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CIA Spies #1
Kill and Tell
Still reeling from her mother's recent death, Karen Whitlaw is stunned when she receives a package containing a mysterious notebook from the father she has barely seen since his return from the Viet Nam War over twenty years ago. Unwilling to deal with her overwhelming emotions, Karen packs the notebook away, putting it - and her father - out of her mind, until she receives a shocking phone call. Her father has been murdered on the gritty streets of New Orleans.
Homicide detective Marc Chastain considers the murder nothing more than street violence against a homeless man, and Karen accepts his judgment - at first. But she changes her mind when her home is burglarized and "accidents" begin to happen. All at once, she faces a chilling realization: whoever killed her father is now after her. Desperate for answers, Karen retrieves the only thing that links her to her father - the notebook he had sent months before. Inside its worn pages, she makes an unsettling discovery: her father had been a sniper in Vietnam and the notebook contains a detailed account of each one of his kills.
Now running for her life, Karen entrusts the book and its secrets to Marc Chastain. Together they unravel a disturbing story of politics, power, and murder - and face a killer who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the kill book....
Homicide detective Marc Chastain considers the murder nothing more than street violence against a homeless man, and Karen accepts his judgment - at first. But she changes her mind when her home is burglarized and "accidents" begin to happen. All at once, she faces a chilling realization: whoever killed her father is now after her. Desperate for answers, Karen retrieves the only thing that links her to her father - the notebook he had sent months before. Inside its worn pages, she makes an unsettling discovery: her father had been a sniper in Vietnam and the notebook contains a detailed account of each one of his kills.
Now running for her life, Karen entrusts the book and its secrets to Marc Chastain. Together they unravel a disturbing story of politics, power, and murder - and face a killer who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the kill book....
305 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Linda Howard
253 books6,980 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 530 reviews
February 10, 2019
3.25 Stars
This is not one of Howard’s best in my opinion but it's still enjoyable. And I did like it overall, though not as much as the second book in this series which I read first. The story is interesting but the mystery is a bit weak.
What I like most about Howard’s writing is that, although her older books may sometimes seem outdated, her heroes are always ahead of their time: dark and brooding with alpha tendecies, dark stubble, strong, muscular features, threadbare jeans, shirts with sleeves rolled up ...
Surprisingly, this hero has perfect manners. He is considerate, courteous and gallant, qualities that are so rare in today’s romances. He’s a true gentleman. He never kisses and tells. He treats women with utmost courtesy. He cares about them and wants to please them. He opens the door for them, feeds them, takes them dancing.
Such a great idea.
But nope. Not doing it for me.
Firstly, while I do want heroes to have good manners, treating women like they are weak, helpless little princesses usually rubs me the wrong way.
And the hero does make the heroine seem weak, though she is perfectly strong on her own in my opinion.
Secondly, I'm not a fan of too chivalrous heroes. I want them to be rough around the edges, more intense, more passionate.
Luckily, the hero transforms into an alpha(ish) male as the story progresses and doesn't kill the book for me.
However, what bothered me the most was insta-love. They meet and he practically proposes and wants children. It wasn’t convincing.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 3.25/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 3.5/5
Heroine: 3.5/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: multiple, third person
Triggers:
This is not one of Howard’s best in my opinion but it's still enjoyable. And I did like it overall, though not as much as the second book in this series which I read first. The story is interesting but the mystery is a bit weak.
What I like most about Howard’s writing is that, although her older books may sometimes seem outdated, her heroes are always ahead of their time: dark and brooding with alpha tendecies, dark stubble, strong, muscular features, threadbare jeans, shirts with sleeves rolled up ...
Surprisingly, this hero has perfect manners. He is considerate, courteous and gallant, qualities that are so rare in today’s romances. He’s a true gentleman. He never kisses and tells. He treats women with utmost courtesy. He cares about them and wants to please them. He opens the door for them, feeds them, takes them dancing.
Such a great idea.
But nope. Not doing it for me.
Firstly, while I do want heroes to have good manners, treating women like they are weak, helpless little princesses usually rubs me the wrong way.
And the hero does make the heroine seem weak, though she is perfectly strong on her own in my opinion.
Secondly, I'm not a fan of too chivalrous heroes. I want them to be rough around the edges, more intense, more passionate.
Luckily, the hero transforms into an alpha(ish) male as the story progresses and doesn't kill the book for me.
However, what bothered me the most was insta-love. They meet and he practically proposes and wants children. It wasn’t convincing.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 3.25/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 3.5/5
Heroine: 3.5/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: multiple, third person
Triggers:
November 15, 2011
I'm a big fan of LH's earlier romantic suspense novels, but her latest releases have failed to catch my interest. Kill and Tell is one of her oldies and, IMHO, a very good one.
The story starts with Dexter Whitlaw, a Vietnam veteran, sending a "mysterious" package to his estranged wife. Unbeknown to him, she died a few weeks ago and it's their daughter, Karen, who receives the package. Still grieving for her mother's death and resentfull of her father, who left them when she was only a teenager to never come back, Karen doesn't give the package any importance, sends it to a storage house along with her deceased mother's belongings, and forgets about it.
Fast foward 6 months, and Dex is killed in a New Orleans street. Homicide Detective Marc Chastain is assigned to the case, and he soon suspects that there's more to it than the "simple" murder of a homeless John Doe. But solving the murder of a homeless man isn't top priority for the police, so as soon as the body is identified as belonging to Dexter Whitlaw, all Marc is left to do is contact his family (aka Karen) and get her to take care of his funeral.
Karen works as a nurse at the surgical floor of a hospital in Ohio, and she's still not fully recovered from the loss of her mother. When Marc tells her her father is dead, she doesn't know how to feel about it. He's been a virtual stranger to her but, out of duty and respect for her mother who never stopped loving him, Karen flies to New Orleans to identify and claim her father's body.
Marc doesn't really like Karen at first - he finds her too cold and unfeeling - but it doesn't take long until he realizes that's just a facade and, in fact, she feels too much behind her controlled behavior. That's when he falls hard and fast for her and, knowing time isn't on his side, begins an intense courtship. Oh boy, I wish I had a man like Marc to help me whenever I'm facing a difficult time! ;)
Things get complicated when a 2nd body is discovered in Mississipi. Even though there are no visible links, Marc feels the two murders are connected and starts investigating. This calls the attention of the CIA, the bad guys get antsy and, suddenly, Karen has the killer after her. But why? What do they want with her? What was in the package sent by her father?
