I had so much fun reading this book. I used to be a die-hard Iris Johansen fan (specifically the Eve Duncan series!) but fell into other genres the past decade or so.
The Death Mask really revived my love for Johansen and the murder mystery genre.

Something that I have always loved about Johansens's work is how well she writes STRONG women-and this latest installment is no exception. Eve, Celine, and Kontara are all strong in their own ways and I love that there are so many dimensions to them.

I also think it's written so expertly that it allows for both the strength of the women with just a little twinge of allowing for the firm/protective men archetype as well.

I'm obsessed!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC!

A suspense with a lot of historical information. It did start out slow but I still enjoyed the book. A good cast of characters with an interesting plot. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Iris Johansen is an auto buy author for me. Her latest, The Death Mask, was a five star read for me. Pick it up this summer.

As a long time Eve Duncan/ Iris Johansen fan, I was so excited to see a new book in the series published! I absolutely love to read about Eve’s work, and what could be cooler than working on a recreation of a death last for a lost Egyptian queen. There was a ton of action and some new characters.
I loved the historical element of the book and the description of the setting but the beginning moved a bit slow for me. I enjoyed Celine as a main character but she frustrated me at points though out the book. Overall a fun read back in Eve Duncan’s world!

Absolutely loved it! She never fails to deliver worth every book she writes! I would love to read that s book again!

A real thriller. I liked the characters especially the strong women. Plot is entertaining with lots of twists and turns.

This was very exciting!

I absolutely loved the plot in this one and found myself very worried for our characters.

There's a romantic storyline that definitely works and these characters need their own books in the future.

I did find myself a bit nonplussed by Michael. I mean, I understand who he is and why he is that way, but he also speaks like he should be a 65 year old tenured college professor wearing tweeds and smoking a pipe. He should still sound more like...a kid?

But definitely a good and exciting read!

As with every Eve Duncan book, this one was tension from the beginning to the end. There is rarely a slow moment in this series, and the characters are very well done.
Some very unscrupulous people need Eve. They will not take no for an answer and when her son is kidnapped, she has no choice but to work with them.
There are some characters we know and some new ones, and as always, this one is a winner!


NetGalley/ Grand Central Publishing June 24,2025

Okay, how to describe this book? Sometimes words are hard to come by when you experience a book so profound. Full of heart-pounding action, I felt transported into another world. Yes there is some darkness, but life is not always a bed of roses. The reality is painful but necessary to encompass this story and the brave men and women who fight for justice. Good fighting evil maybe a trite saying but it's true. For romance fans you will not be disappointed. I started reading Ms. Johansen many years ago and will end this by saying "Kudos!" I received an ARC e-book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.

Get ready for a book that you can't put down. It's intensity starts at the very beginning and doesn't stop until the end. The book starts with a couple of story threads that slowly start weaving themself together. Celine is a surgeon and model in Boston who is attacked one night but manages to fight back and escape. Dominic and Rashid are in Africa uncovering devastation of villages and vowing to stop any more from happening. Dominic and Rashid rush to Boston to get to Celine and keep her safe from the evil plans Caldwell and Zakira are planning. After a friend's death, Celine realizes the depth of depravity of Caldwell and agrees to help Dominic, but only after warning Eve Duncan not to get involved. Eve finds she doesn't have a choice when her son is kidnapped by Caldwell. She agrees to go and sculpt the death mask for Caldwell and Zakira, but only if her son stays with her. It is at this point when everyone must pull together resources to find the village deep in the jungle and save Eve and Michael before she finishes the mask. While there is a combination of characters from previous books and new ones, this book can be read as a stand alone as there is enough description of everyone to explain the relationships. This is a very intense book that I ended up reading all in one sitting. Very good and well worth the loss of sleep.

As is the case for all books containing Eve Duncan, strong females play a pivotal role in the story. In this story, Eve once again must prove herself a rock star in her field while showing the evil doers that you don't mess with a brilliant mama bear. I loved how she parlayed the one weapon she had, her talent, into a weapon to keep her son safe which just goes to show there is nothing more important than family. Eve's strength is well matched by the other female lead in this story, Celine Kelly. Right from the first, Celine refuses to be victimized and instead fights with everything she has for her freedom and the safety of others. She proves more than a match for both the villains and for her assigned protector. The strength does not stop there, Kontara, a survivor is forced to confront her deepest fear to help save the others. Three strong woman brought together by a strong women of the past and a ruthless and heartless man who seeks to exploit her. In this story, he wishes to further his ridiculous belief that he is destined for greatness. The only thing he is truly destined for is to find himself on the wrong side against a more than formidable team including our ladies and the men in their lives. It is great to see Caleb back and to get a check in on new mom, Jane.
When I read about baby Cira, it reminded me of how far this journey has gone for Eve and those who love her and those who readers have come to know from other stories. Eve's been an amazing character from book one but that look back helped me to understand her growth and how far she has come. The death mask intrigued Eve when first mentioned but in this book she was willing to set aside her passion for work to be with family something that did not seem likely in early books when she was consumed with her work. She only takes the job when it becomes clear what is at stake. The mask itself and the backdrop provided for a lot of action. While I hated how this book sometimes leaned into the darkness, especially with the little girl, it was still very much worth reading. If we are treated to another Eve book, I will be right there to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.