Book Review: The Killing Game

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

The Killing Game     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Iris Johansen
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Eve Duncan / Joe Quinn
Coronet; 1999; £5.99; pp. 309

Classification: Adult fiction (thriller)

A sadistic killer is playing with forensic sculptor Eve Duncan. He knows about her daughter who disappeared and whose body was never found and he intends to make great use of this. The game is not going to stop - until Eve dies.

As an author writes more books, one would imagine that the quality of each book would improve due to the author's increasing experience and knowledge. However, Iris Johansen has reversed the trend with her latest novel. The book centres around Eve Duncan and to a lesser extent, Joe Quinn. In most novels, you can understand and normally sympathize with the central protagonists. Here, Quinn, with his macho posturing and criticism of Logan just annoyed me. I could understand that he was trying to be protective of Eve, but it got on my nerves. In addition, I could sympathize with Eve's plight, but she also became grating after a time.

Johansen has written a novel that is inferior to her previous one. She creates an interesting serial killer character, but the game of taunting someone and attacking or threatening people close to them is an old game and has been used many times before. 'The Killing Game' could have been so much better, but instead it will be consigned to the shelves of mediocrity.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

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