If I didn't make it clear before, let me tell you again: I loved Marc! He was protective, caring, and totally devoted to Karen. Some readers thought he was a bit manipulative, taking advantage of her distress to seduce her, but I really didn't see it that way. Was she feeling vulnerable and needy? Yes, but it wasn't like anyone would do. No, she wanted Marc as much as he wanted her. And he wasn't after a one-night stand, he just felt the need to speed up his intense courtship because she was leaving in 3 days and he wanted to hook her on a relationship with him before she left and put him behind her. Desperate times call for drastic measures, LOL.
It took me longer to like Karen. I thought she was too cold and passive at first, but then I understood she was basically on the verge of depression and I could definitely relate to that. Been there, done that. She won me over when she managed to escape a near-death situation all by herself. Gotta love an intelligent heroine who doesn't have a single TSTL bone in her body!
I have one small complaint about this book: it's somewhat short and could have used 50 or so more pages to develop Marc and Karen's relationship, IMHO. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to read All the Queen's Men, the next book in this miniseries loosely connected through John Medina's character.
The story starts with Dexter Whitlaw, a Vietnam veteran, sending a "mysterious" package to his estranged wife. Unbeknown to him, she died a few weeks ago and it's their daughter, Karen, who receives the package. Still grieving for her mother's death and resentfull of her father, who left them when she was only a teenager to never come back, Karen doesn't give the package any importance, sends it to a storage house along with her deceased mother's belongings, and forgets about it.
Fast foward 6 months, and Dex is killed in a New Orleans street. Homicide Detective Marc Chastain is assigned to the case, and he soon suspects that there's more to it than the "simple" murder of a homeless John Doe. But solving the murder of a homeless man isn't top priority for the police, so as soon as the body is identified as belonging to Dexter Whitlaw, all Marc is left to do is contact his family (aka Karen) and get her to take care of his funeral.
Karen works as a nurse at the surgical floor of a hospital in Ohio, and she's still not fully recovered from the loss of her mother. When Marc tells her her father is dead, she doesn't know how to feel about it. He's been a virtual stranger to her but, out of duty and respect for her mother who never stopped loving him, Karen flies to New Orleans to identify and claim her father's body.
Marc doesn't really like Karen at first - he finds her too cold and unfeeling - but it doesn't take long until he realizes that's just a facade and, in fact, she feels too much behind her controlled behavior. That's when he falls hard and fast for her and, knowing time isn't on his side, begins an intense courtship. Oh boy, I wish I had a man like Marc to help me whenever I'm facing a difficult time! ;)
Things get complicated when a 2nd body is discovered in Mississipi. Even though there are no visible links, Marc feels the two murders are connected and starts investigating. This calls the attention of the CIA, the bad guys get antsy and, suddenly, Karen has the killer after her. But why? What do they want with her? What was in the package sent by her father?
If I didn't make it clear before, let me tell you again: I loved Marc! He was protective, caring, and totally devoted to Karen. Some readers thought he was a bit manipulative, taking advantage of her distress to seduce her, but I really didn't see it that way. Was she feeling vulnerable and needy? Yes, but it wasn't like anyone would do. No, she wanted Marc as much as he wanted her. And he wasn't after a one-night stand, he just felt the need to speed up his intense courtship because she was leaving in 3 days and he wanted to hook her on a relationship with him before she left and put him behind her. Desperate times call for drastic measures, LOL.
It took me longer to like Karen. I thought she was too cold and passive at first, but then I understood she was basically on the verge of depression and I could definitely relate to that. Been there, done that. She won me over when she managed to escape a near-death situation all by herself. Gotta love an intelligent heroine who doesn't have a single TSTL bone in her body!
I have one small complaint about this book: it's somewhat short and could have used 50 or so more pages to develop Marc and Karen's relationship, IMHO. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to read All the Queen's Men, the next book in this miniseries loosely connected through John Medina's character.
October 10, 2012
"Dance with me," he said softly, standing up and holding out his hand to her. She stood and went silently into his arms. She closed her eyes, and her head found her personal resting place on his shoulder. There couldn't be anything more perfect, she thought, than slow dancing, barefoot, on a balcony in New Orleans, while the rain poured down and twilight wrapped around them.
This was the part of the book that had me hooked, and I couldn't put it down until the mystery solved (which just happened to be the end of the book).
Marc was so smooth, strong, gallant, and oh SO alpha... and just exactly what Karen needed.
I LOVED Marc & Karen together, and I loved their story!
The story, characters, and writing are amazing! Another great story (I just recently discovered this Author, but was written awhile ago) by Linda Howard!
November 14, 2020
3.5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
An oldie but a goodie.
Slightly dated...but that was absolutely no problem for me....pre...cellphones and also a time when answering machines weren't quite digital yet.
for those of us who can still remember....
Linda Howard is just so great with romantic suspense...this was another thoroughly entertaining and delightful read by her.
An oldie but a goodie.
Slightly dated...but that was absolutely no problem for me....pre...cellphones and also a time when answering machines weren't quite digital yet.
for those of us who can still remember....
Linda Howard is just so great with romantic suspense...this was another thoroughly entertaining and delightful read by her.
January 11, 2014
**2.5 stars**
Karen is surprised by a package that arrives at her house from her estranged father. Karen is still mourning her mother’s death when she is informed her father has been murdered. Her father's murder wants her dead. All her friends are also in danger because of their association with her.
Detective Chastain is intrigued by the murder of a homeless man which happens to be Karen’s father. He takes it upon himself to protect Karen.
The chemistry between Karen and Marc Chastain was just okayish for me. I'm not an insta love fan and I've noticed that happens a lot with this author. In her other stories I've been able to over look that flaw because the story was good but the overall story for Kiss and Tell barely held my attention. I've loved every other book of Linda Howard's that I've read so far. So, I was surprised that this one didn't work for me.
SERIES:
Each book can be read as a standalone
Karen is surprised by a package that arrives at her house from her estranged father. Karen is still mourning her mother’s death when she is informed her father has been murdered. Her father's murder wants her dead. All her friends are also in danger because of their association with her.
Detective Chastain is intrigued by the murder of a homeless man which happens to be Karen’s father. He takes it upon himself to protect Karen.
The chemistry between Karen and Marc Chastain was just okayish for me. I'm not an insta love fan and I've noticed that happens a lot with this author. In her other stories I've been able to over look that flaw because the story was good but the overall story for Kiss and Tell barely held my attention. I've loved every other book of Linda Howard's that I've read so far. So, I was surprised that this one didn't work for me.
SERIES:
Each book can be read as a standalone
February 12, 2016
Oh, Kill and Tell was sooo good! Wickedly sexy, with just the right amount of action, danger, and mystery.
