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Eve Duncan #7
Stalemate
Eve Duncan has turned down the job twice already. Her skill and devotion in identifying murder victims and helping bring their killers to justice may be world-renowned. But Eve works exclusively for law enforcement and the families of the innocent, and the man on the other end of the phone is many things--none of them law-abiding or innocent.
One of the world's most wanted men, little is really known about Luis Montalvo except that he is extraordinarily dangerous and that he never takes no for an answer. Now he wants Eve's help in the worst way. For he believes they have something in common--and he's about to prove it with a grisly warning.
Eve will leave everything and everyone behind, even the man she trusts and loves the most, Atlanta detective Joe Quinn, to travel to Montalvo's luxurious armed compound in the Colombian jungle to identify the skull he has recovered. She has agreed to this devil's bargain to save an innocent family, but also for a reason she can't admit to Joe, to the CIA, to anyone. For the man in the jungle has promised to be able to give Eve what she wants most of all--the key to unlocking the darkest and most painful mystery of her past.
But Eve is in more danger than she can imagine. As she gets closer to identifying the skull, she finds herself caught between two ruthless killers with no way out. Now, with everything on the line, Eve Duncan must make the most chilling choice of all. And if she's wrong...she's dead.
One of the world's most wanted men, little is really known about Luis Montalvo except that he is extraordinarily dangerous and that he never takes no for an answer. Now he wants Eve's help in the worst way. For he believes they have something in common--and he's about to prove it with a grisly warning.
Eve will leave everything and everyone behind, even the man she trusts and loves the most, Atlanta detective Joe Quinn, to travel to Montalvo's luxurious armed compound in the Colombian jungle to identify the skull he has recovered. She has agreed to this devil's bargain to save an innocent family, but also for a reason she can't admit to Joe, to the CIA, to anyone. For the man in the jungle has promised to be able to give Eve what she wants most of all--the key to unlocking the darkest and most painful mystery of her past.
But Eve is in more danger than she can imagine. As she gets closer to identifying the skull, she finds herself caught between two ruthless killers with no way out. Now, with everything on the line, Eve Duncan must make the most chilling choice of all. And if she's wrong...she's dead.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published December 26, 2006
450 people are currently reading
4629 people want to read
About the author
Iris Johansen
226 books7,327 followersIris 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
May 15, 2024
Duncan's obsession over her missing daughter is put to good use in STALEMATE!
Eve Duncan, one of the world's best known forensic sculptors, specializes in the recreation of facial features from skulls. Having lost her beloved daughter, Bonnie, to abduction and murder and having suffered the anguish of never having found the body, her passion is helping parents in a similar situation. She reconstructs heads and faces and confirms the identification of skeletal remains so that grieving parents can find closure and move on with their lives.
When she receives a call from Luis Montalvo, a sleazy but powerful smuggler of illegal armaments and drugs in South America, asking for help with the identification of a skull, her first inclination is to tell him to push off; that she simply isn't inclined, at any price, to help someone who enriches himself by doing so much harm in the world.
But, in exchange for her forensic reconstruction of this skull, Montalvo promises to put all of his wealth, all his manpower and all of his underworld contacts into an effort to find Duncan's daughter's body and to identify her killer. This is a lure that Duncan is helpless to resist and she finds herself quickly on the way to South America even though she doubts Montalvo will keep his word. Duncan is quite certain that she'll find herself in an unmarked grave after she completes the task.
I've read a couple of other Johansen novels in which I found Eve Duncan's angst and never-ending obsession with the disappearance of her daughter to be tiresome. But STALEMATE avoids this problem entirely. It's a topnotch thriller that keeps the excitement meter pushed to the stops for the entire novel. Instead of allowing Duncan's angst to become tedious, Johansen has cleverly used it to allow Duncan's complex character to grow and develop and to add depth and details to the story of her stormy relationship with former FBI agent Joe Quinn. Best of all, she allows Duncan to experience an almost irresistible attraction to Montalvo, a man who at the same time represents everything that repulses her.
But that infernal ending (that's not nice, Ms Johansen!) ... it's a cliff-hanger that almost guarantees you'll be off to the bookstore to purchase QUICKSAND. You'll want to find out where this whole thing with Montalvo and Duncan is going to end!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Eve Duncan, one of the world's best known forensic sculptors, specializes in the recreation of facial features from skulls. Having lost her beloved daughter, Bonnie, to abduction and murder and having suffered the anguish of never having found the body, her passion is helping parents in a similar situation. She reconstructs heads and faces and confirms the identification of skeletal remains so that grieving parents can find closure and move on with their lives.
