I usually love Linda Howard's books, but I didn't like anything about this book. I hated the characters, the plot, and especially the ending.

I don't think I ever read this particular storyline before and I felt myself torn. I didn't love the book or dislike it. It doesn't have much depth but then most romantic/thrillers don't so being entertained is the most I can hope for. Most of the book is about the 2 characters; The Assasin and the Mistress. Could they be redeemable? Perhaps! I think some reviewers have trouble with someone getting away with murder. HE did indicate he never killed anyone in law enforcement or women. The people he killed were evil men involved in the Underworld-Still one has trouble justifying it. Military men kill the enemy-but here it's a moral issue but this is fiction and the whole book takes on a fantasy feeling. I really doubt that Drea had the knowledge to transfer large sums of money to other banks but I saw some amusement in the fact that she did. The Miracle is a bit far out and another reason the story takes on a fantasy feel. It's not badly written and moves along except it does seem to get wordy at times. Simon and Drea are basically the only two characters in the book. Others come and go except for the 2 FBI agents who are very likable characters. In order for you to know the 2 main characters well, the author does need to give us a lot of their thoughts so therefore the excess wordiness. It's not a book I will probably read again but was an interesting change of storyline and though no one else mentions seeing humor in it but the fact it's a "dark" story I still saw an amount of humor to the whole concept. I haven't liked many of Ms. Howards books since the McKenzie's but this one was just enough different to keep my attention. Some reviewers didn't like Simon's character but
I can't see him played any other way. This is one book you will probably dislike strongly or really like it.

I have always enjoyed Linda Howard's books, but I cannot understand why she would make such unappealing characters into her protagonists. I don't want to spoil anything for other readers but the lead characters were completely unlovable and unlikeable.

Some other reviewer commented that this was the best in years, well I have to disagree. Not just the subject matter bothered me, the hero did too. Come-on, he was a murderer and she made him a hero? Plus, other things in the book about the hero's actions that I found hard to take, but will not mention because they would be spoilers. I haven't liked other books that Ms. Howard has written, but I have always bought them hoping for the best. This one I wish I could return for a full refund.

Death Angel was dead from the beginning. I've never read such a bad book by Howard. The plot is weak and improbable, the characterizations sloppy and the characters are unappealing. Too much Angel and not enough Death- skip this one and read the new Nora Roberts instead

I knew when I finished this book that other readers were going to have trouble accepting the fact that Simon was/is a hitman, plain and simple. While reading the book, I kept waiting for more background on him to come out- such as he was secretly working for the gov't. But, nope. Didn't get that info, in fact, there wasn't much on Simon at all. Almost like LH cut him out of a cardboard box and said "You will have amazing eyes but say next to nothing."
Drea, I actually liked her even though many reviewers were calling her a whore. Yes, she was arm candy and slept with a drug lord for the life she wanted, but considering the hardknock life she came from, it's really not that unfeasable.
LH made her characters real with flaws and all and none of the "OMG. What is this person? A saint??" feelings that usually accompany me when I read through a romance.
For all the flaws in this book, I could not put it down.

This story is a little different and a bit of a surprise for this die-hard LH fan. Without giving away the plot, I can say that the story is very dark (reminded me a little of "Son of the Morning" and "Cry No More") and heartbreaking. For the first time Howard has a story where none of the main characters are intrinsically good and without major moral deficiencies - it really became a story about the redemption of a couple of very tortured souls. While LH gives you some of her patented hot moments, there are some surprising twists and turns, and it ends up going in a totally different direction than expected. This is both good and bad. Death Angel makes you think, but if you are looking for your typical hot and sexy crime thriller about the cop and the damsel in distress, Death Angel is not for you.

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 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.

Linda Howards' latest novel, Death Angel, concerns two characters darker than she has ever written before who find redemption and each other. I don't feel the characters were believable especially after the change half way through the book. I found it hard to suspend disbelief. I have always enjoyed her books upto Cry no more which is her best ever. After that she seems to have lost the plot. With this one, she is more on form, but not, in my opinion, is this one her best or comparable to Cry no more or After the Night. Despite having said that, it was a fast, and enjoyable read and Linda Howard fans will certainly enjoy it.

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.

