Smokescreen

Eve Duncan #25

by Iris Johansen

In this pulse-pounding thriller from #1 New York Timesbestselling author Iris Johansen, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan journeys to Africa to help families torn apart by a violent attack deep in the jungle -- but she may be putting herself in more danger than she knows.A journalist shows up on Eve Duncan's doorstep with a plea for help. Jill Cassidy has just come from a small African village with a heart wrenching half the villagers -- many of them children -- have been killed in a horrific attack by guerilla soldiers, the bodies burned beyond recognition. Now, the families desperately need Eve's help to get closure and begin to heal.But when Eve arrives in the remote jungle, she begins to suspect that Jill's plea may have been a cover story for a deeper, more sinister plot. Isolated and unsure who she can trust, Eve finds herself stranded in an unstable country where violence threatens to break out again at any moment and with only her own instincts to rely on if she hopes to get home to her family alive . . .#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen is back with one of her most exhilarating and dangerous adventures yet in this "riveting" high-stakes thriller (Publishers Weekly).

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Romance

432 pages, Hardcover

First published July 30, 2019

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 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous eve Duncan thriller from the amazingly talented Iris Johansen! I've read every book in this series and love the twists and turns and the rollercoaster action always keeps me on the edge of my seat. I don't know how Johansen keeps coming up with such interesting storylines and great characters after so many years. I love meeting new people that become part of eve's world. With so many interesting new character's from the good guys like journalist Jill Cassidy to CIA agent jed novak who is very intense and a lot like eve's husband Joe. Theirs also the charismatic
and all around charming Sam gideon,I really liked his character alot. And the villians In this book are truly despicable and deadly from Zahra Kiyani the corrupt and evil bitch who rules Jokan Maldara after her father dies. she doesn't care what she has to do to stay in power even if It means covering up and
Protecting the murder who slaughtered a whole classroom of children, the evil sadist cold blooded killer Varak who is as deadly as a snake. And when a attempt is made on eve's life it's Joe Quinn to the rescue and he's very angry at Jill and Novak for putting her life in danger. They all must come together to find varak before he takes off.And then deal with Zahra, but before that happens one who slaved for her for years will deal the killling blow a climax I didn't see coming til the end.

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eve Duncan is pretty much bullied into taking on a new case when journalist Jill Cassidy implores her to come to Africa with her to help parents of children killed in a massacre. They need closure and Eve is just the right one to do so with her knowledge of forensic sculptor. But, Jill has another motive and soon Eve will find herself is quite a lot of danger...

Smokescreen is one of those books that I really wanted to like, but ultimately the story failed for me because of some factors that I will discuss later on in the review. But, first, let's start with what I found good and that is the story itself. The massacre of the children in a school and Eve's help to find closure for the parents together with the real reason for her being there. Because yes, Eve is lured there to help with another thing that they need her special knowledge to do. This is the part of the story that worked for me. That and the interesting "royal" history of the leader of the country that played a big role in the story. And, if Eve and Jill and been alone working on this with the help of Jill's friend Gideon had I most likely enjoyed the book more.

Unfortunately, I have two big problems with the book (and some of the other books I've read by Iris Johansen) and that the's the men. From Joe Quinn, Eve's husband to Jill FBI agent friend Novak. Sorry, but these macho men are boring me so much. I like Iris Johansen's books, but she has a tendency to use a special type of man in every book that feels like an overbearing macho man and I just get the feeling that she has found her niche when it comes to it and now everyone man is written the same way. Even when I read other series by Iris Johansen. And, of course, that brings me to the second problem. The romance part, because of course, Jill and Novak have a lot of sexual tension all through the book. Well, it's written that way, I was utterly bored by that. I was more interested in Jill's role as a journalist and her work to expose the truth about the massacre, etc.