When she receives a call from Luis Montalvo, a sleazy but powerful smuggler of illegal armaments and drugs in South America, asking for help with the identification of a skull, her first inclination is to tell him to push off; that she simply isn't inclined, at any price, to help someone who enriches himself by doing so much harm in the world.
But, in exchange for her forensic reconstruction of this skull, Montalvo promises to put all of his wealth, all his manpower and all of his underworld contacts into an effort to find Duncan's daughter's body and to identify her killer. This is a lure that Duncan is helpless to resist and she finds herself quickly on the way to South America even though she doubts Montalvo will keep his word. Duncan is quite certain that she'll find herself in an unmarked grave after she completes the task.
I've read a couple of other Johansen novels in which I found Eve Duncan's angst and never-ending obsession with the disappearance of her daughter to be tiresome. But STALEMATE avoids this problem entirely. It's a topnotch thriller that keeps the excitement meter pushed to the stops for the entire novel. Instead of allowing Duncan's angst to become tedious, Johansen has cleverly used it to allow Duncan's complex character to grow and develop and to add depth and details to the story of her stormy relationship with former FBI agent Joe Quinn. Best of all, she allows Duncan to experience an almost irresistible attraction to Montalvo, a man who at the same time represents everything that repulses her.
But that infernal ending (that's not nice, Ms Johansen!) ... it's a cliff-hanger that almost guarantees you'll be off to the bookstore to purchase QUICKSAND. You'll want to find out where this whole thing with Montalvo and Duncan is going to end!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
September 17, 2011
This was a miserable read. I have a few family members who really love Johansen so I decided to give her a try. The main characters in the book are so obnoxious that I wanted to tear my hair out. It felt like the plot went round and round in the same hackneyed circle. I think the only reason I was able to finish this novel is I am slightly OCD and was hoping to see one of them die.
March 17, 2016
If this is the kind of book most people read, I'm not surprised most people don't read more.
September 18, 2020
I have loved iris johansen since I was a teenager. My only problem that plagued me as I continued to read her Eve Duncan series was how does so much drama and life challenging adventures follow one person around? And in the last several years, I find the phrase shut him out (as in Eve hates to shut joe out, Eve must shut Joe out, Joe expects Eve to shut her out, Joe gets mad Eve shuts her out, etc) and it just aggravates me because I like the characters, like the series, and hate that everyone is always "shut out". Characters grow and relationships evolve and I feel after longer than a decade, Joe and Eve's relationship should have too, especially by the end of Bonnie.
August 30, 2008
Preposterous. Plot, character's actions, everything. Yuck.
April 24, 2020
A review for this title was written as a series review on my blog - https://www.robinlovesreading.com/202...
August 27, 2008
This was an appalling book and quite inept, especially in its characterization and character motivation. Every few pages in the first half of the book we read something on the lines of:
-How can I trust you? You are a criminal.
-I know I am a criminal. But you must believe me, this time I am sincere.
-But how can i be sure?
-You can't be but you must trust me nevertheless.
Okay this is a parody. But that's the way it comes over. And the whole theme of: "I need you to prove it so that so-and-so will trust me and help me," is so implausible and ridiculous. I just didn't buy it - couldn't buy it. It was rubbish. The author also held out the unfulfilled promise of solving a mystery concerning one of the characters as a sort of rather pathetic "come-on" to keep the reader interested in what I think she knew would otherwise be an intensely boring and implausible book.
-How can I trust you? You are a criminal.
-I know I am a criminal. But you must believe me, this time I am sincere.
-But how can i be sure?
-You can't be but you must trust me nevertheless.
Okay this is a parody. But that's the way it comes over. And the whole theme of: "I need you to prove it so that so-and-so will trust me and help me," is so implausible and ridiculous. I just didn't buy it - couldn't buy it. It was rubbish. The author also held out the unfulfilled promise of solving a mystery concerning one of the characters as a sort of rather pathetic "come-on" to keep the reader interested in what I think she knew would otherwise be an intensely boring and implausible book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2009
Eve is a forensic scupltor who is offered job to reconstruct a face for a criminal in exchange for information about her daughter who was murdered. I didn't really care for the book, I kept waiting for it to get better. I didn't like Eve that much, the premise of the story and to me it lacked the romance that her books usually have along with suspense. Not one of her best.