One of the best books i've read for quite awhile. touching and romantic yet interesting. loved the whole "beyond this life" experience. that really spoke to me. wished i would have boughten this book instead of getting it from the library!

With the exception of Cry No More, the last few LH books have been clunkers. This is an off beat story, off beat protagonists, a little unbelievable at a crucial part, but Linda Howard carried it off.

The Heroine was flawed but gutsy. Very interesting to see her metamorphosis from high class Ho to a woman of her own. Simon was another scary hero (see Cry No More) but it worked for me.

Enjoyed this story and glad I bought the book. Whoever does the covers on LH books is amazing. Worth the read.

This book started out with such promise. The first half of the book is a solid 4 star, but the second half is 1 star.

Being a Linda Howard fan, I couldn't wait for this book to arrive from Amazon. The 1 word I can use to describe this book is DISAPPOINTING. I don't want to give too much of the story away so I won't go too much into the details but I just have to say that I'm surprised that some people gave it such high ratings. I understand this book is about redeeming love but some of what happens in this book is just not believable. The book's synopsis made the story sound much more interesting but yet more than 3/4 of the way through the book, she still hadn't gotten with the FBI. It felt like the author decided to just throw all of it together at the end.

I am a big Linda Howard fan. However, some of her books I like more than others. While I don't like this one as much as some of her other stories like "Dream Man", it is still a good story. This book is pretty interesting, with a "hero" and "heroine" that are not your usual romance characters. If you like your romance with some unusual twists, you'll like this book.

After being underwhelmed by Howard's recent efforts, I got this one from the library and was pleasantly surprised. Starts with a bang, and I actually found the characters both interesting and likeable - which took some pretty talented writing, given that they're both "bad" people in need of redemption. They way in which they find their redemption was a little over-the-top to me, and the pacing is a bit slow, but otherwise a solid effort. Not giving it 5 stars only because she has definitely written better books - and I'm not putting her back on my "must buy it the day it comes out list" yet - but still it's a huge improvement over other recent titles by Howard.

I remember reading "Cover of Night" and thinking that one of the bad guys - a hitman - was the only interesting part of the story, and that she'd set him up pretty solidly for his own book. I was tempted to go check that one out from the library again and re-read it to see if this is, in fact, the same character - but "Cover of Night" was pretty dreadful, and I just can't make myself do it. Anyone who's read that more recently - does it seem like the same guy? (You can't tell by the names, because this guy uses a lot of aliases.)

Sex, death, love and redemption. What more could you want from a book? Waiting patiently for the next book from Linda Howard...

I just had to add my two cents on this new book by Linda Howard. I use to love reading her older novels like "Mackenzies Mountain" for example and the other romances she is known for. However during the last several years Linda has tried to become a mystery/murder author...it is not working.
The only reason I gave this story two stars was because the first part of the book was good and then it started to go down hill from there.
I have to say if you are looking for a Linda Howard romance, it is not happening in this book! There is hardly any romance at all. What a disappointment.

Linda Howard shows us her versatility once again with her newest Death Angel novel. Howard's typical trademarks are apparent early with the love/hate relationship with the main characters and it takes a while to fully come to understand which angle they're coming from, but once you read past the first chapter every piece falls nicely into place. But while Death Angel is a romance it really lacks the intimacy of earlier works and focuses mainly on hot and steamy love scenes. Drea is a misstress who uses feminine guile to get all the material possesions she lacked growing up a poor child of a broken home. Advancing to the top of a Salinas' familia she meets an assassin who changes her life. This is very typical Linda Howard writing and one you should not wait to read.

Editor of the novel: Fates by Georgiou, Tino Fates (2nd Edition)

Linda Howard is an author who has not previously disappointed me, but she's jumped on the paranormal bandstand to change a prostitute and a hitman into normal people with one little poof of the writer's magic wand.
Not credible.

When mob moll Drea Rousseau discovers that her lover has betrayed her and given her to a hit man as payment, she knows her days with drug lord Salinas are numbered. What she doesn't count on is an intense connection to Simon the hit man. Simon feels it to, but ever the loner, he sends her packing. With no where to go, she disappears, stealing $2 million from Salinas, who immediately hires Simon to kill her. Having a crisis of conscience, Simon inadvertently causes tragic events to happen and watches her die, only to discover that she survived. After an out of body experience, Drea reinvents herself as Andie and goes on the straight and narrow but the reemergence of Simon in her life as well as the untouched drug money has her wondering if she should put Salinas away for good.

