Stalemate by Iris Johansen Review
February 21st, 2007 by admin
The book is a forensic thriller with Eve Duncan as the main character. It was released in hardcover in January 2007.
There have been several other Eve Duncan books but it isn’t necessary to read those before reading this one. Each of Johansen’s books is a self contained story so you won’t have any major plotlines spoiled by reading them out of order.
Eve is a world renowned forensic sculptor. In the opening pages of the book we find out she has been contacted twice by a dangerous arms dealer named Luis Montalvo. He wants to hire her to come to his heavily fortressed compound in the Columbian jungle to work on a skull restoration for him but Eve has no interest in helping out a criminal.
Montalvo isn’t a man who gives up easily. He could hire another forensic sculptor, but he has made up his mind that Eve is the person he wants to do the job. He finds a way to make Eve an offer she cannot refuse when the one million dollars he offers her for the job doesn’t convince her to take it.
Montalvo then offers to help Eve find her daughter, Bonnie, along with the person who killed her. Bonnie is Eve’s daughter. She disappeared several years ago and has never been found. She is presumed dead. Eve’s biggest wish is the find Bonnie, wherever she is buried, and to bring her home to a final resting place. She also wants to find her killer and bring him or her to justice.
When Montalvo offers to find Bonnie’s killer, Eve doesn’t think he can do it. But several days later he delivers a report with three possible suspects. If she takes the job, he agrees to continue using his money and influence to find the killer and to find where Bonnie is buried.
Eve cannot say no even though she knows her significant other, Joe Quinn (ex Navy Seal) is adamant that Eve not put her own life in danger by going to Columbia to do the job. There’s another reason Eve feels compelled to take the job. Montalvo is also threatening to kill a CIA informant, his wife, and children, if she does not come and do the job.
Eve makes arrangements with the CIA to travel to Columbia, leaves Joe a note telling him where she went and telling him to not come after her, and heads to Columbia. Of course, Joe is furious and cannot stay at home wondering how she is so he travels to Columbia as well with the intention of bringing Eve back home whether she wants to leave or not.
There are some predictable plot twists as the story unfolds in Columbia, but there are some unpredictable plot twists too.
Overall it was a good book.
My rating (0-10 smilies): 7 ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☺☺☺