EVE by Iris Johansen is the first installment in a trilogy meant to uncover the secrets of her heroine's daughter's disappearance. In previous novels, Eve Duncan is consistently troubled by Bonnie's loss. She has thrown herself into reconstructive forensics, spending long hours restructuring the skulls of victims who may have suffered similar fates as her daughter. She seeks consolation in helping law enforcement solve horrendous crimes against other children.
Eve has recently worked on a case for her friend, CIA agent Catherine Ling. In return, Catherine used the means at her disposal in the Agency to bring awareness to Bonnie's disappearance, at age seven, many years before. Now, Catherine has disturbing news for Eve, news that will turn her life inside out. But Catherine fears that Eve's relationship with Joe Quinn will suffer as a result.
Catherine astonishes Eve by telling her that she believes Bonnie's abductor and killer is the man whose name does not appear on the child's birth certificate: John Gallo. Memories of nearly forgotten teen years flood Eve's mind. We see Eve sorting her emotions as a young girl, impetuous when it comes to sexual exploration. The mature Eve of Johansen's later novels is emotional, but not with the raw tendencies that the young Eve exudes.
At 16, Eve lived with her mother, a junkie named Sandra, in the poorest of housing projects in Atlanta, GA. She worked part-time at Mac's Diner and longed to go to college and leave her sorry life behind. One day, when Eve was leaving for work, she heard a scream behind her. Rosa, a teenaged mother who lived in her building, was being pestered by two young guys dangling her year-old son in the air. Eve flailed at the thugs, but they turned their mania on her, beating her with no mercy.
A strong arm intervened, breaking the bones of Eve's assailants. Eve became fascinated by her rescuer, John Gallo, a dark-haired young man with movie-star looks. Eventually, the two surrendered to their lu