Karen’s estranged father is murdered in New Orleans not long after the death of her beloved mother and her emotions are in turmoil. From meeting the very male (yum!) and a little hostile Detective Marc Chastain, to having attempts on her life, Karen’s life is turned upside down! Marc is a little gruff with Karen when his mistakes her demeanor for cold heartlessness, but he soon realizes just how close Karen is to falling apart. Finding out her history and the passionate woman underneath stirs up a powerful attraction combined with an intense possessiveness he’s never felt before. When danger strikes, Marc’s main objective is to keep Karen safe all the while convincing her that they’re meant to be.
Marc Chastain was every girls dream! Handsome, protective, and considerate. His Southern manners and care were a definite draw and the accent…well, I just melt over a Southern drawl! So very seductive! I love Linda Howard’s take on an alpha men!
He was the most considerate man she’d ever met, and the hell of it was he was so damn alpha. She hadn’t known the two qualities could blend together so wonderfully.
I adored Karen as well. Even though she was going through so much turmoil, she kept a level head, and I felt her pain of loss acutely. She deserved a man like Marc!
As for the romance, oh boy! Sultry hot New Orleans nights were the perfect setting for this sizzling love affair! Chapter Nine was so utterly and fantastically HOT!! Linda Howard expertly lays a foundation of sexual tension and her writing is just so beautifully sensual!
The mystery and suspense portion of the story was exciting, too! I devoured the story!
As for the narration, Natalie Ross is perfection! Her Southern accents aren’t over the top, but still exude that sexiness that comes with a Southern drawl. Her male voices are very well done. Ms. Ross enhances any story she narrates!
Karen’s estranged father is murdered in New Orleans not long after the death of her beloved mother and her emotions are in turmoil. From meeting the very male (yum!) and a little hostile Detective Marc Chastain, to having attempts on her life, Karen’s life is turned upside down! Marc is a little gruff with Karen when his mistakes her demeanor for cold heartlessness, but he soon realizes just how close Karen is to falling apart. Finding out her history and the passionate woman underneath stirs up a powerful attraction combined with an intense possessiveness he’s never felt before. When danger strikes, Marc’s main objective is to keep Karen safe all the while convincing her that they’re meant to be.
Marc Chastain was every girls dream! Handsome, protective, and considerate. His Southern manners and care were a definite draw and the accent…well, I just melt over a Southern drawl! So very seductive! I love Linda Howard’s take on an alpha men!
He was the most considerate man she’d ever met, and the hell of it was he was so damn alpha. She hadn’t known the two qualities could blend together so wonderfully.
I adored Karen as well. Even though she was going through so much turmoil, she kept a level head, and I felt her pain of loss acutely. She deserved a man like Marc!
As for the romance, oh boy! Sultry hot New Orleans nights were the perfect setting for this sizzling love affair! Chapter Nine was so utterly and fantastically HOT!! Linda Howard expertly lays a foundation of sexual tension and her writing is just so beautifully sensual!
The mystery and suspense portion of the story was exciting, too! I devoured the story!
As for the narration, Natalie Ross is perfection! Her Southern accents aren’t over the top, but still exude that sexiness that comes with a Southern drawl. Her male voices are very well done. Ms. Ross enhances any story she narrates!
December 14, 2016
Kill and Tell
3.5 Stars
After receiving a package from her estranged father, Karen Whitlaw doesn't even give it a second glance. But when Dexter Whitlaw is murdered in New Orleans and Karen is plagued by a series of mysterious "accidents", she soon realizes that someone is desperate to get their hands on the package. With help from homicide detective, Marc Chastain, Karen must learn her father's secrets before she falls victim to a determined killer.
The suspense plot is good, but the romance falls flat mainly due to the judgmental hero.
Karen and Marc's relationship gets off on the wrong foot when he makes some rather ugly assumptions about her. Then, all of a sudden, he has an epiphany and realizes he has made a mistake, and she is the perfect woman to take as his next conquest. Please save me from this man's gigantic ego!
Unfortunately, Karen falls very easily for his possessive charm and protectiveness, and what little tension there is between them at the outset fizzles very quickly once they hop into bed. As is always the case with Linda Howard, the sex scenes are sizzling even if the emotional connection is lacking.
The mystery is much better with some intense and exciting moments even though the villain is revealed early on. There is some bumbling around on the part of the hired goons that defies common sense, but Karen is a strong heroine and there is, thankfully, no damsel in distress routine.
In sum, not one of Howard's better books but it is a quick and entertaining read nonetheless.
3.5 Stars
After receiving a package from her estranged father, Karen Whitlaw doesn't even give it a second glance. But when Dexter Whitlaw is murdered in New Orleans and Karen is plagued by a series of mysterious "accidents", she soon realizes that someone is desperate to get their hands on the package. With help from homicide detective, Marc Chastain, Karen must learn her father's secrets before she falls victim to a determined killer.
The suspense plot is good, but the romance falls flat mainly due to the judgmental hero.
Karen and Marc's relationship gets off on the wrong foot when he makes some rather ugly assumptions about her. Then, all of a sudden, he has an epiphany and realizes he has made a mistake, and she is the perfect woman to take as his next conquest. Please save me from this man's gigantic ego!
Unfortunately, Karen falls very easily for his possessive charm and protectiveness, and what little tension there is between them at the outset fizzles very quickly once they hop into bed. As is always the case with Linda Howard, the sex scenes are sizzling even if the emotional connection is lacking.
The mystery is much better with some intense and exciting moments even though the villain is revealed early on. There is some bumbling around on the part of the hired goons that defies common sense, but Karen is a strong heroine and there is, thankfully, no damsel in distress routine.
In sum, not one of Howard's better books but it is a quick and entertaining read nonetheless.
August 13, 2022
I used to read a lot of these types of books. This one is quite popular in this genre, so I was expecting something more. The story is okay, but nothing special about it. I also feel that I have met some of these characters in other books, which is actually quite possible.
I'm not a big fan of love at first sight in my books, and here too, I expected so much more. Even so, the author has done surprisingly much to show that at least Karen resists her feelings. There is also some room for their relationship to grow, so that it all didn't feel as rushed as it actually was. It's a short book, but luckily there was a bit of room to develop their feelings, although it could do with a lot more.
The suspense thread was fine although it wasn't particularly elaborate or unique. There was a lot of action and the stakes seemed high since someone was clearly trying to kill Karen. After this whole mess with killing people, the explanation why the villain unleashed this chaos at all is a bit lackluster. But it's not that big of a problem.
It was generally okay.
I'm not a big fan of love at first sight in my books, and here too, I expected so much more. Even so, the author has done surprisingly much to show that at least Karen resists her feelings. There is also some room for their relationship to grow, so that it all didn't feel as rushed as it actually was. It's a short book, but luckily there was a bit of room to develop their feelings, although it could do with a lot more.
