Eve [Hardcover]

I've finished "Eve" the 1st book in her new trilogy by Iris Johansen.

Product Description

The #1 bestselling author delivers the first in a trilogy that will begin to answer questions that have haunted her legion of fans for over a decade, in her newest novel of breathtaking suspense.

Eve Duncan’s mission in life is to bring closure to the families who have experienced the agony of a missing child. As a forensic sculptor, she is able to piece together bones, create a face, and bring an identity to a child who would have otherwise gone unidentified…maybe forever. Eve is brilliant, and driven, and tormented -- because her own daughter, Bonnie, was taken from her years ago. And Eve has never discovered what happened to her. But now a name from the past resurfaces, thanks to CIA agent Catherine Ling who knows all too well what it’s like to lose a child. After teaming up with Agent Ling to find her missing son, Eve and Catherine share a bond forged by their mutual pain. Now, Catherine challenges Eve with a name: John Gallo. A man from Eve’s past. A man, seemingly raised from the dead, whose whereabouts are unknown. Could Gallo be the missing piece to the puzzle that has haunted Eve for years? Why was he in Atlanta just before Bonnie’s disappearance? With a brilliant narrative that goes back to Eve Duncan’s early life, exploring her history and motivations like no other novel before, Eve reveals long-guarded secrets and is guaranteed to leave Johansen fans panting for more — soon to come in Quinn (October 2011).

About the Author

IRIS JOHANSEN is the New York Times bestselling author of Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Silent Thunder (with Roy Johansen), Pandora’s Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, No One to Trust, and more. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (April 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312651201
ISBN-13: 978-0312651206

My Review:

Storyline:   Eve is a forensic sculptor who has dedicated her life to recapturing the face and images of adults and children to help families with closure and to bring their love one back home.  She names each skull and identifies with the unknown person makes her job rewarding. 
 
Eve has been with Detective Joe Quinn for many years and still feels the heartache when Bonnie her seven-year old daughter was kidnapped.  Neither her body or bones have ever been found.

Then Catherine Ling springs a surprise on Eve that John Gallo who she thought was dead killed on a mission is still alive but missing.  It brings up resurfaced old feelings which emerges which causes Joe to be angry and jealous and results are dangerous as all of the players come into focus and the truth about where he has been is revealed.

We learn Eve's mother was a drug-user and always picks the wrong guys to go home with.

The first time John Gallo and Eve's meeting, their relationship and back-story is vividly and clearly told in this novel. John is definitely charismatic, handsome and totally into Eve at first glance. He's her knight in protective armor coming to her rescue when several boys try to attack her.  John is attracted to her gutsy manner for  sticking up for her friend and attempts to seduce Eve to enter a romantic relationship with him.

We also learn about the brutal torture Gallo went through during his captivity by the Koreans after being betrayed by his own country and how it has affected him to this day.  Sometimes he gets really angry spells and you never know what will happen.

As you begin to get more facts she goes after John and finds him and many others that she would rather avoid. Queen seems to have a strong hold on John as does the man they are seeking Paul Black. She finds there is much more as she also reaches out to Montalvo someone else who is also cunning, dangerous and also wants Eve.

When Joe is injured in one of their encounters and returns home Eve starts to work on her latest skull only to be enticed and lured to Milwaukee and into the arms of John Gallo. When Joe reads her note and calls Catherine they immediately go in search of Eve hoping to find her before it's too late. But she will not give up until Bonnie's bones and skull is found and she recreates the face and is finally laid to rest.

When John expresses his true feelings and the reason he set up Eve to come to him she learns more about Paul Black and finds out about his handiwork as he kills someone close to John, seriously injures another and kidnaps a child. Reflecting back to Queen and his relationship with him he recounts to Eve the possible leverage he might have to negotiate with him. That would be an incriminating ledger whose information would link him to some serious allies in Korea. 

Why Paul Black is so uncontrollable stems as far back as his childhood when he killed a classmate?

Characters:  Eve is relentless, persistent, vulnerable, hardheaded and definitely unrelenting when it comes to getting what she wants and going after it.

Joe is a former Navy Seal now an Atlanta police detective who never thought he would fall in love with Eve during the investigation of Bonnie's kidnapping. 

Paul Black is a psychopathic pedophile killer who is an assassin for the CIA who really enjoys his kills.

Nate Queen is a rogue CIA agent who controls both of them for money!  He even hires other assassins to kill both Paul and John.

Romance:  The romance between John and Eve was very sexy and steamy but not love at first sight.  More like lust a lot of lust!

Killer:  Nate Queen is willing to kill anyone that would interfere with him getting back the Ledger from John or anything to do with money.

Paul Black was really sadistic in his killings and really enjoyed the thrill of it.  He is truly psychotic!

4/5