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Kill and Tell (John Medina #1)
by
Linda Howard
Some secrets need to be told...Still reeling from her mother's recent death, Karen Whitlaw is stunned when she receives a package containing a mysterious notebook from her estranged father, whom she has barely seen since his return from the Vietnam War decades ago. Then, a shocking phone call: Karen's father has been murdered on the gritty streets of New Orleans. Even if t...more
Compact Disc, Abridged
Published
by Brilliance Corporation
(first published 1998)
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I'm a big fan of LH's earlier romantic suspense novels, but her latest releases have failed to catch my interest. Kill and Tell is one of her oldies and, IMHO, a very good one.
The story starts with Dexter Whitlaw, a Vietnam veteran, sending a "mysterious" package to his estranged wife. Unbeknown to him, she died a few weeks ago and it's their daughter, Karen, who receives the package. Still grieving for her mother's death and resentfull of her father, who left them when she...more
The story starts with Dexter Whitlaw, a Vietnam veteran, sending a "mysterious" package to his estranged wife. Unbeknown to him, she died a few weeks ago and it's their daughter, Karen, who receives the package. Still grieving for her mother's death and resentfull of her father, who left them when she...more
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Collette
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
romantic suspense
Shelves:
howard,
romantic-suspense
This is the first in a trilogy featuring John Medina (ultimate spy). He doesn't have much play time in this book though as it's centered around yummy Marc, a cop from New Orleans and the withdrawn Karen, nurse from Ohio. Her estranged father winds up murdered in New Orleans and since he was ex-military Marc wants to help Karen find out what happened and also to help her get over her self-protection mode. It gets a bit steamy in places and they do seem to spend a lot of quality bed-time getting t...more
An excellent ‘why are people trying to kill me’ mystery.
I understood how Karen Whitlaw was feeling. While never been in a situation like that, it was close. To lose someone so close to you so quickly, then to lose someone who is supposed to be close to you soon afterwards would have anyone feeling as she felt. A brave woman, she uses her head, her instincts, and her fight for survival to get herself out of whatever situation she finds herself in.
Marc Chastain is one hell ...more
I understood how Karen Whitlaw was feeling. While never been in a situation like that, it was close. To lose someone so close to you so quickly, then to lose someone who is supposed to be close to you soon afterwards would have anyone feeling as she felt. A brave woman, she uses her head, her instincts, and her fight for survival to get herself out of whatever situation she finds herself in.
Marc Chastain is one hell ...more
ชื่อ John Medina ในวงเล็บทำให้คิดว่าตานี่เป็นพระเอกแต่ในปกหลังกลับไม่มีกล่าวถึง แล้วตัวละครตัวนี้ก็มีบทบาทน้อยมากหรือว่าผู้แต่งต้องการให้มีซีรีส์ต่อจากเล่มนี้ ซึ่งจริง ๆ แล้วตัวละครตัวนี้ก็น่าสนใจติดตามอยู่เหมือนกัน ชอบพระเอกมาก เจ้าแผนการเหลือเกิน ยิ่งแผนการล่อลวงนางเอกเนี่ยคิดได้ไงก็ไม่รู้ที่ใส่คอนดอมไว้ล่วงหน้าเพื่อไม่ให้อารมณ์สะดุด
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I loved this book..!!
It had everything from fast paced story, action, great suspense, romance. I always feel that it's your character that sells the story and this book had great characters... Karen is independent yet vulnerable, the elusive John Medina who comes across as so powerful and unbeatable and yet with a core inside that is soo good.. You wanna know more about him. Senator lake with his twisted need to gain approval and succeed.... But the characterisation of Marc surprised me th...more
It had everything from fast paced story, action, great suspense, romance. I always feel that it's your character that sells the story and this book had great characters... Karen is independent yet vulnerable, the elusive John Medina who comes across as so powerful and unbeatable and yet with a core inside that is soo good.. You wanna know more about him. Senator lake with his twisted need to gain approval and succeed.... But the characterisation of Marc surprised me th...more
Karen Whitlaw's mother just died and she gets a package from her estranged father, who left them when she was small. She packs it away and forgets about it. Sometime later, her father is murdered in New Orleans. She flies down to identify the body and begins a relationship with Detective Marc Chastain. Soon after returning home, her mother's house burns to the ground and someone breaks into her apartment trying to kill her. Someone is after the contents of the package her father sent, but who?
