Helpful Score: 2
This is not about Eve Duncan. It's about her adopted daughter Jane. Eve has a few small scenes in the book but not enough to label it an "Eve Duncan" thriller. I'm generally pretty disappointed in this. I don't like Janes character that much and the story tends to be less then believable in most places. It also tended to drag for me in a lot of places. I'm going to try the next one and see if it's better but if it's not this may be one series I might end up giving up on.
This is the second book in the three-book arc that began with "Blood Game" and ends with "Chasing The Night". IMO, this is the best of the three. My only real complaint with this novel is that it is really only an "Eve Duncan" story in the very minimal sense of the words. Eve is very much on the periphery of the story; the central character is Eve's adopted daughter, Jane. Some might find that a major fault, I actually find it a bit refreshing.
Ms. Johansen has been introducing new characters throughout the series. This novel not only continues the tale of the very unusual Seth Caleb, (introduced in "Blood Game"), but reacquaints us with Jock Gavin, John MacDuff and the ever-present CIA spook Venable. She does an excellent job of weaving a tale that combines religious fanaticism, greed, human sacrifice and a millenia-old cult that worships Judas Iscariot. More than any of her other novels, this one takes the concept of good versus evil - or rather evil in the name of perceived good - and shoves it right in your face.
This novel is long! It's almost 400 pages of single-spaced text. (Compare that to "Blood Game" which was barely 350 double-spaced pages.) Even so, the story moves fast and I found myself riveted at more than one point. One thing that stood out to me in this novel: Ms. Johansen took a lot of time and effort to not only flesh out a totally believable fictional Judas cult, but also build a criminal enterprise, as well as concoct all of the clues to allow Jane to find the one religious relic that will give her the leverage she needs to defeat those who want to sacrifice her.
As with many novels in a series, it's often a bad idea to read one without having read some of the ones that have come before. "Eight Days To Live" may be an exception to that rule. If you're an Eve Duncan fan, you won't want to miss this book. If you've never read one before, you'll still enjoy this one by itself.
Ms. Johansen has been introducing new characters throughout the series. This novel not only continues the tale of the very unusual Seth Caleb, (introduced in "Blood Game"), but reacquaints us with Jock Gavin, John MacDuff and the ever-present CIA spook Venable. She does an excellent job of weaving a tale that combines religious fanaticism, greed, human sacrifice and a millenia-old cult that worships Judas Iscariot. More than any of her other novels, this one takes the concept of good versus evil - or rather evil in the name of perceived good - and shoves it right in your face.
This novel is long! It's almost 400 pages of single-spaced text. (Compare that to "Blood Game" which was barely 350 double-spaced pages.) Even so, the story moves fast and I found myself riveted at more than one point. One thing that stood out to me in this novel: Ms. Johansen took a lot of time and effort to not only flesh out a totally believable fictional Judas cult, but also build a criminal enterprise, as well as concoct all of the clues to allow Jane to find the one religious relic that will give her the leverage she needs to defeat those who want to sacrifice her.
As with many novels in a series, it's often a bad idea to read one without having read some of the ones that have come before. "Eight Days To Live" may be an exception to that rule. If you're an Eve Duncan fan, you won't want to miss this book. If you've never read one before, you'll still enjoy this one by itself.
This book was awesome. Even though I read it out of the series (I missed it) I was so happy to read it as it made me understand the others better. I will make sure I will continue the series in order now. Now reading Blood Game and almost done with it. Anyone that loves Eve Duncan will love it.
Barbara S. (barbsis) -
I really enjoyed this though it was more like a James Rollins or Dan Brown religious adventure than an Eve Duncan forensic mystery. Eve and Joe Quinn are very much in the background and I really don't think this should be included in the Eve Duncan series.
Eve's adoptive daughter is targeted by a whacked out religious cult following the teachings of Judas. Jane's painting of Judas led the cult straight to her and now she has eight days to live. Jane enlists assassin Seth Caleb to help along with Jock Gavin and McDuff. It's a wild adventure spanning the globe (England, Jerusalem, Syria, Damascus, Scotland and Georgia) with lots of action and sexual tension between Jane and Seth. Seth's psychic gifts scare Jane half to death but it doesn't stop her from wanting him.
Eve's adoptive daughter is targeted by a whacked out religious cult following the teachings of Judas. Jane's painting of Judas led the cult straight to her and now she has eight days to live. Jane enlists assassin Seth Caleb to help along with Jock Gavin and McDuff. It's a wild adventure spanning the globe (England, Jerusalem, Syria, Damascus, Scotland and Georgia) with lots of action and sexual tension between Jane and Seth. Seth's psychic gifts scare Jane half to death but it doesn't stop her from wanting him.
The ninth book of the series is no less intense than the first--Eve's daughter Jane starts the book out with a bang and the intensity only heightens throughout the book, encorporating McDuff, Jock and Venable as well as Eve and Joe. Her story line is strong, believeable and engaging--you always want more! bogie & tene'
could not put it down love this book
