Rating: 
Summary: My opinion of this book
Review: Firstly i'd like to say Linda Howard is my absoloute favourite author and i get extremely excited whenever she writes a new one. This book was a very good read but a bit of a let down in the romance department, it concentrated more on the suspense and less on the relationship between John and Niema, they only began to have a relationship right near the end of the book! He never even said he loved her! apart from that it was definately worth paying hardcover prices. Buy the book and decide for yourself, i hope you like it as much as i did. Bye
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't Ring True
Review: I will read anything Linda Howard writes but All the King's Men left me feeling let down, cheated, irritated, cranky, out-of-sorts and mad. I didn't thrown it against the wall, but I was tempted. Oh yes, I was tempted. A lot of stuff in this book irritated me but I think the main problem was that *none* of the scenes in France rang true to me. The sex scene(s) didn't strike me as hot & sexy but as irresponsible & stupid. Then there were all the little jarring details that pulled me out of the story, such as people staying in Paris and flying to Lyon rather than taking the TGV. Come on, would you fly from DC to Philly or would you take Amtrak? And despite some people's misconceptions (probably due to watching too many Pink Panther movies), France does have a competent national police force and it's inconceivable to me that John Medina could steal two cars and drive south through the Rhone valley and across Provence to Nice without having to deal with the police, even once, routinely. Where were the random traffic road blocks on back roads that are a part of daily life here in the south of France? What about the surveillance traffic cameras positioned on the major routes? What about the police stationed at toll booths on the autoroutes? And it didn't stop there. The descriptions of old town Nice and the old harbor were totally unrecognizable to me. Maybe Howard was fictionalizing Nice for the sake of her story and actually describing somewhere else in the Cote d'Azur? But the ending was what really made me mad. The stupidity of John and Neima leaving their "safe boat" to go sight seeing in this fictional Nice moved them right into the "too stupid to live" category as far as I was concerned. And after the shoot-out every one just walks away? No international diplomatic incident? No unpleasant repercussions with the local police -- who once again are conspicuous by their absence? No CNN, BBC, LC1, FTV1 broadcasters or "Nice Matin" newspaper reporters chasing after what would be the local story of the year -- a shoot-out in the densely populated and hyper touristy old town section of a major resort town (Nice) in a country (France) that has strong gun control laws? Excccuuuuuseeee ME? You see, I live in France and if any American CIA agent were really so personally and sexually irresponsible that he/she opted to steal an innocent local's car, drive cross country jeopardizing his mission (stealing another local's car in route); and then having reached safety, stupidly compromised that safety again and further endangered other innocent folks lives rather than pausing at the first village he reached, using the first phone he saw, to request a quick, quiet pickup and flight out of the country, then I would want that CIA agent *LOCKED UP*. So you see, this book really did not work for me. For someone just discovering Howard, I would say forget this one and pick up one of her other books. For me, I'll keep reading her, but I hope that in future she sticks to the U.S. for her book settings...
Rating:
Summary: Great story line. John Medina is a true hero
Review: John Medina, the lead character in the book is a true hero. He has depth and insight and is not the "perfect story book hero". Niema is a great, strong female. They meet in a CIA operation that has gone bad, leaving Niema a widow. Not knowing that Medina has been keeping tabs on her for the past five years, they meet again and join forces for a operation in the South of France to uncover a operation with an arms dealer. They are exciting moments and the passionate scenes in Linda Howard's books always sizzle. A great romantic thriller!
Rating: 
Summary: A good modern romance
Review: I have just recently discovered Linda Howard and now find myself on a mad hunt for everything she has written. This is the third novel I have read of hers and would have to say it is probably my favorite so far. There are several reasons for this...the heroine, Niema, is smart, capable and, in no way shape or form, a shrinking violet. That being in mind, she is still a likeable character. The same goes for John Medina. Many romance novels characterize the male antagonist as the stereotypical macho man: cold, sexist, insenstive, and willing to drop his pants at the drop of a hat. Or, when he shows more of his sensitive side, it is just too sweet, bordering on cheesy. This is NOT true of John Medina. Linda Howard has hit the target with this hero--he is just the right mix of sensuality, masculinity, and sensitivity. Additionally, this novel is a very quick and exciting read--a good thing, except that you wish that you could see even more of the chemistry between Niema and john because they are such interesting characters. This one is definitely worth reading over and over again!