Finally Howard has penned a novel that kept me riveted from cover to cover. While the story was by no means profound, it proved that she's still got "it" - now if she'd just flaunt it more often, since her last several novels have been pretty lackluster. The characters are richly drawn and are reminiscent of some of her more endearing novels. Readers familiar with her work may recognize similarities between Simon and James Diaz, the mercenary with a heart from "Cry No More" and Drea/Andie kind of reminded me of Lily the assassin from "Kiss Me While I Sleep." Howard manages to take a couple pretty flawed characters and make readers care about them despite their unsavory pasts. Now if only Sandra Brown can redeem herself after that last atrocious novel...

Since Linda Howard started writing mystery I've loved every book. This was an exception. Read Now You See Her, Mr Perfect, To Die For. Anything but this one. I want to be fair. Let's just say this one went beyond the imagination and into ridiculous. The so-called Hero is an assasin with no conscience, no joke. And finally, two users getting together is not my idea of a happy ending. Linda Howard's sense of humor, daring and fun was not included.

I wasn't really expecting too much from this book because I really haven't liked her past few books, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Death Angel had me hooked from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down (even when I was supposed to be doing other things). I just couldn't help but want the best for the two main characters even though they don't start out as very likable folks. I really liked how Drea was able to turn her life around and Simon used her miracle to make his own changes. I think that past and present Linda Howard fans will enjoy Death Angel

I've been disappointed by Linda Howard's recent books so I was pleasantly surprised to find this one so compelling. Enjoy!

This book is what I would have wanted and expected from Linda and she met my anticipation with flying colours. Her writing talent has moved another step and I really can't wait for her future books in this trend of writing.

[Spoilers Alert] I have read many complaints re lack of interaction between the heroine, Drea/Andie and the dark hero, Simon. In my humble opinion, Linda has them all, in spades. Simon's thoughts speak louder than any real spoken words. Simon's feelings for Drea revealed when he was called by Salina to get rid of Drea. His respect for her has increased significantly and he'd truly reaffirmed his assessment toward her concealed intelligence earlier. Then it was a cat-and-mouse chase but Simon the Cat had never enjoyed it more than any job he'd ever taken. I'd never thought for a moment that he'd be able to kill her, he thought too much about her and even cheered when she had nearly dropped him behind the chase. Assassins don't think too much about their preys, a job is a job and getting it done is their priority. Simon had proved this in the past and he'd again proved it once more in his last job.

Obsession is much more intense than passion. And Simon has totally obsessed with Drea. I love the part when he thought about getting her the best of care if she was brain-dead, bringing flowers to her grave if she'd died. I have then realised that the more Simon thought about Drea, the more human he'd transformed. And for Drea, her transformation started when she had recovered from her death. Drea started to look at people around her and learnt how to care for them (telling the nurse not to use the stairs, the Doc not to cheat on his wife).

The characters did not end up become any admirable figures in the society but rather just ordinary human beings. The second chance had awakened their conscience and they were thankful that they still had each other. I had tears in my eyes when I read the reluctance and determination in Simon's mind when he went ahead with his last job. For Drea, she had no idea her new found scruples had forced Simon to commit to kill again. She had tried to do the right thing but it had turned completely wrong. Only one solution, Simon's last hit. Afterward, they felt so guilty that they even avoided each other for several days. The last few paragraphs are emotional and revealed how they have changed and loved each other.

I love this book, I have finished reading it more than a week ago and still find myself going back to reread some bits and pieces. It's perfect for me, Linda Howard has done it again and I thank her for sharing such writing talent to readers. Borrowing Drea's last words, I really hope good book like Death Angel will have more in the future, "years and years to come".

This is a typical Linda Howard, absolutely excellent! loved it, I always come back for more.