January 1, 2013
This review is based on an audiobook.
I really enjoyed the early "Eve Duncan" series books. I have to say, the more I read or listen to, the less I enjoy them. At least this one focused on Eve, not Eve's adopted daughter, which has been my complaint with some in the series.
The thing I liked least about this one was the reader. She sounded like a Russian while speaking the dialogue for a Columbian named Gonsalvo. In fact several Colmbians. Oh, and the text specifically said (as read) that Galen (recurring secondary character from earlier books), "said in a British accent." - and then the reader proceeded to use an Irish brogue. I didn't remember his nationality from previous books I'd read vs heard. The discontinuity between text identification & brogue was distracting. (I'll grant that parts of Ireland are in UK but "British" means England to me.)
Even if I'd read it myself in print or ebook, I'm already tired of the premise of people for whom Eve does not want to do reconstructions convincing Eve to do them by threat or promise. This was the second or third of those - always a slightly different scenario but still.
Also, the discord between Eve and lover - former Navy Seal, former FBI, now Atlanta PD detective - bothered me a lot. They've been through so much since her Bonnie was kidnapped... It just was hard to swallow.
It has been about a year since I'd read any of Eve's stories, but I didn't remember her saying "Jesus" all the time before. Maybe I glossed over it in print, but as a Christian - this may not bother people of other faiths - it's jarring. "Bitch" gets used an awful lot by the Columbians re: Eve.
If I had never read an "Eve Duncan" book before, some of those things might not have bothered me, but I doubt seriously I would have gone back to read more. And I would have missed out on some good books (the first few especially). It makes me doubt whether I want to read any more. I picked up another, non-Eve-Duncan book on CD at the library and have started it, and I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it. Same reader, I think.
I really enjoyed the early "Eve Duncan" series books. I have to say, the more I read or listen to, the less I enjoy them. At least this one focused on Eve, not Eve's adopted daughter, which has been my complaint with some in the series.
The thing I liked least about this one was the reader. She sounded like a Russian while speaking the dialogue for a Columbian named Gonsalvo. In fact several Colmbians. Oh, and the text specifically said (as read) that Galen (recurring secondary character from earlier books), "said in a British accent." - and then the reader proceeded to use an Irish brogue. I didn't remember his nationality from previous books I'd read vs heard. The discontinuity between text identification & brogue was distracting. (I'll grant that parts of Ireland are in UK but "British" means England to me.)
Even if I'd read it myself in print or ebook, I'm already tired of the premise of people for whom Eve does not want to do reconstructions convincing Eve to do them by threat or promise. This was the second or third of those - always a slightly different scenario but still.
Also, the discord between Eve and lover - former Navy Seal, former FBI, now Atlanta PD detective - bothered me a lot. They've been through so much since her Bonnie was kidnapped... It just was hard to swallow.
It has been about a year since I'd read any of Eve's stories, but I didn't remember her saying "Jesus" all the time before. Maybe I glossed over it in print, but as a Christian - this may not bother people of other faiths - it's jarring. "Bitch" gets used an awful lot by the Columbians re: Eve.
If I had never read an "Eve Duncan" book before, some of those things might not have bothered me, but I doubt seriously I would have gone back to read more. And I would have missed out on some good books (the first few especially). It makes me doubt whether I want to read any more. I picked up another, non-Eve-Duncan book on CD at the library and have started it, and I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it. Same reader, I think.
July 29, 2015
I found this book to be overall a decent read. Listening to it rather than physically reading it myself made for some enjoyable housework and drive time.
The Good Stuff: It was nice to get an Eve Duncan book that actually featured Eve Duncan. I do like her adopted daughter, Jane, but this series is not the Jane series and I was getting tired of having Jane be front and center. The suspense was really good as was the setting. For the most part the plot was solid...too bad the characters were not.
