Eight Days To Live is officially part of Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan series.  However, if you enjoy these books because of Eve, and the forensic studies that she performs, you'll be disappointed in this one.  Why?  Because Eve is only a secondary character in this book as this story revolves around Eve's daughter, Jane.

I'm OK with the fact that this book places Eve on the back burner.  I'm even OK with the fact that this book has nothing to do with forensics, pathology, or facial reconstruction, like the rest of the series.  None of these issues factor into my reasons for disliking this book.  But trust me, the book warrants my dislike for plenty of other reasons.

I have to say, the plot sounded interesting from the back cover.  Jane is an artist, and she's painted a portrait of a man that has been visiting Jane in her dreams for years.  These dreams are so vivid that Jane feels compelled to paint this man's image, having no idea of the consequences that will come from this act.  Because that man's face means something very important to the members of a clandestine religious cult.  And the fact that Jane has painted this image now turns her into target #1 for these fanatical zealots.  They have murder on their mind, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

I was intrigued by the premise of a painting causing such mayhem in someone's life.  The thought that the simple act of capturing a single image could drive people to murder made me want to find out more.  Who is this man?  How did his image come to haunt Jane's dreams?  And why would people kill over it?  All of that held my interest.

However, I quickly realized that this book was going to be a disappointment.  Why?  Because it relies on paranormal phenomena, which I think of as ‘cheating' by the author.  When you accept that some people have certain psychic abilities, suddenly the author has an easy out, for any situation in which the character finds himself.  Someone's about to kill you?  No problem!  Just use your "special powers" to get out of the situation.  Need someone to do something for you and they're opposed?  No problem!  Just "manipulate" them so they do your bidding without argument.  I suppose this would be acceptable in a certain genre of books.  But when I pick up a murder mystery/thriller I don't expect ‘cheap tricks', and that is exactly what this book hands me, as multiple characters can manipulate situations to their own advantage in "mystical" ways.

As if that's not enough, we are introduced to some of the nastiest characters I've ever read about.  And I'm not talking about the bad guys - those are expected to be mean. I'm talking about the good guys.  The protagonists in this story are all bossy, rude, and just plain old nasty.  They are rude to each other, and just generally unpleasant to read about. 

In the end, a decent premise was completely ruined, and I can not recommend this book.  Even if you're reading the entire Eve Duncan series, feel free to skip this one, you won't be missing a thing.

Recommended: No