Dying to Please: A Novel

by Linda Howard

Book Overview

Loyal. Beautiful. Professional. Impeccably organized. Potentially lethal. Sarah Stevens is a woman with many distinct qualities. First and foremost a butler par excellence, skilled at running large... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345453409
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.1" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Another great Linda Howard book!

This is a great romantic suspense story. It has an interesting main character - she is a combination butler and bodyguard to a retired federal judge. And the lead male (and very appealing romantic interest) is a strong character who investigates when the judge is murdered. The story has lots of interesting twists - you have hints about the murderer but never any "reveals". It kept me turning pages right to the end.

The Perfect Butler?

This is a fun book with people getting murdered every few days for no apparant reason, a cop that doesn't have much personality at first sight, but is to die for by the middle of the book. The heroine, Sarah Stevens is the best butler money can buy having had all the required butler training, AND being an expert in martial arts as well as a crack shot. AND she looks good. There is a catch though. Her employers are getting killed. The killer is actually stalking Sarah and has his own evil plans for her future. Natually Sara and the cop get together for some great times that stretch the imagination a bit but are great for a fantasy read.

Strong Heroine that Makes this a Blast!

I am NEVER disapointed with a Linda Howard creation. Her latest, 'Dying to Please' was exceptional. Packed full of strong characters and great dialog along with a fast-paced storyline had me reading this in 6 hours! The not-often used story of a very intelligent and strong woman who can not only take care of herself but can also protect herself had me smiling. She is a woman butler and a bodyguard for a retired Judge! Loved it! She doesn't need any man to pick up the shattered pieces of her heart or sanity even when she is faced with a murder charge. She stays strong throughout the entire story and shows her weaknesses appropriately. Oh and the hero...Ms. Howard sure delivers on the heroes as always. :) He is strong, as strong as the heroine and Alpha male to the max. These two were explosive and made for each other. As always Ms. Howard creates a web of suspense and romance that just can't be done by many authors. And her villains are always creepy and real...in this one, the villain is definately not someone you'd want to run into anytime soon...~Sarah Stevens is not only beautiful and intelligent, but she is the impeccably organized, efficient, professional woman butler/bodyguard for a retired Federal Judge. She takes her work very seriously. She loves her job and she adores the Judge. Thwarting a failed burgarly with her martial art skills, her life is thrust into the limelight for her '15 minutes' of fame. Not enjoying the spotlight, Sarah is disturbed when she recieves an expensive gift from someone and then suddenly finds herself the prime suspect of the brutal murder of the Judge.Detective Thomas Cahill is impressed with the woman's training when he first meets her at the burgarly but when he is called out to investigate the murder of her employer and she becomes the prime suspect, his instincts are on full alert. Soon she is eliminated as a suspect and not a moment too soon, for Cahill finds himself fiercely attracted to her. Now as she is in the clear, he dares to persue it. Soon the trail grows cold and Cahill finds himself falling for Sarah hard. His heart shatters when yet another of Sarah's employers is murdered...did she do it after all? Is she a cold blooded murderer? How had his instincts get so clouded? In the shadows a killer awaits...waiting for Sarah...waiting anxiously for her to finally be alone, to be his after all this time, for he is 'Dying to Please'......

Wow!!! Linda Howard never fails to Please!!

Make sure you start reading this book on a weekend or have some sick time at work, because you won't want to put it down! The chemistry between these characters will make you ache to see if they can overcome their obstacles and make their relationship work, and the suspense will keep you turning the pages with vigor!Sarah is a butler extraordinaire for a retired federal judge. The judge is very sweet and he and Sarah have forged a tight bond during the three years she has worked for him. Sarah is also trained in martial arts and, along with her butler duties, she also serves as a bodyguard for the judge. After foiling a robbery attempt at the judge's house, Sarah is solicited to do a human interest spot on the evening news, outlining her butler duties. Little did she know the publicity would lure a madman and change the course of her life forever.Detective Cahill is an investigator on the case, and the chemistry between he and Sarah is too hot to ignore. He has been burned in a recent divorce, and is wary of trusting a woman again. I was anxious to see if he could overcome his she-demons and let himself love and trust Sarah. Once again, Linda Howard delivers with steamy love scenes, raw emotion, and bittersweet betrayals. I highly, highly recommend "Dying to Please"!

DYING TO PLEASE by Linda Howard

Right off the bat I say buy this book since you can't put it down once you start it. It's so Linda Howard with her fabulous Alpha heroes to die for too.Sarah Stevens is a butler for a wealthy retired judge in the small town of Mountain Brook, Alabama. She is also trained as a bodyguard and hired by the judge's family to watch over him as he's had some death threats in the past. Sarah has worked for Judge Roberts for three years and is almost a member of the family. One night she interrupts a robbery and is in the news and on TV. Unbeknownst to Sarah she has attracted the attention of a stalker who thinks she is perfect for him and a chain of events is set into motion that will have dire consequences for Sarah. At short time later Sarah walks in to the judge's house one evening and discovers he has been brutally murdered. Linda Howard knows how to build ... tension so well you can feel the steam heat. Whew!...

Its murder getting good help now days.

Sarah Stevens is a butler extrodinaire, but her current employer also hired her for her secret body guarding abilities. One night, she thwarts a robbery and gets her "15 minutes of fame" on the network news. Problem is, someone who sees the interview becomes obsessed with the need for Sarah herself; and he doesn't care who he has to eliminate to get her in his employment.Now Sarah's 85 year old employer is murdered but her new romance interest, Dectective Thomas Cahill, assures her she is no longer suspect. However, her new employers are also murdered and it really looks like "the butler did it". This is a great new book from Linda Howard. The love scenes were hot. I especially enjoyed the strip wrestling game. The book is definitely raunchy, fun, suspenseful. Both the hero and heroine are sharp. It was great to see a relationship where both partners are equally capable and protective of each other.For those of you who have enjoyed Linda Howard in the past, this will be a great read for you. Read on!