Death Angel: A Novel

I have never read a book like this and it was wonderful. I won't give anything away. I'll simply say that the chemistry between the unlikely lovers is hot. Not only that. While in most books with a gamma male character, the female is simpering and annoying. Not so with this book. She was enticingly feminine and vulnerable, while still being strong and posessing a razor sharp mind. It was such an unlikely plot, and still remarkably believable.

Sometimes I just don't get Linda Howard, this book is too weird and yet also too boring for me. Full of very mundane details and thought processes (not engaging!) and then full of just plain strange stuff. This didn't work for me. It's Linda Howard, so not a wall banger, but definitely not a keeper.

Simon is an assassin who gets Drea for 4 hours after he bargains with her mafioso lover for her. I never quite got Drea/Andie, just didn't understand her, why she made the initial choices she had, why we are meant to care for her. Simon was standard LH cipher lover, all alpha and inexplicable. Hmmm.... there are better LH's out here.

For me, Linda Howard has been a hit or miss author. Her latest romantic suspense novel Death Angel, really held my interest.

Drea Rousseau, young, beautiful and sexy is a kept woman by Rafael Salinas, a notorious crime lord. One day Salinas hires an" Assassin" who wants to have sex with Drea as payment for the job. Salinas agrees to this, and when Drea learns about this she is outraged. She takes the jewelry that Salinas gave her, accesses his bank account, and transfers two million dollars to her account before fleeing. Infuriated by this betrayal, Salinas hires the Assassin to kill Drea.

While being pursued Drea has a car accident, and is left for dead, but after being dead for an hour she returns to life. She becomes a changed woman in the process. To say any more would mean "spoilers". Although some of this book (after Drea comes back to life) is a bit corny, this book was still a fun read. Recommended for romantic suspense fans.

This was actually a fun read and with a unique perspective. Its not often than the main hero/heroine are not on the up and up character wise. If you enjoy Linda Howard's writing style and don't have an aversion to morally ambiguous main characters, this is the book for you.

I rate this Book a 4.5/5.

Drea Rousseau has not lived a good life. At a very young age she learned about heartache and as a result has gone through great lengths to make sure she would never feel that again. Using her wits and her body she has spent her years manipulating men into getting what she wants and playing whatever role is needed.

As an arm-charm to a ruthless drug lord and criminal, Drea thought she had it pretty good. She had no delusions about what their relationship was or was not, she was just taking one day at a time always knowing the end was coming. One afternoon he surprises her by treating her rather callously and for Drea that makes the end of their relationship come a lot sooner than expected.

But even as she makes her escape life throws yet another monkey wrench in the works and Drea's life and outlook is irrevocably changed, forever. What once seemed so important isn't anymore and she works hard to make every moment of this second chance count.

I thought this book was incredible; filled with twists and turns and completely unpredictable. From page one it was clear that this tale was going to be daringly different from any other romantic suspense novel I have read. The two main characters aren't nice people and I really shouldn't have cared for either one, but the way they are written, despite their flaws, I felt and fell for both. These aren't two people that you expect to be stars in a romance novel, but it is their unique characters that make this book so great. Both had led shallow and selfish existences and aren't very apologetic about it. But with the second chance that Drea faces, they both rediscover life, one another and are struck by the power of love.

Truly a wonderful story filled with some heartbreaking, fantastic and miraculous moments; I loved ever word of it.

Cherise Everhard October 2008