Rating: 
Summary: Howard delivers surprising new style in latest novel
Review: Linda Howard's latest, KILL AND TELL, is a surprising deviation from her usual style. Well-known for her too-gritty, diamond-in-the-rough heros, the author has instead crafted in Marc Chastain a tough, yet startlingly tender hero. The story begins with heroine Karen Whitlaw and her estranged father Dex, an ex-Viet Nam sniper determined to blackmail someone from his past. Karen, grieving the recent loss of her mother, travels to New Orleans at the behest of Detective Marc Chastain when informed of her father's death. What follows is Karen's reckoning with her ambiguous feelings about a father who deserted her as a child, as well as her journey into sensuality with Marc. Meanwhile, sinister forces from her father's past seek to destroy Karen and the book her father held over someone's head. Kudos to Ms. Howard for creating Karen as a self-sufficient woman able to protect herself from the killers by using her intellect and physical strength. When Karen finally does seek protection by returning to Marc, she is clearly an equal partner in their attempts at survival. Additionally, unlike many of Ms. Howard's heros, Marc is neither too rough or forceful in his passion, nor bent on doing what he considers is best for Karen, regardless of her thoughts. Unfortunately, the book is so short as to be considered incomplete; it's only 300 pages (just 50 more than a series romance novel such as Silhouette Intimate Moments), and nearly half of the story is dedicated to interaction among the secondary characters. There is not nearly enough interaction between the hero and heroine, and I would have appreciated another hundred pages or so of this positive love story, which is a change from the author's often grim stories. Overall, it's a very good love story, and I get the feeling there will be at least another book in this series to tell John Medina's story. I could be wrong, though; I expected another book to follow up the SON of the MORNING story, which also felt incomplete, and we haven't seen one yet.
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Summary: hotter that sin!
Review: This book was totally awesome! I absolutely loved it from beginning to end. I thought that Marc and Karen had such great chemistry. This hero was sex personified!
Rating:
Summary: Good Story
Review: This is your standard Linda Howard storyline. Heroine meets hero, she is being hunted, hero must help keep her alive. Karen receives a package from her estranged father, a homeless vietnam veteran. Around this same time, she also receives a telephone call from the police in New Orleans informing her that her father was murdered. Karen has to find the strength to pull herself together enough to go to New Orleans to identify her father's body, pay her last respects and find him a final resting place. When Karen arrives in New Orleans she meets Detective Marc Chastain who takes one look at her and her "cold" attitude and decides she is one of those "unfeeling, uncaring, selfish" types who could care less about family or the fact that her father is dead. As Marc helps Karen make an identification of her father, he realizes he has made an error and Karen is actually very hurt but hiding behind a touch facade. He is touched and very attracted to her. Karen soon finds out that she has even more problems than her father's murder, because someone is trying to kill her. Karen must work with Marc to track down the murderer before she is the next victim. This was a good solid story. I read in one sitting. I would recommend.
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Summary: Interesting plot and........STEAMY!!!!!
Review: I consider this book my favorite of Linda Howard's and find it woth reading more than once.
Karen's father's death and the introduction of his kill book adds the needed mystery to this book and although the reason for Karen's father's death is predictable once certain facts are revealed regarding the senator, it does not make the story less interesting.
BUT what really hold your attention and makes you keep turning those pages is Marc and his relationship with Karen, established early in the story. Once Marc discovers he's made a mistake in his judgement of Karen the sexual tension really picks up. His New Orleans charm and treatment of her is both gentlemanly and exciting. I especially enjoyed the early balcony scene at
Marc's home in the French Quarter. Lookinf for a sequel.
A must read if you like Linda Howard!
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Summary: Romance and Intrigue
Review: This book is obviously fiction and we're expected to suspend our reality for the time we are reading it. Despite that, the characters are likeable and believable. There was a lot of cloak and dagger action, and the mystery of WHY was far more interesting than the WHO. The romance was lovely and I loved reading about a strong, smart, independent woman finding true love in the arms of a sensitive, sensual, dominant man. Truly a pleasurable read and I recommend it.
