Review: Shadow Play by Iris Johansen (audio)

Title:Shadow Play

Author:Iris Johansen

Series:Eve Duncan, #19

Narrator:Elisabeth Rodgers

Published:September 2015, Brilliance Audio

Length:9 hours 27 minutes

Source:Publisher

An explosive new Eve Duncan thriller from the New York Times #1 bestselling author

Eve
Duncan is the most sought-after artist in the field of forensic
sculpting. Dedicated to her work ever since her daughter Bonnie was
taken and killed at the age of seven, Eve feels a sense of duty to those
whose lives were lost and whose bones are now in her hands. When a
sheriff in California contacts her with a request for help on the
reconstruction of the skull of a nine-year-old girl whose body has been
buried for eight years, his intensity and investment in the case puzzle
her. But when the ghost of the girl begins communicating with her, Eve
finds herself wrapped up in the case more intensely than she could have
ever imagined. Not since Bonnie has Eve had such an experience, and
suddenly she finds herself determined to solve the murder and help the
little girl find peace. Except that the killer is still out there, and
he knows Eve is on the case. And he won’t rest until anything and anyone
that could reveal his identity is eliminated…

My thoughts:Iris Johansen is one of my favorite go-to authors who creates amazingly strong female characters. Eve Duncan was the first of her characters that I fell in love with so long ago and am ever so glad that this series is still going strong. It’s taken some interesting turns along the way, some I wasn’t sure were going to work, but I’ve stuck with it and am so glad…I just love this series and love seeing Eve in action!

It’s been a while since the last Eve Duncan book, but if you read Iris‘s other series – the Kendra Michael’s series and the Catherine Ling series, then you have seen Eve. It’s weird, but they are all sort of interconnected and kind of play off of each other. While it’s not absolutely necessary to read all three series, I like it because I happen to enjoy all the characters, but I also like following all the character development that happens. 

As is the case with the last few books, you have to go into this story with a willingness of suspension of disbelief at times. In other words, that aspect of paranormalism is back that I have sort of come to expect with this series. It’s taken a step further though, when it isn’t just Bonnie communicating with Eve but someone else as well. 

As Eve starts working on her latest case, she travels to California and with the help of Joe and Margaret, things take on an urgent pace. She has figured out who the skull belongs to but can she prevent another child from being murdered. And can she trust the ones she is out there to work with?

I loved that Margaret is back in this book. I really have come to enjoy when she appears in the books. She has this uncanny knack for being able to communicate with animals – again you need to be able to suspend belief a little with this book, but I really like Margaret’s character, so I’m ok with that. She’s quirky and weird but interesting at the same time. I do hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of her – she’s almost like a breath of fresh air when she’s around – full of innocence. 

This is an intense, suspenseful book. It’s full of twists and turns that keep you hooked throughout and the ending leaves you anxiously waiting for the next book. Luckily, this being part of a trilogy, the next story will come rather quickly…and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!!!

Audio thoughts:Can I just tell you how much I love Elisabeth Rodger narrating these books? I have been listening to her narrate almost all of Iris Johansen’s books for quite a while now and I can‘t think of a better narrator. She does the voices so well and is able to articulate the danger and action and emotions just perfectly, in my opinion at least. I’m so glad that she has continued to narrate this series and that she also narrates Iris’s other series as well, being that there is so much cross-over amongst the characters.

Books in this series:

     1.   The Face of Deception            12.   Eve
     2.   The Killing Game                       13.   Quinn
     3.   The Search                                   14.   Bonnie
     4.   Body of Lies                                 15.   Sleep No More                            

     4.5   Dead Aim                                   16.   Taking Eve
     5.   Blind Alley                                   17.   Hunting Eve
     6.   Countdown                                  18.   Silencing Eve
     7.   Stalemate                                     19.   Shadow Play

     8.   Quicksand                                    20.   Hide Away – due out Apr 2016

     9.   Blood Game                                 21.   Night & Day – due out Jul 2016

    10.  Eight Days to Live

    11.  Chasing the Night