Every time I've read a Linda Howard book in the last few years, I tell myself its not going to be as good as the last. Every time I've been wrong. If anything "Death Angel" surpasses "Up Close and Dangerous" by miles with both complicated characters and interesting plot.
Howard manages to take two characters who are not normally the kind you cheer for and make you care about them. Drea/Andie is a con woman who steals, albeit from a druglord, and tries to run off with the money. The assasin character is a killer who has one sexual encounter with Drea and leaves her, then is tapped to take her out by the druglord.
Both of these characters sound irredeemable, and yet I found myself wanting them to make it out okay and live happily ever after. Howard makes you care when other authors can't seem to get there. I read this book in an afternoon, and didn't even notice I'd been reading for 3 hours without looking up once. That's how engrossing it is.

Unlike the majority of reviewers here, I very much disliked this book. I would have liked to give it no stars, but the site would not allow me to do that. I am in no way a bra burning feminist, but I really found this book degrading to women. I am extremely sorry I spent my hard earned money on it, and will definately take the time to sit in the book store and read a chapter or two of her next book before purchasing it. By the way, I am normally an avid Howard fan.

I loved this book. At first I wasn't sure I would. There seemed to be too much description and too little dialogue, but the story was fast paced and kept me hooked. I liked that Drea seemed flaky but was really an independent woman who could outsmart Rafael and keep Simon on his toes.
I read some of the other reviews because I couldn't believe people rated it poorly. The main complaint was the spirituality in the second half of the story and not being able to "relate" to the characters. Spirituality does not play that big a role in the story. As for relating to the characters, the story is about a mob boss and an assasin. These are not the kind of people that you come across in everyday life, so the story is clearly a fantasy. We are not supposed to relate to the life of a mob boss or an assasin.

I enjoyed this, but the overall storyline is darker than most of Linda Howard's novels.

I've always had a soft spot for Linda Howard and her new darker direction doesn't lack for anything. I especially love the intensity with which the characters are so completely flawed. Both the main characters walk a tight rope and falling in love with each other is their only redeeming qualities. If you're looking for a straight and easy book, than this is not the one for you. It certainly isn't a storyline for everyone. But if you're looking for a book beyond the norm and just a little bit on the darker side of life than Death Angel certainly does the job well.

Drea Rousseau is sick of being a drug lord's plaything. Sure, it's nice not having to do anything more than watch the home shopping network and look pretty, but the whole playing dumb thing gets old kind of fast. Drea's boyfriend, Rafael Salinas, is a drug dealer, a criminal, and an unrepentant sinner whose method of solving problems runs more toward hitmen than mediation. And for a while Drea was content to sit by his side and play the part of the gangster's moll. For two years she played her part flawlessly, biding her time until she could leave him with her jewelry and dignity intact. She knows that Rafael doesn't love her, but she thought he at least cared about her some. But when he trades her body for a hitman's services, she learns that she was wrong. And though the hours she spends in the arms of a cold-blooded killer shouldn't matter to a girl whose boyfriend sells drugs for a living, Drea expected more. And when she doesn't get it, she chooses revenge instead. Siphoning two million dollars from Rafael's accounts, Drea runs for her life. She plans to start all over again in middle America where Rafael can't find her. Only she doesn't expect that he'll send the one man after her who she can't escape--the hitman whose touch she craves even as she runs from it.

I've heard a lot of talk on romance boards over the past few years saying that Linda Howard has lost her touch and that her newer books aren't as good as the old ones. Well, with Death Angel, she's proving her critics wrong. This book was fantastic, and quite possibly my favorite of all her works (though After the Night is still pretty high on my list). The hitman (Simon, whose name I neglected to mention because you don't find it out until later in the story) is a quintessential Howard hero. He's all militaristic stealth and alpha male aggression combined with protective lover and guardian of the innocent. In other words, everything you could want in a hero. At times he seems remote, distant, and unsure of himself, and you don't know if this is the sort of hero you can root for. But when he goes after Drea it isn't with any malice and at the same time he's hunting her he's cheering her on for giving Salinas a taste of his own medicine. And Drea is of the nouveau class of Howard heroines. At one time they were dumb as doornails (think Mary in Mackenzie's Mountain), but now it's like Howard has realized it's okay for a girl to have both beauty and brains. And Drea has them both in spades. This is a girl who plays dumb for two years while she secretly stores account numbers and exchanges real diamonds for fake ones. Drea doesn't delude herself into thinking she has an infinite amount of time with Rafael. In fact, she knows the moment someone prettier and younger catches his eye that she'll be out the door. Which is why she has her contingency plan. In fact, the only reason she takes Rafael to the cleaners is that he proves to her that she means nothing to him, so she decides to take what she thinks she's worth. And I was cheering for her even as I hoped Simon wouldn't catch her.

