The Survivor is the latest addition to the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen, but don’t let the fact that it’s in a series stop you from reading this book as it can be read as a stand-alone. If you have never read the series, this novel might be just the one that will get you to go back and start at the beginning. However, if series just aren’t for you, this is still a great book to read.
Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor, but that is not really featured in this volume. Instead, Eve is the friend who will help Riley Smith in any way that she can. Riley is an archeologist who comes to Eve to ask for help before she sets out to travel to an isolated island in Southeast Asia. She will be facing threats from treasure hunters as she seeks to keep the treasure safe. These treasure hunters have no trouble killing anyone who gets in their way. What treasure are they hunting? The preserved body of an Amazon gladiator is what is enticing them all.
Riley is accompanied by Cade, a wealthy man with his own set of unique talents. He will do anything to protect Riley. They are hosted on the island by its caretaker Maya and her daughter Bailey. Maya and Bailey are committed to keeping the island’s other treasure safe: a herd of animals that people believe are mythical.
The Survivor is chocked full of action, history, and archaeology. The author seems to love these characters as she has written about Riley and Cade before. Johansen has a tendency to either bring back the characters she is vested in or to even create a new series just for them. We will have to wait and see if that holds true for Riley and Cade. This book is an enjoyable one, so check it out!