The suspense thread was fine although it wasn't particularly elaborate or unique. There was a lot of action and the stakes seemed high since someone was clearly trying to kill Karen. After this whole mess with killing people, the explanation why the villain unleashed this chaos at all is a bit lackluster. But it's not that big of a problem.
It was generally okay.
May 25, 2015
Rereading 5/24/15
I'm in the mood for a Linda Howard book, rereading a favorite.
I knew I loved this book but I'd forgotten how much I loved it!! Marc Chastain is a New Orleans Detective investigating the murder of what appears to be a homeless man. Soon he learns the man's identity as Dexter Whitlaw a Vietnam veteran. Marc is a compassionate man who decides to look further into the veteran's death and track down his next of kin.
Karen Whitlaw is an ER Nurse who is still mourning the death of her beloved mother, when she receives a call from NOPD informing her of her estranged Fathers death. Upon arrival in New Orleans she is dismayed and a bit shocked to feel the hostility coming from the Detective investigating the murder of her father.
Once Marc realizes he misjudged Karen and gets to know her, he decides to do everything he can to help her make the necessary arrangements. While helping Karen he decides that he wants Karen and plans an "intensive courtship" to get her and keep her!!
My favorite scene:
"Dance with me," he said softly, standing up and holding out his hand to her. She stood and went silently into his arms. She closed her eyes, and her head found her personal resting place on his shoulder. There couldn't be anything more perfect, she thought, than slow dancing, barefoot, on a balcony in New Orleans, while the rain poured down and twilight wrapped around them.
After that scene and an intense night together, Karen panics and flees back to Ohio. Once home things start happening that threatens her life, she realizes someone obviously wants her dead so she hastily returns to Marc knowing he'll keep her safe.
Obviously there is much more to the murder of Karen's father, which puts her in the direct path of determined killer. This is such a great romantic suspense book with many powerful and shady characters. Lastly we're introduced to John Medina (All the Queen's Men, another great LH read with one of the most memorable scenes I've EVER read!!!) who's father was also murdered and intertwined with Karen's father's murder.
**Great narration by Natalie Ross, she's definitely a favorite narrator of mine!!
*First read: June 2011
September 7, 2022
⭐️⭐️ two stars -
Oh, my word - I FINALLY finished this book! This was a huge chore to finish, and the ONLY reason I forced myself to soldier on to the end is due to the fact that I didn’t want to shelve a Linda Howard to my DNF shelf 🙄.
This was so, so painful. Truly. The other main reason I forced myself through the last 15% of this is due to fact that it’s the precursor to “All The Queen’s Men”, and I’ve been dying (pun intended) to read ATQM based on the fact that nearly every fellow romantic suspense reviewer I follow just loves that book. So, my logic went along the lines that I must read this first book in Howard’s CIA Spies series to get my full enjoyment out of Book II, which is ATQM.
Well, I finished it. That’s all I can say. Well, I can say more 😂
Here are my reason why I just hated this book:
➡️ so, so painfully boring
➡️ in the first half of this book, I got the impression that Howard couldn’t decide if she wanted to write a romance or a suspense. Every time the romance would get good, she would cut back to the suspense. Usually she’s quite good at this, but not here. It became a case of maximum reader frustration to have the romantic action so rudely interrupted every time there was good character development and romantic flow. Then, BANG. All the romance was quickly shuttered and we were back to law and order
➡️ too much emphasis on the crime plot. Way, way too much. If I wanted to read Michael Connolly, I would’ve picked one of those up. I read Howard for her normally superb blend of romance and crime drama. This did not happen here. I felt that she really wanted to write a crime drama, but someone talked her into her cookie cutter romantic suspense mode, and she only added the romantic snippets to appease someone. Who that someone is is anyone’s guess. It wasn’t this reader 💁♀️
➡️ poorly written romance for our two mc’s. I felt that this book was written more for the setup of book II in this series, ATQM
There you have it. I finished it, I still do like Howard, but I would not recommend this book. Will I still read ATQM? Absolutely. Book II, as mentioned above comes highly recommended. Can it be enjoyed without reading this snoozefest first? I’m not sure yet, but will report back as soon as I tackle Book II in this popular series, as recommend by Howard’s fans.
Two poor stars. Do not recommend unless you’re like me and really want to read “All The Queen’s Men” as Howard intended. Other than that as a reason, save yourself and skip this one.
Oh, my word - I FINALLY finished this book! This was a huge chore to finish, and the ONLY reason I forced myself to soldier on to the end is due to the fact that I didn’t want to shelve a Linda Howard to my DNF shelf 🙄.
This was so, so painful. Truly. The other main reason I forced myself through the last 15% of this is due to fact that it’s the precursor to “All The Queen’s Men”, and I’ve been dying (pun intended) to read ATQM based on the fact that nearly every fellow romantic suspense reviewer I follow just loves that book. So, my logic went along the lines that I must read this first book in Howard’s CIA Spies series to get my full enjoyment out of Book II, which is ATQM.
Well, I finished it. That’s all I can say. Well, I can say more 😂
Here are my reason why I just hated this book:
➡️ so, so painfully boring
➡️ in the first half of this book, I got the impression that Howard couldn’t decide if she wanted to write a romance or a suspense. Every time the romance would get good, she would cut back to the suspense. Usually she’s quite good at this, but not here. It became a case of maximum reader frustration to have the romantic action so rudely interrupted every time there was good character development and romantic flow. Then, BANG. All the romance was quickly shuttered and we were back to law and order
➡️ too much emphasis on the crime plot. Way, way too much. If I wanted to read Michael Connolly, I would’ve picked one of those up. I read Howard for her normally superb blend of romance and crime drama. This did not happen here. I felt that she really wanted to write a crime drama, but someone talked her into her cookie cutter romantic suspense mode, and she only added the romantic snippets to appease someone. Who that someone is is anyone’s guess. It wasn’t this reader 💁♀️
➡️ poorly written romance for our two mc’s. I felt that this book was written more for the setup of book II in this series, ATQM
There you have it. I finished it, I still do like Howard, but I would not recommend this book. Will I still read ATQM? Absolutely. Book II, as mentioned above comes highly recommended. Can it be enjoyed without reading this snoozefest first? I’m not sure yet, but will report back as soon as I tackle Book II in this popular series, as recommend by Howard’s fans.
Two poor stars. Do not recommend unless you’re like me and really want to read “All The Queen’s Men” as Howard intended. Other than that as a reason, save yourself and skip this one.
July 17, 2008
Great romantic suspense set in New Orleans and Ohio. I loved the scenes in New Orleans, I almost felt like I was in the French Quarter siting on the balcony with Mark and Karen. I love how LH described Mark and his southern gentleman characteristics. The scene where he seduces Karen with some wine and dancing on a steamy New Orleans night was so hot! I highly recommend this book!