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The best part about this audiobook was the narrator. I usually love Ms. Howards work, but this one was way below most of her others.
While I enjoyed the characters main characters, the story seemed a little too rushed and it lackec the excitement of some of her other mysteries. The dialog between the "bad guys" was uninteresting and didn't have you asking why about anything other than what they were after.
The romance between the two main characters was alright, b...more
While I enjoyed the characters main characters, the story seemed a little too rushed and it lackec the excitement of some of her other mysteries. The dialog between the "bad guys" was uninteresting and didn't have you asking why about anything other than what they were after.
The romance between the two main characters was alright, b...more
Quick and entertaining read! I was really into the romance in this one, despite how few days they had to get to know one another. Often, in a suspense-thriller with an underlying romance, the situation is too situational for me to believe the love. In this case, though, I was really pulled into the passion. These two seemed like a good match, and I liked them together.
The only real problem I had with this was the sheer number of viewpoints. They all made sense, and added to the susp...more
The only real problem I had with this was the sheer number of viewpoints. They all made sense, and added to the susp...more
This was an interesting book. When I first started reading it I was confused by what was happening, it didn't seem like things made sense. But as the story progressed it slowly started to connect, which was a relief for me. I had been hearing so much about the John Medina books so I expected more with him. I can see where the events of this book are setting up things for him in later books.
With all that said I did really like Karen and Marc. I can see where Karen was coming from...more
With all that said I did really like Karen and Marc. I can see where Karen was coming from...more
Another excellent romantic suspense novel. It was a good thriller, interesting characters, good relationships, good plot and action.
Definitely worth reading. Dexter was a Vietnam Vet who abandoned his wife and daughter after that war. He was killed. His daughter, Karen, went to New Orleans to identify and bury him. She met Marc, a detective and a romance began. The killer then started going after Karen. John Medina has a small but important part in this book. He is the main c...more
Definitely worth reading. Dexter was a Vietnam Vet who abandoned his wife and daughter after that war. He was killed. His daughter, Karen, went to New Orleans to identify and bury him. She met Marc, a detective and a romance began. The killer then started going after Karen. John Medina has a small but important part in this book. He is the main c...more
This book takes place mainly in present day North Dakota. Karen Whitlow and Marc Chastain meet up and fall in love in this mystery-thriller. It's a fun book with lots of steamy parts and I read it in about 3 hours! There's nothing really unique about it, just found it fun. And that's what reading is, recreation. Some quotable quotes include: "Crying causes endorphins to be released into the body automatically lifting the mood." "People always laugh at funerals, sometimes eve...more
cerita pembunuhan terhadap 2 org pembunuh bayaran ini kurang menarik kalo buat saya.
