Blind Alley

By: Iris Johansen

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling author of Firestorm, Iris Johansen, returns with a psychological thriller so terrifying, so relentlessly paced, it won’t leave you time to catch your breath before the next shock comes. 

A forensic sculptor is locked in a deadly duel with a serial killer determined to destroy her - one life at a time. Eve Duncan’s job is to put a face on the faceless victims of violent crimes. Her work not only comforts their survivors - but helps catch their killers. But there is another, more personal reason that Eve Duncan is driven to do the kind of work she does - a dark nightmare from a past she can never bury. And as she works on the skull of a newly discovered victim, that past is about to return all over again. The victim is a Jane Doe found murdered, her face erased beyond recognition. But whoever killed her wasn’t just trying to hide her identity. The plan was far more horrifying. For as the face forms under Eve’s skilled hands, she is about to get the shock of her life. The victim is someone she knows all too well. Someone who isn’t dead. 

Yet, instantly Eve’s peaceful life is shattered. The sanctuary of the lakeside cottage she shares with Atlanta detective Joe Quinn and their adopted daughter Jane has been invaded by a killer who’s sent the grimmest of threats: the face of his next victim. To stop him, Eve must put her own life in the balance and question everything and everyone she trusts. Not even Quinn can go where Eve must go this time.  

As the trail of faceless bodies leads to a chilling revelation, Eve finds herself trying to catch a master murderer whose grisly work is a testament to a mind warped by perversion and revenge. Now she must pit her skills against his in a showdown where the stakes are life itself - and where the unbearable cost of failure will make Eve’s own murder seem like a mercy killing.

©2004 Iris Johansen (P)2004 Books on Tape

Critic Reviews

"[An] expertly plotted, eminently entertaining novel." (Publishers Weekly)
"Johansen has become adept at mixing supernatural elements with intriguing suspense, and her new tale will please both fans and new converts with its unpredictable journey from Atlanta to the archaeological digs of Herculaneum in Italy." (Booklist)

Past Lives and Ancient Volcanos

UGG! Generally a great writer. Too far fetched and not interesting. The mysterious Trevor comes across as a superfluous a$$. Even Eve seems silly and weak. The reader makes everyone sound 80 and seriously dumb. Sorry for the bad news. Save your rental for a better title. If you want well written far fetched stories that are fun, try Lincoln Child.

Fans of Eve Duncan will not be disappointed

Good plot, typical Johansen characters (including a new Sean Galen-esque character named Mark Trevor). Fans of Johansen's Eve Duncan series will not be disappointed. I'm glad this was available unabridged; it would have lost something in abridgement.

A great dissapointment....

This is really a struggle to listen to. The plot is very weak and undeveloped, the characters annoying, and the performance of the reader uninspired. I did not even bother to finish the book, which is definitely a first for me!

A Disappointment

I'm 3/4ths of the way through the book and forcing myself to finish it. A real disappointment for this reader. Johansen usually writes a terrific read. In this volume, Eve Duncan takes a backseat to Jane, her "adopted" daughter. Jane sounds like a real brat, whining and the effort to make her seem 'older' is wasted. Eve isn't nearly as predominant or self-assured as she usuually appears in her other books. I'd have expected more from Iris Johansen. Sorry folks............

Pitifully Bad

I have read nearly all of Johansen's books and fins this to be, by far, the worst one. Usually her plotlines are pretty tight and engaging. You obviously have to stretch your disbelief. However, this one was a monumental stretch. The plot made NO sense. The action was ridiculous. The interactions between the two protagonists was downright creepy.... and the most compelling characters in this series were relegated to the background. I would skip this one. Ms. Johansen has many other better books.

Predictable

Mindless entertainment. Predictable.

Fun, ending doesnt work, might be better abridged

This was my first Iris Johansen book. Apparently, she writes psychological thrillers with a psychic angle. I found much of the book very engrossing, but it sort of petered out towards the end, and the ending was simply not satisfying. While I generally do not prefer the abridged versions, I thought this one might benefit from some abridgement. It got a little repetitive. I am interested, however, in listening to more of her work.

This was a pg rated book, only a few swear words, and those were near the end. No sex scenes. Would be ok for kids 12 and up; does have some gruesome scenes which make it unsuitable for younger listeners.

Can't Wait For Countdown Now

Have been listening to Iris Johansen Books for years. Eve didn't seem as strong in this book. It IS a Jane/Mark Trevor book with Eve and Joe in the side lines. Still enjoyed it. Makes us very anixous to start Countdown (the rest of Jane and Trevor's Story) Think Iris has taken Eve and Joe thru enough, Jane's turn.

Make better use of your time

Terrible book. Adults abdicating their roles to an annoying child. Flashed forward and back so many times I got mental whiplash.

Not her best work

I have read a number of the author's books and this one just fell flat for me. Maybe its my age, but a 17 year old girl as a chief protagonist is not as interesting as her other characters have been.