Eve Duncan is pretty much bullied into taking on a new case when journalist Jill Cassidy implores her to come to Africa with her to help parents of children killed in a massacre. They need closure and Eve is just the right one to do so with her knowledge of forensic sculptor. But, Jill has another motive and soon Eve will find herself is quite a lot of danger...

Smokescreen is one of those books that I really wanted to like, but ultimately the story failed for me because of some factors that I will discuss later on in the review. But, first, let's start with what I found good and that is the story itself. The massacre of the children in a school and Eve's help to find closure for the parents together with the real reason for her being there. Because yes, Eve is lured there to help with another thing that they need her special knowledge to do. This is the part of the story that worked for me. That and the interesting "royal" history of the leader of the country that played a big role in the story. And, if Eve and Jill and been alone working on this with the help of Jill's friend Gideon had I most likely enjoyed the book more.

Unfortunately, I have two big problems with the book (and some of the other books I've read by Iris Johansen) and that the's the men. From Joe Quinn, Eve's husband to Jill FBI agent friend Novak. Sorry, but these macho men are boring me so much. I like Iris Johansen's books, but she has a tendency to use a special type of man in every book that feels like an overbearing macho man and I just get the feeling that she has found her niche when it comes to it and now everyone man is written the same way. Even when I read other series by Iris Johansen. And, of course, that brings me to the second problem. The romance part, because of course, Jill and Novak have a lot of sexual tension all through the book. Well, it's written that way, I was utterly bored by that. I was more interested in Jill's role as a journalist and her work to expose the truth about the massacre, etc.

Smokescreen ended up being a so-so book for me. Not among the best like the early ones I've read or like Shadow Play that introduced me to the author. And, that's just too bad because I like Eve Duncan, I just wish the story had focused more on exposing the truth and definitely less on the romance.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! ( )

I love this series but was not at all impressed with this book. Eve has turned a bit too harsh and rude and I didn't appreciate the sex scenes. As I said in her last book it seems that all the main characters in her family are turning into super heroes, all with each their own "gift". I'll hesitate before I read another one. ( )

Smoke Screen is everything you would expect from a book in the Eve Duncan series. It has action – romance – mystery – all of the things one reads this series to get! Once again Eve is taken to a foreign local to identify a skull – in fact, many of them. An entire classroom of children has been murdered, and Eve has been asked to reconstruct the skulls to help bring closure to the grieving parents. Of course, there are people who do not want her to do this – and another mysterious skull that needs reconstructing. There are the usual characters (Eve, Joe, Jane, and Michael), as well as several new ones (some of whom I hope we see in future novels). A mysterious (and deadly?) jungle is the setting. The plot moves fast enough to keep you wanting to read to see what happens. All in all – a great addition to this series! I won this book from the GoodReads FirstReads program. ( )

Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Jill Cassidy persuades Eve to travel to a small African jungle village where guerillas have killed most of the villagers, including an attack on a school where many children were murdered. But when Eve arrives in Maldara, she begins to suspect that there’s something more to Jill’s request for her to help identify the children. In a Robaku museum close to the site of the school massacre, Eve begins working on a reconstruction of one of the schoolchildren. But she soon finds herself entangled in a sinister plot that may claim her as one of its victims.

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan, as always, is strong, stubborn, talented, passionate, and vulnerable. In this, her twenty-fifth adventure, the riveting plot is both intriguing and relevant; the characters believable and well-crafted. The compelling story could easily have come from any of today’s war-torn African nations; here tension and suspense are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats, anxious for the next revelation. Eve’s well-established compassion is on display throughout the story as Jill works her manipulations. The final events are likely to surprise readers as the plot takes yet another unexpected turn and ramps up the tension even further.

Highly recommended. ( )