An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller - Eight Days to Live

Welcome back to Scotland and the McDuffs. Love them!! This book is more about Eve Duncan's adoptive daughter, Jane than it is about Eve. It is thrilling but got a little boring in a couple of places. It involves an old cult and Jane's dreams.

I love Iris Johansen and the the Eve Duncan series. I've read everything she has written. I anticipate the next as soon as current is published. I appreciate the summaries provided. the store free shipping and the quickness of delivery is the best deal in town.

Once again, I am delighted with this purchase. I love being able to buy used books in good condition, this was sent to me in the very condition that it had been described and was sent well before the postal date.

Iris Johansen is a master of the Thriller. Her characters are complete and realistic and easy to support. Eve Duncan is one of my all-time favorite characters and I hope Johansen keeps her adventures going for years to come.

Great read and story as always. Very intriguing and suspenseful. Now I'll have to find the next good read. Jane was great even though eve and Joe really wasn't the main characters it was a good change of pace.

I have always enjoyed Iris Johansen's books and the Eve Duncan books are very good. My only problem is with the main character, Eve, and her adopted daughter, Jane. For some reason this author seems to feel that in order to be shown as a strong woman, you have to be rude as hell and a total bitch. So we are to believe that these two woman who are always surrounded by very strong, professional, capable men have to be so bossy and rude that these same men couldn't function without them. I like a strong character and assertive women but it can be done in a way that the woman is appealing and feminine as well. In this novel, Jane just comes across as a woman you would really like to see become the sacrifice she is trying to avoid being. There is nothing appealing about her, no saving grace. In the real world she would be considered repulsive in the extreme. Iris has written some very good characters and I just don't get where she thinks she is going with Eve and Jane. She has tamed Eve down a bit but now we have to suffer through Jane. The interesting, involved stories keep me coming back and the fantastic men in the novels. They are the true stars of the stories, you just kind of have to suffer through the insufferable Eve and Jane.

What a terrible writer! From the start of this book I couldn't find the dialogue realistic. First, the classic bodice ripping theme of "hating" the hunk. If I wanted a bodice ripper, I'd buy a bodice ripper. I want mysteries with realistic characters. Then, everyone's perfect. The charismatic Scot who takes control and has no flaws. The serial killer who cares for the heroine, has no job, and is available whenever. No details on how characters comes to be where they are--they're just so perfect that they just know to be there to save the girl. And the girl. Who told this author she could write? Is there no editor willing to get real. I have no idea how this woman is selling books. I gave this author several tries to get something going that resembled realistic reactions from her characters because I liked the "outline", i.e. Scotsman, various locations, art, etc, but these characters are one-dimensional paper cutouts. I have never written a review on a book here, but this had to be said.

I just finished reading my autographed copy! I met the author at a signing in Ft. Myers. She is a LEGEND! Her book is pretty cool too.

This is a suspense book, with just a touch of a promise of a couple of romances thrown in.

SYNOPSIS:
Heroine is a painter with a sucessful show in Paris. The night after he show, she receives an enormous offer for a painting she did of a guilty face she saw in her dreams. Suddenly her friends start getting murdered all around her.

Turns out, SPOILER: she painted the face of Judas. From the Bible. Remember the guy who took 30 coins to betray Jesus, then returned them?

A cult of Judas worshipers targets the heroine for their yearly 'offering' of human sacrifice to be completed in 8 days.

Jane understandably, objects, then sets for a cross continental race to undercover who, what, and why.

SPOILER: her mother Eve is taken hostage and offered as a trade for the painter's life.

The painter and her mysterious friend Seth Caleb, who has some power to influence people to do his bidding, and her Scottish Laird, and his pet hottie Gavin, plus the CIA guy who apparently never sleeps, nor fails to come through, nor has his phone off for the painter and her mom, all manage to bring down this international cult of weirdo killers.

What I didn't like:
I'm new to this series, only read one other Eve book, but why does Jane not have her mom's last name?

Why does Jane call her mom "Eve"?

I needed more background. I think it's assumed the reader knows all the Eve books and their backdrop.

SPOILER complaint: Isn't Jane going to give the coins to the Scottish hottie so he could save his lands?

BTW, if Scottish hottie could afford to have helicopters and charter jets at his disposal, why did he have trouble paying the property taxes? Did he live in Florida? (home of the 'stick it to ya' property tax hikes every year).

What I loved:
The book is a page turner. Finished it in 2 days. Keeps you guessing.