The Bad Stuff: At this juncture I'm over and done with Eve's obsession with her long dead Bonnie. I know one doesn't just get over the loss of a child but by this point Eve is making terrible judgement calls and putting herself in danger constantly in order to find that closure. This is not the Eve Duncan that I remember. Also Joe, an ex-FBI agent, makes some TSTL decisions and almost dies...twice. WTH?!? The combo of Eve and Joe was disastrous also. After this many years together why is Eve constantly shutting Joe out? Even the most independent and strong willed person, after being with someone for a decade or more, learns to lean on someone to make important life altering decisions. Not Eve. She pretty much lies and manipulates her way then sneaks off into the night like a thief. I almost hate her. Oh and the introduction of a potential "love interest" in the form of a Colombian drug lord for Eve...Give me a Break! So frustrating.
On the Audio: While I think Jennifer Van Dyck did an ok job narrating the book, her accents, in my opinion, were off. The Colombians almost sounded European. In addition a reoccurring character named Galen had an Irish brogue yet at one point I could have sworn the book said that he spoke in a British accent.
In a Nutshell: I'll probably continue with the series but only because I really want to read the whole Bonnie closure but honestly, I feel this series has just about run it's course.
The Good Stuff: It was nice to get an Eve Duncan book that actually featured Eve Duncan. I do like her adopted daughter, Jane, but this series is not the Jane series and I was getting tired of having Jane be front and center. The suspense was really good as was the setting. For the most part the plot was solid...too bad the characters were not.
The Bad Stuff: At this juncture I'm over and done with Eve's obsession with her long dead Bonnie. I know one doesn't just get over the loss of a child but by this point Eve is making terrible judgement calls and putting herself in danger constantly in order to find that closure. This is not the Eve Duncan that I remember. Also Joe, an ex-FBI agent, makes some TSTL decisions and almost dies...twice. WTH?!? The combo of Eve and Joe was disastrous also. After this many years together why is Eve constantly shutting Joe out? Even the most independent and strong willed person, after being with someone for a decade or more, learns to lean on someone to make important life altering decisions. Not Eve. She pretty much lies and manipulates her way then sneaks off into the night like a thief. I almost hate her. Oh and the introduction of a potential "love interest" in the form of a Colombian drug lord for Eve...Give me a Break! So frustrating.
On the Audio: While I think Jennifer Van Dyck did an ok job narrating the book, her accents, in my opinion, were off. The Colombians almost sounded European. In addition a reoccurring character named Galen had an Irish brogue yet at one point I could have sworn the book said that he spoke in a British accent.
In a Nutshell: I'll probably continue with the series but only because I really want to read the whole Bonnie closure but honestly, I feel this series has just about run it's course.
May 31, 2018
Stalemate by Iris Johansen is not the book I originally expected it to be. When I first picked it up, I had no idea that it was a mystery novel full of dark and disturbing figures. I especially didn't expect it to take place mainly in the Jungles of South America. Stalemate is about a woman named Eve Duncan, who is a forensic sculptor( a person who works with the police department to identify long dead murder victims), who lost her only child named Bonnie. The murderer was never found, but she receives a tiny bit of hope when a big time arms dealer named Montalvo offers her a job. In exchange for her services he will at least figure out who murdered her child. Of course her husband Joe does not approve causing conflict between them when she slips into South America without his permission. The main antagonist is revealed to be a Drug Lord named Diaz, who is basically the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a drug lord.
The book is very interesting. Due to its simple title, none would suspect that it was about a dark subject such as drug cartels and arms dealers. It goes very in-depth on some of the practices a forensic sculptor puts into place, though it does make the job go over the top and is not as impressive. Truth be told, I'm being nice by giving it a 3 star rating. The more I think of the book the more I realize that it is a terrible book with an over the top plot that is not at all realistic or gripping. The characters tend to be annoying and altogether Blah. The husband is a Navy Special Forces operative for goodness sake, and she is friends with a former assassin. Not to mention the CIA is turned into the nerdiest and most easily corrupted organization on the planet. Also, if the person you are trying to monitor already knows that you are a CIA agent, then you have failed as a spy and are lucky that you weren't executed. I know that some people might actually like this book, but my personal preference is Blah.
The book is very interesting. Due to its simple title, none would suspect that it was about a dark subject such as drug cartels and arms dealers. It goes very in-depth on some of the practices a forensic sculptor puts into place, though it does make the job go over the top and is not as impressive. Truth be told, I'm being nice by giving it a 3 star rating. The more I think of the book the more I realize that it is a terrible book with an over the top plot that is not at all realistic or gripping. The characters tend to be annoying and altogether Blah. The husband is a Navy Special Forces operative for goodness sake, and she is friends with a former assassin. Not to mention the CIA is turned into the nerdiest and most easily corrupted organization on the planet. Also, if the person you are trying to monitor already knows that you are a CIA agent, then you have failed as a spy and are lucky that you weren't executed. I know that some people might actually like this book, but my personal preference is Blah.