Smokescreen ended up being a so-so book for me. Not among the best like the early ones I've read or like Shadow Play that introduced me to the author. And, that's just too bad because I like Eve Duncan, I just wish the story had focused more on exposing the truth and definitely less on the romance.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

[AℳY♔Queen of Fat cats♔Ain't no lie Baby Byebyebye · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF!!!!!This book spammed me on my feed as sponsored content so I opened the preview and hated it. Kiyanis? Maldara? Not for me! Ebook $14.99??? Are you f@cking kiddin me?????
Stop spamming me Goodreads!
For your information Goodreads reviews can be used to complain about the price of books. GR has a feature for purchases!!!
One thing is Goodreads recommending me a book based on my shelves and another thing is spamming me with overpriced new releases in my feed.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who are familiar with the series featuring Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor, you are in for a treat.

An investigative journalist shows up on Eve's doorstep begging for her help. She wants Eve to go to Africa, a war-torn jungle, to help identify 27 children who were massacred by guerilla soldiers.

But this journalist may have a different agenda ... one that puts Eve in more danger than she knows.

This is a preview only .... the complete novel will be available 7/9/19.

The first chapter grabbed me by the throat and refused to let me go. It tells the story of the journalist and how she survived her time in that part of the world. It then goes on to show how she manipulates Eve into making the trip to Africa.

Many thanks to the author / Grand Central Publishing / Netgalley for the preview of this thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be “too” much. Eve is just “too” good. Her son is “too” psychically connected to her. Her husband is “too” driven to protect her. The CIA’s Novak has “too” much power in order to manipulate Eve’s and her family’s schedules. The President of the Congo thinks she is descended from Cleopatra - “too” much a stretch for me. Jill is “too” smart/damaged/independent. I understand strong characters, but I feel that there was “too” much in this book.
Maybe it gets better, but I am stopping at the half way point because I am “too” uninterested in the outcome...

[April Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed several Iris Johansen books in the past, including a few of the early Eve Duncan books. The Killing Game was a favorite of mine, so I was really looking forward to reading Smokescreen.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect with Eve’s character this time. Yes, she had a reason to be mad, and yes, it’s great that she stands up for herself. But she was so unnecessarily rude/harsh while doing so - and on so many occasions - that reading her commentary started to feel like a chore. Negativity works for some characters, especially when they’re witty about it, but Eve mostly comes off as a cantankerous jerk this time around.

Apologies to Iris Johansen, but I can’t recommend this one. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

[Dom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Full disclosure: I have read a couple of Iris Johansen's books before but this was the first Eve Duncan book I read. To her credit, I didn't feel like I was lost because I didn't have a lot of the characters' back stories, nor did I feel like she was throwing in random background pieces in order to "catch me up". I've read books by other authors who have done this and it makes for some tedious reading.

The plot line itself was enough to keep my interest and sadly reminiscent of the Rwanda genocide.

But there were several things I didn't care for very much and which led me to give it a 3 star rating:
* I found the dialogue to be odd. It just didn't sound realistic or reflective of how people speak to each other. Sometimes it was overly formal and other times the exchanges were just tiresome and repetitive.
* Most of the characters weren't likeable and perhaps that's because they seemed perpetually grumpy. Granted, this is serious material and a serious plot line with its fair share of bad guys, but everyone just seemed so intense and annoyed with each other all the time.
* Repetitive words and phrases throughout the book. If I'd had an electronic copy of this book I would have done a count of how many times the word "gaze" was used or "gaze flew ..." (as in "her gaze flew to his eyes"). Or someone's lips twisting. When you're reading a 400+ page book and there's enough repetition of these words that it starts standing out, that's not good.
* Finally, there wasn't enough Eve Duncan in the second half of the book. In fact, she was an altogether very minor character in the second half. There were references made in the book to how she was a world-renowned forensic sculptor and the best at what she does, but we didn't get to see very much of that.

I would be interested in perhaps reading an earlier Eve Duncan book to see more of that character. There was enough here to intrigue me ... forensic sculptors aren't your typical crime fighter, but this book didn't quite live up to my expectations.

