Review: The Killing Game by Iris Johnasen

Title: The Killing Game 

Author:  Iris Johansen
Publisher: Bantam
Publishing Date:  January 1st, 1999

Pages: 355
Genre: Adult Suspense Thriller

Series:  Eve Duncan #2
Source:  Audio

 

A MERCILESS KILLER ON THE HUNT ... AN INNOCENT CHILD IN HIS SIGHTS ... A WOMAN DRIVEN TO THE EDGE TO STOP HIM

The killer knows Eve Duncan all too well. He knows the pain she feels for her murdered daughter, Bonnie, whose body has never been found. He knows that as one of the nation's top forensic sculptors she'll insist on identifying the nine skeletons unearthed on a bluff near Georgia's Talladega Falls. He knows she won't be able to resist the temptation of believing that one of those skeletons might be her daughter's. But that is only the beginning of the killer's sadistic game. He wants Eve one on one, and he'll use his ace in the hole to make sure she complies. And he won't stop playing until he claims the prize he wants most: Eve's life.

This is the second book in the Eve Duncan series, a series that I started when the books first came out and never did get past the 4th or 5th book. I don't even remember. I just know I liked them and not sure why I didn't continue the series. So I have started them over since I don't remember any of the books. This one one I liked better than the first. I felt there was more story and more romance and more action. I loved it. 


Eve Duncan lost her daughter Bonnie years ago, she was murdered, the murderer has since been convicted and executed, but Eve was never told where her daughter's body was. She feels there is no closure. She now works as forensic sculptor and her current job has brought into question crimes of the past. She gets a phone call from the supposed killer of Bonnie and he wants Eve to find Bonnie's body. He also wants Jane to bond with a new girl that is Bonnie's age,before her death. This sends Eve and her cop friend Joe and a few others on a wild chase of a maniac trying to catch him, solve some murders, and keep a little girl safe. Things just got hairy for Eve Duncan.

I really liked this book. I feel we got to know Eve so much better. This book brought in a little bit of her past, where she grew up, where Bonnie disapperared, what kind of person Eve really is. We also see more of Joe. I have to say he is a bit much at first, but I like him. 

This is the book where Jane is introduced. Jane really brings out a different side in Eve. Jane is the same age as Eve's daughter when she disappeared. It is easy for Eve to grown an attachment to her and want to keep her safe. Jane is a wild card. She is tough and vibrant and sassy. I loved her. 

I really really really enjoyed the msysteyr and the thrilling chase in this book. The wild good chase of the buried bodies, also keeping under the radar, and keeping Jane safe. It was a lot and there was never a dull moment. I didn't figure out the killer, even though I read this before, even though I had my suspicions, I still kept them suspicions at arms length. I wasn't convinced. 

I looked forward to the next book in this series. There are a lot of books and I hope I don't grow tired of them before I catch up. I don't think I will though. 

A great mystery thriller. Loved it. 

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