Rating:
Summary: HOWARD IS A QUEEN OF ROMANCE SUSPENSE
Review: From the dawn of her acclaimed thrillers such as DREAM MAN and NOW YOU SEE HER, she has consistently stretched herself with more textured plots and mesmerizing characters. WITH ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN, she has sculpted with finesse two stoic characters of passion and intrigue. Niema Burdock is scarred by the loss of her husband Dallas in a fateful mission with the deadly veteran from CIA, John Medina (from her previous KIll and TELL). After 5 years since that emotional breakdown, they are reunited when Medina enlisted her assistance in a mission to stop Louis Ronsard, an arms dealer. The web of passion stirs between them and it takes on a more subtler form in this novel. Their sizzling chemistry simmers and then erupts when they are caught in situations with their incognito when they infiltrate Ronsard's base. The characters are 3-dimensional with heart-felt passion; even villains like Ronsard are shown nuanced treatment towards his daughter, Laure. No less embittered souls are Niema and John, when both of them are entrenched in holding their affections at bay. John killed his wife when the latter was involved in espionage; Niema is afraid of letting her heart exposed to this hardened man. It is by no means easy for an author to blend contemporary romance with gritty suspense. LINDA HOWARD does that with deft ease in her focused characterization and tight plot - and with this beautiful read - her acclaim as a QUEEN OF romantic suspense is justified.
Rating:
Summary: Linda Howard does it again
Review: I have been a big fan of Ms. Howard since her book About that night. She blends a good mystery with incredible sexual fantasy. In all the Queen's Men she touches the adventure in everyone and the fantasies of most. She developed her characters so well that you could actually see them in your mind's eye. Good job Ms. Howard!
Rating:
Summary: I want my very own John Medina!
Review: What can I say apart from the fact that here were a man and a woman who were matched - physically, mentally - they respected each other, looked out for each other, risked their lives for each other - absolutely amazing! I think every woman would want a John Medina - and those love scenes were seriously HOT! I usually wait for the paperback to come out, but after reading Kill and Tell and realising that John Medina was in All The Queens Mens I bought the hardback version. Thank you Linda - for Son of the Morning, Dream Man, and all the rest! More please and soon...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I loved this book! No great mystery or suspense, more of a romantic adventure, but it was very enjoyable to read. The the writer gave the main characters terrific interaction and chemistry. And we even got a tantalizing glimpse into some wonderful supporting characters. The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was 3 complaints I have about the ending: 1. The villian was too nice. I don't personally know any gun-runners, but I sincerely doubt they're as easy-going and sympathetic as the writer made this one. 2. The 2 heroes do something totally stupid near the end of the book. I won't tell you what it is, you'll have to read it, but even an amateur wouldn't have been this dumb. They're supposed to be professional spies, so I think the writer could have found another way to accomplish the ending. 3. If there's a sequel then I don't have a third complaint, but if this is it... The male hero is a worn-out agent who's already taken too many risks and is being urged to retire - the female hero is a desk agent who saw her husband killed in the field - so why would they chose the ending that Ms. Howard wrote? Have I aroused your curiosity? Read the book, whether you agree with me on any of my 3 complaints or not, you'll love the story just the same!
Rating:
Summary: This lives up to the Howard standard as usual
Review: I thought this was great, i couldn't put it down once i'd started. This is definitely one of her best.
Rating:
Summary: Her best work, thrilling, intense, well-written
Review: This might just be Linda Howard's best work yet. I wanted to reread it as soon as I reached the last page! All the Queen's Men plunges the reader into the world of CIA secret missions. In a refreshing turn, the heroine Niema Burdock is as adventurous as her male agent counterparts. No reluctant heroine proclaiming her inexperience and shying from challenges here. If you like strong, unapologetic - and believable characters - you will love Niema. And Howard outdoes herself creating the hero, John Medina. He is one of the CIA's most legendary agents (was a character in Kill and Tell), yet Howard creates a superb balance of the self-confidence and coolheadedness required of an agent, with the vulnerability that is a logical result of living a solitary and hidden life. Niema and Medina are well-matched in their spy competencies, and in their intense sensuality. The plot is one of the best Howard has created, with in-depth and complex characters. The love scenes are incredibly intense without being cloying. No annoying euphamisms or "falling back to earth" - Howard doesn't need them. This is an amazing, intense, and exciting read. The cool assurance and attitude of taking initiatives that the characters exude (without being superhuman) rubs off on the reader. Reading the book made me want to get out and get started with several projects, sports, and/or other activities. Which created a conflict with my great desire to sit down and start the book over! A quality of a good book is that when you finish it you wish for just a few more pages. This is one of those books.
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