Eve finds herself having to do another sculpture of an African Queen. Michael has been kidnapped to make sure she does the job. They are held by a tribal leader and a corrupt opportunist. The latter is also after Celine Kelly, whom he wishes to deliver to the tribal leader as a human sacrifice. With Dominic and Caleb involved, rescue and removing the bad guys is imminent. A good page turner, as you want to know all turns out well. A great plot and familiar and new characters combine for a satisfying read. I will always read an Iris Johansen book, as she always delivers!

She'll do what she must to protect her family

Eve Duncan is an internationally celebrated forensic sculptor whose most recent work has further cemented her reputation for being the very best in the world. Unfortunately for her, that means that not only scholars and museums want her to work for them...some truly evil and twisted people do as well. If it's bad news, Ezra Caldwell is involved...gunrunning, sex trafficking, murder, and more...and he is planning something together with fanatical tribal chief Masini Zakira in a remote spot in Africa for which Eve's skills are desired. Eve wants nothing more than to spend her summer with her family, her husband Joe, son Michael, and quasi-daughter Jane (who will be bringing her baby daughter for a visit), and wastes no time in turning down the offer she receives to travel to Africa to make a death mask of a little known Egyptian queen whose tomb was recently discovered there...but the offer had come (indirectly and unbeknownst to Eve) from Caldwell, who is not going to accept her rebuff. There is someone else whose presence Caldwell requires for his plan, medical intern and part time artist's model Celine Kelly. Celine is able to fight off the thug that is sent to kidnap her but a friend dies as a result; Eve's son Michael is not as lucky and is taken by Caldwell's men, and is dangled as bait to get Eve to come to Africa. Grave robbers, human sacrifices, and a secret source of gold are all in play, and Eve and Celine ultimately must work together to stay alive and find a way to escape before their usefulness to Caldwell comes to an end.
The Death Mask is the 31st outing for Eve Duncan, and follows author Iris Johansen's tried and true formula in this tale of suspense. There are the female lead characters, all strong willed, intelligent, and more than capable of looking after themselves (in this case, Eve and Celine, with the Egyptian queen Folashade as well), and the male leads who are tough, smart, devious and fiercely protective of those they love (Joe, Alex Domimic, and even young Michael). The plot mixes together bits of history with the usual forces of good against evil and strong attraction between an alpha male (Dominic) and a beautiful but independent young woman (Celine), with the jungles of Africa forming an intriguing backdrop. This isn't the first time that Eve's family is in danger because of their proximity to her...it isn't even the second or the third time, honestly...but with some of the main players in previous books in the series taking a more supporting role (Jane, Caleb, Catherine Ling) as new characters are introduced and/or emphasized, it is still an engaging read, especially for those who have read previous installments in the series. Fans of Johansen in general and Eve Duncan in particular won't want to miss this latest adventure, and those who enjoy Catherine Coulter, Kay Hooper and Nora Roberts should give it a try as well. A solid 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to The Death Mask in exchange for my honest review.

The Death Mask is the newest installment in the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen. This story follows Eve as she is forced to complete a restoration in Africa in order to save her son Michael.

Iris Johansen is an auto-read for me. I enjoy the stories and the fast pace of her books. This one had a lot of characters which took some time to keep straight. There wasn’t as much focus on Eve, Joe, Jane and her daughter Cira as I would have liked. I will continue to read what she publishes, but this wasn’t a favorite compared to some of the earlier books.

A long-awaited visit from her son, Michael, and her husband, Joe, has Eve turning down a job creating an Egyptian death mask for a potential client. Her decision puts not only herself in danger, but her family as well. But the spurned individual is used to getting what he wants at any cost and sets out to obtain not only Eve, but another woman as well. Thus begins the journey to bring down the enemy and restore safety to Eve, her family, and new friends and acquaintances.

