Shadow Play: A British Police Procedural... 3, 5 stars

Had I known that Shadow Play was the book#20 in the series, I would have never requested it - I prefer to read my series from the very beginning and in the right order. Besides, I’ve recently made some negative experience with the sequels that were parts of a series and shouldn’t be read as a stand-alone.

Surprise-surprise! Shadow Play COULD be read as a stand-alone. I think though, I could have enjoyed it much more, had I had more time to create a stronger emotional connection to the characters. To board the series at the book #20 is very optimistic. And of course it is difficult to be on the same level with those readers who got to know the characters from the birth. Nevertheless, I would say, the structure of the plot gives you a good opportunity to enter the story at any book.

What I enjoyed here mostly is the team work. They are not just good colleagues that worked successful together, they all good friends. There is no a MAIN CHARACTER in the usual sense of it or how one could expect from the series with the name of a team leader in the title. Bill Slider doesn’t dominate this installment, and I'm not sure he DID it before.
I had a lot of fun with the guys there. The investigation was interesting and not predictable, only it turned out to be a little bit too real estate/construction loaded for my taste.


Not a WOW mystery, but well-written, solid and entertaining through and through. I mostly enjoyed the dialogues, cheery banter and British humor.

PS. BTW, observation cameras in London is not a bad invention.

***Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Brilliant, I just loved this story.

About this author:

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 had seventeen consecutive New York Times bestsellers as of November 2006.

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 assistantbook synopsis:

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

 

what did I think of the cover: I love it, there's something about the cover that just pulled me in to it that made mw what to pick up the book.

 

What did I think of the main characters: I instantly felled in love with Eve Duncan  and her boyfriend  Joe Quinn, loved how it seemed to me that they know what each other was thinking, and how no matter what happened in this story they was there for each other.

 

What did I think of the story:

First I want to say thinks to Iris Johansen  and her publishers as well to  my Goodreads group Mysteries & Crime Thrillers, and to their blog MCT , for letting me request an ACR of this great book in a change for my honest opinion. So with that said let's get on to what I thought: What can I say OMG I loved it even though its the first time I've ever read any thing by Iris Johansen and even though this is book 19 of the Eve Duncan series ,I'm still glad that I decided to pick it up, because for a while now I've be think about picking up this series but at the same time I was also afraid that I might not like it, but when I found out that my goodreads group Mysteries & Crime Thrillers had copies of this ARC to request I went head and requested it, and once again I have to say that I'm glad I did, there was something about this story that had me form the start, it just kept pulling me into the story, loved how it has a touch of the supernatural that made parts of the story feel unearthly, but that's just some of the stuff that kept me coming back to it, because I had to find out what happen, who killed the little girl and why, and I loved reading about Eve's job, because this is the first book I've read that the main character worked in the field of forensic sculpting and that even kept me coming back for more, it made everything more real .What can I say everything about this book had my hooked from the star, it just wouldn't let me stop reading, it was, awesome, amazing, and stunning at the same time, and when a book it like that it keeps me coming back for more of that series, which means as soon I can I'll be picking up book one to this really great series.

I do seem to have some weird knack to start reading the last published book in a series lately. Shadow Play is book 19 in the Eve Duncan series, but it was super easy to get into this book and get the basic fact about Eve Duncan, Joe Quinn, Margaret Douglas and Bonnie.

 

Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor and she is sent the skull of a young old girl that was found buried eight years in the forest. But it seems that the killer hasn't forgotten her and soon Eve is in danger and it seems that somewhere out there is another little girl in danger and Eve must now try with the help of her friends and the ghost of the dead girl help try to find out who the killer is and who his next target is...

I really liked this book. It was fast-paced, it had an interesting story. I liked the characters and it wasn't too much romance in it. And, I loved the paranormal part of the story. The story had just the perfect blend of thriller and paranormal. And, not too much focus on sex. Eve and Joe may be a couple, but they don't have several pages of graphic sex. Sometimes I think books lose the focus and miss the fact that a good story and well-written characters are the most importing thing. Or perhaps it has something to do with that I can't stand erotica.

Anyway, I was curious about this series and decided to give the book series a shot when I saw this book was available at NetGalley to request. The story was really engrossing and I could hardly stop reading the book. I will only read one chapter more and suddenly had I been reading an hour. I really liked the mystery of the book. I liked that it wasn't an obvious story that it surprised me from time to time.

I'm really glad that I read this book and I'm looking forward to reading the previous 19 books!

 

I received this copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you!

September 27:

• Damaged - H.M. Ward, #6 in The Sacred Hearts MC

 

September 28:

• Harvest Moon - Lisa Kessler, #4 in Moon
• Icebound - J.B. North, #2 in Legends of the Shifters
• Tequila & Lace - Kimberly Knight, #2 in Saddles and Racks

 

September 29:

• About a Vampire - Lynsay Sands, #22 in Argeneau Vampires
• The Aeronaut's Windlass - Jim Butcher, #1 in The Cinder Spires
• After You: A Novel - Jojo Moyes, #2 in Me Before You
• All I Want For Christmas is Fudge - Nancy Coco, #4 in Candy-Coated Mysteries