A SUPER STRONG FEMALE character, who manipulates strong alpha males and takes the reins of the investigation and powers through. Yeah!

I liked that Gavin and the translator seem drawn to each other. Plus, Jane's mysterious Caleb will promise to provide more books, possibly full of romantic intrigue.

Unusual story line, even for Eve Duncan novels...... the main focus of this book is on Jane MacGuire, Eve’s daughter. One of the characters is Caleb, who has strange powers Jane doesn’t begin to understand. MacDuff & Jock are two Scottish friends, MacDuff is the Laird of his territory & his castle. The author keeps your interest in a very convoluted story. This book is from my library.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

While I enjoyed Eight Days to Live, it did not quite live up to my expectations for a Johansen novel. Also be forewarned, while this book is billed as an Eve Duncan novel, it is really all about Jane. Eve plays such a small role it shouldn't be classified as part of that series.

After a successful art show in a Parisian gallery owned by a friend, Jane MacGuire is about to receive the surprise of a lifetime, and not a good one at that. A chilling portrait titled Guilt painted by Jane has attracted the unwanted attention of a dangerous cult who swears Jane only has Eight Days to Live. Not allowing something like a death threat to get in her way, Jane is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and find these people who killed her friend and promised Jane to be next. Enlisting the help of John MacDuff, Jock Gavin, and Seth Caleb, along with her adoptive mother Eve Duncan, Jane is on an adventure across Europe and deep into the heart of Biblical legends and truths on a search for a priceless artifact that could turn the religious world upside down and inside out.

The action was every bit as evident as always expected from a thriller by this author, and all of the major players are just as well rendered as usual. However, I feel like a few too many recurring characters were brought back, only confusing some of the story. I had a heck of a time remembering which of Jane's men was in which scene and had what skills.

I loved the mystery we are brought into in Eight Days to Live. It was thrilling and chilling, and more than a bit frightening in some parts. I was quite fascinated by the different portrayal Iris Johansen has of a few key players from the time of the birth of Christianity. Even more compelling and terrifying is how the cult has twisted ancient beliefs to suit their own desires and traditions.

In spite of that, however, Eight Days to Live, while keeping me captive until I completed the novel , just didn't quite meet my expectations. Jane was getting on my nerves very early on in the novel, with her refusal to listen to anyone's advice and her stubbornness in doing things her own way, even when it puts everyone she cares about in danger.

Jennifer van Dyck does a wonderful job, as always of performing Eight Days to Live. While she is a newer narrator to me, my first audio book she read only a couple years ago, she has fast become a favorite of mine. She has excellent timing and has distinctive voices for each character in the book.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, August 2010. All rights reserved.

Iris Johansen's latest Eve Duncan forensics thriller plays out with Eve's daughter, Jane, as the protagonist. Jane has established herself as an artist worthy of headlining a solo exhibit in Paris. Celine Denarve, owner and curator of the gallery, thinks that Jane's work is exceptional. She's heady with the anticipation of introducing a talented young new artist. That afternoon, before the opening, Jane feels an eerie presence with her while stopping at a sidewalk café.

Denarve proudly advertises her new artist and talks about the paintings she can sell at a good price. Several of her favorites center on portraits of Jane's history. Her relationship with Lord John MacDuff of Scotland fascinates Denarve, who intimates that Jane is in a romantic friendship with the handsome Lord. Jane admits that the two had spent time seeking a lost treasure belonging to his family, a chest full of missing centuries-old gold coins. But, she insisted, MacDuff was no more than a friend to her.

The exhibit is a success, with a generous offer for "Guilt." A depiction of a bearded man, cheeks sunken and dark red burning, the portrait was born of an obsession, from a dream. Jane cannot part with it, no matter the offering. Denarve hones her sales pitch in a Paris night club and plans to meet Jane for dinner.

Jane's cell phone rings with an alarming call. A surly voice threatens her with taunts of "Liar, Blasphemer, Whore." Chilled, she arrives at the gallery to meet Denarve. There, her scary caller waits, attacks her with a dagger while she screams for help. Jock Gavin, Jane's Scottish friend from the Run, arrives in time to thwart the man's murderous attempt and kills the fiend instead. But horrid reality hits with their discovery of Denarve's crucified body, pinned against the oak door.

Gavin's timely arrival, his past history as an assassin, his present arrangement with CIA agent Venable and ties to MacDuff lead the story along an incredible path. Jane has been targeted for a brutal death by members of a secret cult and is given eight days to live. Reunited with MacDuff and Gavin, she discovers that "Guilt" holds the secret to her survival.