September 5, 2008
This is just the worst Eve Duncan novel. Eve came out looking strong but slightly out of character (especially the way that her character was starting to become written)but Joe seemed like even more of an overprotective over-bearing fool. I couldn't suspend my disbelief of the annoying characters to even bother caring whether Eve and Montalvo got together until about half-way and then I figured it would serve Joe right. Don't get me wrong, I like Joe but he makes a good point when he mentions in the beginning of the novel that his relationship with Eve is getting a bit strained. They need to grow up and I hate to say it, I'm a little tired of the Bonnie motivator. She should never forget her child but even Bonnie has asked to be let go. It's time to start the healing process or at least find the killer. I can't bother to read the next one, so I guess I'll never know either.
Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. I liked Jane in the last two novels though. Very believable and the stories were entertaining. I'd be interested in more about her and Trevor. That is the best thing that I can take from the Eve Duncan series.
Alas, it was a good run while it lasted but I believe this is my last Eve Duncan novel.
Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. I liked Jane in the last two novels though. Very believable and the stories were entertaining. I'd be interested in more about her and Trevor. That is the best thing that I can take from the Eve Duncan series.
Alas, it was a good run while it lasted but I believe this is my last Eve Duncan novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2009
The more I've thought about it...the more I've realized I really didn't like this book. While it was classic Iris Johansen with a high paced suspensful style the story left me flat. I've read a couple of the other Eve Duncan books...but it had been a while so I didn't remember back story much. So, coming into this book I was missing a lot. While those things could be the reasons a person wouldn't like a book...they weren't the reasons I didn't like this one. Eve contantly shuts out Joe...the man she says she loves more than anything and wants in her life forever. She says she loves him but leaves him out of the most basic aspects of her life. I found this very off putting. Then she starts to develop feeling for a Columbian Drug Lord...who basically blackmailed her into help him. WHAT THE......? Even though she doesn't act on her feelings and goes back to the states with Joe...she still leaves her heart closed to Joe. It didn't sit well with me. I don't know that I will read the next installment of the Eve Duncan series because she left it open that she will leave Joe and go to the Drug Lord. Oh for heavens sake!
February 19, 2012
Luis Montalvo is a Columbian who deals in the illegal selling of arms. Eve Duncan is the best forensic sculptor in the world. Moltalvo has contacted Eve to work on a reconstruction for him at his compound in Columbia. Eve says absolutely not until...he promises to bring home her Bonnie. Against the words of her partner and lover,Joe Quinn, she goes to work on Montalvo's skull. She is lured in to more danger than she can ever imagine. She will have to face the nastiest man alive, and it's not Montalvo. On the outside, Montalvo is everything Eve imagined...except he's sexier and his entire being is nothing Eve expected. The attraction is unbearable and you kinda start rooting that the two of them get together. Will she be able to get out of Columbia without ruining her relationship with Joe and also make it out alive? This book has been one of the best in this series so far. It will also leave you hanging and making you can't wait to start reading "Quicksand", which is the next one in the series.
June 27, 2018
The seventh book in the Eve Duncan series. Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor who helps identify the dead from their skulls. Her latest job involves working with a known criminal, but she has her own reasons for agreeing to the job. Fast-paced and exciting.
July 22, 2009
Inept. Overblown. apallingly written.
May 5, 2010
I didn't bother finishing this one- the characters were annoying & the plot was ridiculous.
May 21, 2020
Held my attention. Good suspense. Love the Eve Duncan series.
February 23, 2025
The 7th book in the Eve Duncan series returns the focus to Eve and her work, and Joe, her long time love interest. The plot has a number of difficult to believe premises that set up the main crisis; difficult, but I could go along with them more easily than books 5 and 6. Here we are plunged into the world of a South American arms dealer and his blood feud with a Colombian drug lord. The relationship and sexual tension between Eve and the arms dealer, though implausible, was written and in a way that was still compelling. Overall I felt like, “ok, we are back on track here”. Looking forward to #8 👍
April 12, 2020
Ik houd van thrillers, ook deze was wel vermakelijk. Helaas vond ik het verhaal niet heel geloofwaardig waardoor ik erg moeite had om er goed in te komen. Zo is de motivatie van Eve om met Montalvo samen te werken niet heel overtuigend. Ik had de karakters van Eve en Montalvo liever meer uitgediept gezien. Waarschijnlijk loop ik hier tegenaan omdat ik niet de volledige serie ken.
