Death Angel: A Novel

The first 100 pages had me on edge, I couldn't put the book down. The hero is BAD, the heroine feisty. I was very interested to keep reading and find out what happens to these 2 people. But, once the 'miracle' happens, the book changed to a different tone. The heroine becomes almost preachy and a bit psychic. The hero is the silent buy strong type, which I don't go for. I do like the minor characters. The author fleshed them out well, giving them personalities with minimal words, which I enjoy. I would definitely read other books by her.

I love most of Linda Howard's books but this one gave me some real trouble. While the story has a few good "morals", the two main characters have not lived very upright lives. In fact, the female lead is mistress to a mobster/drug lord and squirreling away jewelry he gives her so she will have money once he tosses her aside -- money is VERY important to her. Drea will do any sexual favors for her man, Salinas. The male lead is nothing short of a cold-blooded assassin! He works for money and has made lots of it. They mention in the story that the assassin has never killed anyone in law enforcement a couple of other caveats. Does that make all the other killings he has done alright?

Right in the beginning Drea is with Salinas and he is paying off the assassin and offering him a bonus of $100,000. However, the assassin asks for one afternoon with Drea instead. Reluctantly at first, Salinas finally does tell him he can have Drea. Drea, of course, has no say in this at all.

What gave me problems with this is the too convenient "chemistry" between Drea and the assassin even though she doesn't even know his name and he is there essentially -- although of course he seduces her -- to rape her.

**PARTIAL SPOILER** While we do have a miracle and the leads re-thinking their positions and so forth near the end, I am not sure that is really enough especially for the assassin.

Exciting and touching if you don't mind the main leads morals.

Limited recommendation.

The first half of this book was astonishing. Somehow, I started caring about two people who were less than sterling - both lost souls. The second half of the book could have flowed from there with changes taking place in both people as they edged toward their better selves with help from each other.

The "miracle" in the middle of the book just did not fit. Does it really take something unbelievable for people to be redeemed? I hope not. The book would have been much better if the two halves of the book went together. It started falling apart at the miracle. I was glad of the happy ending.

It's taken me awhile to except that LH is not going to go back right now to the truly dominant males since her Sarah's Child,The Mckenzie's and before, but now that I've excepted that,I find it interesting that with each new book she finds a different way to redeem a flawed male who's not what the romance world would classify as fantasy material and weave him into her style of writing,making you catch your breath with such emotion, you'll be wanting more when the book is finished, but you'll be glad you read that particular story. You'll find yourself waiting in anticipation for her next work. With this style which I noticed first in "Kill and Tell" she is still the best romance author I have ever read.

I have developed a sort of love/hate relationship with Linda Howard. I tend to love her earlier works and hate what she has written the past 5 years or so, Cry No More being the exception to that rule. Death Angel was excellent and was more in line with the writing that makes Linda Howard one of the most talented authors on the planet!

This book starts out INTENSELY and EROTICALLY. I was hooked from the beginning page and read this book in one day. Drea Rosseau is a "trophy girlfriend" to a mob boss. She is "happy" with this life, hoping to "take what she can" until he tires of her. When his best "assassin" names sleeping with Drea as his price for service and Salinas agrees, Drea knows that she is a "whore at best" and vows to leave Salinas ASAP. What she doesn't bargain on are the feelings that the assassin brings out in her.

That's all I'm going to say about the plot. The rest you simply must read for yourself. I have been on a Anne Stuart kick lately because she does the "bad boy" hero better than anyone else.....but I had forgotten what a good Linda Howard book can do to itch the "bad boy' scratch. The assassin is one of the darkest men I've read about in a long time....I wish I knew him better by the end of the book, but it definitely adds to his intrigue. Drea was wonderful. She had flaws, but admits them and gets the chance to start again.

Don't miss this one.