This was a fast paced book set in Africa where Eve and her son Michael have been taken by the villians to recreate a death mask of a lady pharaoh of great power. Having not read this series in many years, picking this book up was a mistake, since I did not have continuity in the characters and relationships.

The narration was done well. Elizabeth's voice is beautiful.

#netgalley #TheDeathMask

A heinous character has discovered a valuable tomb in Africa and wants forensic sculptor Even Duncan to make the death mask for the woman whose tomb it is. He has chosen beautiful Bostonian Celine to serve as the model for it and enlists evil characters to “persuade” both women to participate. It is up to Eve’s husband, detective Joe Quinn and Alex Dominic, a wealthy mercenary, to save them and all they hold dear.

For me, this was a poor choice. I should not have picked up a novel that was the 31st in a series, knowing nothing about it. However, I did want to read something by a new to me author and Iris Johansen is a prolific and popular writer. I wasn’t familiar with the characters, their relationships, or their histories. The synopsis did not provide a lot of information and because of that, I realized it was not a book that I would typically select.

As the book progressed, I did learn some things about the repeating characters, but still had a lot of questions about them.

This will be a welcome addition for fans of this series. There is action, excitement, adventure, kick ass female characters. There are also some extremely despicable players who were a turn off for me. There will be a big audience for this book, but unfortunately, I am just not it.

I loved getting back into the Eve Duncan series. This one was a crazy ride. It starts with Alex trying to save kids in a village that has been raided to Celine fighting for her life, and it doesn't stop there.
I love the relationship that Eve and Joe have with each other and all the important people in their lives.
I loved the ending.

Elizabeth Rodgers did a great job narrating this story and I look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.

This is the 31st book in the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen. I have not read in this series for quite some time but I was quickly able to understand who the characters were and what was happening in the story. Eve is a woman who takes no prisoners and kicks a$$. In this installment, Eve is manipulated into making a death mask in Egypt for a mad man. A beautiful woman from Chicago is also taken prisoner to act as a model and then sacrifice. This was quick paced and enjoyable. I know that I would have liked this book more if I had read more books in the series. There were many side characters that I know had an important role previously and it would've improved my experience if I was revisiting known characters. I think if you are an Eve Duncan fan, you will enjoy this installment in the series!

Eager to spend time with her son Michael, who is returning home from school, Eve initially declines her request to create an Egyptian death mask. However, those who want her to make the mask pressure her into taking the job, which she initially resists. This task becomes even more urgent when Michael’s life is threatened. Meanwhile, Eve is concerned for her husband, Joe, who is away, but when danger approaches both Eve and their son Michael, he frantically searches for them.

I have been a fan of this series since its inception. While some of the stories are quite far-fetched, I still enjoy the dynamic between Eve, Joe, Michael, and their daughter Jane. I also enjoy the spinoff series, so when I read any of the newer books, I feel like I’m returning home.

I would love to see where the story takes us next, especially now that Jane has a daughter of her own. Additionally, I appreciate the fact that Michael is still a young boy, as I believe this contributes to the series’ potential for many future stories.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Death Mask by Iris Johansen in exchange for an honest review. This book has a lot of layers to the plotline and I wasn't sure that it would wrap up by the end of the story. I really enjoyed it, even though I have missed quite a few books. I was still able to get into it and now I want to start all the Eve Duncan books over again.

When Eve Duncan is forced to create a death mask or risk the death of herself and her son, She will do what is necessary to complete the task. Ezra Caldwell is trouble, he has kidnapped Eve's son in an attempt to force her to create a death mask for an African Priest. Lots of globe trotting, exotic locales, intense action scenes. Very fast paced, a romantic subplot adds a little spice. Overall this was a fun, fast paced story.

The narrator, Elisabeth Rodgers, was phenomenal. The production quality was top notch.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Audio for the ALC.

This was the 31st book in the Eve Duncan series. All of the books in this series can be read as standalone books. I haven’t read an Eve Duncan book in a while, so it was nice to catch up with a character I am familiar with.

The storyline was interesting and I really enjoyed some of the characters but found the storyline dragged at some points. Eve has been requested to create a death mask, she turns the offer down as she’s planning to spend time with her family. Eve suddenly becomes unable turn the offer down to save someone she loves; and travels to Africa to created the mask for a madman.

This book had lots of action and the women in the story were the real heroes; they were well written and intriguing. The narrator did a great job, and the characters were easy to identify and differentiate.

Thank you to NetGalley, the audio house, narrator and the author for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this audiobook in return for review, based upon my honest opinion.

Having read this series for years, I’m impressed by the level of storytelling that has never come close to being mediocre. Each book is always as good, if not better than the last. The characters age and evolve within each storyline, and Iris introduces us to new and interesting characters, keeping her stories fresh and unpredictable. The Egyptian historical aspect of this story, and the setting in the rugged African jungle, made the thriller plot even more exciting. Fans of fast-paced thrillers should read this series.

When world-renowned forensic sculptor Eve Duncan does not agree to take on a project other means are engaged by threatening her with what will no doubt get her to do the job.

And of course when Eve and Michael are threatened nothing will prevent Joe Quinn from rescuing his family. This will be quite the adventure with their adorable son, Michael, in the mix along with Seth Caleb and some new friends.

Iris Johansen is back with the 31st book of the Eve Duncan series. Eve Duncan series is one of my favorites. One thing I love about this series is not only the suspense but the bits of history we get along with it. If you have read any Eve Duncan novel, you know that to Eve family is everything to her, and she will do anything to protect them even if that means she doesn't come home to them. In The Death Mask, Eve's hand is forced to create an Egyptian Death Mask for a lost Queen who's tomb is found in Africa.
Iris Johansen is an author that I immediately read any new releases whether it's an Eve Duncan, Kendra Michaels (series she co-writes with her son), or her standalones. She also has written some of my top book boyfriends: Joe Quinn, Seth Caleb, and Adam Lynch(Kendra Michaels series). She also knows how to write some kick ass WMC.
I recieve this book as an Audio ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Another fabulous Eve Duncan story. Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is pulled into a case wrapped in ancient secrets and modern murder. When a mysterious skull turns up, one tied to a deadly legend, Eve's expertise might be the key to unlocking a truth someone is willing to kill for. It’s twisty, fast-paced, and peppered with that signature Johansen mix of science, suspense, and just a touch of the supernatural. 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. If you have not started reading this series you need to jump in on the fun and adventures. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

I love Iris Johansen books. Her latest, The Death Mask was a five star listen for me. Pick this one up on publication day.

Coming back to this series and these characters feels like a warm hug... even though there is a lot of suspense and disasters. These characters feel like home since I have been reading them so long. It was great to see so many of the characters I know and love in this book and how their lives are progressing. The formula was about the same as the other books in the series, but we had some new characters and love interests added in this time. This series never lets me down.
Thanks to Hachette, Netgalley and Iris Johansen for an ALC.

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.

Just average

This book was fine. I liked the strong woman characters. But there wasn't anything else in the book. that really drew me. The story, a former kidnapped sex slave and an artist help take down a crazy, egomaniac, was good, but the whole time I was listening to it, I ket wondering if I had already read the book. I knew that wasn't possible as it was a new release, but it just didn't seem all that fresh and I had a hard time getting engaged. I listened to it yesterday and already have forgotten most of it.

“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!