June 17, 2019
An entertaining thriller. I think I'm reading these all out of order, but I had no trouble following the thread of the series. I'm actually looking forward to seeing if Montalvo makes an appearance in future books.
February 15, 2023
There also isn't anything really steamy in the book which I feel like is being led up to but then dropped. However, once again, a few chapters into Stalemate and I'm completely hooked. Full review: https://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews...
May 17, 2023
New love interest? Not sure if I like that or not
November 13, 2012
I've been a long-time fan of Iris Johansen, especially the Eve Duncan series. Although STALEMATE is decidedly different from the other stories starring Eve Duncan from the past, I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it--so much so that I stayed up until 3am to finish the book.
Yes, the Eve in this story isn't the saintly, never-do-anything-wrong Eve that many readers have come to know and love. She becomes attracted to a bad guy who, at least in the beginning of the story, is the mother of all bad guys. Montalvo, however, isn't what he appears to be--just, as it would turn out, the same way that solid, ever-steady Eve isn't just the pushover we've always thought her to be.
The action in this story is non-stop, with a great appearance by Galen (one of my favorite characters of all-time) and with a great new character, 19-year-old Miguel. Montalvo, I'll admit, is a very, very appealing character; whether he's being a bad guy who seems to kill without compunction or a sensitive man who lost his wife to a drug lord, you can't help but find yourself drawn to him.
I, for one, am hoping that Ms. Johansen brings Montalvo back for more stories. Whether or not Eve and Joe (who, by the way, acted like a giant, ego-bruised baby throughout most of this story) can get their relationship back on track, or whether Eve will allow her attraction to Montalvo to grow, we'll have to wait and see.
But STALEMATE is definitely not a disappointing read. Kudos to Ms. Johansen for bringing back an Eve Duncan who actually started to act like a real, fallible human being, instead of a perfect, wounded princess.
Yes, the Eve in this story isn't the saintly, never-do-anything-wrong Eve that many readers have come to know and love. She becomes attracted to a bad guy who, at least in the beginning of the story, is the mother of all bad guys. Montalvo, however, isn't what he appears to be--just, as it would turn out, the same way that solid, ever-steady Eve isn't just the pushover we've always thought her to be.
The action in this story is non-stop, with a great appearance by Galen (one of my favorite characters of all-time) and with a great new character, 19-year-old Miguel. Montalvo, I'll admit, is a very, very appealing character; whether he's being a bad guy who seems to kill without compunction or a sensitive man who lost his wife to a drug lord, you can't help but find yourself drawn to him.
I, for one, am hoping that Ms. Johansen brings Montalvo back for more stories. Whether or not Eve and Joe (who, by the way, acted like a giant, ego-bruised baby throughout most of this story) can get their relationship back on track, or whether Eve will allow her attraction to Montalvo to grow, we'll have to wait and see.
But STALEMATE is definitely not a disappointing read. Kudos to Ms. Johansen for bringing back an Eve Duncan who actually started to act like a real, fallible human being, instead of a perfect, wounded princess.
August 12, 2011
Normally I really enjoy her books. This was not one of them. For that reason I am only giving it a 3 star. It was not terrible but, it was not one of her better books that I really love to read. I am not sure if it was that I may have been preoccupied by something else or if it was about how the character of Joe was shown that made me not so crazy about this story.
Normally, I like Joe in the series but, this one I did not care for him at all. I know most people love to have a man that is a 'knight in shinning armour' but, this time, Joe was awful. Eve told him to stay in Atlanta as she did not want him in Columbia with her but, he would not listen and showed up with Galen. After he got shot, and Eve wanted him to rest and try to get better he would not as he wanted to go afer Diaz even though he knew he was not 100% better. Finally he left with Galen to go after and kill Diaz and ended up becoming a hostage of sort. He did not listen to a single word or take what she said into consideration. I have read other books that are later in this series and thankfully he has not been portrayed like this again.