September 24, 2018
I liked it, but not the best LH I've read.
As usual the hero was sexy, although I wasn't on board with his original plan to simply seduce the grieving heroine with no thought of a future relationship. Perhaps in a man's mind - the magic penis is a thing and he really thought some great sex would soothe her grief over her father's death. He quickly abandoned that plan for insta-love however. I don't feel like the relationship ever developed all that much, just *bam* instalove.
The hero from the next book was introduced toward the end and he seems like a pretty fascinating guy.
As usual the hero was sexy, although I wasn't on board with his original plan to simply seduce the grieving heroine with no thought of a future relationship. Perhaps in a man's mind - the magic penis is a thing and he really thought some great sex would soothe her grief over her father's death. He quickly abandoned that plan for insta-love however. I don't feel like the relationship ever developed all that much, just *bam* instalove.
The hero from the next book was introduced toward the end and he seems like a pretty fascinating guy.
August 14, 2016
I do love Linda Howard. This romantic suspense gets going strong in the second half. Maybe 4 stars. Erotica. Hot steamy read, in Audible, narrated superbly by Natalie Ross. This book is set in New Orleans and Columbus, Ohio. It is the first of a series, but the books are only loosely connected.
Detective Mark Chastain is some kind of heart-throb, huh? Gotta love a Howard hero: protective, passionate, smart, and sweet.
On the down side, there is too much time spent in introspection (my pet peeve, even more yawn-worthy in audio version). Also, it was almost love at first sight, once Marc got past his hasty judgement of Karen.
Also, no suspense. Nothing to wonder about. We saw and heard everything from everyone's POV, as the perspective hopped from the killers, to Dexter (one of the victims), to the big-wig who paid the killers, to the CIA operatives who sought to avenge the death, to the bungler who tried to find the notebook, etc.
On the up side, the final fight scene was tight and suspenseful. Who knew we could do that with a latex glove? No, not that.
Also on the up side, I rather appreciated how Karen resolved some of her feelings for her AWOL father (Dexter), and how daddy ended up helping her, even in death, by teaching her some survival skills when she was a girl. Howard never creates a helpless heroine.
But why do so many of these types of suspense thrillers always always ALWAYS involve
This is a series opener. John Medina gets a book of his own: All the Queen's Men.
Detective Mark Chastain is some kind of heart-throb, huh? Gotta love a Howard hero: protective, passionate, smart, and sweet.
On the down side, there is too much time spent in introspection (my pet peeve, even more yawn-worthy in audio version). Also, it was almost love at first sight, once Marc got past his hasty judgement of Karen.
Also, no suspense. Nothing to wonder about. We saw and heard everything from everyone's POV, as the perspective hopped from the killers, to Dexter (one of the victims), to the big-wig who paid the killers, to the CIA operatives who sought to avenge the death, to the bungler who tried to find the notebook, etc.
On the up side, the final fight scene was tight and suspenseful. Who knew we could do that with a latex glove? No, not that.
Also on the up side, I rather appreciated how Karen resolved some of her feelings for her AWOL father (Dexter), and how daddy ended up helping her, even in death, by teaching her some survival skills when she was a girl. Howard never creates a helpless heroine.
But why do so many of these types of suspense thrillers always always ALWAYS involve
This is a series opener. John Medina gets a book of his own: All the Queen's Men.
September 27, 2013
What a fantastic read! I couldn't resist picking this up when I saw that it was set (at least partially) in New Orleans. I couldn't put it down when I found that the hero was a completely yummy creole cop with all his protective alpha instincts filtered through that gorgeous Southern charm and generosity. Wow. Really, that should be all that needs be said. Seriously, Marc is beyond hot and well worth the book by himself.
If that's not enough, then add a heroine you'd love to be friends with who not only is kind but also determined and resourceful. Karen goes through the wringer during the course of the book (emotionally, mostly, but somewhat physically as well) and my respect for her grew as she rose to meet each challenge as it occurred. Even her weaknesses were understandable enough under the circumstances and completely redeemed by subsequent action.
If there's a flaw, it's the length of time between meeting and falling in love between the two main characters. Given the emotional weight of that time, however, (and the natural compatibility between the two) I didn't mind and even find it not unreasonable.
A note about Steamy: This was mid-level steam for my tastes. Two detailed explicit scenes (the first was stand-out-awesome!) and a few mild... references here or there.
If that's not enough, then add a heroine you'd love to be friends with who not only is kind but also determined and resourceful. Karen goes through the wringer during the course of the book (emotionally, mostly, but somewhat physically as well) and my respect for her grew as she rose to meet each challenge as it occurred. Even her weaknesses were understandable enough under the circumstances and completely redeemed by subsequent action.
If there's a flaw, it's the length of time between meeting and falling in love between the two main characters. Given the emotional weight of that time, however, (and the natural compatibility between the two) I didn't mind and even find it not unreasonable.
A note about Steamy: This was mid-level steam for my tastes. Two detailed explicit scenes (the first was stand-out-awesome!) and a few mild... references here or there.
April 2, 2017
Excellent romantic suspense. Good thriller, interesting characters, good relationships, good plot and action.
Dexter was a Vietnam Vet who abandoned his wife and daughter after the war. He was murdered. His daughter Karen went to New Orleans to identify and bury him. She met detective Marc and a romance began. The killer started going after Karen. John Medina has a small part at the end of this book. He is the main character in the next book: "All The Queen's Men."
I loved the scene where Karen fights the killer in her apartment. She was smart and followed advice from her father the sniper.
I read the paperback a few years ago and recently listened to the audiobook. A few times during the audiobook I felt it a little slow in the middle, maybe too much time pondering their feelings and relationship. I wanted to get back to the main plot. But I didn’t notice slowness when I read the paperback. Still, I want to keep it at 5 stars.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Natalie Ross did an excellent job. (And I was pleased that her breath noises were edited out.)
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 305 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but rarely used. Sexual language: moderate to strong. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: current day mostly Columbus, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana. Copyright: 1998. Genre: contemporary romantic suspense.
Dexter was a Vietnam Vet who abandoned his wife and daughter after the war. He was murdered. His daughter Karen went to New Orleans to identify and bury him. She met detective Marc and a romance began. The killer started going after Karen. John Medina has a small part at the end of this book. He is the main character in the next book: "All The Queen's Men."
I loved the scene where Karen fights the killer in her apartment. She was smart and followed advice from her father the sniper.
