Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780312368074
ISBN: 0312368070
Label: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2008-10-21
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: 2008-10-21
Studio: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Customer Rating:
Summary: Quicksand - a bit bland
Comment: Iris Johansen's Quicksand promised to be an intriguing story of suspense, murder, and the desperate search for missing children. Due to the fact that I was acquainted to most of the characters through previous novels, I looked forward to this one. Especially the long asked question "What happened to Bonnie?" - Eve Duncan's daughter whose disappearance and alleged murder years ago doesn't allow Eve to live a peaceful life, woke my curiosity greatly.
Together with ex- Navy SEAL and partner Joe Quinn, she again gets sent into a labyrinth of false trails and dead ends; just to bring Bonnie home.
And that's were my dilemma starts. Too many times have I read that Eve Duncan wants to bring Her Bonnie Home. Too many times have I read the same dialogue between Eve and Joe regarding Bonnie's death and Eve's desperate search to find her body.
Too many times have I read about how desperate Joe holds on to a thread as he tries to support Eve in her battle, without ever knowing Bonnie personally.

I did like the fact that Johansen brought back Megan Blair, a woman of psychic abilities we know from the previous novel `Pandora's daughter'. I also enjoyed seeing Montalvo again. A very interesting and shady figure that definitely could be more than just a threat to Eve and Joe's already battered relationship. I also like the cliffhanger Quicksand ended with. I don't want to spoil it, so all I'm saying is that the ending leaves no doubt that there will be a continuance of this story. Will I read it? Honestly - I'm not sure yet. On one hand I would love to find out what happens to Joe Quinn after I've read the last page of Quicksand, and I also would like to see Eve Duncan eventually find her daughter's body (if she's indeed dead). On the other hand - how many additional times can I take it that all Eve Duncan wants to do is BRING BONNIE HOME?
We got it, dear Iris Johansen. I admire you as a writer, but please - no more repetitive dialogue between Eve and Joe and the desperate search for Bonnie.

I battled with myself on how many stars I should give this read. As a writer myself, I'm tempted to give it four just because of the fact that Johansen is who she is. But sorry, no can do. Though Quicksand is mostly an enjoyable novel, the at times shallow and repetitive dialogue and the lack of new twists only allow for a three star review.

Rebecca Lerwill, author of Relocating Mia

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Customer Rating:
Summary: More forensics please
Comment: I'm not sure why this book is listed as a forensic thriller since very little to no forensics were evident in this book. The only reference to forensics on Eve's part was a minimal scenario that had nothing to do with the story at hand and was abandoned without conclusion early on. The book seemed to spend way too much time stating and restating feelings, then rehashing the restatements, then repeating the rehashing......so that the story itself becomes secondary to Eve, the main character's, inability to decide between two men. Eve is unlikeable to me. She frequently avers that she is strong, yet in her relationships, which we hear about absolutely constantly, she is weak and self-serving. It could have been a good story and the character could be a good one for a continuing series if she wasn't so intent on achieving martyrdom while dragging all her unexplainable admirers with her.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Book Purchase
Comment: I received my book as promised, in excellent shape, got it very quickly. In fact, I got my copy before the library had their new copy. Amazon and associates have treated me with each order, very quick, very well and I love them!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Comment: I've read a number of books in this series and this one was just as exciting as the others. I look forward to more....

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not very well written, imho.
Comment: This is my first book by this author, and the last. I'm surprised that she has such a following. Perhaps I'm biased by the fact that I just read nine books by James Lee Burke, and he's such a great writer - but I don't find Ms. Johanson very competent - not in character development, plot development, or general presentation of the language. It's also always kind of weird to me to read these female writers who create hideous serial killers who perpetrate their horrers on women (or children) - Tess Gerritsen is another writer of this genre, although Ms. Gerritsen's work is much better written than (at least this book by) Ms. Johanson.
For me a generally boring read, so dull that I was pretty much skimming the pages by the time I was halfway through.

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