And all of this is without even mentioning the chemistry between these two characters, which virtually sizzles off the pages. From the moment they touch, the temperature went up in my apartment, and it didn't go down at any point when the two of them were together. I can't remember the last time I've been so emotionally invested and intently engaged by a book--particularly romantic suspense. Linda Howard is the reigning queen of the genre and Death Angel is just another weapon in her arsenal that proves why she got the title.

Linda Howard did it again. Another great book could not put it down.
It got me from page one. Fast paced and couldn't wait to see what
happened next. I have not read a Linda Howard I did not like. She is
one of my favorite authors.

Death Angel by Linda Howard is thrilling it certainly keeps one glued to the book I think Linda Howard is one of the Best writers around

If you are a Howard fan, this book is definitely well worth reading. Although some of the character traits are a bit disturbing, such as a hit-man for the hero, the overall story is entertaining.

Some might be a bit taken aback by the "offworld" direction the author shoots into the story at one point, but Howard has never been afraid to mingle the real world with fantasy and frankly, who's to say that angels are NOT part of the real world anyway?

I do miss some of the character development from the Howard of old, and their could be a bit more intimacy between the H/H, but if you are looking for a good read, this is it.

I was hooked from the start! I agree with many of the others this is the best Linda Howard in years. I didn't think I'd ever like a book better than the McKenzie series but this is right up there. How wonderful to be so pleasantly surprised that the story takes you on a journey you don't expect. Don't read too many reviews that will give away the story line just read Death Angel for yourself!

I Bought the book yesterday and finished it this morning... Linda is back.

Read it for yourself. I couldnt put it down! :)

If I've missed any of Linda Howard's books, I don't know it. Therefore, I was surprised when I started reading this book and found a principal character that really wasn't her usual style. Most of Linda Howard's heroines are such great people, that I find myself wanting them as friends (remember Jaine Bright?). Drea did not engender that response at all. I read the cover flaps and thought "Uh oh", so I was half-way expecting this to be the first Linda Howard book that I didn't read in one sitting. And I kept thinking that I might put it down, but something about Drea and Simon kept me reading. The miracle sounded pretty unbelievable on the cover flaps, but I kept reading and found that I could believe it. I loved her thoughts while in the hospital (damn that doctor!) and I think from that point on it became more of what I expected. Loved the flashes of "sight". As always, the end came too soon and I wanted more, which was a turnabout from the way I felt at the start. Thanks, Linda Howard, for the enjoyment.

I'll read anything with Linda Howard's name on it. Like many of my other favorite talented authors (Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught, Sandra Brown, Karen Robards) Linda Howard's recent contemporary fiction has taken a predictable and somewhat ridiculous turn to the "romantic" suspense thriller, sacrificing good plot and character development for unbelievable life or death suspense. In Death Angel she adds a dash of paranormal to keep the story moving along. There is nothing really redeemable about Drea or Simon. Drea is a drug lord's personal whore, a savvy survivor from the school of hard knocks who has been building her nest egg while playing the dumb blond. Simon is an unrepentant assassin. We're never told what makes him tick. I found myself hoping he was some type of super secret agent but he was really just a gun for hire. Like Drea he's a master at his craft. I found this book to be well written and somewhat entertaining but so ridiculous and far fetched I would not recommend it to a friend.

I had a hard time putting it down. It was an exceptional read and the story line was so different from anything I've read and talk about not perfect heros and heroines well you couldn't find any two people more imperfect than Andie and Simon. But they fit together and I loved how she developed the relationship and I won't give any spoilers but you won't believe the middle of the book. All I can say is WOW!
You all have to pick up a copy this is one of the must reads of the summer.

WOW - I agree - this is definitely the best Linda Howard in years, possibly all-time! It is wonderful to get a new Linda Howard book - her writing is fantastic - always, clear, concise, well written, to the point. A great story teller and she tells great stories! And well edited too - not all those niggling awful mistakes in the book that could have easily been prevented.