This story has several strong female characters, which is wonderful to see. We’re introduced to some new characters, also, and interesting locations. There’s murder, danger, betrayal, lies, thievery, physical and mental torture, romance, and more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was excited to dive back into Eve Duncan's world. It has been years since I picked up one of Iris Johansen's tales about Eve and her family& I had always enjoyed the books. Anyway happy to dive back in .
Eve is a forensic sculptor which is compelling, especially for those interested in CSI, mysteries and crime. This novel delves into international crime and political intrigue & even archeology. Eve is married to investigator Joe Quinn & together they are thrown into a case could be deadly -personally and for an entire nation.


Thanks to Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A little tough to get into. I liked Celine but wanted to get to the actual story. I liked some of the premise but not all.

“The Death Mask” is 31st in the Eve Duncan series — I took a chance because a lot of long time series are dedicated to finding new readers and, therefore, giving backstories to long time characters and their relationships. I also had access to the audiobook and audio experiences usually enhance my experience. Elisabeth Rodgers, the narrator, is excellent.

The storyline hooked me — Eve Duncan’s talents for recreating death masks are needed for a nefarious rich bully (already in the process of kidnapping model/surgeon Celine). Eve finds that it’s not a choice — her family is threatened and husband Joe, added by mercenary buddy Dominic, must also face the bad guy.

Another early reviewer I respect felt the same about crashing into number 31 without the benefit of 30 previous books. Eve does rate her own Wikipedia entry as Johansen’s fictional forensic sculptor whose 7 year old daughter Bonnie was kidnapped and never found (book one was in 1998). The AI overview (choke) suggested that Eve is anywhere from her 40s to her 60s. I also learned that Johansen is guilty of ending her books with cliffhangers, but she finally let go of Eve’s Bonnie obsession in a trilogy.

What I do care about is that Eve is consistently a strong woman character, which contributes to her enduring popularity. Eve, along with Celine, are worthy characters in this action thriller. This starts off intensely and does give clues to backstories, but I’m sure the longtime series readers will love this one.

I totally enjoyed it, but maybe not enough to read the next installment and definitely not enough to obsessively read the back catalog in order (I did that with Karin Slaughter a few years ago). But at least I’ve acquainted myself with Johansen’s engaging style should she start creating standalone adventures. 4 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Dominic has gray-green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But the impenetrable jungle is almost a character.

Thank you to Hachette, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for advanced copies!

Eve Duncan and her Joe are living a "normal" life until her son is kidnapped. A diabolical person wishes Eve to recreate a death mask in a remote African kingdom. Lots of tension in this one as Eve and those who love and support her work to find her son and also save her. Tanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Eve Duncan returns as a forensic sculptor - this time she is asked to sculpt a death mask of an Egyptian queen. She is not going to do the job, instead wanting to spend some much needed time with her husband and son. But then the ruthless people behind the ask kidnap her son, forcing to take on the job. We are introduced to a new character, Celine. She is a surgical resident who was raised to take care of herself. She is also involved with the death mask, as she has been chosen by the criminals to be the model for the face of the queen. For fans of the Eve Duncan series, this will be a welcome read. I have always enjoyed the series but I must admit this one was not my favorite. It was all a little too predictable. The story moves along at a good pace and it kept me interested, but not to the extent that the series usually grabs me. I give the book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book is set for publication on June 24, 2025.

The latest installment in the Eve Duncan series plunges readers into a chilling new chapter where ancient ritual meets modern-day evil. This time, Eve is confronted by two ruthless killers with a disturbing demand: to craft an Egyptian death mask intended for use in a sacrificial ceremony. The chosen victim? Celine Kelly—a woman whose uncanny resemblance to Nefertiti makes her a key part of the ritual.

Eve refuses to take part in their twisted plan, but that only escalates the danger. The killers will stop at nothing to force her compliance, threatening the lives of those she loves most. With high stakes, mounting tension, and a dark historical twist, this thriller delivers both suspense and emotional intensity.

The character development in this book is outstanding and what we all expect from Iris Johansen. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Alex Dominic shows up again, but this time he is trying to prevent Eve from becoming entangled in a situation that would force her to use her talents. While doing so, he finds that someone else may be in harm's way.

