A miraculous medical discovery is threatened in Iris Johansen’s The Bullet.

Iris Johansen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty consecutive bestsellers. Her series featuring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan has sold over twenty million copies. In this fast-paced thriller, Eve and her husband must protect the life of a brilliant scientist so that she can live long enough to bring her formula to the world. Now in her fifth decade as an author, Johansen shared her thoughts with Library Journal.

How has Eve Duncan changed over the course of this series?

She changed the way any person changes. She is real to me, so I kept her human. She made mistakes and she learned from them. She suffered tragedy and it hurt and stayed with her until she came to terms to conquer it. Through it all I made sure she kept her integrity and the values she had fought so hard to preserve: loyalty, love, the importance of family, and that essential humanity. No matter where the story took her and the characters she’d gathered around her, I needed the reader to know and feel they were part of their own family.

Cameron says, “Scientists are a precious commodity since the virus. In a changing, confused world, they clarify and sometimes offer salvation.” How did the COVID-19 pandemic influence the story?

When I first started to write The Bullet, it had nothing to do with the pandemic. It had barely started at that time. The story was completely different, and I hoped the virus would be over by the time it came
out. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case. But as I continued to write, I realized that I couldn’t ignore such a monumental experience when my characters would have gone through that trauma just like the rest of us.

How did you discover your gift for storytelling?

I’ve been writing stories since I was a little girl. I used to lie in bed at night and concoct tales complete with costumes. I had to stop for a while after I graduated high school and life got in my way. But my love of reading and storytelling never left me. It was just put on hold until it occurred to me that I could really do this.

Who were your favorite authors as a young reader?

I loved storytellers, no matter the genre. The first book I ever read cover to cover was Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar. I was thrilled by the adventure. But then I bounced to Frances Hodson Burnette and The Secret Garden, and then I discovered westerns like Zane Grey and then wonderful historicals. I devoured them all, usually at least nine a week.

How would you describe the fan base for the Eve Duncan series?

I hope they’re readers who have grown to think of Eve and family as friends and part of their own family. I think I might be that lucky judging from their emails and input at autograph signings. But it’s just as important that, if not, I give them an entertaining read where they won’t feel left behind but enjoy the ride. Then maybe they’ll feel tempted to come along with me on the next story.

There are some steamy moments in The Bullet. How much does your early romance writing career influence your suspense novels?

I’ve always thought sex was an important part of any relationship. It’s part of the excitement and adventure, even the mystery. Even when I was writing romance, I was really only writing a story with a different emphasis. Definitely not a formula. With a suspense I just change the emphasis a little. The characters still dictate the story.

One reader described the Eve Duncan series as “highly addictive.” Another commented, “I feel like I can’t read them fast enough.” What’s your secret to keeping readers hooked?

What absolutely terrific descriptions! It’s exactly what any writer would want to hear. It’s what we all strive to do from the first chapter. I have no secret that I can tell you. I try to think of an exciting premise and then I develop the characters and hope they come alive for me. The characters are always the most important part because, if they’re alive for me, then maybe they’ll be alive for the reader. Then I can invite them into my world, and we’ll all have a wonderful time together.

Sponsored by