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| Death Angel: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Linda Howard
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
Buy Used: $4.59
You Save: $21.41 (82%)
New (55) Used (48) from $4.59
Avg. Customer Rating:  113 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6 x 1.5
ISBN: 0345486544
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780345486547
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: (Airport Place Books does not ship on Saturdays and Sundays. We are unable to ship to "The Republic of Korea".)
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Product Description
In Linda Howard’s gifted hands, second chances, unexpected romance, and unrelenting action combine into a riveting new novel of suspense. In Death Angel, bad girls can wake up and trust their hearts, bad guys can fight for what’s right . . . and dying just might be the only way to change one’s life.
A striking beauty with a taste for diamonds and dangerous men, Drea Rousseau is more than content to be arm candy for Rafael Salinas, a notorious crime lord who deals with betrayal through quick and treacherous means: a bullet to the back of the head, a blade across the neck, an incendiary device beneath a car. Eager to break with Rafael, Drea makes a fateful decision and a desperate move, stealing a mountain of cash from the malicious killer. After all, an escape needs to be financed.
Though Drea runs, Salinas knows she can’t hide–and he dispatches a cold-blooded assassin in hot pursuit, resulting in a tragic turn of events. Or does it?
Left for dead, Drea miraculously returns to the realm of the living a changed woman. She’s no longer shallow and selfish, no longer steals or cheats or sells herself short. Both humbled and thrilled with this unexpected second chance, Drea embraces her new life. But in order to feel safe and sound–and stop nervously looking over her shoulder–she will need to take down those who marked her for death.
Joining forces with the FBI, supplying vital inside information that only she can provide, Drea finds herself working with the most dangerous man she’s ever known. Yet the closer they get to danger, the more intense their feelings for each other become, and the more Drea realizes that the cost of her new life may be her life itself–as well as her heart.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 108 more reviews...
 Lacks Character Development November 14, 2008
2.5 stars, I think.
I should preface this review with two qualifiers. First, I'm not a diehard Linda Howard fan nor hater. I have no expectations, good or bad, when I see a book by her. I look at the synopsis, if I'm interested I read. If I'm not, I don't.
Second, I like flawed, less-than-perfect characters. Those who inhabit a world of grey rather than black or white and right or wrong. Some are considered anti-heroes. Others are sociopaths. Some are both. On occasion, even outright pure evil can can be appealing. So I had no problem with the protagonists being a killer and a, well, bimbo.
I think I've read a total of six of Howard novels, including this one. Two I've loved. One, I thought was just okay. Two others, I couldn't get into enough to finish. DEATH ANGEL falls somewhere in between the latter two categories.
It was pretty good up to the point where Drea "died", even though it got bogged down with way too much information about moving money. After this point, I was so not interested I basically skimmed the remainder of the book. Things picked up some when "Simon" revealed himself, but Howard had lost me with the near death experience and redemption theme. (What was so wrong with them before?)
But DEATH ANGEL has a bigger problems than a flawed theme - lack of character development and what there is makes little sense.
Why Drea flips out at being "given away" makes no sense. Yeah, being upset, makes sense. Getting so angry and wanting such great revenge doesn't. She was in the relationship with Salinas for what she could get. From her own thoughts, she made no pretense of being in love with him. She didn't even seem to like him much. She knew he didn't think much of her. That was her "plan", play dumb. She was arm candy just like she intended. He "gave her away", so what? They were both just playing their self-imposed roles. Feelings of humiliation and anger, I understand. So angry, she needed to "hit him where it hurts." Why? He ultimately owed her nothing just as she owed him nothing. She got the shopping and living in the lap of luxury, he got arm candy and laid. Payment for services rendered had been exchanged.
Drea's sudden change of heart after 4 hours of sex, even great sex, made even less sense. Fifteen years of clawing her way to something better was suddenly tossed out the window after a few orgasms? Huh? I get great chemistry and the desire to connect on a deeper level with a man, but "the assassin" was that man? The assassin, whom she liked even less than Salinas? That made no sense for such a "street smart" and calculating woman. Drea, if nothing else, was a realist, except when it came to this plot point. So it felt contrived.
An even greater tragedy was Howard's extreme lack of development of "Simon". He was half the story, yet we got absolutely no glimpse into what made him tick except a couple of sentences on the last few pages. No feeling as to why such a careful, calculating, practically-self-admitted sociopath would be capable of turning his life upside down for this woman. Sorry, "skin chemistry", as he called just didn't cut it. Simon could be a stick figure (one into tantric sex) for all the depth he had. (Oh yeah, four hours of sex and his final "release" was depicted like an after thought. Kind of a let down, no pun intended.)
It's unfortunate. This novel could have been some much better if it had been more about the characters involved.
Surreal, and lost its grip half way through November 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I look at Amazon.com reviews, a part of my personal process is to look at the spelling and grammar of the reviewers, to determine if they have the education to understand the material in depth. Usually, if reviewers with good writing abilities have reviewed a book highly, and those with less than optimal abilities review it badly, the book is worth reading.
Not so in this case!
I cannot determine the target audience of this novel. A part of the problem with this book is with the writing. I understand that sometimes thinking processes need to included, and in rare cases, explained in detail. However, not four times! If you removed the repetitive sections of this book, you may cut it down to between one-third to half its original size.
Quite frankly, it feels like Linda Howard's gender has changed within the last 5 years. This book feels like it was written by a male, who doesn't really understand the female psyche.
The overall feel of this book was cold; there was very little connection between characters. One round of impersonal sex (and since there was no communication between the characters, how could it be anything else?) does not create the relationship between the characters. Not that I am convinced that these characters could have a decent relationship with anyone; they are self-centered and self-obsessed.
The surreality of the death of the heroine half-way through the book was disruptive. The 'grip' of the story was lost, and didn't really return.
In the end, it came across as a half-Mary Sue from perhaps a new author, which is unexpected from a name like Linda Howard.
 Trash November 3, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I wish I could give this "no stars". To sum it up, Bimbo Drea lives with Mobster. In payment for a job, Mobster lets Hitman have sex with Bimbo as payment for services. Bimbo enjoys sex with Hitman, but to get back at Mobster for letting Hitman have sex with her, Bimbo drains his bank account and runs. Mobster hires Hitman to find Bimbo.
I have to assume that Bimbo and Hitman meet up, fall in love, and live happily ever, because I couldn't finish reading the book.
 Very different and not a 'fit' for all readers. November 3, 2008
Very different and not a 'fit' for all readers.
Loved it!
Riveting novel of suspense and redemption October 24, 2008
This book wowed me! Take one striking beauty with a taste for diamonds and dangerous men, Drea Rousseau is more than content to be arm candy for Rafael Salinas, a notorious crime lord. Until he hands her over for 5 hours to a cold-blooded assassin to do anything he desires as long as he doesn't harm her. For Drea this is the last straw. She makes a fateful decision and a desperate move, stealing a mountain of cash and running. Salinas knows she can't hide and he dispatches the assassin to kill her. Which results in a set of tragic events, that not only turns Drea's life upside down, but the assassins. This book has several surprising twists and turns. It also has a very different hero and heroine. I think you will be as surprised and pleased as I was with this different and unusual book.
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