Shadow Play

by Iris Johansen

Part of Eve Duncan, book 19

First published 2015

Eve Duncan works alone in her studio, carefully rebuilding faces from skeletal remains. As the most respected forensic sculptor in her field, she has devoted her career to giving identity back to the dead ever since her seven-year-old daughter Bonnie was murdered. When a California sheriff asks her to reconstruct the skull of a nine-year-old girl buried for eight years, his unusual urgency catches her attention. Then something unprecedented happens. The dead child's spirit begins speaking to Eve directly, just as Bonnie's ghost once did. Eve throws herself into solving the case with renewed determination, driven to bring justice for the murdered girl and help her spirit find rest. But the killer discovers that Eve is investigating the cold case. He begins hunting anyone who might expose his identity, and Eve realizes she has become his primary target. She must solve the murder before the killer silences her permanently.

Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, paranormal

Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful

Tropes: ghosts, murder-investigation, supernatural-elements

Setting: California

Period: Contemporary

337 pages · Kindle Edition · St. Martin's Press

Content warnings: child-death, murder

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