My first and last Johansen was 1996's Ugly Duckling, I was 19 at the time. I remember being hesitant to pick up that one because she had written romances up to that point. I took it down to the beach and read it in one day. I really enjoyed it. It was truly a beach read.

I was excited to pick up this one and had not realized it was the 22nd in a series. I don't know if this affected my experience. I also have to factor in that the book I read before is the superb A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny, but I was annoyed at how much Johansen explained. What I look for in a mystery or thriller is to be kept continually guessing because of red herrings. Johansen has not mastered those nuances. If you are looking for a fun beach read, this book may be for you, but if you are an enthusiast of this genre, look elsewhere.

*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.


Book 22 in the Eve Duncan series. Iris has done it again!! I always seem to love her books and cannot put them down once I start with this one being the same way. Eve's son is a toddler now with some remarkable abilities which is nice to see, but the focus of this book is all about Jane. it should come as no surprise that this also includes Caleb though we get quite a few insights into his past for this installment. The writing is excellent and we are very quickly caught up in a world of suspense, action, and a little mystery as all of the events unfold. There are plenty of surprises along the way and an absolutely awesome finale. You really have to read this if you have read any of the other books in the series or if you just love a good suspense book in general. I loved every single page so it gets 5/5 stars.

Mind Game is aptly titled as the majority of the book deals with mind-reading, mind-melding etc. If you are looking for a book that deals with the paranormal, suspense, mystery, mythology, adventure and romance all in one (yes, hard to believe, but true!), you have found your match.

It's nice to see Ms. Johansen get away from Eve and Joe storylines and focus more on Jane and her cohorts and I commend her for making the change (though keeping Eve and Joe in the background to be revisited as needed).

While I have read and enjoyed most of the books in the Eve Duncan series, this was just OK for me. Nothing really wrong, nothing really good. I think I'm just getting tired of the series, which is a personal thing, and by no means should keep new readers from exploring this series.

My thanks to GoodReads and NetGalley who both provided me with advance copies of this book, and of course St. Martin's Press, one of the best publishing houses out there in my humble opinion.

Always an exciting read by Johansen! Just the right mixture of all aspects of a mystery, action, and relationships! I hate when the book ends and I have to wait for the next one.

I have always enjoyed the Eve Duncan books, but I think enough is enough. This story tied up a lot of loose ends and brought together many of the characters we met along the way, so perhaps this is the last one in the series. Once again the extra-sensory powers of mind melding, controlling a person's blood and dreams sending messages play into the story. We meet Michael, Eve's and Joe's young son, who seems to be super intelligent and have "a way" about him to calm and learn things quickly. He is two but seems to have a vocabulary of one much older. We end up back in Scotland for part of the story as well as in Dubai, where the evil foster mother of Seth Caleb's sisters hatches her plot that involved Jane. It was okay and I did finish it, but it was not one that I devoured like others in the series. Based on the reviews, there are many that are die-hard Johansen fans and loved it, so I would recommend it to those readers. If you have not read others in this series, this would not be the one to start with.

Jane and Caleb continue with their flirtation dance when his sister Lisa is kidnapped to blackmail Caleb. ARC from NetGalley. Review on GoodReads.

I have loved every story in the Eve Duncan series and this book just continues the awesome story! This book is all about Jane, Eve and Joe's adopted daughter and her continued quest to help MacDuff find Cira's treasure. I didn't think they'd ever find what they were looking for, and although I'm still waiting for Jane to get her happy ending, it's nice that Eve and Joe have finally gotten one. I still want more stories of them though!!

This review is based on a galley copy from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Take a mystery complete with scenes that conjure up supernatural feelings, add a healthy dose of paranormal talents and a dash of yummy attraction and you have a recipe for the next fabulous installment in the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen. MIND GAME is an assault on your rational instincts – a true case of suspended belief.

Welcome to the world of Eve Duncan, forensic scientist extraordinaire and her team of friends and family if MIND GAME is your first book of this series. Don’t worry – Iris Johansen makes sure you have all the necessary tools and facts to navigate this new tale. Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn, ex-SEAL and current police officer, adopted Jane when she was ten. With their son Michael now two Eve, Cara, Joe, Jane and Michael are a wonderfully close family. Albeit perhaps a bit unconventional but who said what is normal. Love makes a family and these folks have it in spades.

