"Quicksand" by Iris Johansen (audio)

I made a vow awhile back that I was going to take a break from "trashy thrillers", which is what this is. But for some reason (I can't remember now) I had this book on my TBR list. It was a quick read, but fairly forgettable. This is the seventh of the Eve Duncan series...Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor with a live-in boyfriend, Joe, who is a cop, an adult adopted daughter, Jane, as well as some other casts of characters that come and go through the series. I have read some of the books of this series before, so when I started this one, I thought "ahhh, yes I remember now". However I haven't been compelled to pursue each installment, as I do others, so that should tell you something.

In Quicksand, Eve is STILL trying to find the killer of her daughter Bonnie and to find her daughter's body. This has been going on awhile. Like for the entire series. Joe has tracked down a particularly evil gentleman by the name of Kistle, who is a child predator, torturer and killer, and who he suspects may have killed Bonnie. Nasty fellow. Joe is growing as weary of the Bonnie drama as us readers I think, and feels that until the mystery is solved, his relationship with Eve will never be complete. There is a pursuit, a little cat and mouse action, Kistle knocking off people along the way and fixating on Eve as his motivation for his actions. Also back from a couple books ago is a General Montalvo, a smooth Colombian with underworld connections who Eve bonded with on a job a few books back. Montalvo wants to help catch Kistle to impress Eve and steal her away from Joe. During the pursuit, the services of a legitimate but tortured psychic is called upon for assistance as well. It doesn't take a psychic, however, to presume we will see this character again.

Quicksand is a past-paced read and has enough action to keep you entertained. But I found myself getting annoyed with the characters and the dialogue. Joe felt very neanderthal-like with his "I'm going go to bed with you Eve, and I may be rough, but its not my fault because I'm angry" was almost laughable. I kept hearing the same expressions "My God" and "that bastard" over and over again. And I don't remember disliking Eve before, but in this segment she seemed incredibly whiny (could be the narrator, I don't know). I don't mean to sound cold...I completely respect the storyline of this woman finding closure...but frankly I think it has been milked dry. We are all ready for poor Eve to find her peace, but it appears we have to wait a little longer...