[Leiba · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep forgetting that reading this author irritates me beyond belief due to her heavy reliance on ellipses (especially in the Kendra Michaels series). Not to mention overuse of particular expressions, notably "lips twisted" and "lips tightened," and far too many adverbs... I don't know, the story might be a good one, but I just can't get engaged with it because I'm so on edge with waiting for the next crutch. If I were someone who could abandon a started book, I would have done that with this one.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah!! Smokescreen was everything I love in an Eve Duncan story and more!!! I have been a huge fan of the Eve Duncan series since the beginning and was just as obsessed with her hunt for Bonnie as she was. But as the series evolved and developed, so did the characters, individual depth and their passion for justice. I absolutely loved Eve and Joe in this story and could not stop reading!

Called to an exotic location in Africa by journalist Jill Cassidy, Eve is asked to reconstruct the skulls of school children killed in a terrorist attack. But when Eve discovers a mystery there and uncovers a conspiracy, she can't help but get involved!

I absolutely loved this story! I loved Eve's passion and Joe's protective nature and the underlying suspense prevalent throughout the story. This was an amazing addition to the series and I cannot wait for more! 5 stars! ~Ratula 

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclosure: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This book was difficult to get through. While I have read and enjoyed many prior Eve Duncan stories, the subject matter of this one was unpleasant. There was a lot of manipulation throughout the book, and of course, Joe was protective and hovering.

The storyline was well put together and the character development of the secondary characters was well done. However, the whole premise of the book just did not resonate with me.

In short, well written, but not my cup of tea.

[MicheleReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Iris Johansen delivers an interesting, action-packed story that keep you engaged throughout. While this is part of a series, it isn’t essential to have read any of the prior books. Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is lured to a small African village under false pretenses and finds herself in the middle of a deadly plot. Thanks to Goodreads for the ARC giveaway and to Grand Central Publishing.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Jill Cassidy persuades Eve to travel to a small African jungle village where guerillas have killed most of the villagers, including an attack on a school where many children were murdered. But when Eve arrives in Maldara, she begins to suspect that there’s something more to Jill’s request for her to help identify the children. In a Robaku museum close to the site of the school massacre, Eve begins working on a reconstruction of one of the schoolchildren. But she soon finds herself entangled in a sinister plot that may claim her as one of its victims.

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan, as always, is strong, stubborn, talented, passionate, and vulnerable. In this, her twenty-fifth adventure, the riveting plot is both intriguing and relevant; the characters believable and well-crafted. The compelling story could easily have come from any of today’s war-torn African nations; here tension and suspense are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats, anxious for the next revelation. Eve’s well-established compassion is on display throughout the story as Jill works her manipulations. The final events are likely to surprise readers as the plot takes yet another unexpected turn and ramps up the tension even further.

Highly recommended.

[Kathryn Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly couldn’t get around to finishing it... There was too much dialogue which made the story so much longer than it needed to be and hard to connect with any specific character.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read any books from Iris Johansen and I absolutely loved this as my first book. This is book 25 of the Eve Duncan series. This is an amazingly well written book with a very well crafted story line that quite relates to what is happening in the war torn area in the Congo.
The characters in this series and the supporting casts are phenomenally well written and exciting to read.

This story follows the main character Eve Duncan who was called to Africa by journalist Jill Cassidy to reconstruct the skulls of murdered school children. The massacre is from a terrorist attack and Eve’s job as a forensic sculptor helps the family gain closure from this. Nothing is simple and something suspicious finds Eve in a dangerous situation.

This was such a fast-paced read for me that I truly enjoyed so much that I am going to pick up the rest of the series. I cannot get enough of Eve and the rest of the characters like Joe and Jed Novak. I am now a fan of this series.

I am so thankful and fortunate to receive this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Pub. All opinions are my own honest and objective review of Smokescreen by Iris Johansen.