I read the paperback a few years ago and recently listened to the audiobook. A few times during the audiobook I felt it a little slow in the middle, maybe too much time pondering their feelings and relationship. I wanted to get back to the main plot. But I didn’t notice slowness when I read the paperback. Still, I want to keep it at 5 stars.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Natalie Ross did an excellent job. (And I was pleased that her breath noises were edited out.)
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 305 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but rarely used. Sexual language: moderate to strong. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: current day mostly Columbus, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana. Copyright: 1998. Genre: contemporary romantic suspense.
October 24, 2020
Una historia que pasa sin pena ni gloria.
Nos situamos en dos lugares distintos, Ohio y Nueva Orleáns, aunque es esta última la que acapara la atención de la autora, describiéndonos el ambiente de sus calles, sus edificios antiguos, sus gentes... Casi puedes oír las notas de jazz esparcidas por un saxofón.
La trama se desarrolla con lentitud durante la primera mitad de la novela, en la que abundan las descripciones y la narración, y donde la autora se repite bastante en ocasiones. La segunda parte abunda en acción y todo se vuelve más interesante. Sin embargo, yo diría que el romance, en conjunto, no ocupa ni un tercio de la novela, y se centra más en el sexo que en lo romántico.
Karen es una enfermera que acaba de perder a su madre, con la que vivía, y poco tiempo después le avisan del asesinato de su padre. Se nos presenta como una mujer con un gran control de sí misma, en apariencia fría. Sus barreras caen cuando conoce a Marc, un policía de Nueva Orleáns que se ocupa del caso de su padre. Digamos que él la coge vulnerable y sus atenciones la reconfortan, pero es que ella se enamora en solo tres días!!!
Por su parte, Marc es un hombre atractivo, inteligente y un policía muy capaz. Tras descubrir el cadáver del padre de Karen, se percata de que no se trata del simple asesinato de un vagabundo. Poco a poco las cosas se van complicando, y mientras más conoce a Karen, más parecen enredarse las cosas en torno a ella, con atentados a su vida. Derribados los primeros prejuicios hacia ella, Marc sabe que es la mujer de su vida y hará todo lo posible por conquistarla, lo que incluye una noche de sexo intenso que deberá bastarle para hacerle comprender cuánto la ama.
En el fondo, el amor de los dos me ha parecido algo superficial y pretencioso. Demasiado rápido. La parte de suspense y acción está bien narrada y atrapa. Creo que esta historia se inclina más hacia el thriller que hacía el romance. Quizás guste más a los amantes del primer género que a los del segundo.
El estilo de la autora me gusta, aunque, como he dicho, en este caso ha abundado en repeticiones innecesarias y abundantes datos surgidos del recuerdo de los personajes.
Nos situamos en dos lugares distintos, Ohio y Nueva Orleáns, aunque es esta última la que acapara la atención de la autora, describiéndonos el ambiente de sus calles, sus edificios antiguos, sus gentes... Casi puedes oír las notas de jazz esparcidas por un saxofón.
La trama se desarrolla con lentitud durante la primera mitad de la novela, en la que abundan las descripciones y la narración, y donde la autora se repite bastante en ocasiones. La segunda parte abunda en acción y todo se vuelve más interesante. Sin embargo, yo diría que el romance, en conjunto, no ocupa ni un tercio de la novela, y se centra más en el sexo que en lo romántico.
Karen es una enfermera que acaba de perder a su madre, con la que vivía, y poco tiempo después le avisan del asesinato de su padre. Se nos presenta como una mujer con un gran control de sí misma, en apariencia fría. Sus barreras caen cuando conoce a Marc, un policía de Nueva Orleáns que se ocupa del caso de su padre. Digamos que él la coge vulnerable y sus atenciones la reconfortan, pero es que ella se enamora en solo tres días!!!
Por su parte, Marc es un hombre atractivo, inteligente y un policía muy capaz. Tras descubrir el cadáver del padre de Karen, se percata de que no se trata del simple asesinato de un vagabundo. Poco a poco las cosas se van complicando, y mientras más conoce a Karen, más parecen enredarse las cosas en torno a ella, con atentados a su vida. Derribados los primeros prejuicios hacia ella, Marc sabe que es la mujer de su vida y hará todo lo posible por conquistarla, lo que incluye una noche de sexo intenso que deberá bastarle para hacerle comprender cuánto la ama.
En el fondo, el amor de los dos me ha parecido algo superficial y pretencioso. Demasiado rápido. La parte de suspense y acción está bien narrada y atrapa. Creo que esta historia se inclina más hacia el thriller que hacía el romance. Quizás guste más a los amantes del primer género que a los del segundo.
El estilo de la autora me gusta, aunque, como he dicho, en este caso ha abundado en repeticiones innecesarias y abundantes datos surgidos del recuerdo de los personajes.
January 22, 2015
Let me just say that Linda Howard knows how to tease the reader before pulling her/him in. KILL AND TELL begins, with what appears to be, a demented veteran bent on killing someone. Instead, he is killed.
Dexter Whitlaw was at one time a young husband and father. Then he joined the Vietnam war and became a sniper; he was good at it, but something happened. Years passed and his wife remained faithful but Dexter rarely returned home. When he does he is not the same man.
Karen Whitlaw, a nurse, had been notified by the New Orleans police department that her father had died. She had recently lost her mother and the pain was still constant. What little memories she had of this man were, at best, bittersweet. But she knows her mother would want her to claim his body so she left Ohio for the south.
Before long, she has entered into a world of intrigue and danger unlike she has ever known. Ms. Howard's first story in the 'CIA's Spies' series builds slowly with the backdrop: a not-so-innocent package, paid assassins and politics. Several characters are introduced that will continue on in ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN.
The suspense remained steady and there was plenty of action. The downside was that it took awhile for our hero, detective Marc Chastain, to surface but when he does: watch out! An uber-alpha male, he was not afraid to take on anyone and everyone to keep Karen safe. The ongoing question was just who could Marc and Karen trust?
There was some dated material but the story never suffered from it. The chemistry was good and somewhat edgy; Marc had a caveman mentality. At times, I was just shaking my head.
If you enjoyed the earlier-written Kell Sabin series or any of her older books, you should enjoy this group of stories. This was just what I needed after recently reading some duds.
Dexter Whitlaw was at one time a young husband and father. Then he joined the Vietnam war and became a sniper; he was good at it, but something happened. Years passed and his wife remained faithful but Dexter rarely returned home. When he does he is not the same man.
Karen Whitlaw, a nurse, had been notified by the New Orleans police department that her father had died. She had recently lost her mother and the pain was still constant. What little memories she had of this man were, at best, bittersweet. But she knows her mother would want her to claim his body so she left Ohio for the south.