I did like the introduction of Celine and appreciated how capable she was of taking care of herself. Celine was presented as someone who could save herself not wait to be saved. I did miss the "build up" to the relationship, but many of these stories are repetitive so it was sort of a welcome change.

Michael, Joe and Caleb all have a role with callbacks to other characters. I always appreciate how characters from other books are mentioned with an update, or utilized.

The thread of "family" and everyone being connected is ever present but although Eve/Joe are the central I find I am usually more engaged with the installments where they are not the focus.

Eve Duncan books are always intriguing, but I went back and forth on whether it would be ok as a stand alone.

As always, thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to express my views!

How can you go wrong with an Iris Johansen novel. I have been reading her for years and this is one of my favorite series. Pick this one up and continue the series!

I care about these characters and really love the series, but it's feeling more formulaic than it used to. Additionally, often the conversations and dialogue are very rooted in therapy-speak, which is healthy, but not realistic for every character to speak that way. Also some advancements of relationships feels too forced for happiness and connection. I can suspend a lot of "reality" in books, but this series isn't as exciting or enticing anymore. It was a bit of a struggle to finish this book...sadly. I also didn't get any Jane and Cira, even though they were discussed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to review this book.

I've always loved this author, and Eve Duncan, but this series has started disappointing me. The whole international angle and the ancient history parts just aren't as exciting as the original Eve at the beginning of the series. I also feel like that character development has become stilted. There is a lot of talk about Jane's daughter, Cira, but she never actually makes a showing in the book. There just seems to be several hanging points that leave me feeling dissatisfied.

Thank you to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was immediately captivated by the high-stakes adventure that Eve found herself thrust into. I felt her strength and resolve as she stood her ground, refusing to be bought, even when faced with such an ominous threat. I admired her courage and commitment to protecting those she loves, despite the danger. I was on the edge of my seat as Joe Quinn and Alex Dominic ventured through the impenetrable jungle. I couldn’t help but root for Joe as he faced impossible odds, fueled by his unwavering determination to save Eve. I found Alex's role as a mercenary both intriguing and essential to the heart-pounding escape. I was particularly drawn to the dynamic interplay between Eve and Joe. I loved how their bond and unique abilities complemented one another, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see how they would overcome their unpredictable enemy. I felt deeply invested in the outcome, knowing that their love and family’s future hung in the balance. I also appreciated the vivid and immersive descriptions of Africa, which brought the setting to life for me. I felt transported into the heart of the story, experiencing the tension, danger, and hope alongside the characters.

Another great Eve Duncan book. Michael is kidnapped and Eve will have to reconstruct another mask to have any chance of saving him. Joe and a few new characters are on the hunt for them. I loved this book and always enjoy catching up with Joe and Eve.

Eve Duncan is being asked/coerced to come create another mask. Her husband and son are out of the country and she’s waiting for them to return to the lake house for the summer. You know problems develop. We have a new character named Celine, who becomes a main character and gets involved with all of regular characters. This was a great trip to Africa and I highly suggest reading it!

I was thrilled to see a new Eve Duncan book out for 2025. It's been a few years since we've visited Eve, Joe and the family. While I wish Eve had a mystery that didn't involve her being in mortal danger, this was an amazing story. We have some new characters to fall in love with, and hopefully enjoy in future books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

This was such a great book. I loved every second of it. I was wondering the whole time if Eve was going to be saved or if it would be too late. I love that the book is from Eve and her friends perspectives. The book starts with action and honestly never stops with action and suspense. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in a good thriller.

Another fast-paced, action-packed Eve Duncan book in the Iris Johansen Eve Duncan series (#31). I love the character of Eve and enjoy when new characters are introduced into the series that can perhaps have their own series moving forward (e.g. Celine and Dominick). Highly recommend this one though Michael seems way too old for his age. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Rating: 4 stars Publication Date: June 24, 2025