Eve's life is threatened by the mysterious cult members, led by Jack Millet (known as Sang Noir). Venable tracks Millet's gang and unearths threats on Jane. According to an informant, she is given until April 1st before she must be put to death. But why? The cult tries to use Eve as bait to lure Jane to them. MacDuff conceals Eve at his estate to stop them. Millet and his Sang Noir are resourceful. Jane is their prey and must be captured, at any cost, to be delivered as a sacrifice.

EIGHT DAYS TO LIVE, unlike earlier Eve Duncan forensics novels, highlights Jane, not Eve, as its protagonist. We see Eve in the story briefly and as window dressing for her daughter. This is Jane's problem to solve, her mystery to unravel. Johansen reveals enough backstories to pique the reader's curiosity. At times, the entire previous book may have been an appropriate read.

When the clues have been revealed at the end game of her quest, Jane's journey takes her to remote caves in biblical faraway regions. Her discovery may be of epic importance for both archaeological and biblical scholars. EIGHT DAYS TO LIVE is a compelling novel that brims with action, intrigue, intricate relationships and a refreshing headstrong heroine. Johansen continues to entertain with historical fact and mystical fantasy.

Found all around the world, the cult worships Judas Iscariot, who they believe was God's Chosen One to betray Jesus in order to fulfill a biblical prophecy. The members know for certain that Judas is in Heaven sitting next to God. They meet annually on April 1 to provide a human sacrificial blood offer in Judas' name.

Jane McGuire is having an art show of her work at the Denarve Gallery in Paris. Someone wants to spend a fortune on "Guilt", a picture of a man whose face is tortured by internal demons. The Judas followers believe Jane committed blasphemy with her painting; so they decide she shall be this year's sacrifice. The picture came to her in dreams, but the cult thinks with the vivid details within the portrait she has been to the holy place where an ancient treasure is concealed. They try to grab her, however Jane escapes, but not before learning she is to be their Offering. Jane calls the expert for advice, her adopted mom Eve Duncan and her lover Joe. Two men are after Jane with differing motives, but share in common that her loved ones are expendable.

Eight Days to Live is Iris Johansen at her very best in a fresh switch in which Eve and Joe play secondary roles while Jane stars. She calls on Caleb, a man with psychic powers who applies them in such a way that Eve does not approve. However he remains Jane's only hope to survive the next eight days. This is a gripping one sitting suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Eight Days , just over a week . When you think about it , that isn't a very long time . For Jane McGuire , that is all she has left to live unless she can stop the Sang Noir clan from killing her. After being targeted due to a painting she dreamt and painted titled "Guilt" it has left Jane with a death wish hanging over her head. However , it's not just Jane who is in trouble, if they can't get to her in time -its over to Plan B -total EXTERMINATION , everyone who knows Jane is in danger. With the help of her assassin friends Jock and Caleb , translater Lima , her Cop and Forensic Anthropologist ( a bit like Bones ) adopted parents and the irrititable but handsome McDuff . Can Jane save her life and stop the Sang Noir's from harming elsewhere. Eight Days to Live also touches base on a religious principle of Judas Iscariot and his story. A fun mystery and adventure as well as the occassional grim murder scene written in , once again Iris Johansen has proven to have a hit on her hands.
This book will suit readers of David Hewson , James Rollins , Dan Brown and Tess Gerritsen.

I have read the Eve Duncan series since...well WAY back and I loved when Jane McGuire came to her and to Joe and what a tough kid she was and how she has grown into a very capable but often obstinate woman. This book should be called "Jane McGuire meets the paranormal". Jane is a budding new artist not long out of college and has an exhibit at her friend Celine's gallery in Paris. A few of the paintings are even featured in a news article and this starts a whole string of events involving a cult called Sang Noir.

This wasn't a mystery in that the players are all known but it is a thriller as there are unexpected murders, torture, kidnapping and other scares plus Jane's friends Jock Gavin, Seth Caleb and John MacDuff along with meeting a few new characters. I did enjoy the thrills and the puzzle pieces to find a so-called "treasure" but felt the paranormal was a bit over the top to give this a 5 star rating.

I hope Ms. Johansen starts labeling these "Jane McGuire Thrillers" so her readership knows more what to expect as Eve's involvement was very minimal.

Very good but not great read.