Jane gets visions, not often but compelling and she records them through her sketches. That’s how she meets Lisa. Now Jane is determined to keep Lisa safe. Seth Caleb is back in Jane’s life, somewhat at least, and through Caleb Janes connection to Lisa has been strengthened.

Back at Loch Gaelkar Jane is once again thrust into MacGuff and Jocks world looking for Cira’s treasure. Big question has always been in what form is this treasure hidden in the mist. But the search and its resources are unlimited. Jane’s dreams involving Lisa follow her to Loch Gaelkar and somehow Jane feels perhaps Cira could be a help to find clues to Lisa’s location and identity. Why is this Lisa reaching out to Jane.

So much going on and the storyline just gets more mystic and entangled with all the folks in Jane’s life. Are you ready for an adventure of the mind and heart – then look no further than MIND GAME.

As usual with an Iris Johansen I feel compelled to be sparing with details. That would be unfair. I leave the joy of the discovery and voyage to you the reader. Suffice it to say – MIND GAME is a real page turner and such fun.

As I read MIND GAME I realized it could have easily been titled Choices. At every twist and turn in this fight to live drama someone has to make a choice and in the aftermath learn how to live with their choices. Seth Caleb has spent his life getting past his label of demon given by all who knew him, pretended to love him with only two exceptions – his sisters. Now Seth has only his younger sister Lisa. Their young lives were willed with angst and harshness. Seth did his best to keep Lisa safe and avoid her practicing any of the extraordinary talents she shared with him. One demon in the family was enough.

But there is one other person who has invaded Seth Caleb’s life – Jane MacGuire. Jane with a hellish childhood of her own is now finally part of a family.

MIND GAME is about manipulating people. Bad guy versus possibly good guys in an otherworldly battle of the wits. But it is a battle to the death and the odds seem stacked against Caleb, Lisa and Jane. Enjoy.

Iris Johansen is just so talented. Love all of her books and can’t wait for the next one to come out. Please pick up a copy!

I love this author's work and Mind Games was no disappoint. It is a very well written thriller with a great plot that kept me engaged until the conclusion. I recommend to readers who enjoy a good thriller.

If you like a fast paced suspense filled book, you will not be disappointed in this latest offering from Iris Johansen. It moves fast , but has all the detail that will get you invested in the story and the characters.

I’ve read many of the Eve Duncan series and, once again, I wish there had been something about Eve as a forensic sculptor. There is a small aside comment but otherwise, the book is really about Jane and Caleb.

Jane has had visions from Cira, a former slave who lived hundreds of years before. Cira has been leading Jane to her family’s treasure of gold coins which are supposedly hidden in Scotland. In this story, not only does Jane have Cira to contend with, suddenly a new individual begins haunting her dreams.

Seth Caleb haunts her days as she has promised to surrender to him and she is very much confused by who he is and what he wants.

This novel provides many answers to Jane, gives a little closure on various fronts but also opens new characters, progresses some of the younger ones (about a two year jump since the last book), and seems to provide areas where new adventures can begin.

I look forward to those but also wish to see more with Eve. It might be time to split some of the characters off into their own series so that Eve can get back to what was so appealing about her character in the first place.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Cira is back! That is Cira not Cara. Well, Cara is back too, but only for a short while. For those of you not familiar with Cira, she was a slave girl turned actress during the times of Ancient Rome. She was also a real life person in the dreams of modern day Jane McGuire. Cira was introduced in the fifth book of the series, Blind Alley, when Jane was an adolescent and found that she had the ability to see into the past life of Cira through her dreams. McGuire also found that Cira had hidden away a massive treasure in Scotland on what is now the property of Angus MacDuff which was the focus in the sixth novel of the series, Countdown. MacDuff has been searching for that treasure for some time and over several novels. Well, he is back at it again in Mind Game and this time he has help from Cira through Jane McGuire. So maybe, just maybe, MacDuff will find his treasure.