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Summary: excellent
Review: Linda Howard is a great author. In this novel she gives a realistic and romantic story that is unique and interesting.
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Summary: Another 5 star by Linda Howard!
Review: I really like how the story never slowed down & was always throwing in new people/new elements that I had to keep up with. No skimming here! You'd definitely miss something!
I can't really call it a murder mystery, although there is lots of murder in it - because I knew who was behind the murders, I just didn't know why. The suspense, however, kept my eyebrows raised more than once. I suppose that the reason I could handle this book with all the murder & gore, when I can't handle others, is because this one didn't have the evil element that so many do. No ritualistic killings, no torture, that kind of stuff - that type of thing IS NOT entertainment to me. This was simply 'Bang - he's dead!' lol However, LH did describe the after effects of the bang.... hence, NOT a light read.
Anyway, the romance was really great also, definitely not fun & light-hearted, but really good (& really hot!) I totally enjoyed LH's descriptions of New Orleans & the atmosphere she was able to conjure up for me. It really made me want to go back to New Orleans & wander slowly through The Quarter. I will have to say that I thought Marc & Karen fell for each other a little too fast for reality.... but I really liked both characters & LH somehow made it ok with me.
Ok, NOT my usual light, fun read.... but Linda Howard had me riveted anyway! This one was just as good as the 2 previous books I read by LH (Mr. Perfect & Open Season) - but it did differ BIG in two ways: The other 2 were mainly romances with a suspense/thriller story thrown in........ Kill and Tell is mainly a suspense/thriller with a romance thrown in; The other way it differed was that it was not a funny one like the other two.
A definite recommend if you do murder/action/adventure/romance! (or whatever you call it! lol)
Rating:
Summary: Lifetime TV material
Review: While I concur the characters in this tale weren't fleshed out much, they were fleshed out enough. I knew her, knew him, empathised with their attraction to each other, and understood how the attraction translated to a real-live relationship. Plus, the story in and of itself was exciting. So Ms. Howard scores yet again. I enjoyed this read--I think it would make a good screenplay for one of those LifeTime cable television movies. Linda Howard is quickly becoming one of my favorite romantic authors. I recommend 'Strangers in the Night' and 'Mr. Perfect' in addition to this one.
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Summary: powerful romantic suspense
Review: Former Viet Nam vet Dexter Whitlaw kept a book filled with secrets that he mails to his wife and daughter abandoned by him two decades ago. His daughter Karen, mourning the death of her mother, receives the package from her father, a person she prefers to forget exists. Rather than deal with him now, she buries the package amidst other possessions of her mother. Meanwhile in New Orleans, someone kills Dexter and CIA agent Rick Medina who trailed after him. Police Detective Marc Chastain investigates the homicide of the John Doe street looking individual that he quickly learns is Dexter with a family living in Ohio. Upon learning that she is now officially an orphan, Karen goes to New Orleans to see to the remains of her father. However, his past written in the notebook contained in that package he sent to her leads from the Nam jungle to the congressional jungle with an unknown assailant trying to kill Karen. Only Marc keeps her alive though safe is another story as they uncover the truth of political power and love. Already a highly regarded author, Linda Howard has written her best book to date with the incredibly exciting KILL AND TELL. The story line is fast-paced, filled with action, and very plausible due to a dynamite lead couple and a reliable believable support cast. Twists and turns aided by red herrings and cleverly drawn and placed clues lead to a wonderful reading experience. Suspense and romantic suspense fans will relish this powerful tale. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Fantasic Howard Suspense
Review: This book was the first introduction for Howard into Romantic Suspense and it is fantastic! Takes place mainly in New Orleans and offers a mixture of events. Touches on Vietnam veterans and the difficulties they came across, power hungry politicians, abandoned children, well, you get the picture, lots and lots going on with more than a bit of hotness between Karen and Marc. Plus you meet the enigmatic John Medina from the later All the Queen's Men.
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