Thursday, February 25, 2010

Death Angel by Linda Howard




Pub. Date: April 2009
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 384pp
ISBN-13: 9780345486554
ISBN: 0345486552
Edition Description: Reprint










As it should be known by now, Linda Howard current books have been either a hit or miss for me lately. I mostly prefer her older books and wish there more stories like them to read. I can not tell you enough how much I highly recommend readers to try reading Howard's older books. You will enjoy them, I promise. I use to auto buy Howard's books like crazy! So after few years of hit and miss books, I decided then to just buy all of the new books when it come out in paperback instead. I still buy and read all of her books thought, just that they are not auto buy as the way I used to do with her older books. But I was in for a major surprise when I picked up Death Angel in paperback. I did not expected this book to turn out to be good! It is not perfect but it is good than the most of the recent one I've read before this book. This is one of the books I've delayed reviewing since last year. I've started drafting it on December 3rd 2009. So I'm sure I finish the book on the last week of November 2009. And is now just re-edited it and published it today.

Drea Rousseau is said to be a beauty, self-absorbed, bimbo blonde woman who used men and gets what she want. That is how she ends up becoming the mistress of a major drug trafficker lord Rafael Salinas. But what they don't know is that she is smart and use it to her advandage. Things were going well and she had settle into Rafael life and his money until one day he award his cold blooded assassin (for a job well done) to have his five hours spent with her, as his request. Shocked and upset, she plan a revenge against Rafael by playing the "dumb blonde" act, stealing his money and walk away with it. She travel around and put to plan to hide the money. But things went wrong and not as according to plan. And what make it even worse is that Rafael had order the assassin to go after her.

Most through out the book, it shown Drea on the road and plan step by step of her get away and how to hide and retrieve the money. But when horrific accident happen something made her change to a different person. And not only that, she encounter the sexy assassin again. The same assassin whom Rafael have thrown her into for his award. But Drea can not help but remembered of that last five hours of sizzle, steamy night she had with Simmon. When he caught up with her, things changed and she find him hauling along with her on the road. Drea feeling soon developed and she is left wondering what to do for she is fallen for him as well.

I'm gonna have to stop here or else I fear I might spoils something. I admit that at first I wasn't sure if am going to like Drea because of the way she used men to get what she want in order to survived. But she did redeem herself and that made me like her after. I was engrossed from the very first page until the end. Except maybe I felt the step by step of heroine plan while on the road was a bit too much info. But it is a good, sexy, intense book. It is darker and had a subtle paranormal elements that seem to be right in place to bring hero and heroine together and give us reader a satisfying love and deep heartfelt emotions. There is one scene, where its may seem unbelievable for some readers but it definitely a good scene to me, IMO(I admit at first I thought it was weird but now I think it make sense to have it there). Without it, we weren't have seen the change in both Drea and Simon, again IMO. That scene show Simon deep emotion feeling toward Drea. I do think readers should read this book, I don't think you be disappointed :)

I hope for more books like this one from Linda Howard soon!

Grade: 4 1/2 stars

5 comments:

Melody said...

I love her older works, and though I still read her latest release, I don't really rush out to buy them since they are mostly in HC. However, I'll buy them if the premise really interest me!

I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Julia. I did mention to you about my thoughts on a particular scene but I can totally understand why that is crucial to the story. ;)

Julia said...

Melody - I agree with you about not rushing to buy books since they are in HC now. I usually wait in paperback for newest books too. And yes, you did gave me your thoughts on particular scene and I understand your feeling toward that scene :) But I think at lease you enjoy the book, right? :)

Melody said...

Yes, I did! :)

Alice said...

I share the same thoughts about buying hardcover books. I will wait until the paperback editions are out. The same goes for trade paperbacks. But now with Kindle, it doesn't really matter anymore. :D

Julia said...

@Alice - I'm sure you are very excited about your new Kindle :D Enjoy it!