Up Close and Dangerous: A Novel

by Linda Howard

Book Overview

A mysterious plane crash . . . a dangerous trek through the Idaho wilderness . . . a smoldering attraction . . . and a deadly game of cat and mouse. In her latest tour de force of romantic suspense,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345486536
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Romantic Suspense at it's Best

If you like your thrillers mixed with some romance than you will like Up UP CLOSE AND DANGEROUS. One of the main characters of this novel is Bailey who gets married to her much older, yet wealthy boss, Jim Wingate, but soon after finds herself a widow. He had two stepchildren, Seth and Tamzin, still alive at the time of his passing, but had Bailey handle his trust because he didn't think they were responsible enough. Bailey and the stepchildren didn't quite get along which complicates matters, of course. There was much tension and verbal abuse that she had to take when dealing with them. The Wingate Group employs J & L Executive Air Limo owned by Cameron Justice and Bret Larsen for all their flying obligations. When the family calls for their services Bret usually is the one to fly the plane because Cameron didn't really like the Wingate kids or the wife. One day Bailey calls them to fly her to Denver and Bret is sick so Cameron reluctantly has to take the job. Trouble happens when the engine gives out and they crash into the trees while going over the mountains in Idaho. They both suffer from desperation of being stuck, injured and not knowing if help is even on the way. Bailey ends up pushing herself more than she thought herself capable and romance ends up happening between the two in this life and death situation. Overall an excellent novel from Linda Howard.

Loved this book!

I am a big Linda Howard fan, and she doesn't disappoint with this book. Great characters, very fast read. Highly recommend.

A Fun Read

I have not read a lot of Linda Howard Books. I had just finished the series of The McKenzie's and enjoyed those so thought I would try her new one. I read the Reviews and wasn't sure what to expect as some seemed to really like it and some really did not like it. I thought it was entertaining and that after all is why I read. I felt Cam and Bailey were well suited for each other as he needed someone strong who would stand up to him and she did several times and he seemed to bring out the best in her. It had humor even when Bailey was so mad at Cam. I thought her temper fits were quite hillarious. I felt LH had researched well on survival and the technical aspects of a plane crash. TO me it was just an enjoyable read.

Surprisingly good book

I made a huge mistake before I read this book. I read the many reviews on it, and many of them panned Up Close and Dangerous. Pish tosh! The reviewers need to get a review clue. Howard gives her readers a tightly plotted book. She lays a trail of crumbs for readers so that they can understand both Cameron and Bailey. Howard's point is that we can't judge people without knowing them. So Cam and Bailey come to know each other under adversity caused by a plane crash. She is more than a rich man's darling. He is more than some macho jock who despises her. Being thrown together as a result of the crash helps Bailey and Cameron to build an enduring relationship in which each has a full gauge of what the other is capable of under pressure. Another aspect of the novel is how Howard tosses dust in her reader's eyes but casting suspicion on and then clearing Bailey's stepchildren. Though they both hate her, her stepson, because of the accident, learns to channel his hate to achieve a positive objective. In this way, he realizes his father's ambition for him. Though he learns about Bailey and understands why she is his stepmother and is in control of things, he openly acknowledges that he prefers to have the status quo remain in place in order to continue his growth and development as a responsible human being. Howard's novel even has a surprising twist at the end. Perhaps it's not so surprising. Anyway, the novel's plot is a good one, and it works. The reader should not expect the usual heat that can burn up characters in a Howard novel. Instead, one sees an eventual growth in relationship that comes to be based on trust rather than sheer heat. Besides, it's somewhat difficult to flame out when a guy's injured for good part of things. I liked this novel very much, and recommend it to other readers. I read it as a library borrow, and will purchase it when the paperback comes out. Good for you, Linda. Good read, worth the money.

Another wonderful book by Linda Howard

Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors. Very interesting, and a real page turner. Hard to put down.