This is a little bit of a departure for her but what a great direction! An unexpected melding of characters, but she has you pulling for them from the very start. I LOVED THIS BOOK! The ending was perfect. the beginning was perfect...actually so was the middle! Bravo Linda! Encore!

Im a huge fan of LH. Even her less than fabulous creations still rank high above alot of other author's efforts. I find an author I love and I stick with them and this book is the reason why. The characters are flawed thus interesting multideminsional. I actually started feeling a soft spot for even the bad guy, interesting. Like another viewer I liken this novel to Cry No More, which actually made me cry in the end and I loved To Die For. Please Linda if your reading, continue with this flawed character thing, its a very nice and welcome change from the ho hum virtuous,psuedo virginistic, but spirited women who have no dimension. Very recommended.

Drea Rousseau has been the mistress of a drug lord, Rafael, for almost 2 years. She sits and paints her nails, shops and in general, acts like the stupidest woman in the world. Simon Goodnight is a hit man that is occasionally hired to kill people by Rafael. All 3 main characters are pretty dark with little redeeming qualities. At the beginning of the book Simon is asked to make a high profile hit by Rafael. Simon tells Rafael it's a little risky, so as a bonus he wants to sleep with Drea. Rafael casually agrees and leaves the apartment for 5 hours, so that Simon can collect his bonus. What follows is one of the few sex scenes in the entire book, but it is an essential one, because the entire book's plot rests on it. And what a scene it is! You should be required to read the book with pot holders. Anyway, after Simon leaves, Drea is completely and totally furious and decides it's time to show Rafael the woman he has REALLY been living with for two years. Drea proceeds to rob Rafael of 2,100,000 dollars plus jewelry and almost gets away until Rafael hires Simon to find her and kill her. The whole thing is just great.

The first half of this book is a romantic, sexy suspense, and what a book it is. I was absolutely and totally in love with both Simon and Drea. They were crooked, callous and unapologetically bad. It was great. The problem with the book was the second half. We went from realistic suspense to a romantic fantasy on page 162. From that point on the author brought in supernatural details, visions, psychic powers and in general, redeemed both characters and totally whitewashed them to bring about the ending. I absolutely hated it (and I am normally a huge fan of paranormal romances). These two were so absolutely different from any other characters and their motivations were so priceless, that changing them was like destroying a work of art. If Linda Howard was my neighbor, I would have been banging on her door at 3:00 a.m. last night to tell her how great the first half of her new book was and how bad she took a truly excellent, excellent book and screwed it up in the 2nd half. (Only half joking.)

I have enjoyed all of Howard's books but this one disappointed me. Glad I borrowed it from the library rather than waste any money on it. It was ok.
LC

I just finished reading Death Angel, and I, like the previous reviewer, had a moment where you almost put it down...mine came not to far in as I found myself not finding anything redeemable about the characters. But I persevered and I have to say I absolutely loved this book. I loved the fact that the main characters had faults a plenty and never really had the fake "ding" kind of moment where everything is better and I'm changed etc. Instead you watched them grapple with life and decisions and you found yourself quietly rooting for them. Great book! Definitely pick it up and when you start questioning...remember a second chance makes it all worthwhile!

This book describes how two very flawed individuals find solace in life and each other. Neither one's lifestyle fit within my personal parameters of acceptable behavior, and yet there was something within each of them that appealed to me on a very basic level. Comparatively speaking, they spend very little time actually in each other's presence, but the bond that develops between them reads through stronger and deeper than most romantic stories I've read, and I've read plenty. The only thing that prevented me from giving it a full five stars is the slightly psychic angle that weaves in and out of the story. To me, that was a bit much. As a whole, however, Linda Howard does a masterful job at spinning a story that simultaneously drew me in, made me breathless and thoroughly entertained me.

Why? Because it's a book you could sit down and read in one sitting it's so good. This book captured my attention from Chapter 1- It's HARD for a book to do that, but Linda Howard accomplishes this in her latest book, Death Angel. I couldn't get through the pages quick enough. It's definitely a different story, and one that's a great read. She's given so much detail about Drea, that you feel really connected to her, which, sometimes you never get this close to the heroine. Beware--in this book, the H/H do not spend a huge amount of time together, and for some that's a problem, but I enjoyed the story so much, I didn't see it as a problem!