Who told this author she could write? People do not talk to each other the way her characters do. No one calls each other by their last names, least of all women when talking to or about men. In my everyday life I come into contact with many people and not one person ever refers to anyone by their last name. And, every woman is a mean rude bitch to the other women characters and to all the men. Please, I get it that all the books have to be about serial killers because otherwise the author couldn't continue a series about forensics, but for once can the characters work together to solve the mystery without having to analyze and over analyze every word the other characters are saying? And quit telling us in every single sentence that the speaker does not need or want help from the other character they are talking to. I found Stalemate in the free book box at my used book store a couple of years ago and I thought it was okay, but I was curious about the back story. So I set out to read all the previous books. Some of them have been virtualy unreadable, but I kept reading, hoping they would get better. Thank goodness I only checked them out from the library. I can't imagine having paid for any of this terrible writing.

Iris Johansen always write a good thriller but I was very disappointed that EIGHT DAYS TO LIVE is not an Eve Duncan book - instead it is a Jane McGuire book. I've actually only read the first 100 pages. So far it is a good read, but without Eve Duncan as the central character, I must admit, I am already losing interest. If the next 50 pages don't grab my attention, I won't hesitate to set it aside.

One thing for certain, next time I'll check the inside cover to be sure my Eve Duncan book is about Eve Duncan.

As an artist, having channeled through her painting the image of a strange and chilling face, Jane is suddenly and dangerously pursued by members of an ancient religious cult that believes that human sacrifice, Jane, being the current choice for the ritual. She has eight days before the ceremony to figure out the secrets and save herself.
This is a paranormal thriller that deals with the dark side of religious groups whose use dogma to control people. Unfortunately that aspect of Johansen's story is not fiction.

Because Jane, the heroine, is supposed to be "feisty" while being cute, her conversation is inundated with the word "Dammit" which apparently gives her credence. The whole story is so downright silly, as is the dialogue, one might well find amusement in taking a drink when the word "Dammit" is read. That way, one could either not finish the book at all (small loss) or finish it in drunken oblivion.
If you are unlucky enough to listen to the audiobook whilst driving, the Scottish accents, badly done, are enough to make you crave an alcoholic stupor when your drive is over.
Bottoms up!

In Eight Days to Live, Eve Duncan and her adopted daughter Jane have been targeted by this secret cult. Jane has been selected as the ultimate sacrifice and has eight days until they come and get here. Iris Johansen has written some wonderful thrillers involving the Eve Duncan character and her villains are just so sinister. This particular book is more about Jane and not about Eve. Other than that, there is some interesting character development and the story itself fast-paced.

I really enjoyed Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan thrillers for a long time. But then it just got to the point where I think to myself, how many serial killers can one woman go through. And it's bad enough that Eve gets her share but come on, Jane too. It's gotten beyond ridiculous. I really wanted to enjoy this book. I really would like to see that day that Eve finds her daughter's body. But I realized with this book, I just couldn't do it anymore. I didn't even make it 1/2 way through. I think it's time Johansen wound this series up and came up with something new. But then again, as long as she's making money off of it, I'm sure the series will continue. Can't exactly blame her. But I won't be recommending this book either.

This book is fantastic. I have never cared for forensics or thrillers but this book captivated me. Its extremely suspenseful and there is no telling where its going to take you next. I really connected with Jane (the main character)as I am a painter as well. I was scared for her and I nearly cried every time she faced another murder. You will be on the edge of your seat as you read through her terrifying encounters and romantic moments with Caleb. I couldn't put the book down the book from the moment I opened it. It is never boring and can meet any reader's desires. Iris really knows how create some suspense in this novel. There's so many things you won't expect like physic powers and the truth that comes from unlocking Jane's dreams. There's everything from moments of intense passion to moments of utter hopelessness. I really suggest you read this book as it is a very satisfying read and will forever be on my list of favorite books.

Since all the other reviews have talked about the storyline of this book, I will not go into that. What I will say is that I really loved this book, couldn't put it down once I started reading. It's typical Iris Johansen and a great storyline, sorta different, but good anyway. Again, if you like this author, you will enjoy this book. Can't wait untill the next one comes out.

I love the Eve Duncan series. And this one about her adopted daughter Jane just continues the saga. It is a page turner and very intriguing. I don't think you will be disappointed in Eight Days to Live.

Much better than “Countdown” which I believe was the last Eve/Jane book that was so bad that I couldn’t even finish it. Would probably give it 4 1/2 stars but not 5 stars like I have most of the other ones I have read. I liked the character Seth Caleb, although I have no idea why he was always referred to by his last name. Women in general don’t usually call people by their last name. I hope there is more of him in the later books.