Although there have been many Eve Duncan books throughout the past few decades, this article will only refer to the Eve Duncan trilogy, consisting of Eve, Quinn, and Bonnie—all written by Iris Johansson and following the same plotline.

The trilogy follows Eve Duncan, a mother whose seven-year-old daughter, Bonnie Duncan, went missing. Now, driven by this ordeal, she vows to support those in similar circumstances as a forensic sculptor. But when Bonnie’s father appears years later, Eve starts to question his role in Bonnie’s disappearance.

The Eve Duncan series has been running since 1998, with The Face of Deception being the first. However, the books in this trilogy were released throughout 2011, and are intended to be accessible to people who haven’t read the previous installments—which makes me the perfect reader.

Eve

I found Eve at my local library, while looking for Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil (not realizing that mystery and philosophy books are hardly found in the same section—although, it wouldn’t be a bad idea). A quick read of the plot synopsis had me hooked, so I checked it out and started my read.

The book follows Eve throughout the origin of her relationship with John Gallo, Bonnie’s father, and the present mystery surrounding his sudden appearance.

Eve’s plot can easily be considered conventional and safe, but I believe the execution of its material is what makes it a fun read. Like Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, it fosters fun characters and satisfying reveals, creating a story that remains engaging and eventful throughout—which makes the standard plotline a trivial concern.

Like the others in this series, Eve is a quick read, requiring almost no further analysis after its completion. Although this may be a concern to those who are looking for a thought-provoking book, it fulfills its obligations for individuals seeking an enjoyable mystery novel. Although it probably won’t be part of your favorite book collection, it still functions as something to pass the time with, and I can appreciate it under that presumption.

The syntax is clean and flows smoothly; the page count is appropriate; and the cliffhanger towards the end is powerful enough to warrant a read of the sequel: Quinn. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Quinn

After enjoying Eve, I found myself compelled to read the next installment in the series.

Quinn follows, as the name implies, Joe Quinn—a CIA agent and Eve’s husband.  It follows Eve and Joe closely, as the mystery surrounding Bonnie slowly unfolds. First, Quinn succeeds in differentiating itself from Eve. Instead of trying to emulate Eve, it details Eve’s psyche immediately after Bonnie’s disappearance, allowing it to find its own footing. However, a notable annoyance throughout this book is the sub-par communication of exposition. Johnson writes characters that simply tell us what we need to know, instead of creating plot points that are unveiled in an engaging manner. For example, the beginning of this novel contains a recap of the previous installment, which can be frustrating to read through—especially after you leave the last novel on a cliffhanger. Similar choices are made throughout the development of the story, where details are conveyed lazily and off-hand. However, my primary issue with Quinn is its stretching of the plot (a problem that makes itself more clear in Bonnie, the next installment).

Regardless of these flaws, Quinn remains a fun read. The syntax saw a vast improvement in this novel; the page count, again, is not unreasonable; and the cliffhanger, while weaker this time, still justifies a read of the sequel: Bonnie. 

Rating: 3/5

Bonnie

Bonnie concludes the overarching mystery presented in Eve and Quinn, but does so forcefully and uneventfully. By the time I got to this book, I had realized that there simply wasn’t enough material to turn this story into a trilogy. The simple mystery of Bonnie’s disappearance is forcefully expanded upon, which creates a mostly unengaging read.

The characters appear to be the single redeeming factor in Bonnie. The dynamic relationships between John Gallo, Eve, and Catherine Ling (Eve’s CIA friend) kept me interested in the plot and were the only reason I didn’t stop reading immediately. I also found that the syntax improved as well; Johanson manages to write each book in this trilogy using a unique writing style—which helps to differentiate their tones.

Although the book works as a stand-alone novel, it doesn’t fit comfortably as the last book in this trilogy. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Would I recommend it?

Given that 2 out of 3 books in this trilogy are quite good, I can still comfortably recommend reading them, but it should be known that the conclusion is simply disappointing. The last book in this series doesn’t feel like the culmination of a 3-part mystery.