Dreams about Cira are not the only dreams that Jane is having, she is also dreaming about someone else and that person has a connection to Seth Caleb. Seth Caleb is this quasi-vampire like character that was introduced to the series in the ninth book of the series, Blood Game. Seth has had his eyes on Jane for some time, but McGuire has had this teasing relationship with him. She wants to be with him, but at the same time she doesn’t. In Mind Game, Jane finds that Seth has a vulnerability and, of course, women like it when strong men show they can be vulnerable. So is this the thing that will get McGuire to say yes to Caleb? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

Even though this is an Eve Duncan book, Eve has taken a back seat on this one, but she is not gone. In fact, Eve is planning a big event that will be the highlight in Mind Game. Those that have read the previous book in the series, Night and Day, knows that Duncan is about to give birth to a baby boy which she named Michael. In Mind Game, the baby has not only been born but is now a toddler at the age of two. I mentioned in my review of Night and Day that Michael seemed to be special and he is starting to show how special in Mind Game.

The Eve Duncan series is my trashy novel indulgence which I hate to love, but yes, I do love it. I look forward to the next novel to see what spectacular new character that Johansen cooks up. Ghosts, vampires, and a character that can mind meld with animals are all there. So what will be next? I guess we will get to find out soon as the next novel, Scattered Mirror, is expected to be released next April.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Mind Game. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Jane MacGuire finds herself in a swirling mass of danger and intrigue, brought on by dreams that she soon figures out are not ordinary. Enter Seth Caleb, once again in her life, but this time in a more vulnerable position. Between searching the highlands for Cira's treasure and inadvertently placing herself in harm's way, will Jane be able to solve the mystery? Will she be able to help the mysterious woman from her dreams?

Author Iris Johansen spends so much time reiterating the events from the previous books that it is not exactly necessary to have prior knowledge of the characters. The characters from the main novels, as well as the periphery ones, make cameo appearances here, giving me the impression that the series may be ending. In my opinion, the author has taken this set of characters as far as they can go, especially since I have found the books as of late to be extremely repetitive. I would recommend Mind Game to readers of the whole series, for the simple fact that so many open-ended plot lines converge.

This book was provided to me by Netgalley:

I had not read Iris Johansen's works before but was immediately hooked with Mind Game. The plot was intriguing and the special powers that were incorporated made it that much more thrilling to read. I am definitely going to go through and start reading the series from the first book and look forward to her next release!

If you ever want to get into the mind of a mystery writer, this author is the perfect one to read. Intense drama, realistic characters and action that just doesn't stop. Right from the beginning, Jane's adventure with assassins, hidden treasure, missing family and possible romantic association will grip your imagination and pull you along on her journey of danger, excitement and suspense.

Actual Rating 3.75 Stars

It has been a long time since I read an Iris Johansen book and I couldn’t wait to get into this. It was mysterious, intriguing, heart pounding….all the things that made me miss reading suspenseful thrillers.
Mind Game is book number 22 in the Eve Duncan series. I haven’t read every book, but I have read a few of the very first ones.

While Eve is not a major character in this book, her adopted daughter with Joe is… Jane. Jane is headed to Scotland in search of a lost treasure that she has been searching for. However, she keeps getting psychic messages from someone named Lisa, who we can guess is in danger. She decides teams up with Seth Caleb, the man who has been chasing her for years. He is a bit dangerous, but she needs his help. However, Seth might just need her help. Who is this Lisa woman? How are they linked? Can they save her?

The storyline was complex and a little over the top at times, but it kept my attention. However, I didn’t like a few things. No one calls each other by their first names all of the time. I thought some of the psychic abilities were a bit unbelievable. And somethings are mentioned numerous times, almost like a filler for words. But it still kept me entertained.

Now with this being the 22nd book, it was a bit hard to follow since its been awhile since I read this series, but hold on and you will eventually grasp it. I felt that it took me longer than normal to read this just because I was trying to make sure I followed and understood everything.

Mind Game is suspense filled, angsty a bit, a tiny bit of romance and full of action. It was an enjoyable read, but I didn’t love it. I do recommend this series to anyone and I suggest starting at the beginning. Not saying you have to read every book, but definitely try the first few. Iris Johansen I remember why I fell in love with your writing so many years ago...thank you!

I couldn't get into this story about Jane. The book was well written and the characterization great, as always, but the story didn't do anything for me

Mind Game is the 22nd book in Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series, but the immersion into a complex, daunting plot is instantaneous. Eve Duncan knows, intuitively, that Jane MacGuire is troubled, and she insists that they talk about it. One definition of mind game is “a series of deliberate actions or responses planned for psychological effect on another, typically for amusement or competitive advantage,” but Eve’s mind game is rooted in compassion and problem-solving.