tokoh Karen Whitlaw nampak terlalu pintar untuk ukuran seorang perawat. tapi mungkin ini adalah salah satu contoh "kekuatan" yg cuma dimiliki oleh seorang tokoh utama dlm setiap novel. misalnya, bagaimana cara dia menyelinap ke kamar mandi tanpa diketahui oleh penjahat yg berjarak deket bgt sama dia, hal ini hampir gak mungkin bs dilakukan org seorang perawat kl saja dia bukan sang tokoh utama. en...more
tokoh Karen Whitlaw nampak terlalu pintar untuk ukuran seorang perawat. tapi mungkin ini adalah salah satu contoh "kekuatan" yg cuma dimiliki oleh seorang tokoh utama dlm setiap novel. misalnya, bagaimana cara dia menyelinap ke kamar mandi tanpa diketahui oleh penjahat yg berjarak deket bgt sama dia, hal ini hampir gak mungkin bs dilakukan org seorang perawat kl saja dia bukan sang tokoh utama. en...more
After another re-read I'm still loving this book! Karen is contacted by the NOPD when her father (whom she hasn't seen for many years) is found murdered in an alley. Still grieving for the loss of her mother a few months before, this overworked nurse makes the journey to New Orleans to identify and bury the man her mother loved till the day she died. Detective Marc Chastain is the man in charge of the investigation and although he is helpful, he is at first , cold towards Karen. Then he realises...more
Great story, great writing. LH on top of her game. At times the descriptions of how wonderful Marc is and how wonderful he treats all women got to me. Really Marc, you're just a man. You may be a good one, but you are just human. Stop thinking how wonderful you are and just show me. Oh, and wearing a condom while you are dancing on a balcony is NOT WONDERFUL! It's creepy! Not sure I'll ever get passed that. :)
All in all, this is a great read. Marc and Karen are both great c...more
All in all, this is a great read. Marc and Karen are both great c...more
Dexter Whitlaw yang tidak mengetahui bahwa istrinya Jeanette telah meninggal, berusaha mengirimkan sebuah paket rahasia pada istrinya. Entah apa isi paket rahasia itu yang pasti putri Dex, Karen, enggan untuk melihat isinya dengan teliti. Apalagi setelah tahu yang mengirimkan paket itu adalah ayah yang nyaris tidak pernah dikenalnya. Ia lalu menyimpan paket itu bersama barang-barang ibunya dan menyimpannya dalam gudang sewaan.
TApi sayang ternyata ada seseorang yang mengetahui Dex telah ...more
TApi sayang ternyata ada seseorang yang mengetahui Dex telah ...more
So, I've been trying to read by author to see how they write, develope characters etc. It's very interesting. I've read several of Linda Howards. I think she is a good writer and her stories really suck you in and keep you turning the pages. They are exactly what I'm looking for. But, just like w/Mr. Perfect, I think she goes overboard w/sex and language when it's not necessary. And again I have a feeling I'm the minority on this as this was also a really good seller for her.
not my favorite linda howard book. the cia/espionage angle was interesting but thought the two main characters were underdeveloped. marc chastain was a bit old fashioned and kind of an ass at times while karen seemed like a cliched workaholic who doesn't have time for love. it was sort of implausible that they would fall in love so quickly and i really couldn't figure out why they fell in love in the first place. it all wraps ups cleanly at the end though and john medina is introduced. his st...more
I thought I would try out a more suspense laden romance novel and Linda Howard came highly recommended. I enjoyed the background stories of the two main characters and their romance. I found the underlying mystery element to be an afterthought that was randomly thrown in at points. Given it helped to further the storyline line, but at points I found the thriller element to be distracting. All in all, it was a very quick read, so I'll probably give her books another chance.
Unabridged audiobook review from Speaking of Audiobooks column dated 3/08/10:
Narrated by Natalie Ross
Another one of my Howard favorites, its strong romance is not overshadowed by the larger suspense. Ross does an excellent job distinctly portraying both lead characters and the pacing of her narration only enhances the suspense. Marc Chastain’s New Orleans’ accent is to die for and, I must add, Kill and Tell contains the very sexiest dance scene of all time.
Narrated by Natalie Ross
Another one of my Howard favorites, its strong romance is not overshadowed by the larger suspense. Ross does an excellent job distinctly portraying both lead characters and the pacing of her narration only enhances the suspense. Marc Chastain’s New Orleans’ accent is to die for and, I must add, Kill and Tell contains the very sexiest dance scene of all time.
