Name: The Face of Deception
ISBN: 9780340739303

Iris Johansen

When forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is asked by a businessman to recreate a face from a skull, it seems like a routine job. Until the skull begins to reveal its shocking identity. For that face belongs to a man who's supposed to be alive, a man of vital importance to the nation. And now Eve is the target of some powerful enemies who are determined to see the skull remains a secret - no matter who gets buried with it.

The Face of Deception

Number-one "New York Times"-bestselling author Johansen creates a compelling novel of suspense, and introduces her most popular character ever: forensic sculptor Eve Duncan.

Alina

I can't believe the plot of this book. I would classify it as fantasy. It even has supernatural elements, with Eve hallucinating all the time and talking to the ghost of her dead daughter. The “hero” instantly irked me, and I wanted the heroine to shoot the bastard. Since all books have a formula, they end up sleeping together (fortunately at the end and off-page). The forced relationship/attraction is also something I dislike. The main character in any book must have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone they meet. Not all single people need a partner for intimacy.

Eve perseveres despite a challenging life. Her grief over losing her daughter inspires her to identify the skulls of missing and unidentified children. As the book progresses, she becomes a doormat… I hate it when books do that. Instead of arguing with the surrounding men, she bows down to them when they say boo. She keeps talking about how she’s standing up to them, but she’s not.

The villain is a cartoon character. He is so terrible it’s laughable. He committed a violent act on a minor character who had no significance to the story. A book should not include violence against women if it doesn't contribute to the plot or character development. 

The plot and reasons make little sense. This could be science fiction. The reason behind everything is… politics! In order to prevent a republican from winning, someone wants a different candidate to win an election because the current one is an imposter. There is also the JFK conspiracy that isn’t. I dislike books that bombard you with heavy-handed politics. I wouldn’t have touched this book if I had known it contained so much political nonsense. A warning in the book blurb could prevent wasted time.

The book is ideal for someone who wants an easy yet engaging read. As an avid reader seeking immersion in a story, I'd steer clear of this book.

Fran Lewis

Shawna Gavas

Mary Lawrence

Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor who can recreate the faces of the dead by reconstructing their skulls. A routine reconstruction using computers, plasticine, and clay plunges Eve into a frightening odyssey of greed and violence.