It wouldn’t do any good to try to lie to her, Jane knew. From the time Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn had adopted her off the streets when she was ten years old, she and Eve had been so close that anything but total honesty was out of the question. Eve was one of the foremost forensic sculptors in the world, but she was also Jane’s best friend. They had been through tragedy and joy together, and now that Eve had given birth to a son, Michael, Jane had been privileged to share that with Eve and Joe, too. “Nothing that I can’t handle.” She made a face. “Maybe I’m a little sad to be going back to Scotland and leaving you and Joe and the baby.”

That explanation doesn’t fly. Jane is trying to make a career for herself; she doesn’t want to “bother” Eve with something nebulous, something that makes her feel helpless. But Eve is relentless:

“First, you’re not a budding artist; you’re totally brilliant,” Eve said firmly. “Second, you know there’s no such thing as bother when it’s family. Talk to me. Or we’ll be out here all night.”

She meant it, Jane knew. Family was everything to all of them. She drew a deep breath. “Dreams. I’ve had dreams for the past six nights.”

Jane is dreaming about a young woman who is in trouble. Each night, the dreams get more intense and troubling. Also, she confides to Eve, “she thinks she might know her.” Johansen deftly outlines how police procedure, intense internet research, and respecting the messages from the unconscious brain lead to breakthroughs. Each morning, when Jane wakes up, she sketches her dream vision.

Yes, she still had doubts that this dream was anything but pure imagination, but Eve was right: She had to explore before she could take a chance on dismissing those dreams. So research, but don’t become obsessed. Look upon it as an interesting exercise.

A name. Eve had wanted her to give the woman a name.

Why not?

She opened the sketchbook and looked down at the first sketch. In this one, the woman looked younger than she did in the ones in the later sketches. Maybe only eighteen or nineteen. Still intense, still burning and bold, but somehow more youthful.

A name …

Lisa.

The dreams get worse. Lisa looks battered; there are “abrasions on her wrists.” When Jane gets back to Scotland, “Seth Caleb comes back into Jane’s life. This time he’s the one in trouble.” Seth’s persuasive, psychological powers are off the charts, but Jane is the key to unlocking the situation he finds himself in. Without giving away any spoilers, the scene where Lisa insists that Jane pay “special attention” to her cliff dwelling—the place where she’s being held—is mesmerizing. By this stage, Lisa is replying telepathically to Jane. Lisa can play the mind game on a deep level and each day is more adept. Jane attempts to extract the information she desperately needs.

If you want my help, I need answers. Do you have any idea where you are? You seemed uncertain before.

I don’t know. I had a blindfold when they brought me here. You saw the mountains and then the cliff on this side of the house. When I was trying to get down the cliff, I saw that island in the distance.

Did you notice anything else? Something that struck you as different about the place?

No. Silence. Except it felt … kind of golden.

What? Golden? Jane goes out to sit by the lake. She needs “to relax and just absorb all the information she’d gathered about helicopters and the Mediterranean and the Aegean …” Miraculously, when she is basking in the late-afternoon sunlight, light that casts a “luminous golden glow over the mist,” she is struck by the similarity to a place she loves: Greece. Within minutes, she calls Caleb, tells him to meet her at the Edinburgh Airport. Off they go in his “fancy jet” to try to rescue Lisa.

Mind Game is more than a thriller, it’s a heart-in-the-throat race against time with action immersed in a story of family, loyalty, and friendship.

Mind Game by Iris Johansen is Eve Duncan book 22. However, the series has progressed so that now it is really Eve and Joe’s adopted daughter, Jane’s story. They do have supporting roles in the book. Still, not having read much of this series there were several subplots that I was unfamiliar with. While some may say this is a stand-alone, I think it would have been best for me to have read the past books.

This book on its own has wonderful atmosphere especially with the Scottish mystical backdrop and history. It seemed to enhance the supernatural aspects of the story. The bond of family along with the complicated relationships between some of the characters adds to the mysterious feel of the story too. More than a suspense romance, though there is both suspense and romance in this story, there is daring action, remarkable psychic gifts and intriguing characters.