Before long, she has entered into a world of intrigue and danger unlike she has ever known. Ms. Howard's first story in the 'CIA's Spies' series builds slowly with the backdrop: a not-so-innocent package, paid assassins and politics. Several characters are introduced that will continue on in ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN.
The suspense remained steady and there was plenty of action. The downside was that it took awhile for our hero, detective Marc Chastain, to surface but when he does: watch out! An uber-alpha male, he was not afraid to take on anyone and everyone to keep Karen safe. The ongoing question was just who could Marc and Karen trust?
There was some dated material but the story never suffered from it. The chemistry was good and somewhat edgy; Marc had a caveman mentality. At times, I was just shaking my head.
If you enjoyed the earlier-written Kell Sabin series or any of her older books, you should enjoy this group of stories. This was just what I needed after recently reading some duds.
June 21, 2022
Romantic Suspense / Contemporary Romance
Series: CIA Spies, #1
Publication Date : January 1998
“Death isn't peaceful; it is just nothing. Everything is gone. No more sunrises, no more hopes, no more fears. Nothing."
I enjoyed the cat and mouse situations and many steamy scenes. Its slightly outdated but I hope that more mature readers will enjoy reference to the technology that was in use back in the 90's (e.g. fax machines instead of emails).
You can read all books in this series as a standalone:
Book 1: Kill and Tell
Book 2: All the Queen's Men
Book 3: Kiss Me While I Sleep
Series: CIA Spies, #1
Publication Date : January 1998
“Death isn't peaceful; it is just nothing. Everything is gone. No more sunrises, no more hopes, no more fears. Nothing."
I enjoyed the cat and mouse situations and many steamy scenes. Its slightly outdated but I hope that more mature readers will enjoy reference to the technology that was in use back in the 90's (e.g. fax machines instead of emails).
You can read all books in this series as a standalone:
Book 1: Kill and Tell
Book 2: All the Queen's Men
Book 3: Kiss Me While I Sleep
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 7, 2016DNF at 49%.
I still love Linda Howard, but this book and I were not meant to be. I don't like the story, the heroine, the hero or the villain(s). I went through the same torture with LH's Dream Man and don't care doing it again.
The same amount of pages is devoted to some random characters that have nothing to contribute to the story, as it is to the main characters. And Marc. Ugh. At first he's such a judgmental SoB and after he notices how Karen tightly holds her hands, he decides she needs some of his lovin' to get her through life. Waaay too alpha for my taste. Karen is just a spineless nobody. Leaves as much as an impression on you as say, a mop does.
People might like it, but it's not my cup of tea.
I still love Linda Howard, but this book and I were not meant to be. I don't like the story, the heroine, the hero or the villain(s). I went through the same torture with LH's Dream Man and don't care doing it again.
The same amount of pages is devoted to some random characters that have nothing to contribute to the story, as it is to the main characters. And Marc. Ugh. At first he's such a judgmental SoB and after he notices how Karen tightly holds her hands, he decides she needs some of his lovin' to get her through life. Waaay too alpha for my taste. Karen is just a spineless nobody. Leaves as much as an impression on you as say, a mop does.
People might like it, but it's not my cup of tea.
March 26, 2017
Although I read these out of order I was okay with the storyline. I loved this book. True LH at her best!
August 9, 2011
3.5 stars, maybe because it read a bit outdated I didn't quite get into all of the book. Loved the H/h's chemistry, but the romance felt rushed. The suspense story was solid and interesting. The ending was a bit over the top though and included a major pet peeve of mine All in all, a good read (or listen, should I say.)
May 21, 2020
This one had to grow on me. Both main characters were hard to get into at first. He came off as a bit of an arrogant jerk and she seemed mousy at first. Then we got into the meat of the story and I ended up really liking both of them, and the suspense was intriguing. Well worth getting past that beginning hangups.
August 16, 2016
Quinn made me do it. I'll get her!
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July 19, 2018
*4.25 out of 5 Stars
After the first one-third of the book, this was such a fast-paced rollercoaster of emotion and smooth romance and action and entertainment and just everything I love in a Linda Howard book!
That said, I did have a couple issues with some of the things that kept pulling me out of the story - for instance, - but I still enjoyed the story a lot.
Marc is just so amazing, I adored him - the way he was with Karen, how he took care of her, how he went about things (very sneaky) but it bothered me a little that But all in all he's a good guy and you don't find many men like that around.
As for the suspense part, I wish there had been more of a mystery as to who and why. Almost everything was laid bare right from the beginning, I was reading mostly for Marc and Karen than for the why of it.
Not one of my top favorite of LH books but definitely a good read. Would recommend.
After the first one-third of the book, this was such a fast-paced rollercoaster of emotion and smooth romance and action and entertainment and just everything I love in a Linda Howard book!
That said, I did have a couple issues with some of the things that kept pulling me out of the story - for instance, - but I still enjoyed the story a lot.
Marc is just so amazing, I adored him - the way he was with Karen, how he took care of her, how he went about things (very sneaky) but it bothered me a little that But all in all he's a good guy and you don't find many men like that around.
As for the suspense part, I wish there had been more of a mystery as to who and why. Almost everything was laid bare right from the beginning, I was reading mostly for Marc and Karen than for the why of it.
Not one of my top favorite of LH books but definitely a good read. Would recommend.
April 5, 2024
There’s a recipe from this author that she really overuses - the sudden chemically induced lust at first sight and love at first fuck trope. It’s just too unbelievable. The mystery part was easy to guess, pretty much from the first time the villain came on page, and why they were doing it. The pace was strange, with nothing much happening on the mystery front for a whole half of the book while the MCs had orgies. Pretty sure a man of that age can’t get it up that many times without 1) viagra (and even then it’s not that great) and 2) supernatural talents (like the kinds I’m reading in my fantasy books).
And the way he seduced her… ugh. Read a different way (without assuming they will be married VERY quickly in the end), it could have been exactly as she’d feared. He could have been anyone!
Anyway, not a fan of this one.
And the way he seduced her… ugh. Read a different way (without assuming they will be married VERY quickly in the end), it could have been exactly as she’d feared. He could have been anyone!
Anyway, not a fan of this one.
November 22, 2014
I've read a lot of erotic romance and erotica in the ten years since I first turned into a puddle of goo while reading the seduction scene in Kill and Tell. I still haven't read anything sexier. What could be more erotic than slow dancing barefoot on a balcony on a rainy night in New Orleans with a hot cajun detective focused on getting you into his bed? Nothing, I tell you. The dreamy scene, told without graphic and clinical detail, as seen through the eyes of the thoroughly seduced heroine is powerful and more erotic than anything I've ever read.