[Ann Moses · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is seriously one of the worst books I've ever read. The characters all sound like angry 7th graders vying to be the top bully. Totally unbelievable collection of alpha combat types who continually strive to one up each other and have the last word in repetitive, stilted, boring, senseless dialogue. Male and female characters equally unpleasant. The plot gets lost so many times. Do not bother.
If zero stars registered I'd give it zero.

[Drw · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dialogue so stilted you could use it to hold up a house wall and characters so unlikeable, childish, and abrasive you feel like your eyes have been sandpapered. Add to that farcical plot lines - Cleopatra's descendant, oh really - a CIA agent appearing in brown-face, telling grieving grandparents to take the skull of their murdered grandson home and put it out where they can constantly look at it - and this book turns from just a waste of time to a profound irritant.

The one thing this book should win an award for is the most egregious mis-and-over-use of the word "complex."

[SassafrasfromAmazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5**. Iris Johansen continues to keep the Eve Duncan series fresh, even after Book #25. In this offering, Eve is persuaded by a strong, tenacious journalist, Jill Cassidy, to go to a war-torn country in Central Africa by telling her that there are 26 children who need to be identified through Eve’s forensic sculpting expertise. Since Jill has researched Eve and knows that she has a very soft spot for identifying children, Jill tells a harrowing story about children being burned alive in a schoolroom in their village during a civil war between two factions. A sociopath who controls the “machete brigade”, deliberately burn the children alive while their cries bring their parents running to save them. That is a ploy to bring the parents running to save their children, where they are hacked to death by these mercenaries wielding machetes.

This story unfolds in a fictitious foreign country. The story is told in horrifying detail and may undoubtedly contain numerous tiggers. Notwithstanding, it is a fascinating book, rife with rich cultural and historical factual legends interspersed with fictional myths.

Also, let’s not forget the fascinating way in which Eve approaches and painstakingly carries out her forensic sculpting. Utterly captivating! Of course the love between Eve and her husband, Joe, is as strong as ever, and their love for their son and daughter is big enough to fill an ocean. There are several nasty, cruel and sociopathic villains in this book; however there are some very memorable good guys who have strong personalities. I will never forget the “slave” Dalia, who is the epitome of strength, perseverance and patience. She was was my hero. I hope to read about these interesting good guys in future books.

This was a suspenseful read with lots of action and some violent acts that are difficult to stomach. But it is a very engrossing read.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love these Eve Duncan stories but this one bored me as I simply have no interest in guerilla warfare in any country. I greatly disliked Zahra, Novak and even Jill. Every one of them was out for themselves and didn't give a hoot about who they hurt as long as they got their way. This is just not something I can get behind.

I look forward to further Eve adventures...hopefully in a less antagonistic environment and with more pleasant characters.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's a typical Iris Johansen book and I am a fan. There is nothing out of the ordinary or anything that stuck out for me but I did enjoy the story.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably my least favorite in the series but still a wonderful work by Iris Johansen.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smokescreen started great. Eve is convinced to go to a small African country to do reconstructions on children who were murdered by a machete-wielding madman. She is convinced under false-pretenses. The ruse is so that she will do the reconstruction on the skull of the supposed madman. He was supposedly killed and identified via DNA but even DNA can be faked if you are motivated enough. The president of the country is a woman who aspires to be queen and believe she descends from Cleopatra. Eve is going to have to use all her skills if she is going to make it out of the country alive. The problem with this book is that it was good, not great. The characters are becoming too stereotypical of her type of characters. The ones we like are very likable. The ones we don't are really hate-able. There middle got boring as we had to wade through politics and motives when there wasn't anything new to learn. but once it ramped up again it was fast and thorough.

[Laurence Brouard-Trudel · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far fave book of 2022!
Read it so fast, what a thriller!