In the beginning, this reads like your typical light mystery novel trying to sound hard-boiled. But then about 1/4 of the way through, it falls apart when it tries to become a romance novel as well. Sure, the sex scenes are hot, but the characters suck. (And I'm sorry, the SECOND time they have sex, they are so madly in love with each other that they don't use a condom because the thought of becoming pregnant is a turn-on?????? Uh, no.) This book suffers mightily from "tell, don't show"...more
I have about a 50% hit rate with Linda Howard. Some of the ones that others have really liked (Mr. Perfect) didn't even capture my attention long enough to finish the book - which is really rare for me. But this was one of the good ones, and it was good enough to make me want to keep giving her another chance.
I won't give a summary of the story since you can read that on Amazon. So I'll just give this as my review: if you like New Orleans (I've never been, but her sultry descri...more
I won't give a summary of the story since you can read that on Amazon. So I'll just give this as my review: if you like New Orleans (I've never been, but her sultry descri...more
The first book to include John Medina, this book concentrates on Karen Whitlaw who has to fly down to New Orleans when her absentee, Vietnam Vet father is murdered. She falls into bed (pretty darn fast) with the man investigating the death, Marc Chastain.
Craziness ensues as the men who murdered her father try to kill Karen but it all turns out okay in the end.
Craziness ensues as the men who murdered her father try to kill Karen but it all turns out okay in the end.
'Kill and Tell' is a story about Karen Whitlaw, a nurse in Ohio. She had just lost her mother to cancer, sold the house they had shared, and stumbled through three months of grief, depression, and the 12-hour night shift when she learns her estranged father has been murdered in New Orleans. Her father was a vietnam vetran and had abandoned Karen and her mother when she was a little girl.
I was unspeakably disappointed when the book went from superbly written mystery to trashy roman...more
I was unspeakably disappointed when the book went from superbly written mystery to trashy roman...more
Man this book was great. She introduced John "The Man" Medina and I loved Mark. Fav line was when he was ticked at her about "the condom". If you haven''t read this book, get it for that conversation alone! Only God rates 5 stars, thus the 4. This book is why I buy anything Linda writes -- anything except BLAIR THE WITCH books!
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This book took me all of 3 hours to read and I recommend it if you're looking for something to fill in the time. I love Linda Howard so she can really do no wrong for me at this point. I will say that the way that their relationship developed was a bit unrealistic for me but overall good read.
Ini novel LH yang biasa-biasa saja dan mudah dilupakan. Padahal dari segi cerita lumayan bagus lho, roman detektif. Cuman mungkin karena karakter tokoh utamanya 'biasa' saja membuat novel ini tidak istimewa. Novel-novel LH adalah jenis yang layak dibaca lebih dari satu kali, baik edisi terjemahannya maupun edisi ebook nya, kecuali yang satu ini.
The audio version of Kill and Tell is definitely a five star experience!!
Natalie Ross did a stellar job narrating this book, everything I could have hoped for and more. Once again a good book made even better by a perfect narration. I hated to have it come to an end.
Natalie Ross did a stellar job narrating this book, everything I could have hoped for and more. Once again a good book made even better by a perfect narration. I hated to have it come to an end.
This is a 5* book to me and there are some wonderful reviews here agreeing with that so I won`t write a review.
John Medina had a short helpful,protective part as their Fathers had a history.This book seems to have more layers each time I read it and just gets better and better
John Medina had a short helpful,protective part as their Fathers had a history.This book seems to have more layers each time I read it and just gets better and better
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc Chastain vs. John Medina | 12 | 22 | Aug 25, 2011 07:23pm |
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1) Romance author
Linda S. Howington was born on August 3, 1950 in Alabama, United States. She began to write at nine years old, and wrote for twenty years for her own enjoyment. She worked at a trucking company where she met her husband, and then decided to try and get her work published...more
More about Linda Howard...
(1) Romance author
Linda S. Howington was born on August 3, 1950 in Alabama, United States. She began to write at nine years old, and wrote for twenty years for her own enjoyment. She worked at a trucking company where she met her husband, and then decided to try and get her work published...more
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“Death isn't peaceful; it is just nothing. Everything is gone. No more sunrises, no more hopes, no more fears. Nothing.”
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