the important people in their lives.
I loved the ending.

Elizabeth Rodgers did a great job narrating this story and I look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.

[LindaPf · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Death Mask” is 31st in the Eve Duncan series — I took a chance because a lot of long time series are dedicated to finding new readers and, therefore, giving backstories to long time characters and their relationships. I also had access to the audiobook and audio experiences usually enhance my experience. Elisabeth Rodgers, the narrator, is excellent.

The storyline hooked me — Eve Duncan’s talents for recreating death masks are needed for a nefarious rich bully (already in the process of kidnapping model/surgeon Celine). Eve finds that it’s not a choice — her family is threatened and husband Joe, added by mercenary buddy Dominic, must also face the bad guy.

Another early reviewer I respect felt the same about crashing into number 31 without the benefit of 30 previous books. Eve does rate her own Wikipedia entry as Johansen’s fictional forensic sculptor whose 7 year old daughter Bonnie was kidnapped and never found (book one was in 1998). The AI overview (choke) suggested that Eve is anywhere from her 40s to her 60s. I also learned that Johansen is guilty of ending her books with cliffhangers, but she finally let go of Eve’s Bonnie obsession in a trilogy.

What I do care about is that Eve is consistently a strong woman character, which contributes to her enduring popularity. Eve, along with Celine, are worthy characters in this action thriller. This starts off intensely and does give clues to backstories, but I’m sure the longtime series readers will love this one.

I totally enjoyed it, but maybe not enough to read the next installment and definitely not enough to obsessively read the back catalog in order (I did that with Karin Slaughter a few years ago). But at least I’ve acquainted myself with Johansen’s engaging style should she start creating standalone adventures. 4 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Dominic has gray-green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But the impenetrable jungle is almost a character.

Thank you to Hachette, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for advanced copies!

[Christine Irvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 31st book in the Eve Duncan series. I enjoyed reading it, as I have done with so many of Johansen's other books, but I really had trouble getting into the story as the beginning was a bit laborious. It took Johansen a full eight chapters to fill in the back story and really get the action started. From that point on, things moved considerably faster, but it was difficult to concentrate before that.

There were also a few typos in the text. This isn't a big deal, but as a reviewer, I notice such things and find them distracting. There were also a few discrepancies in the story line that might leave you scratching your head.

All that being said, this is another good book, one worth reading, and one that faithful readers of the series will want to add to their collection. Those who are not familiar with the series might be lost well before they get to Chapter 9.

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the 31st book in the Eve Duncan series. All of the books in this series can be read as standalone books. I haven’t read an Eve Duncan book in a while, so it was nice to catch up with a character I am familiar with.

The storyline was interesting and I really enjoyed some of the characters but found the storyline dragged at some points. Eve has been requested to create a death mask, she turns the offer down as she’s planning to spend time with her family. Eve suddenly becomes unable turn the offer down to save someone she loves; and travels to Africa to created the mask for a madman.

This book had lots of action and the women in the story were the real heroes; they were well written and intriguing. The narrator did a great job, and the characters were easy to identify and differentiate.

Thank you to NetGalley, the audio house, narrator and the author for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this audiobook in return for review, based upon my honest opinion.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Death Mask by Iris Johansen in exchange for an honest review. This book has a lot of layers to the plotline and I wasn't sure that it would wrap up by the end of the story. I really enjoyed it, even though I have missed quite a few books. I was still able to get into it and now I want to start all the Eve Duncan books over again.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris Johansen is back with the 31st book of the Eve Duncan series. Eve Duncan series is one of my favorites. One thing I love about this series is not only the suspense but the bits of history we get along with it. If you have read any Eve Duncan novel, you know that to Eve family is everything to her, and she will do anything to protect them even if that means she doesn't come home to them. In The Death Mask, Eve's hand is forced to create an Egyptian Death Mask for a lost Queen who's tomb is found in Africa.
Iris Johansen is an author that I immediately read any new releases whether it's an Eve Duncan, Kendra Michaels (series she co-writes with her son), or her standalones.  She also has written some of my top book boyfriends: Joe Quinn, Seth Caleb, and Adam Lynch(Kendra Michaels series). She also knows how to write some kick ass WMC.
I recieve this book as an Audio ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's that time of year when beach towels get refreshed, umbrellas are opening, and sunny places to read are highly coveted. As always, Iris Johansen is at the top of my list when it comes to summer reading. Fans of this long-running series will find The Death Mask a perfect addition to any TBR this summer.


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