[Sandra Jackson - Alawine · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK I only gave it 3 stars because it felt formulaic Somebody manipulates Eve into putting herself in danger, Joe kills the danger. Same as the last 24 books...

I did enjoy catching up with my favorite characters and meeting new ones. The Kiyani angle was intriguing, I would have liked her to explore it further. I also enjoyed Dalai's character development and the romance between Novak and Jill. But to be honest I lost interest halfway through the book as it started to feel like the same material rehashed with new characters.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the last few. However I was excited that it was going to be all about a reconstruction and then it wasn't! The story line was good but there is just too much drama and not enough about Eves real job , sending the lost ones home. So many words about how strong I am how my family needs me how I'll die without you how Ill do anything to protect my family, We know all that I want a good mystery without all this other crap. So be mad , it's the way I feel. Yes I'll probably will read her next book, but really? Anyone feel the same?

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a complete series review - please see this Series Review on my blog -

https://www.robinlovesreading.com/202...

In part, it says:

My overall rating of the series is Five Stars, with a couple of Three stars. The reason for the lower ratings when I did so was because most of the books have taken on an aspect that I do not enjoy, and that involves Eve being able to speak with her daughter Bonnie's ghost when she is highly stressed or in difficult situations. Sometimes it was due to her enactments with Bonnie's ghost that she was able to sort things she might not have been able to otherwise. It has always been hard for me to enjoy anything paranormal in books, and when these stories were very impacted in that, my ratings would drop.

[Cathy Cooksey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was my first Eve Duncan (the character), but the author did such a great job of describing the thought process of Eve that I felt I knew the character without having to look up information that might be important. The story itself felt like a movie but with the added bonus of inner dialog from different characters so the thought process and actions that they did made sense. I would say that the plot really picks up after page 100, but again, the story was like a movie and just read so well that it was so easy to get through that first portion of the book because it was building these characters and making you understand them. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Iris Johansen when I'm in the bookstore next.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda/Vancouver/Langley BC This is a paperback novel written in 2019

Really found this book captivating. I had to keep reading until I got to the end sooner than soon. The first review here by Kat is very good. Really like forensic sculptor Eve Duncan and husband Joe a former Seal. Enjoyed news writer Jill, good guys Novak (Jill has a romance with Novak) and Gideon. The story is set in a small African village. The village has many people and children murdered with a machete by Varak and his army. The murders were extremely sadistic. Evil queen Zahra who is affiliated with Varak is sadistic too. Jill had asked Eve Duncan to come to Africa to make sculptures of the children's heads that were murdered. Jill wanted the sculptures to give to the parents of the children that were murdered. Eve was hesitant until she saw the photos of the massacre. She was to have protection by Novak, and Gedeon and guards. Husband Joe comes over when he hears how dangerous it is for Eve. It's non stop throughout the book. Have read only 2 books by Iris Johansen. Liked what I read here and then ordered more books by the author through Indigo/Chapters. Some of the books are too old and very difficult to get. Won't give away the rest of the story. It's excellent. Can hardly wait to read another novel by Iris Johansen.

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manipulated to do the reconstructions of children of a mass murder leads Eve to be caught in the midst of a deadly game between two deadly players! Once again the Eve Duncan series does not disappoint! Excellent characters that have been fully fleshed out enhance a twisted and vicious plot that entertains and keeps you on the edge of your seat! This series continues to be a top choice of must reads!

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway

Once again, Iris Johansen doesn’t disappoint! I read on of the first Eve Duncan stories, and honestly didn’t feel like I’d missed a step. Riveting action - keeps you glued the entire time!

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great thriller with Eve Duncan. This captured my interest from the
First chapter. It was an exciting thriller with action, drama, murder, strong
characters and a good plot admidst an African village and jungle. The
tension was high and kept you reading while on the edge of your seat.
Jill Cassidy was the reporter who brought Eve to Africa where so many
Children were killed. I recommend this book.