It was a bit intriguing to see how Eve and Montago interacted with each other as he said, 'I look into a mirror and I see you'. The two of them together make it very interesting. Even Miguel was a bit different even though you saw how he basically worshipped him but, you have to give him credit for killing Miguel's dad and then taking him under his wing to take care of him.
Normally, I like Joe in the series but, this one I did not care for him at all. I know most people love to have a man that is a 'knight in shinning armour' but, this time, Joe was awful. Eve told him to stay in Atlanta as she did not want him in Columbia with her but, he would not listen and showed up with Galen. After he got shot, and Eve wanted him to rest and try to get better he would not as he wanted to go afer Diaz even though he knew he was not 100% better. Finally he left with Galen to go after and kill Diaz and ended up becoming a hostage of sort. He did not listen to a single word or take what she said into consideration. I have read other books that are later in this series and thankfully he has not been portrayed like this again.
It was a bit intriguing to see how Eve and Montago interacted with each other as he said, 'I look into a mirror and I see you'. The two of them together make it very interesting. Even Miguel was a bit different even though you saw how he basically worshipped him but, you have to give him credit for killing Miguel's dad and then taking him under his wing to take care of him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2015
I don't know why I keep reading these. I'd also read Quicksand, the 8th book in the series, last summer, so I had already met Miguel and Montalvo (although I'd forgotten Montalvo, I definitely Miguel's spunky excitement!). This book's plot, if you can find one, is for Eve to put herself in danger by flying to a drug lord's house and helping him recover the skull of his wife to prove to his father-in-law that she's dead so they can work to overthrow Montalvo's rival. Naturally, Eve flies out because Montalvo tells her he can help her find Bonnie and so she sneaks out without telling Joe Quinn, who then decides to fly out with Galen to protect her because she's obviously putting herself in harm's way. And they fight about how she doesn't need protecting. It's like Johansen writes the same book each time.... but clearly people keep reading them (er, me).
Toward the end, I skimmed the book - it's easy to do when the dialogue largely remains the same in each iteration ("Joe, I can protect myself." "Dammit, you can't. I love you." "I'm not happy until I find Bonnie, you don't understand.")
Toward the end, I skimmed the book - it's easy to do when the dialogue largely remains the same in each iteration ("Joe, I can protect myself." "Dammit, you can't. I love you." "I'm not happy until I find Bonnie, you don't understand.")
December 29, 2019
Luis Montalvo, known to be extremely dangerous and unwilling to take no for an answer, has approached Eve Duncan to complete a reconstruction for him. This is not the type of reconstruction that Eve normally engages in; she works with law enforcement to bring lost children home. Montalvo is far from the law, the closest description of the man to use the word law is lawless.
When Montalvo offers Eve her Bonnie, she cannot say no. She will abandon everything and everyone to finally be able to learn what happened to her daughter and finally lay her to rest.
Eve has forgotten everything she has learned from Joe Quinn, and she is now living in a compound in the Colombian jungle. Between two warring, deadly factions and every choice she makes could lead her to her own death.
When Montalvo offers Eve her Bonnie, she cannot say no. She will abandon everything and everyone to finally be able to learn what happened to her daughter and finally lay her to rest.
Eve has forgotten everything she has learned from Joe Quinn, and she is now living in a compound in the Colombian jungle. Between two warring, deadly factions and every choice she makes could lead her to her own death.
March 28, 2014
You can pretty much read the back of the book and get all that you need to know from this book. The characters make puzzling decisions, decisions that no rational person, even those on a personal mission, would ever make. The decisions were so off-base from the characters that it made the book harder to enjoy. The best thing about this book was Miguel, hands down my favorite character, he outshone the main characters by far. I don't know what happened with this series but this book vered far off track for me.
July 9, 2012
I have not read any of the other books in the Eve Duncan series, and this doesn't make me want to go back and start. Eve is so beautiful and ethical and BORING. I don't care if she is having problems with her significant other Joe (who is ex CIA/Police/Seal. I am not making that up). I don't care about her dead daughter. I don't care about Montalvo, the weapons dealer with a heart. It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't good.
June 12, 2020
I had read this book, but the story didn’t stand out. I love all of her books , but this on and off with Joe is getting boring. She needs to make a decision. I vote yes. The problem with Bonnie went on and on though it was worth the read. Please don’t do that with Joe. Lots of action. 3.75 rounded to 4 stars.
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