January 16, 2022
This is an old book. It is by Linda Howard. It is amazing how quickly technology changes. I bought this iPad and it’s old. Anyway it’s a very good book about a woman who finds some info sent to her mother by her estranged husband. He was killed on the streets of New Orleans. He had been in hiding.
Before I go further, I would like to thank people who read and comment on my reviews. I have tried many times to respond but Goodreads will not let me. I have to find a spot to put my email address and all the other stuff and it just gets to be more trouble than it’s worth. As much as I like reading all y’all’s reviews I feel that Goodreads is way too complicated for just reading them. Anyway thank you so much for following me
Back to the book. The woman, a nurse, goes to NO to try to make sense things because her place was trashed. She met the detective working the case. They start an affair. They catch the bad guy. Simple,huh? It’s Linda Howard, you can’t be bored and you can’t go wrong reading her books.
Before I go further, I would like to thank people who read and comment on my reviews. I have tried many times to respond but Goodreads will not let me. I have to find a spot to put my email address and all the other stuff and it just gets to be more trouble than it’s worth. As much as I like reading all y’all’s reviews I feel that Goodreads is way too complicated for just reading them. Anyway thank you so much for following me
Back to the book. The woman, a nurse, goes to NO to try to make sense things because her place was trashed. She met the detective working the case. They start an affair. They catch the bad guy. Simple,huh? It’s Linda Howard, you can’t be bored and you can’t go wrong reading her books.
March 14, 2017
I've read 3 or 4 of Howard's books and each time I always leave the story with a slightly bad taste in my mouth. I love her writing style, her heroines, and her adventure/suspense plots and those are the three things that keep me coming back to her books. But I almost always hate her heroes. I either want to bash them over the head for their "me Tarzan, you Jane" approach to handling things or I just find them completely unattractive and spend most of the book trying to figure out what's so freakin appealing about them. With that in mind I have to say that Marc is above and beyond the creepiest and most unattractive of the heroes I've read in one of Howard's book yet. The first half of the book is a balance between Marc calmly manipulating a grieving Karen into having hot monkey sex with him and scenes of the bad guys plotting evilly.
And my like of Marc didn't improve in the second half of the book. I was still slightly peeved that the guy was so confident in his mad seduction skillz that he put on a condom while he was getting drinks and sandwiches prepared for his dinner with Karen (who had just come from her father's funeral and he had just met one or two days ago). As the book progressed farther along I kept cringing at the things Marc did and I finally just gave up on him when he proclaimed (after having unprotected sex with Karen who now not only lost her father and mother within the same year and just came back from being almost killed twice) that she had no choice to marry him if she was pregnant because he refused to have an illegitimate child. What is this 20th century England?
After that I didn't really care what happened to the two main characters. Karen had turned from a strong independent woman to a big walk all over me marshmallow when around Marc and Marc was a grunting, manipulative, douche bag.
As for the suspense plot, if I ignore the two main characters which are what killed the book for me, I enjoyed it. It was an interesting premise and I adore the setting. My only complaint about the plot was that I thought the notebook should've played a bigger part in the whole deal than it did. The notebook was mentioned and was in the forefront of my mind the whole time but I thought it should've been in one of the main characters hands earlier than the last 30 pages of the book.
And my like of Marc didn't improve in the second half of the book. I was still slightly peeved that the guy was so confident in his mad seduction skillz that he put on a condom while he was getting drinks and sandwiches prepared for his dinner with Karen (who had just come from her father's funeral and he had just met one or two days ago). As the book progressed farther along I kept cringing at the things Marc did and I finally just gave up on him when he proclaimed (after having unprotected sex with Karen who now not only lost her father and mother within the same year and just came back from being almost killed twice) that she had no choice to marry him if she was pregnant because he refused to have an illegitimate child. What is this 20th century England?
After that I didn't really care what happened to the two main characters. Karen had turned from a strong independent woman to a big walk all over me marshmallow when around Marc and Marc was a grunting, manipulative, douche bag.
As for the suspense plot, if I ignore the two main characters which are what killed the book for me, I enjoyed it. It was an interesting premise and I adore the setting. My only complaint about the plot was that I thought the notebook should've played a bigger part in the whole deal than it did. The notebook was mentioned and was in the forefront of my mind the whole time but I thought it should've been in one of the main characters hands earlier than the last 30 pages of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2015
Originally published back in 1998, Linda Howard's Kill and Tell is still an awesome read. I had originally bought the paper back when it was published and since I liked the book soo much, I bought the hard back for my library shelves. It has been so long since I read this book, it was almost like reading it for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Some of my favorite points:
1. This book has a great plot. I really liked the suspense and the way LH pulled in and developed her characters.
2. A swoon-worthy hero, Marc Chastain. My imagination worked overtime in how his voice must sound and how awesome it would be to be courted, seduced and cherished by the quintessential combination of tough southern cop and southern gentleman.
3. A great heroine with a great combination of vulnerability due to the loss of her parents and kick ass independence. She was intelligent and creative and it was easy to want her to have her HEA. No TSTL actions for this heroine!
4. A great supporting cast that was well developed.
The reason for 4 versus 5 stars:
1. Our H, Marc Chastain disappointed me a little bit with the planned seduction of our h, Karen Whitlaw when she was emotionally vulnerable from losing her estranged father only 6 months after losing her beloved mother.
2. They were saying I love you and will you marry me within days of meeting. I believe in love at first sight, but for some reason it felt so quick.
3. I have to have my epilogue and Ms. Howard failed me in that department.
Favorite Line: "There couldn't be anything more perfect, she thought, than slow dancing, barefoot, on a balcony in New Orleans, while the rain poured down and twilight wrapped around them."
Some of my favorite points:
1. This book has a great plot. I really liked the suspense and the way LH pulled in and developed her characters.
2. A swoon-worthy hero, Marc Chastain. My imagination worked overtime in how his voice must sound and how awesome it would be to be courted, seduced and cherished by the quintessential combination of tough southern cop and southern gentleman.
3. A great heroine with a great combination of vulnerability due to the loss of her parents and kick ass independence. She was intelligent and creative and it was easy to want her to have her HEA. No TSTL actions for this heroine!
4. A great supporting cast that was well developed.
The reason for 4 versus 5 stars:
1. Our H, Marc Chastain disappointed me a little bit with the planned seduction of our h, Karen Whitlaw when she was emotionally vulnerable from losing her estranged father only 6 months after losing her beloved mother.
2. They were saying I love you and will you marry me within days of meeting. I believe in love at first sight, but for some reason it felt so quick.
3. I have to have my epilogue and Ms. Howard failed me in that department.
Favorite Line: "There couldn't be anything more perfect, she thought, than slow dancing, barefoot, on a balcony in New Orleans, while the rain poured down and twilight wrapped around them."
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