The Face-Changers (Jane Whitefield Book 4)

The Jane Whitefield series is great, they are very well written and I fly through these books because I do not want to put them down. I hope the author is working in another because I’ve almost finished the series!

The characters are so well conveyed that one can picture them as in a movie. Nonstop action certainly keeps the reader engaged.

A welcome return!I had stopped following Perry after book 3, as it seemed like the series had hit a natural end point, if surprising - most series wind on and on with dwindling return for the reader. I’m very happy to see that the series has resumed, and The Face Changers is an excellent addition.Jane is a brilliant creation, the plot is satisfyingly complex, and the story barrels along at top speed.Highly recommended.

If Thomas Perry was Jane Whitefield's employer rather than creator and chronicler, he'd really suck. After pounding through "The Face-Changers," the fourth in the series about a woman with Native American roots transporting victims from danger, my takeaway is that she'd be seeking compensation from the literary police. Perry burdens his kind and brilliant heroine with an adventure that by any account would result in immediate termination (of her life) or prison. An old friend of her husband Carey turns up injured and wanted by the police for a horrific murder. By all accounts, this "runner" appears guilty. But Jane has her husband's earnest endorsement of his former mentor. And she's a good person, believing in presumed innocence. Her mission is near impossible. She's got maybe an hour to plan the older doctor's disappearance. He's in a hospital surrounded by cops, and, as it turns out, he's got a hit team out to end his life. Perry leads his reader into Jane's world, explaining carefully the challenges of eluding people, establishing bogus identities and the struggle to change routine. And since this book was published more than two decades ago, the process has evolved. Gotten more difficult. But the whole thing is a rush. This episode proved especially interesting, at least to me, as Jane tried to figure out just what she was up against. Who had framed her client. And why.

Always meticulous research, one learns. Plot twists keep readers on their toes. Nice continuation from earlier novels. One thinks Dr Carey a lucky man. Always moral overtones. And under currents. Thought provoking.

When cosmetic surgeon Dr. Dahlman, Casey McKinnon's mentor and teacher, shows up at the emergency room for a gunshot wound, he asks for Casey's help. He has been accused of brutally murdering his assistant, Sarah Hoffman. He is sure that the police will figure out why they are wrong - given enough time - so he has been trying to make it to Deganawanda. He is looking for Jane Whitefield.He doesn't know that Jane is Dr. McKinnon's wife.Jane has recently returned from helping another runner - a woman - escape from her pursuers. That woman, Janet McAffee, had undergone facial reconstruction and liposuction to change her appearance - at the behest of her guides. Jane had intercepted her at the airport, and spirited her away from her guides who Jane suspected where actually trying to abduct Janet.Casey calls Jane for help, and convinces her that Dr. Dahlman should run.All of author Perry's Jane Whitefield books are good; this is one of the best. Anyone who doesn't find their adrenaline level rising early on - and continuing to rise through the book - must not feel any empathy for anyone. The twists and turns as Jane guides Dahlman - and tries to avoid the face-changers - truly keep the reader on their toes trying to imagine the fear and nerves of both Jane and Dr. Dahlman. The Face-Changers are desperate to find Dahlman and eager to find and eliminate Jane. Meanwhile, the FBI is looking for both of them.This novel is exciting almost from the first page and just keeps getting more so. Beautifully written; I highly recommend it.

In "Face Changers", the 4th installment of the Jane Whitefield series by Thomas Perry we once again find the Native American 'guide' to the imperiled back to doing what she does best; help people in trouble to disappear. Jane is married to a handsome surgeon in her upstate New York town and has left her old life behind. When a successful surgeon who instructed and mentored her husband turns up shot by police as a fugitive implicated in a murder looking for Jane's help how can she refuse? Dusting off her old skills she quickly sets off dodging the authorities and another set of unknown predators who seem to want the doctor dead. If you've read the previous books then you know what you're in for; Jane playing cat & mouse with her pursuers as they travel about the country trying to lose them. Perry does a good job pitting Jane against worthy adversaries (who sometimes seem to get more than a few lucky breaks) keeping Whitefield and her clients in jeopardy. This story lacked much in the way of character development in the villains for my liking. I thought it was clever to have the bad guys essentially masquerading as Jane and setting vulnerable people up to need her services then bilking them. We don't get enough background on them however to fully appreciate their scheme. The book just never developed the momentum of the previous novels and dragged a bit in the last third; I kept flipping ahead to see how many pages remained which is never a good sign. I realize I'm kind of late to the Jane Whitefield party but still like the character and the premise enough to read the next one.

While I really like this series, there are sometimes aspects that require more of a suspension of disbelief than I am ready to provide. That’s why there are 4 rather than 5 stars.