Scan barcode
A review by thenia
Death Angel by Linda Howard
4.0
A story about two anti-heroes, Drea, a woman who pretends to be stupid arm candy and lives as a mistress of a drug dealer, and an unrepentant assassin, who changes her life.
Initially I had no patience for Drea, who is a compact package of things I dislike in a character: manipulative, fake, materialistic and immoral, among other things. When her drug lord protector "gives her" to the assassin in order to close a deal, she realizes that she barely has any worth in his eyes and after being treated with kindness by a most unexpected source, the assassin, she finally stumbles onto some self-respect..
As a result, she leaves her protector but because old habits die hard, and she hasn't become a different person in one day, she steals two million from him on her way out. On the run and with an enraged drug lord wanting her dead, she finds herself trying to stay one step ahead from the assassin, who is enjoying the hunt and hasn't made up his mind if he'll take the job or not.
In an unexpected twist,
Upset about her accidental death, Simon, the assassin, looks for her grave and discovers that somehow she is alive. Shocked to his core by that miracle, he takes no more jobs and secretly looks after her, making sure she is safe as her self-appointed bodyguard.
Having a second chance that she doesn't intend to waste, she knows that she must do everything in her power to get the drug lord off the streets and so goes to the FBI. Simon, whom she discovered looking out for her and who explained that he doesn't intend her any harm, after stopping her from fleeing in terror once again, tries to deter her, but she is determined to see her goal through.
Unwilling to have her risk her life, he once again does what he did best and assassinates the drug lord, taking her and leaving straight after, determined to start over somewhere, as their new selves.
Having gone through all that, the two finally get together, living their own version of a happily ever after.
Despite not particularly liking the heroine's character, especially at first, and having a hero who is essentially a sociopath, I couldn't help but root for the two.
An original story, that kept me engaged and curious about how it would end.
Initially I had no patience for Drea, who is a compact package of things I dislike in a character: manipulative, fake, materialistic and immoral, among other things. When her drug lord protector "gives her" to the assassin in order to close a deal, she realizes that she barely has any worth in his eyes and after being treated with kindness by a most unexpected source, the assassin, she finally stumbles onto some self-respect.
Spoiler
Well, almost... She first tries to have him take her with him, but he's having none of it, so by the time he leaves, she's left with eyes wide open, looking at herself as she's become and not liking what she sees one bitAs a result, she leaves her protector but because old habits die hard, and she hasn't become a different person in one day, she steals two million from him on her way out. On the run and with an enraged drug lord wanting her dead, she finds herself trying to stay one step ahead from the assassin, who is enjoying the hunt and hasn't made up his mind if he'll take the job or not.
In an unexpected twist,
Spoiler
she actually dies and goes to "a beautiful place" where she meets a version of the stillborn son she had when she was fifteen, who intervenes so she'll get a second chance in life in order to be able to actually go there when she eventually dies again.Upset about her accidental death, Simon, the assassin, looks for her grave and discovers that somehow she is alive. Shocked to his core by that miracle, he takes no more jobs and secretly looks after her, making sure she is safe as her self-appointed bodyguard.
Having a second chance that she doesn't intend to waste, she knows that she must do everything in her power to get the drug lord off the streets and so goes to the FBI. Simon, whom she discovered looking out for her and who explained that he doesn't intend her any harm, after stopping her from fleeing in terror once again, tries to deter her, but she is determined to see her goal through.
Unwilling to have her risk her life, he once again does what he did best and assassinates the drug lord, taking her and leaving straight after, determined to start over somewhere, as their new selves
Having gone through all that, the two finally get together, living their own version of a happily ever after.
Despite not particularly liking the heroine's character, especially at first, and having a hero who is essentially a sociopath, I couldn't help but root for the two.
An original story, that kept me engaged and curious about how it would end.